On April 30, 2025, within the framework of the World Literature course, Khazar University hosted a seminar titled “B. Pasternak, I. Brodsky: Two Voices, One Echo in Russian Poetry…” conducted by Salim Babullaoglu, poet, translator, essayist, and Secretary for International Relations and Translation Affairs of the Azerbaijan Writers’ Union.
The seminar began with opening remarks by Ulvi Babasoy and Gardashkhan Azizkhanli, PhDs in Philology and faculty members of the Department of Languages and Literatures. S. Babullaoglu’s presentation focused on an analytical reading of selected poems by B. Pasternak and I. Brodsky.
U. Babasoy provided the audience with information about the guest’s literary and public activities and highlighted the dual-phase thought model present in his creative work. G. Azizkhanli addressed the seminar’s purpose and significance, linking S. Babullaoglu’s engagement with the works of Pasternak and Brodsky to the affinity these two Nobel laureates share with his poetic spirit.
S. Babullaoglu began by offering a broader perspective on 20th-century Russian poetry and later drew attention to the symbolism in the works of B. Pasternak and I. Brodsky. He recited Pasternak’s poems “Hamlet” and “Winter Night” as well as Brodsky’s verses “Don’t leave the room, don’t make a mistake” and “I’ve always said, fate is a game,” both in the original and in his own translations, providing commentary on their visual essence and detailed interpretation. He also elaborated on the techniques of poetic translation and explained his own metaphorical expression of “voice and echo” in poetry.
Faculty members of the Department of Languages and Literatures, Associate Professor Khatira Yusifova and PhD in Philology Almaz Badalova, noted that the translated poems were nearly as impactful and poetic as the originals.
Upon the audience’s request, Salim Babullaoglu concluded the seminar by reciting his poems “Letter to That Woman” and the one beginning with the line “Now silence often interrupts my words,” followed by a Q&A session with students.
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