On October 24-25, 2007, Yaroslavl State University named after P. G. Demidov (hereinafter-YarSU) hosted the VI All-Russian School of Young Africanists "Africa: History, Economy, Politics, Culture". The conference was organized by the Scientific Council on Economic, Socio-Political and Cultural Development of African Countries under the Department of Social Sciences of the Russian Academy of Sciences, the Institute of Africa of the Russian Academy of Sciences and the Laboratory of African Studies and Oriental Studies of the Department of General History of the 1st YarSU.

The location for the school was not chosen by chance. Yaroslavl is rich in cultural and scientific traditions, including Oriental studies. The outstanding sinologist Z. F. Leontievsky 2, the specialist in Indian languages G. S. Lebedev, the researcher of South Africa P. Kovalev 3. The microbiologist L. S. Tsenkovsky, who traveled along the Nile together with the expedition of E. P. Kovalevsky, taught at the Yaroslavl Higher School of Sciences (established according to the imperial decree of 1803). It became Yaroslavl State University named after P. G. Demidov. Currently, it is one of the few classical universities where students study a number of special courses in the history of Africa and the Diaspora and where there is a postgraduate program in this specialty. Yaroslavl has developed a scientific school on the intellectual history of Africa and the "African diaspora". Students and postgraduates specializing in African studies participated in all the schools of young Africanists (starting with the first one) held in Moscow, St. Petersburg and Saratov.

The VI All-Russian School of Young Africanists is the first African studies forum in the history of YarSU, although several conferences have been organized during the 12 years of the Laboratory of African Studies and Oriental Studies. Among them are the All-Russian scientific conferences " Russia and the East: the main trends of socio-economic and political development "(1998) and " Gerasim Lebedev and his Time "(1999), the international conference " Conflicts and Compromises in World History "(2004), the All-Russian conference " African Studies and Oriental Studies at Yaroslavl State University. P. G. Demidov" (2007). Well-known African scientists and young specialists took part in their work: Professors E. S. Lvova and L. A. Fridman, Associate Professor E. N. Kasimovskaya (ISAA at Moscow State University), O. V. Karpacheva (Institute of Africa) and others.

Meetings of teachers and researchers of different ages within the framework of the young Africanist schools that have become regular are based on the solid experience of the older generation, formed on the basis of the continuity of traditions laid down by the pioneers of Russian African studies, those who stood at its origins, and their students, outstanding masters of their craft-D. A. Ol-

1 The Laboratory of African Studies and Oriental Studies of the Department of World History was established in 1996. Students and postgraduates specialize in African studies, as well as in the history of India, China and Turkey.

2 See: Gavristova T. M. Russian Sinologist Z. F. Leontievsky / / "Past, merging with the present". Tikhomirov's readings. Yaroslavl, 1993. p. 55-58; Gavristova T. M., Egorova N. M. K biografii Z. F. Leontievskogo [On the biography of Z. F. Leontievsky]. A view from Russia. Catalog of works from the collection of the Yaroslavl Art Museum. Yaroslavl, 1999. P. 2-3; Gavristova T. M., Shubina S. Yu. Outstanding connoisseur of China / / Asia and Africa today. 2001. N 1. pp. 24-28.

3 P. Kovalev (1878-1950) emigrated to South Africa in 1921, before that he was head of the Department of Geology at St. Petersburg State University. For more information, see: The formation of Russian African Studies. 1920s-early 1960s Moscow, 2003, p. 16.

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derogge and I. I. Potekhin, A. B. Davidson, S. V. Prozhogina, and others. And although there were disagreements and conflicts among scientists, which manifested themselves even in the interpretation of the concepts of "African studies" and "African studies", they all shared the idea that young people constitute a special category in the scientific community (due to their dynamics, tendency to perceive, generate and replicate new ideas and points of view) and it needs to be trained and educated. The integration of young people into the academic environment was considered by Africanists as one of the most important areas of scientific and pedagogical activity, and the involvement of young talents in science can be considered as one of the achievements of domestic African studies.

