Silvia Toscano

Silvia Toscano is an Associate Professor at Sapienza University of Rome, Faculty of Letters and Philosophy, where she is affiliated with the Department of Modern Literature and Culture. She specializes in Slavic Philology with a focus on Russian language, literature, and culture. Her teaching responsibilities include Slavic Philology for Linguistics students and Russian Language courses for multiple degree programs.

Her educational background includes:

• Graduated in Classics from the University of Pisa in 1981 with thesis "The Slavic Treatise on the Eight Parts of Speech and Byzantine Sources"
• Specialized in Slavic Philology with scholarships at Kliment Ochridski University of Sofia (Bulgaria) in 1982 and Moscow State University (MGU) in 1983

Professor Toscano's research spans multiple areas of Slavic studies with particular emphasis on Old Russian literature, the development of Russian political thought during the formation of the unified state (late 15th-early 17th centuries), and the work of Saints Cyril and Methodius. Her work examines the reception of Cyril-Methodian legacy across Slavic countries, medieval Slavic apocryphal literature, and Slavic linguistic thought from medieval to premodern periods. She has also investigated Rome's representation in 19th century Russian poetry and Russian-Italian contrastive linguistics.

Toscano's recent publications reveal a consistent focus on foundational texts of Russian literature and history. Her work demonstrates expertise in translating and analyzing primary sources from Old Russian literature, including religious texts like Ilarion's "Sermon on Law and Grace" and hagiographic works such as Nestor's "Life of Feodosij Pecherskij." She has made significant contributions to understanding the "Moscow Third Rome" theory and the Cyril-Methodian legacy across Slavic cultures. Her scholarship combines philological precision with historical contextualization.

Professor Toscano has served in significant academic roles:

• Coordinator of the Russian Linguistics and Culture curriculum within the Doctoral Program in Documentary, Linguistic, and Literary Sciences at Sapienza University since 2018
• Member of the Doctoral Program in Documentary, Linguistic, and Literary Sciences since 2006
• Coordinator of the PRIN 2020 project "OpeRus: La letteratura russa attraverso le Opere"
• Previously led the research project "Roma e Russia nel Novecento" (2018-2020)

She has been instrumental in organizing numerous academic events and conferences, including the "Rimskie Kirillo-Mefodievskie Chtenija" (Rome Cyril-Methodian Readings) in collaboration with Moscow State University. She has coordinated doctoral seminars on Russian literature and has been actively involved in the Italian Association of Slavists since 1987, serving as a referee for prestigious A-class journals.