February 15, 2023 Presentation by Mikhail Strovsky within the framework of the scientific seminar "Culture and Society"

On February 15, 2023, within the framework of the seminar “Culture and Society” of the Centre for History and Cultural Anthropology, a presentation was made by the senior teacher-translator of the Russian State Humanitarian University, orientalist-Africanist, and chess master Mikhail Dmitrievich Strovsky “Black and White History. Chess as a social lift in Togo. An essay by the leader of the national team on the tenth anniversary of the work of the Chess Federation of the Togolese Republic.” The speech was devoted to the development of chess in the Togolese Republic, as well as sports humanitarian cooperation between the Russian Federation and Togo, in which the speaker is a direct participant. The listeners learned not only about the formation of the ancient game in a distant African country but also got acquainted with the activities of the government of Togo to popularize chess among the general population, children, and adolescents. The speaker dwelled in detail on his participation in international chess competitions as part of the national team and spoke in detail about his trip to the World Chess Olympiad in July-August 2022 in the Indian city of Chennai.

Among the important features of the development of chess in Togo, Mikhail Strovsky noted the growing popularity of online chess using mobile phones and active material assistance to the country from the world chess federation FIDE. Chess, as the speaker pointed out, is today a significant social lift for various segments of the population of the Togolese Republic, allowing young athletes to travel abroad, get acquainted with the culture of foreign countries, and broaden their horizons. The presentation noted the ever-increasing role of Africa in Russia's foreign policy and humanitarian projects in which our country takes part. Since September 2022, Strovsky himself gave open lectures on the history and culture of Russia in various African countries, which caused a constant increase in interest in our country from the academic and public circles of Chad, Mali, Burkina Faso, Togo, etc. The speaker also briefly touched on the role of modern information sources that allow you to quickly learn about the activities of Russian diplomats in the Togolese Republic, as well as about the work and activities of the government of this distant African country. The meeting participants had the opportunity to ask all their questions and exchange views on the further development of chess in Africa. The listeners expressed their hope for the further participation of Mikhail Strovsky in the activities of the institute after his planned trip to Togo in December 2023 for the country's championship in classical chess.