On January 18, Professor of the Faculty of Anthropology Nikolai Vakhtin gave a lecture "Writing on Birch Bark, or How to Negotiate without a Common Language" at the Pushkin State Museum of Fine Arts. The meeting was held as part of an educational program timed to coincide with the exhibition “Universal Language” (December 16, 2022 – March 19, 2023).
Nikolai Borisovich spoke about drawings as writing, or pictography. It is a written way of communication that allows people to communicate without a common language. One example of such writing is the Yukaghir tos (birch bark letters).
If you are interested in learning more about the Yukaghir tos, you can buy Nikolai Vakhtin’s book dedicated to this topic from our publishing house.
You can watch the video recording here.
* The project explores the diverse forms of human communication and attempts to find a common language through the wisdom of religious teachings, geographical discoveries, everyday rituals and the constant exchange of information.
Video recording of the Pushkin State Museum of Fine Arts