EUROCLASSICA Fdration Europenne des Associations de Professeurs de Langues et de Civilisations Classiques Secrtaire: Christine Haller Chemin des Carrels

15 CH 2034 Peseux SUISSE Tl. : 0041 32 731 16 12 e-mail: christine_haller@hotmail.com www.euroclassica.eu

The Rector of St. Petersburg State University Professor Kropachev The Vice-rector of St. Petersburg State University Professor Bogdanov

Madrid, November 17th, 2012

Dear Professor Kropachev, Dear Professor Bogdanov, Euroclassica, European Federation of (24) associations of teachers of classical languages and civilisations, has just heard that all state-funding in Classical Linguistics, in Department of Byzantine Studies, and many other departments will be closed. That means that Classical Studies particularly are at risk of disappearing from the curricula. We are very concerned by the decision to close linguistic departments whose comprehensive work is appreciated by the World Scientific Community. Indeed normal language courses without a historical and cultural basis cannot be sufficient to form highly competent academic linguists. Even if the necessity of learning Latin and Ancient Greek is not obvious for many people, it must not be forgotten that Classical Studies and knowledge of ancient languages are very useful, if not necessary, for medicine, law, pedagogy, linguistics, and historical studies. In 2007 Euroclassica was welcomed in your Faculty for its annual Conference and General Assembly. We appreciate not only the excellent work accomplished by the Classical Philology Department today, but also the long tradition of our studies in Saint-Petersburg thanks to courageous philologists who could maintain the flame during historically difficult

times. Tsar Peter the Great who created your town and University was an admirer of the ancient cultures, himself a kind of archaeologist. We beg you not to put an end to such a long tradition of Classical Studies.

Yours si

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Christine Haller
Secretary

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