On the 21st August 2012 two of the brightest contemporary philosophers and the founders of the Ljubljana school of psychoanalysis — Slavoj Žižek and Mladen Dolar (Slovenia) — paid a visit to the permanent exhibition «Zinoviev ≡ Time ≡ Forward!» that is located in the Zinoviev Room at the Institute of Philosophy at the Russian Academy of Science in Moscow.
Olga Zinoviev, head of the Russian-Bavarian Alexander Zinoviev research centre and widow of Alexander Zinoviev personally presented the exhibition and described it as the opening of the celebration of the «Zinoviev Year» in 2012 at the Institute of Philosophy.
Also attended the excursion some of Moscow leading intellectuals: Abdusalam Gusejnov, member of the Russian Academy of Science and director of the Institute of Philosophy; Pavel Rodkin, senior lecturer at the chair of Integrated communications at the National Highschool of Economics, graphical designer and co- creator of the exhibition; Alexey Pilko, senior lecturer at the faculty of World politics at the Moscow State University; Oxana Timofeeva, philosopher, editor of «Novoe literaturnoe obozrenie» magazine.
The Slovenian culturologist and social philosopher Slavoj Žižek was stunned by the scale of personality of the Russian philosopher, logician, thinker and sociologist Alexander Zinoviev and stated the exhibition to be «a huge event» for him. He showed particular interest in «Logical physics» and «Comprehension factor» and expressed the wish to get a more profound acquaintance with Zinoviev’s books. Žižek: «Alexander Zinoviev is a great philosopher not for Russia only, but also for the whole world — a truly significant person». As Mladen Dolar put it, the exhibition «is an intellectual milestone, meaning great honour for the Institute of Philosophy at the Russian Academy of Science».
Olga Zinoviev presented to Žižek the official 2012 «Zinoviev Year», a multimedia version of the magazine «Zinoviev» and a copy of the documentary «Legacy of Alexander Zinoviev». She commented the visit of the renown Slovenian philosopher as follows:
«I acknowledge Slavoj Žižek as a world-scaled personality in philosophy. With his analytical and provocative thinking he intellectually attracts young people, who are already tired of routine studies. Žižek is a living tribune. If he were to know Alexander Zinoviev personally I could, judging by his original and critical thinking method, name him Zinoviev’s follower.
Another pleasant moment of meeting Slavoj Žižek was our similar concern for the unjust, vulturous financial regime in today’s World. This very concern made Slavoj Žižek support the movement «Occupy Wall-Street», and it inspired me to give a video-statement in five languages to the public society, where I called to humanity to act against tributing to the modern Golden Horde, as financial oligarchy is personified by Wall-Street: the ultimative financial pyramid and Moloch of the 21st century.
It is also gratifying that the legacy of Alexander Zinoviev is receiving attention by Western leading intellectuals again, proving a proper attitude towards it. Contemporary Russian humanitarian science should take this into consideration. The significance of Alexander Zinoviev is a national matter to Russia — Zinoviev is a Russian brand of global scale».
Pictures by Eugene Rodkin
Slavoj Žižek with Olga Zinoviev
Slavoj Žižek with Olga Zinoviev
Slavoj Žižek with Olga Zinoviev
Abdusalam Gusejnov, Slavoj Žižek, Olga Zinoviev and Mladen Dolar make acquaintance with the exhibit unit «Books of Alexander Zinoviev published all around the world»
Slavoj Žižek, Pavel Rodkin, Olga Zinoviev and Abdusalam Gusejnov
Slavoj Žižek with Pavel Rodkin
Olga Zinoviev with Alexey Pilko
Abdusalam Gusejnov, Pavel Rodkin, Slavoj Žižek, Olga Zinoviev, Alexey Pilko, Mladen Dolar and Oxana Timofeeva