'The Humanities Serve as a Conscience'

Maria Mizernaia studies Soviet literature and the history of book publishing. In this interview for the HSE Young Scientists project, she discusses plans to publish a novel about besieged Leningrad, AI-provoked reflections on what it means to be human, and how novels can help satisfy our dopamine hunger.

How I Started in Science

I had a natural inclination toward literary research. As a child, I was passionately fond of reading, and my family sometimes had to take books away from me because they feared I would damage my eyesight. But at the Faculty of Philology, no one took books away—you could read as much as you wanted.

At the beginning of my bachelor’s studies, I thought that science was something wonderful but unattainable. But my bachelor’s thesis turned out quite well: it received high grades and positive reviews. That gave me confidence and made me realise that I not only wanted to continue this work but also had the ability to do it.

What I Loved Reading as a Child

Like many children, I was absolutely obsessed with Harry Potter and read it about a million times. I also really loved Michael Ende’s The Neverending Story and reread it many times as well. I had a beautiful edition with stunning colour illustrations and was especially drawn to the rich symbolism of this text.

At school, my first serious literary impression was from Eugene Onegin. In ninth grade, I had a wonderful literature teacher who was strict with us but exceptionally attentive to the text. We spent three or four months reading Eugene Onegin in class—an experience of slow, close reading that, in many ways, taught me how to work with texts in general and what to draw from them.

What My Bachelor's Thesis Was About

It focused on Anna Akhmatova and Soviet censorship. I compared different editions of her books with handwritten versions and tried to understand how this modernist, largely uncensored poet managed to express her ideas indirectly, in a roundabout way.

I found, for example, that even in small details such as the concealment or inclusion of dedications to particular recipients, the author’s intention was revealed: such dedications could mention people who had died or been repressed.

The Focus of My Current Research

I am writing a dissertation on the Soviet Writer publishing house during the Stalinist period, from its founding in 1934 to the end of the Great Patriotic War. This is institutional history where I wanted to move beyond purely restrictive mechanisms such as censorship and explore the broader logic of literary organisations, focusing not only on the constraints but also on how a major literary institution functioned. The topic was suggested by Prof. Konstantin Polivanov, for which I am very grateful. It allows me to explore many different aspects, from the stories of individual authors and specific books to the financial and organisational structure of the publishing house and its dependence on the Communist Party.

In addition, the archives of this publishing house contain many remarkable unpublished novels, collections, and poems. I see this as an opportunity to bring attention to authors who truly deserve it. I plan to have some of this material published—particularly an autobiographical novel about besieged Leningrad, which I believe is of a high artistic quality.

The novel tells the story of a soldier who fought on the Leningrad front, his fiancée, who became a nurse, and his musician friend—showing how the three of them cope with the disaster and the ethical dilemmas they face. It is a candid text, full of striking details that can astonish even modern readers.

Achievements I Take Pride In

I am proud of my academic community—first and foremost, the Moscow School of Philology (since 2020, the School of Philological Studies) at HSE University, which is, in every sense, my alma mater. I have been studying here for eight years, and now I also work here. It is a team of top-notch professionals who are passionate about their work, continually strive to learn, and are genuinely invested in their students.

Finally, there is a special feeling in returning as a lecturer and academic advisor to the same university where you once arrived as a wide-eyed first-year undergraduate. It feels rewarding to be able to give something back to the students who, like me, came here full of curiosity and hope.

I have articles scheduled for publication soon in Literary Fact, a Russian journal, and in an Italian journal of Slavic studies. Two more papers are currently under review.

My Dream

Recently, during a film club meeting at the European University, the chairman showed us three excerpts from reviews of the film we were about to watch. One review was generated by AI, another was written by an ordinary viewer, and the third by a professional critic. We were genuinely shocked to discover that we couldn’t always tell which excerpt was written by AI—something that, until recently, had been fairly obvious.

This raises questions about much of what science has already accomplished. In this context, my hope is not to forget or lose the invaluable achievements of science and culture accumulated over millennia. It seems to me that we are now at a point where we must reflect on what it means to be human and how we can preserve our humanity.

I have not yet fully formulated an answer to the question of what sets me apart from AI, which grows smarter every day. But intuitively, I feel that the essence of humanity lies in complex symbolic structures that resist simple or unambiguous interpretation. It is the humanities—fields that have lost much of their prestige in recent years—that can help us reconsider and reaffirm what is truly human in us and hold on to it, preserving the authenticity of our experience, which is increasingly under threat from forms of intelligence that can technically perform many tasks better than we can.

If I Hadn't Become a Scientist

It is now hard for me to imagine myself in any other field. But if I absolutely had to choose an alternative career, I think I would be drawn to cultural diplomacy. It satisfies the thirst for knowledge, fosters exchange and cultural dialogue, and at the same time allows for immediate creative impact.

Lately, I’ve become very interested in Chinese culture. I recently spent ten days in China and was amazed by the sheer concentration of visual harmony all around me. After the trip, I developed an interest in Chinese literature and even worked my way through the famous classic Dream of the Red Chamber. I would be thrilled to engage in cultural or scientific collaboration with Chinese colleagues in the future—it would be both exciting and rewarding.

My Interests Besides Science

I have rather boring and utilitarian hobbies—sports and cooking. Both are things one ought to do anyway, but it’s certainly convenient to also enjoy them.

For me, cooking is a space for experimentation—not abstract or theoretical but entirely practical. It’s wonderful to create something with your hands and see the results of your efforts immediately. Beyond that, it is a language of care: I love feeding my family and friends, and sometimes I even bring baked goods to seminars.

Sports are an important part of my life. I go to the gym twice a week and try to incorporate yoga, jogging, and skiing into my routine. Exercise helps me manage stress—nothing relaxes and clears the mind quite like it. It also boosts resilience, helps me stay healthy, and, surprisingly, improves my overall productivity.

What I Have Read Recently

Lately, I’ve been drawn to long novels. It seems to me that reading or listening to them helps satisfy the dopamine hunger that can interfere with focus and concentration. The sense of completing a great novel is truly inspiring. I just finished The Magic Mountain by Thomas Mann, and before that, I read a couple of novels by Alexei Tolstoy.

I recently read Red Sorghum by the Chinese writer and Nobel laureate Mo Yan, and I found it incredibly brutal. Even compared to the provocative nature of much modern Western literature, I found it difficult to read. This experience made me realise the value of exploring other cultural traditions, ethical frameworks, and aesthetic conventions more closely, in order to appreciate the relativity of everything we learn.

My Favourite Place in Moscow

The park complex that includes Neskuchny Sad, Gorky Park, and Vorobyovy Gory. Above all, I love the embankments—first Pushkinskaya, then Vorobyovskaya. To me, this is the most beautiful, cozy, and peaceful area in Moscow. Since my teenage years, I have spent countless hours there with friends, and it was also the setting for my first date with my future husband.

Advice for Early-Career Scientists

Follow your genuine interests. You cannot become a good specialist if you aren’t truly excited about what you do or eager to keep learning. In the humanities, it’s relatively easy to switch specialties, and you can even move into the commercial sector and secure a good position. Adjustments are possible along the way, but the primary guiding factor, in my view, should be passion—pure and simple.