Tomi Huttunen became convinced of his humanistic vocation even before university. “It overlapped Tolstoy and Dostoevsky with von Wright’s intellectually critical humanism.”
Human a career can swing to its early points. Professor Tomi Huttunen tells the story of his youth:
“We lived in 1986, our Russian-speaking middle school group made a class trip to Leningrad, and there I bought one local LP, the rock band Akvarium, the so-called White album. Kolahti immediately what I want to do in my life. I realized that there is a serious, serious matter here. ”
After returning home to Kuusankoski, Huttunen went on his own to translate the Russian texts on the album.
“It was an exciting time in general when the perestroika was just getting stronger. About leading the band Boris Grebenshikovista became a key rock poet for me, later of course I became interested in other types of poetry as well. ”
Since those years, the work has been fascinating: Russian texts, Finnish translation, rock, research sa Huttunen has been working at the university for thirty years, now as a professor of the subject.
Before college, he was already convinced of his humanistic vocation.
“It overlapped Tolstoita and Dostoevsky von Wright intellectually critical humanism. ”
Huttunen is always enthusiastically excited. For a young student, the 1990s of the eastern neighbor opened fruitfully: much of the hidden Russian literature of the 1920s first appeared, as many new names, bubbling non-stop throughout the field of Russian culture. Huttunen lived and worked in St. Petersburg for long periods.
“It was a hot time, culturally experienced infinite freedom, avant-garde and absurdity, [Daniil] Harmsia and experimental theater. Afterwards, the Kremlin marked the end of the century as the most destructive decade for the Russians, creating only anarchy and destruction, ”Huttunen describes.
“The new millennium has brought a return to discipline, a hierarchy of new prohibitions.”
In the professor’s mind, the Russian postmodern 1990s are equally equated with the new creative 1920s. From an early age, he also became acquainted with the subject of research, especially the forgotten avant-garde poet Anatoli Mariengofista (1897–1962), the production of which he examined in his dissertation.
As a researcher, Huttunen’s scale has been flexible from one theme to another, he has not done the same millimeter drilling in his entire career. How do some of the topics be selected for work?
“Previously unexplored topics are enticing. Whenever I get passionate about something new that happens sensitively, then I become stubborn. The research methods and theory are then built on the material at hand, ”the professor explains.
Researcher and he does not know or want to see the teacher’s work in isolation. “They penetrate each other. Research without teaching is impossible, because it is during the lecture that it tests its new ideas. On the other hand, teaching without research is just as impossible, it would stiffen to repeat the same thing. ”
“I love teaching, but as a researcher, rummaging through the papers in complete silence is at least enjoyable.”
After defending his dissertation in 2007, Huttunen has studied the historical unpredictability of Russian culture and lectured on the topic. On the other hand, he has sought to follow the development paths of contemporary Russian literature together with students.
Huttunen is currently leading a research project on Finnish-Russian literary relations.
The massive project will initially focus on the period 1820–1930, and the first major work will be published next year. Support has been received from the Rymin-Nevanlinna Fund and the Cultural Fund.
“There are enough themes: What was translated from one language to another? What was the image of Finland in Russian literature like? Who passed on the literature? And when St. Petersburg was the ‘most Finnish city in the world’ in the 1870s – 20,000 Finns and 90,000 Ingrians – we now ask how that community saw and described St. Petersburg and Russia, ”Huttunen sheds light on the study.
The next step in the project is to explore similar issues from the 1930s to the present day. The research does not end right away.
Tomi Huttunen
■ Born in 1971 in Kuusankoski, lives in Helsinki.
■ Student 1990, Catherine High School in Kotka. Master of Philosophy 1997, Licentiate 1999 and Doctor 2007, University of Helsinki.
■ Assistant of Russian Literature 2003–2008, Postdoctoral Researcher, Department of Modern Languages 2008–2010, Mon. University Lecturer 2011–2012 and Mon of Russian Literature. professors 2012–2014. Professor of Russian Literature and Culture since 2014, University of Helsinki.
■ Studied 19th century Russian avant-garde literature, Russian postmodernism, semiotics, Soviet culture and rock of the 1970s and 1990s.
■ 20 books written or edited, more than 150 other publications. Translates Russian literature into Finnish.
■ Dissertation Award of the Finnish Academy of Sciences, 2008. Customer of the Year of the National Library, 2014.
■ Married to Katja Joutsenen, three children.
■ Turns 50 on Thursday, February 4th. Celebrating in a family circle.
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source https://pledgetimes.com/50-years-old-the-career-of-tomi-huttunen-a-professor-of-russian-literature-and-culture-became-clear-as-a-teenager-when-he-bought-a-rock-record-from-leningrad/
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