A number of factors contributed to dynamic communication between teachers and students - "masters" and "apprentices" - within the professional workshop. Among them are the comparative youth of African studies as a science; the relative narrowness and isolation of the circle of those who, due to their education and activity, could call themselves an Africanist (they are traditionally considered to include specialists who know African languages); the concentration of centers for African studies in two capitals-Moscow and St. Petersburg; the availability of a base and experience of scientific- practical and relay activities (through archives, museums, libraries, societies and associations, through mass media, publishing, field research).

Schools of young Africanists currently, as well as other forums, certainly perform a number of functions. On the one hand, they traditionally help to streamline the process of relaying knowledge, exchanging opinions between older and younger generations of scientists in the course of formal and informal communication. On the other hand, due to the fact that in the context of globalization, information about such events is quickly becoming available to a wide range of people, the opportunities for engagement are increasing. As a result, Africanists are integrated not only in science and education, but also in a wide variety of social and professional spheres, including politics, trade, finance and business.

African studies in Russia have always been the monopoly of scientists from Moscow and St. Petersburg. They made up the majority of participants of the VI All-Russian School of Young Africanists. These are mainly teachers and researchers, undergraduates and postgraduates of the Faculty of Oriental Studies of St. Petersburg State University (hereinafter - St. Petersburg State University) and the ISAA at Moscow State University (it is here that most Russian Africanists studied and are currently studying); specialists from the Institute of Africa of the Russian Academy of Sciences, the Institute of General History of the Russian Academy of Sciences, the Institute of Oriental Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences, and the Russian State University for the Humanities (further - RSUH), the Museum of Anthropology and Ethnography of the Russian Academy of Sciences (Kunstkamera). Peter the Great (hereinafter-MAE). In recent decades, a number of universities and research institutes have developed "dwarf" centers for African studies (schools, laboratories).

Specialists, undergraduates and postgraduates from Nizhny Novgorod, Saratov, Kazan, Vologda, and Yaroslavl also took part in the work of the VI school. In total-58 people. A large group of first-and second-year students of the Faculty of Oriental Studies of St. Petersburg State University (12 people) attended the meetings as listeners who did not declare their intention to speak.

The program of the school included plenary sessions, sections and round tables. The leadership was carried out by scientists-experts from leading scientific and educational centers of African studies. Among them are Yu. N. Vinokurov, Doctor of Historical Sciences, Director of the Center for Tropical Africa of the Institute of Africa; T. M. Gavristova (Chairman of the organizing committee), Doctor of Historical Sciences, Head of the Institute of African Studies. Laboratory of African Studies and Oriental Studies of the Department of General History of YarSU; N. V. Gromova, Doctor of Historical Sciences, Head of the Department of African Studies of ISAA; Yu. V. Potemkin, Doctor of Historical Sciences, Director of the Center for Political and Social Studies of the Institute of Africa; A. D. Savateev, Doctor of Historical Sciences, Scientific Secretary of the Scientific Council of the Russian Academy of Sciences on African Problems (Institute of Africa); I. V. Sledzevsky (Chairman of the Organizing committee), Doctor of Historical Sciences, Director of the Center for Civilizational and Regional Studies of the Institute of Africa; V. G. Shubin, Doctor of Historical Sciences, Deputy Director of the Center for Civilizational and Regional Studies of the Institute of Africa. Director of the Institute of Africa of the Russian Academy of Sciences.

On the first day of the plenary session, V. P. Fedyuk, Doctor of Historical Sciences, Dean of the Faculty of History of YarSU, delivered a welcoming speech. He wished the young Africanists success in their research activities. Opening the second session, YarSU Rector A. I. Rusakov expressed hope for expanding cooperation with leading centers of Russian African studies. The co-chairs of the organizing committee expressed their intention to develop contacts

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between higher education and academic science, and proposed to bring the forum to an international level in the coming years.

The first plenary session " African Studies in the context of cultural Interaction "(co-chairs: I. V. Sledzevsky and T. M. Gavristova) determined the prospects of the school's work.

