Children’s Literature in Focus: Leading Researchers Gather at TSPU Conference

On 15–16 October 2026, Tomsk State Pedagogical University hosted the Fifth All-Russian Research and Practice Conference with International Participation, «Children’s and Young Adult Literature: Approaches to Analysis, Reading Practices and Regional Perspectives». The event was organised by the Department of Russian Literature at TSPU’s Faculty of History and Philology and the university’s Siberian Research and Education Centre for Children’s and Young Adult Literature.

The conference has become a regular event at TSPU, reflecting both the department’s research interests and the growing importance of its subject. In today’s society, promoting reading, fostering a strong reading culture and exploring effective ways to engage children and teenagers with books are increasingly important tasks.

More than 90 researchers, teachers, librarians and museum professionals took part in the 2026 conference. Presentations came from experts in 29 Russian cities, including Tomsk, Moscow, St Petersburg, Yekaterinburg, Samara, Barnaul, Yaroslavl, Krasnoyarsk, Ulan-Ude, Vladivostok, Naberezhnye Chelny, Orenburg, Ufa, Surgut, Yakutsk, Izhevsk, Horlivka, Khabarovsk, Sevastopol, Volgograd, Glazov, Kazan, Novosibirsk, Ulyanovsk, Yelabuga, Krasnodar, Koltsovo, Magas, Seversk and Kolyvan. The conference also welcomed specialists from four other countries: Azerbaijan, Uzbekistan, Belarus and Kazakhstan.

The organisers were honoured to welcome leading experts in children’s literature and reading. Among them were Irina Arzamastseva of Moscow State Pedagogical University; Elena Asonova of Moscow City University; Olga Oktyabrskaya of Lomonosov Moscow State University; Maria Chernyak of Herzen State Pedagogical University of Russia; Natalia Barkovskaya of Ural State Pedagogical University; Yulia Pykhtina of Orenburg State University; Anna Gubaidullina of Saint Petersburg State University of Architecture and Civil Engineering; and Elena Kolosova of the Russian State Children’s Library and the Russian State University for the Humanities.

Irina Arzamastseva, author of a university textbook on children’s literature, Doctor of Philology and Professor of Russian Literature of the 20th and 21st Centuries at Moscow State Pedagogical University, was impressed by the event:

«Today, a tremendous amount of research is being done in children’s literature, and I think the pace of research into children’s books is very encouraging. Much of this is thanks to Tomsk State Pedagogical University and the enthusiasm of our colleagues. I am deeply grateful to them for that».

During the conference sessions, researchers and practising educators discussed a wide range of topics in classic and contemporary children’s and young adult literature. Particular attention was paid to teaching methods, including the use of AI tools in reading lessons, developing historical empathy and approaches to shared family reading.

The session «Contemporary Russian Children’s and Young Adult Literature as a Resource for Teachers’ Educational Work» was organised as part of a state-funded project commissioned by Russia’s Ministry of Education. The project examines how students and teachers perceive fiction written for teenagers, exploring reading choices, reader responses and the educational potential of literary works.

Elena Poleva, TSPU Vice-Rector for Research and chair of the conference organising committee, gave her take on the event:

«At the closing session, participants had many kind words for the organisers. We were delighted to hear them, especially because they were sincere: each year, we attract more participants from a wider range of places and discuss an increasingly diverse range of relevant topics without compromising on quality. As one of our guests put it, this conference offers an opportunity to meet “living classics” in children’s literature research. We greatly value the fact that leading scholars, whose work sets the highest research standards, accept our invitations. Practising teachers are equally important to the conference: their teaching and educational work gives practical meaning and relevance to our research in literary studies.

This year, the TSPU Department of Russian Literature is carrying out a research project commissioned by the Russian Ministry of Education on a topic related to children’s and young adult literature and reading culture. The project closely aligns with the department’s research interests and gives us a unique opportunity to take a fresh look at some of the most pressing questions in this field».

The wide geographical scope, the relevance of the presentations, and the participation of key experts establish TSPU as one of the leading centers for research on children’s and young adult literature and reading practices in Russia.