The Bicocca University, in the city of Milan, wanted to ban the teaching of texts by the Russian writer Fyodor Dostoevsky as alleged retaliation to Russia for the invasion of Ukrainewhich generated criticism from political and social leaders.
“Prohibiting studying Dostoevsky as an act against Putin means being crazy,” said the former prime minister and current pro-government senator Matteo Renzi on Instagram, after Professor Paolo Nori’s complaint that the Milanese house of studies canceled his course on the author of “The Brothers Karamazov”, among other literary gems.
“At this time it is necessary to study more, not less: in the University teachers are needed, not incompetent bureaucrats,” Renzi added.
Along the same lines, the Jesuit Antonio Spadaro, director of the oldest cultural magazine in Italy, La Civiltà Cattolica, told Télam that “today, just today, it is absolutely necessary to return to Dostoevsky.”
The priest asked to return to the figure of the Russian writer “and his Russian soul to fill with humanity the barbarity of war that disfigures the beautiful face of the people.”
The pro-government deputy Marianna Madia, meanwhile, pointed out through Twitter that “the enemy is not Russian culture.”
“Now is the time to study more, not to censor,” added the former Minister of Public Administration.
Il nemico is not the Russian culture. Now is the time to study my children, not to censor #dostoevskij. Faro interrogation. @paolonori
— Marianna Madia (@mariannamadia) March 2, 2022
This Wednesday, Nori announced that he was canceling a course on the Russian writer out of obligation at Bicocca University and stated that “censorship is ridiculous.”
“Not only to be a living Russian, today it is a foul, in Italy, also to be a dead Russian,” Nori denounced.
Hours later, faced with the wave of criticism from politics and culture, the University issued a statement confirming that it would keep Nori’s course.