I. V. Sledzevsky's report "African studies as a kind of scientific knowledge" outlined the main directions of research in the context of globalization and the boundaries of the existence of African studies in the humanities and social sciences. The presentation reflects the problems of the infrastructure of modern research, its relevance and relevance in the field of politics and business, as well as the situation in modern domestic African studies.

V. G. Shubin's report "Integration processes in Africa and the role of South Africa" paid special attention to the development of international relations at the turn of the XX - XXI centuries, the creation of the African Union and the role that South Africa plays on the world stage. The main points of the report, developed in the context of historical and political science research, aroused great interest among Africanists, political scientists, and economists.

A. D. Savateev's report "Islam in Tropical Africa in the light of the civilizational approach" demonstrated the relevance of using the civilizational approach in relation to the study of African societies and its advantages over the formational approach, which, in the author's opinion, allow us to see the general and special features in the development of Islam and Muslim communities in different regions of Tropical Africa in different historical periods.

The report by A. Y. Siim (MAE) "General comments on the organization of work of ethnographic museums: some lessons from the new African exposition of the MAE RAS" aroused particular interest. It was devoted to one of the most pressing problems of humanitarian research-the dissemination and demand for knowledge about Africa. The author focuses on museums as a form of organizing science and education, as well as problems in the theory and practice of African studies. In the same vein, some other speeches of young specialists who turned to the study of museum exhibits as a historical source were also built.

The theme of the second plenary session is " Africa: Problems of socio-economic, political and military history "(co-chairs: V. G. Shubin and Yu. V. Potemkin).

Yu. N. Vinokurov in his speech "Tropical Africa: military conflicts-a consequence of the aggravation and internationalization of socio-economic and ethno-political problems" made an attempt to compare the largest regional conflicts on the continent, in East and Central Africa, focusing on the origins, forms and mechanisms of their settlement.

In the report of Yu. V. Potemkin "African labor migration: dynamics, directions, economic effects", the problem of internal and external migrations - one of the most pressing problems of economic, social and political research-was comprehensively covered. The audience was very interested in the data on the number, structure, directions of migration flows and prospects for the development of the migration process at the turn of the XX-XXI centuries.

The logical continuation of the plenary sessions was the work of sections and round tables-it was based on regional and thematic principles.

The sections were led by V. G. Shubin and A. S. Zdanevich, Senior Lecturer of the Department of African Studies at the Faculty of Oriental Studies of St. Petersburg State University, Candidate of Historical Sciences (section "South Africa: History and Politics"); A.D. Savateev and V. N. Semenova, Chief Specialist of the Department of Ethnography of African Peoples of the MAE (section " Ethiopia: history, Politics, Religion Culture"); Yu. N. Vinokurov and A. S. Khodnev, Head of the Department of General History of the Yaroslavl State Pedagogical University named after K. D. Ushinsky (hereinafter - YAGPU), Doctor of Historical Sciences (section "History of International Relations"); N. V. Gromova and I. G. Tatarovskaya, Researcher at the Institute of Africa, Candidate of Philological Sciences (section "African Languages and Literature").

The sections included presentations by: A. S. Zdanevich (St. Petersburg State University) "The Cape Patriot Movement: from Idea to implementation"; V. V. Kruchinsky (ISAA) "The formation of the Black Identity movement in South Africa in the late 1960s-early 1970s"; A. A. Arkhangelskaya (Institute of Applied Sciences).t Africa) "Foreign Policy of South Africa"; E. S. Danilova (YarSU) "Guy Petronius' Ethiopian Campaign: Goals and Results"; E. E. Mikhailovskaya (YarSU)" Acceptance of Christianity in Ethiopia", A. S. Dvorni-

