Strong controversy in the academic and political world after what was stated by Paolo Nori, the professor who on social media claims to have received an email from the Milano Bicocca University in which his course on Dostoevsky is canceled: "Not just being a living Russian, today, it is also a fault, in Italy, to be a dead Russian - he writes -. That when (Dostoevskij, ed.) was alive in 1849 he was sentenced to death because he had read a forbidden thing ".
Immediate reactions: "If confirmed, the news would be absurd - say the exponents of the 5 Star Movement in the Senate Culture Committee Danila De Lucia, Michela Montevecchi, Orietta Vanin, Loredana Russo and Mariolina Castellone -. attempt of censorship within an Italian university. What is happening in Ukraine is unjustifiable, tragic and terrible, but one cannot fight with the censorship of Russian culture and of one of the greatest writers and thinkers of all time like Dostoevsky ".
"To prohibit studying Dostoevsky against Putin means to be crazy - writes Matteo Renzi, leader of IV -. In this time we need to study more, not less: in universities we need teachers, not incapable bureaucrats".
Meanwhile, under the latest Facebook posts of the Bicocca University, comments rain down, such as that of a student: "But do you realize or not the danger in canceling (postponing) lessons on Dostoevsky? Do you not consider your students capable of distinguishing between things that aren't they the least bit comparable to each other? ". "I wonder if the Milano Bicocca University is clear about its cultural task: the censorship gesture is of absolute gravity, it has implications of total political madness. What do we do, do we erase Russian culture from European history?" adds a woman.
The university finally issued a note confirming that "this course will be held on the established days and will deal with the contents already agreed with the writer".
(Unioneonline / ss)