On September 13, the Director of the Center “Nasledie” after Pitirim Sorokin Olga Yuryevna Kuzivanova spoke at the Syktyvkar State University with a lecture on the life and creative work of the outstanding sociologist of the XX century Pitirim Alexandrovich Sorokin.
O.Y. Kuzivanova told the first-year students of the Institute of Social Technologies about the difficult and amazing life path of the famous scientist who was born and grew up in the Komi region. The students learned what hardships and privations had to be overcome by a simple country boy at the beginning of his career and what successes in his studies he could achieve through curiosity and a desire of knowledge. They listened with interest as a young Pitirim was dragged into a whirlwind of revolutionary events and political upheavals that occurred in Russia at the beginning of the XX century. Subsequently, this was reflected in his scientific work.
The first-year students also learned why Pitirim Sorokin disillusioned with the revolution and why he did not accept Soviet power. Being emigrated to the USA, Pitirim Sorokin became a professor at the Harvard University, and his works on sociology gained world recognition in the academic community.
The Director of the Center noted that, despite the expulsion from Soviet Russia, Pitirim Sorokin continued to love and support his homeland. The students learned that during the Great Patriotic War the Sorokin family actively took part in the work of Russian War Relief. The students also found out why in the Soviet Union the name of Pitirim Sorokin was forgotten and his works were consigned to oblivion for many years.
The lecturer also specified that in recent years a lot of work has been done to restore the name of Pitirim Sorokin and his heritage to Russia. The first-year students learned how the name of Pitirim Sorokin returned to his small homeland, the Republic of Komi. So in 2011, the Center “Nasledie” after Pitirim Sorokin was created, whose main task is to preserve and popularize the creative and scientific heritage of P.A. Sorokin. And in 2015 the Syktyvkar State University was named after the great Russian-American sociologist. At the end of her speech O.Y. Kuzivanova invited the first-year students to participate in meetings of the debating club at the Center “Nasledie”, where students discuss current issues.