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A. V. Litvinova (YAGPU) "Traditional Politics of the Ethiopian Monarchy and the Constitution of 1931"; V. N. Semyonova "Evolution of the Image of the Holy Trinity in the Ethiopian and Russian Iconographic tradition"; O. V. Karpacheva (Institute of Africa) " At-takfir va- l-hijra": the history of the organization's origin and activities"; S. V. Kobzeva (Institute of Africa of the Russian Academy of Sciences) "Computer media monitoring of crises and conflicts: on the example of the 2006 Lebanon-Israel War"; A. D. Hamatshin (RSUH) " Forum of Dialogue between India, Brazil and South Africa as an example of cooperation on South-South lines"; N. A. Filin (RSUH) "Political Regimes of Iran and Egypt: the experience of Comparative Analysis"; M. S. Tarasova (St. Petersburg State University) "Possessive constructions in Bantu languages"; O. V. Kuznetsova (St. Petersburg State University) "Verb Morphology in the Guro language"; Yu. S. Rokhina (St. Petersburg State University) "Masks of the Democratic Republic of the Congo in the African exhibition of the Museum of Anthropology and Ethnography. Peter the Great"; I. G. Tatarovskaya (Institute of Africa) "Folklore of the peoples of the Congo River basin"; A. A. Panov (RSUH) "The cult of ancestors in a modern African city".

The round table " Africa: History, Politics, Economy "(led by I. V. Sledzevsky and V. G. Shubin) was devoted to topical issues of socio-economic and political development of the continent in the past and present. Presentations were made by P. V. Arsenyev (St. Petersburg State University) "The monetary system of the British colonies of West Africa"; D. G. Step (ISAA) "Transformation of the political system in French and British Hausaland"; E. E. Tupitsina (YarSU) "Kwame Nkrumah and youth"; T. V. Krylova (YarSU) " Notes of Russian Travelers of the XIX century. about Egypt"; A.V. Milto (YarSU) "Somalia: identity crisis"; S. M. Tishchenko (Institute of Africa) "Influence of economic factors on attitudes and values of the population of Tropical Africa"; K. S. Kananykhina (Institute of Africa) "Humanities in the" old "universities of Nigeria"" S. A. Popov (RSUH) " Sociocultural prerequisites for the spread of HIV/AIDS in an African village".

The round table " History and Culture of the African Diaspora "(led by T. M. Gavristova and Yu.V. Potemkin) was a kind of continuation of the topic stated in the report of Yu. V. Potemkin.

T. M. Gavristova, whose research interests include studying the history and culture of Africa and the Diaspora, outlined the boundaries of the intellectual and cultural history of the "African diaspora" in her speech "Africa is everywhere". The center of attention was "African" London, Paris, New York, science, literature and art of the modern African diaspora, prominent figures of the "African diaspora": scientists, writers, artists. The presentation was made in a methodological way with an emphasis on the problem of interaction of cultural traditions.

O. V. Fomicheva (Nizhny Novgorod State University named after N. I. Lobachevsky) presented a report on "Sociocultural features of the African Diaspora". The problems of Africans in Russia and Moscow are reflected in the speeches of E. V. Shakhbazyan (RSUH) "The Nigerian Community in Moscow" and S. M. Serov (Institute of Africa) "Internet sites as a way of self-organization and communication of Africans living in Russia". Reports by P. A. Popov (RSUH) "White minority in Zimbabwe: history of formation and current situation", Z. V. Sidorova (Vologda State University) ped. uni-t) "Friends" and "Strangers": the problem of interpersonal communication in the works of Nigerian writers " and D. S. Plokhova (YarSU)" L'art negre" and European avant-garde art " expanded the range of issues discussed by integrating stories related to the problem of interaction between European and African cultures, as well as with the situation of minorities in Africa and beyond.

During the work of the sections and round tables, the key issues put forward for discussion and formulated in the reports delivered at the plenary sessions were put at the forefront. The large number of reports and the variety of their subjects do not allow us to dwell on a detailed description of even some of them, especially since the collection of materials of the VI All-Russian School of Young African Studies was published before its opening and is available for professional readers. However, it is necessary to note a number of reports that aroused particular interest and were noted as the most relevant during the discussion.

