HSE Scholar Presents Research on Postcards in Brazil and South Korea

Photo courtesy of Timur Khusyainov

Timur Khusyainov, Deputy Dean of the Faculty of Humanities at HSE University–Nizhny Novgorod, took part in two international conferences—the XVI World Congress of Rural Sociology in Porto Alegre, Brazil, and the 36th Annual Conference of the Alliance of Digital Humanities Organisations (DH2026) in Daejeon, South Korea. On his way to the conferences, the researcher also visited several other places, where he presented the experience of the Pochtovoe educational project.

The XVI World Congress of Rural Sociology was held in Porto Alegre, Brazil, on July 19–23, 2026. The main topics of the congress included current challenges facing rural areas, global food security challenges, and urban–rural relations.

Timur Khusyainov

Deputy Dean of the Faculty of Humanities, Senior Lecturer at the School of Literature and Intercultural Communication at HSE University–Nizhny Novgorod, and creator of the Pochtovoe educational project

— Why did you choose this particular conference as a platform for presenting your research findings?

— The World Congress of Rural Sociology in Porto Alegre is one of the major events in global sociology, and its subject matter was closely connected with my main research interest—studying social ties through the lens of postal correspondence.

— Could you tell us more about the paper you presented at the conference? How did you come to develop these ideas?

— For the third year running, the Faculty of Humanities has had a research and teaching group which studies postal communication. In 2024–2025, we analysed overall trends, while in 2026 we have focused on the intercultural dimension. My papers on how women’s history and women’s roles in Russian and Soviet society are reflected through postcards continue the theme we explored previously, while my work on urban–rural relations is part of this year’s research agenda.

— What are the main topics and research trends currently being discussed in the international humanities and social sciences community?

— When it comes to the Congress of Rural Sociology, two major themes clearly stand out: food security and measures to strengthen it. I attended two Portuguese-language panel discussions, which brought together mainly Brazilian researchers to discuss issues facing Brazil. Food security was addressed in both panels, although in different contexts.

Another important topic is inequality of opportunity and the relationship between urban and rural areas. Researchers discussed equality in educational and economic opportunities, as well as issues of racial and gender inequality. An international platform allows us to see what problems exist globally, rather than focusing on a single country. That is why such world congresses are so important as part of a researcher’s professional journey.

— Why are urban–rural relations currently an important issue for the international research community?

— This issue is relevant for several reasons, some of which are even contradictory: hyperurbanisation and the decline of rural settlements; deurbanisation and the emergence of a new image of rural communities; and inequality of opportunity.

— What can a postcard tell us about the social processes and relationships of the past?

— A postcard is a unique object because it is both a carrier of a message and a record of everything related to its journey, as well as additional typographic elements, such as illustrations and inscriptions; postal information, including marks, postmarks, and handwritten notes; and personal details, such as drawings, text and, sometimes, decorations added by the sender. All of this makes it possible to conduct a broad and diverse analysis of a postcard as a multimodal source.

— What insights into the history of urban and rural communication have you gained through analysing postcards?

— In this study, the postcard is viewed as an important element of the communication infrastructure of rural areas in Russia. It helped maintain communication between towns and villages, preserve family unity, express care, and coordinate economic activities in conditions of social isolation and vulnerable infrastructure.

At the same time, it is important to note that while at the beginning of the 20th century postcards were mainly a means of communication for the middle and upper classes, by the middle of the century they had become widespread throughout society. This was largely related to the specific social structure of the Soviet Union.

— Have similar studies been conducted in other countries that could provide a basis for comparison with the Russian experience?

— As far as I know, there are currently no comparable studies.

The international audience showed great interest in the papers we presented. There were many questions, insightful comments, and discussions afterwards. I hope that we will be able to conduct successful joint research in the future.

One of my papers, co-authored with Melissa Pink Macedo de Castro, was prepared for the World Congress of Rural Sociology. In it, we examined how communication between urban and rural residents took place and how it changed depending on the socio-political situation in Russia. We also looked at some of the specific features of postal communication from the late 19th and early 20th centuries through to the end of the 20th century, since the situation in other countries was often quite different.

— How did you come to collaborate with Melissa Pink Macedo de Castro on research related to Russian history? What are the advantages of conducting joint research with an international colleague?

— Melissa and I met while taking part in the World Youth Festival, which was held in Russia in 2024. We talked a lot about my research, and it turned out that it overlapped remarkably well with her professional field—transport logistics. This was our first experience of working together, and it proved quite successful. During this trip, we also organised an event together—a workshop on working with historical postcards at a community centre in the city of Guarulhos. This also fitted well with her interest in community and educational initiatives.

Working with international colleagues allows you to look at your own material from a new perspective. They bring their own knowledge and can ask very interesting and perceptive questions, as well as suggest unusual comparisons and research findings from their own countries and academic disciplines.

After the conference in Porto Alegre, Timur Khusyainov visited São Paulo. The key event of the trip was a visit to Mackenzie Presbyterian University and a meeting with Pedro Zambon, a Brazilian researcher, linguist, and literary scholar. Last year, Timur Khusyainov and Pedro Zambon presented a joint paper at a conference at Mackenzie University, discussing how forms of politeness differed in Russian and Brazilian postcards from the early 20th century.

The 36th Annual Conference of the Alliance of Digital Humanities Organisations, DH2026, was held from July 27 to 31, 2026, at the Daejeon Convention Centre in South Korea. The main theme of the event, organised by the Korean Association for Digital Humanities, was engagement.

— Why did you choose to present your research at this conference?

— DH2026 is a key conference in the field of digital humanities, bringing together researchers and practitioners working on some of the most topical and interesting research and projects. So it was a great honour to present research at the intersection of sociology and digital humanities. For a modern researcher, taking part in events like this is both an opportunity to share their work with a broad circle of colleagues and to receive feedback. Another important aspect is making new contacts and exploring potential collaborations. After both conferences, I came away with many interesting ideas and possible ways of putting them into practice.

— How are digital methods changing approaches to studying historical sources?

— Digital methods make it possible to process much larger datasets, identify less obvious connections, and look for correlations between different indicators. One of the questions asked after my paper came from the session moderator and concerned network analysis. It is a challenging task at the moment, but it is feasible, and I intend to try it in the future. At least one person will be interested in the result, even if it turns out to be negative.

— How did women’s history become the focus of your paper?

— When I was analysing the composition of the corpus by recipients, I noticed a significant gender imbalance: there were 2.5 times as many female recipients as male ones. I found this quite interesting, and it eventually led to a chapter in a monograph and then to a conference paper.

Photo courtesy of Timur Khusyainov

— Could you tell us more about the Pishu Tebe project? How did it come about, and how long has it been running?

— The Pishu Tebe project, whose name can be translated into English as ‘I Am Writing to You’, was created by a group of enthusiasts in 2021, and for five years now it has existed as a volunteer initiative, gradually building a digital archive of postcards. Researchers, academic volunteers, and simply curious people interested in microhistory have gathered around the project. Together, we are creating a database, studying various topics, and periodically presenting our findings at different events.