Andrey Astvatsaturov

Dr. Astvatsaturov was born on July 7, 1969 in Leningrad. In 1986 was admitted as part-time student at Zhdanov Leningrad State University (Department of English Philology). In 1991 defended his undergraduate diploma entitled "Myth and Reality in James Joyce's Ulysses" (major "English Language and Literature"). From 1991 to 1994, attended graduate school at the Faculty of Philology of Saint Petersburg State University where he was advised by Professor Y. V. Kovalev. In 1995 he defended his Candidate dissertation entitled "Literary criticism theory of T. S. Eliot and its Aesthetic Aspects in the Poem "Badlands". (1996). In 2003 Dr. Astvatsaturov was awarded tenure at Saint Petersburg State University. Since 1992 he has been a frequent participant of scientific conferences at SPSU, MSU, Herzen RSPU, IWL RAS, RSHU, and KFU. Professor Astvatsaturov lectured on history and theory of literature at Saint Petersburg State University, the Academy of Culture Research (1998–2000), the Institute of Foreign Languages (1992–2001), and Bard College (US, 2000). His research appeared in scientific journals and collections (Novoe Literaturnoe Obozrenie, Vestnik SPbGU, Vestnik RGPU, Prelomleniya, Philologicheskie Nauki, etc.) and in Saint Petersburg publications — Sobaka, Krasnyi, Prochetenie, RIP and others). Authored some 100 research articles on problems of English and American literature of the 19th and 20th centuries, as well as numerous prefaces and commentaries on publications of English-language classics in Russian (O. Wilde, W. Wolfe, H. Miller, J. Salinger, K. Vonnegut, J. Cheever, J. Updike). In 2000 he lectured in Bard College (USA). His research appeared in scientific journals and collections (Novoe Literaturnoe Obozrenie, Vestnik SPbGU, Vestnik RGPU, Prelomleniya, Philologicheskie Nauki, etc.) and in Saint Petersburg publications — Sobaka-ru, Krasnyi, Prochetenie, RIP and others). Authored some 100 research articles on problems of English and American literature of the 19th and 20th centuries. Wrote numerous prefaces and commentaries on publications of English-language classics in Russian (O. Wilde, W. Wolfe, H. Miller, J. Salinger, K. Vonnegut, J. Cheever, J. Updike). Since 2009 has been a regular participant in international book fairs and festivals in Moscow, Saint Petersburg, Perm, Kazan, Helsinki, Krasnoyarsk, Novosibirsk, Tallinn, London, Turin, New York, Edinburgh, and Paris. Has appeared on many TV and radio shows as expert and consultant, including RTR, Kultura, STO, Channel 5, Saint Petersburg, Ekho Moskvy, Radio Maria. Andrey Astvatsaturov appeared in films: Karel: What R. V. Fassbinder Did Not Film (2004, directed by Marusya Klimova, T. Fomicheva), "Two or Three Things" (2006, directed by N. Makarov). Astvatsaturov debut novel "People in the Nude" (2009) was included in the short list of the prizes "New Linguistics" and "The National Bestseller," and the long list of the "The Russian Booker" Prize. For his "People in the Nude" novel the author was awarded the TOP–50 Prize (2010). The novel became "The Book of the Month" in GQ Journal, and was listed as one of top 50 best books of 2009 in "NG Ex Libris". His book "Skunkamera" was included in the short list of the Dovlatov Prize, the short list of the New Linguistics Prize, the short list of Top 50 Prize, and the long list of the prizes "National Bestseller" and "The Big Book". In 2009 served on the grand jury of the National Bestseller Prize. In 2010 his book "People in the Nude" was published in Finnish under the title "Ihmiset alastomuudessa". In 2011 hosted the "Writer's House" program on Saint Petersburg TV Channel. In 2011 served on the jury of the "Debut" Prize ("Short Story" Section). In 2012 served on the jury of the "New Linguistic Science" Prize. In 2014 was elected member of the Saint Petersburg Union of Writers. In 2015 was awarded the prize of Saint Petersburg State University "For Teaching Mastery".