Among them is a speech by A. S. Dvornikova, based on the materials of the Ethiopian chronicles. The author traces in detail the main milestones on the path of Islam's expansion to Ethiopia, focusing on the quantitative and qualitative changes in the political, economic and social sphere that occur under its influence. During the discussion, the following skill was noted:

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you can work with sources, analyze, comment on, and reinterpret their content.

According to the results of the meeting of the section "African Languages and Literature", O. V. Kuznetsova's speech was recognized as the best 4, which was based on the author's field research in Africa. O. V. Kuznetsova declared herself an independent and original researcher, and her report was called meeting the modern requirements of philological science.

Almost all participants of the school demonstrated their commitment to the traditions of classical African studies, although they included not only Africanists, but also Orientalists, antiquarians, medievalists, and historians representing various specialties. Their appeal to African studies can be explained by the need for the development of this science as a complex of disciplines studying economics, politics, history, geography, demography, law, ethnography, languages, literature, art, social and cultural processes, as well as the fact that in the context of globalization-with the development of means of communication, information systems, etc. including the global Internet - Africa has become closer to Europe and America. Mass migrations of Africans put the international community in need of developing a new strategy for the development of international relations, required a comprehensive study of modern African realities, which led to an expansion of the circle of researchers by integrating representatives of various specialties into it.

The integration of Africa into the global economic and political space is associated with the actualization of research on a number of issues that traditionally did not relate to African studies, but were at the intersection of sciences, and young people took the path of studying them, thereby expanding the subject of African studies, drawing attention to such issues as the image of Africa, the spread of Christianity and Islam in African countries and their interaction with other religious beliefs, transformation of religious consciousness, change in value orientations, HIV spread/AIDS, mechanisms of integration of Africans into the world community, relations of African states with the countries of Asia, America, Europe and within the African Union.

Summing up the results showed a number of very interesting trends in the development of African studies among young people. Their subject matter has expanded. The speeches reflected the problems of linguistics, literary studies, social and cultural anthropology, economics, politics, sociology, and international relations. The center of attention was focused on a variety of subjects of socio-economic, political, intellectual, cultural and everyday history of Africa and the Diaspora, theory and practice of research. The de-ideologization of scientific activity led scientists to turn to the problems of identity and self-consciousness, to the study of the institution of monarchy, political organizations and unions, the era of colonialism, the transformation of the political system, the development of the monetary system, etc.

The change in the market environment for African studies provided a turn to the study of financial and economic problems, which was reflected in the materials prepared by F. V. Gheorghi, an ISAA graduate, "Foreign investment in the diamond mining industry of Angola: prospects for Russian business and public opinion" in the reports of S. N. Serov and S. M. Tishchenko.

The territorial boundaries of research have changed significantly. All regions of Africa (Nigeria, Ethiopia, Egypt, South Africa, Sierra Leone, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ghana, Zimbabwe, Somalia) and the diaspora came to the attention of young scientists.

The chronological scope of research has expanded: the reports heard covered a significant period of time - from antiquity to the present day. The program presented historical, historiographical and source studies subjects, intensified the study of the period of modern history, the era of colonialism.

Scientists focused not only on the problems of individual societies and states,but also on the individual. Attempts were made to analyze the artistic works and journalism of N. Faraday, the creative heritage of writers, masters of applied and fine arts.-

4 The study was supported by the Swiss National Research Foundation (project SUBJ 062156.00).

5 Nuruddin Farah was born in Somalia in 1945 and is one of the most popular and widely read writers of the turn of the 20th and 21st centuries. It focuses on ethnic-racial and confessional conflicts, problems of emigration and minorities.

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real problems of people (adaptation to a new environment, integration into European society, survival in difficult conditions of the continent and the diaspora, etc.). Of particular interest were historical and cultural subjects aimed at studying the problem of cultural interaction.

