Vasily Grossman. The Power of the Human in Humanity
with Claudia De Benedetti, Giovanni Maddalena and Michele Rosboch for OGR Talks

Thursday, May 29, 2025 | 6:30 PM
Duomo | OGR Torino

An event by OGR Torino, curated by the Study Center Vasily Grossman

Free admission, reservation required
A closing aperitif is planned at the end of the event

On Thursday, May 29 at 6.30 PM, the Duomo at OGR Torino will host a new installment of OGR Talks, dedicated to one of the great literary voices of the twentieth century: Vasily Grossman. During “Vasily Grossman. The Power of the Human in Humanity” the dialogue among Claudia De Benedetti, Giovanni Maddalena and Michele Rosboch will offer a contemporary reflection on the work of the Russian writer, author of masterpieces such as Life and Fate and Everything Flows, highlighting the strength of his realism, the value of individual freedom, and the enduring meaning of truth and beauty even in the darkest of times.

The event will also present the latest research on Grossman and introduce a series of cultural initiatives scheduled to take place in Turin and other Italian cities over the coming months.

What does Grossman’s work tell us today? What moral and narrative force emerges from his pages? These are the questions the speakers will explore through a conversation that weaves together literature, history, and philosophy—an invitation to discover how Grossman’s voice continues to speak to our time.

SPEAKERS
Claudia De Benedetti
President of the Casale Ebraica Foundation ETS; Director of the Jewish Museum Complex in Casale Monferrato; President of the Jewish Agency for Israel Sochnut-Italia; member of the Scientific Committee of the “Vasily Grossman Study Center.”
Giovanni Maddalena
Full Professor of Theoretical Philosophy at the University of Molise; Director of the “Vasily Grossman Study Center”; author of The Thought of Vasily Grossman (Rosenberg & Sellier, 2023).
Michele Rosboch
Full Professor of History of Italian and European Law; editor-in-chief of the academic journal Politica.eu; author of numerous essays on Vasily Grossman.

VASILY GROSSMAN
A writer and journalist, Vasily Grossman stands among the most important literary figures of the 20th century. A frontline correspondent during World War II for the Red Army newspaper Krasnaya Zvezda, he chronicled the Battle of Stalingrad in an epic narrative culminating in his novel Life and Fate. Censored by the Soviet regime and published only two decades after his death, the book is now regarded as a cornerstone of world literature. His works are published in Italy by Adelphi.

USEFUL INFORMATION

• Access to the hall with reservationwill be possible from 6 PM and is guaranteed until 6.30 PM, after this time the seat may be reassigned.


• Those with waitlist ticketswill be able to join the queue in a dedicated lane. Holders of this type of ticket will be allowed access to the hall only if there are still seats available after the entry of the reserved people has ended. Access will be on a first-come, first-served basis.


• It will be possible to book for a maximum of two people. Upon completion of the form, the “You're almost there!” screen will appear. At this point, each of the two email addresses indicatedwill receive an email useful for confirming the reservation.


• The reservation will be valid if and only if it is confirmed and you will receive the QR code useful for access. Until each of the users has confirmed through the appropriate email, the place will remain free and bookable.


• If the confirmation is not done in time, the seat will be reassigned and the user will go to the waiting list. Therefore, it is recommended to finish the whole process as soon as possible in order not to lose the acquired place.