March 3, 1954
PARTHENON AND HAGIA SOPHIA: (From an interview with the Hellenist, Sir Richard Livingstone): «If everything were to be destroyed, only two beacons should be preserved – the Parthenon and Hagia Sophia.» «Although a Hellenist, do you put Byzantium on an equal footing with the ancient world?» «Naturally, for the Hagia Sophia is the result of a complete civilization, the Byzantine civilization, just as the Parthenon is the culmination of Athenian genius. After all, why complain? Aren’t both of them Greek?» GREEK STUDIES: Moscow, 1 – In a special program for young people, a recording from Moscow University’s Department of Classical Studies in its School of Philosophy has been broadcast. The lecturer and department head Clara Petrovna, replying to questions from a radio journalist, said that the classical studies program included the study of Latin and Ancient Greek. She praised the enormous influence of ancient Greek philology on world culture and added that on the anniversary of the 2,400th anniversary of Aristophanes’ birth, a special collection dedicated to his work would be published in the Soviet Union.