For the first time, the School of African Studies clearly expressed interest in the problems of the Diaspora. It was considered in the context of world and regional history as a component of economic, demographic, socio-anthropological, cultural studies, and the history of international relations. The range of issues discussed included very relevant issues related to the study of labor (including professional and intellectual) emigration, as well as the peculiarities of the African and Nigerian diaspora, problems of socio-cultural adaptation of Africans in Russia and Moscow, ways of their self-organization and communication, including through the Internet, the situation of the "white minority" in the Russian Federation. Zimbabwe and the state of" alienation " characteristic of all those who, by the will of fate, are forced to live outside of Africa, feeling their otherness everywhere.

One of the features of the presented reports and presentations was the emphasis on studying the problem of interaction of civilizations and cultures in the context of regional and social relations. The research methodology has undergone major changes. The complexity and versatility of the subjects determined the choice of research methods and principles.

The use of the system analysis method made it possible to represent Africa as a single whole, as a complex, multifunctional organism with a special system of connections and values passed down from generation to generation. The method of structural analysis allowed us to identify common and special features in the development of regions, as well as cities and villages. The use of a structural-functional approach, in which any phenomenon is considered as static and can be structured indefinitely, contributed to the fact that the problems of Africa and the diaspora were identified comprehensively, objectively, in relation to other continents, States and societies.

The methods of situational and comparative analysis proved to be the most important and in demand in the process of studying the mechanism of internal and external adaptation and behavior patterns of Africans outside Africa. Quantitative methods were used to assess their numbers, structure, and composition, as well as in economic and sociological studies.

An integrated approach has provided a dynamic view of Africa, in the system of its relations with the surrounding world. Speakers used the parameters of the civilizational and formational dimensions, identifying common and special features in the processes taking place at different times in different countries. The application of a value-based approach helped to identify the most important areas in the development of cooperation with African States. These include the development of trade and exchanges in science, culture, and education. Perhaps for the first time in recent years, the school heard reports of practical interest.

Young Africanists managed to get rid of many of the stereotypes, attitudes and clichés that were characteristic of the Soviet period and were largely associated with the perception of Africa as a zone of backwardness and conflict. The younger generation, having expanded the boundaries of the methodology used, changed in many ways the methodology and technique of research, which resulted in a change in the image of Africa and Africans. The image of Africa has become more objective and holistic, but at the same time complex and multifaceted.

All the research methods mentioned above were widely used by young Africanists in the course of their work. They are universal and are used in historical, sociological, political, economic, and cultural studies. Their integrated and rational use, combined with a reasoned approach to the interpretation of the continent's past and present (history, economy, politics, and language situation), contributed to creating the most objective image of Africa and made it possible to avoid one-sided and categorical assessments.

This is evidenced by the published materials of the VI All-Russian School of Young Africanists. In the collection "Africa: History, Economy, Politics, Culture" (YarSU. 2007. 248 p.) included the texts of 48 reports and presentations, which fully reflect the range of issues discussed in plenary sessions, sections and round tables. Distinctive CCA-

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The special feature of the book is the availability of interdisciplinary publications at the intersection of socio-humanities, African studies and European studies.

The professionalism and thoroughness of experts and young Africanists created an atmosphere of constructiveness and goodwill. Young people and representatives of the older generation showed interest and love for the subject being studied.

The first day of meetings ended on Friday evening. It was prepared by students and postgraduates of YarSU. During it, African rhythms were played, and African dances were performed. Afrikanists shared their impressions of Africa and what it has become for them (exotic and romantic, dream and work). Experts and young people actively participated in the quiz "Africa yesterday, today and tomorrow". The highlight of the evening was a presentation on the theme: "African London", prepared by K. S. Kananykhina following her trip to the British capital and exploring the works of African art presented in the collections of the British Museum, the National Gallery, the Albert and Victoria Museum, the Hornemann Gallery and other public and private repositories.

The second day of the VI All-Russian School of Young Africanists ended with summing up the results. The organizers listened to a lot of warm words. It became clear that such meetings are important and not only because they stimulate interest in scientific and practical research in the field of African studies. Such forums form the basis for the continuity of generations and, perhaps no less important, determine the prospects for further cooperation within the African community, contribute to the development of contacts among those who will have the future of Russian African studies in their hands.

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