Mihhail Lotman facts for kids
Mihhail Lotman is an important person from Estonia. He was born on September 2, 1952, in a city then called Leningrad. He is known for studying literature and for being involved in politics. His parents were Juri Lotman and Zara Mints, who were also well-known scholars.
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Exploring Ideas: What Mihhail Lotman Studies
Mihhail Lotman studies something called semiotics. Semiotics is the study of signs and symbols and how they create meaning. Think about how a red light means "stop" or how a thumbs-up means "good job." These are all signs!
He looks at general semiotics and how culture uses signs. He also studies text theory, which is about how written works are put together and understood. Another area he explores is the history of Russian literature.
From 1988 to 1994, Lotman was part of the board for the Russian Cultural Society in Estonia. Today, he is a professor at Tallinn University. He teaches semiotics and how to understand literature. He also works with a research group at the University of Tartu that focuses on semiotics.
Awards and Recognition
Mihhail Lotman has received special honors for his work. On February 2, 2001, he was given the Medal of the Order of the White Star. This is an important award in Estonia, given to people who have done great things for their country.
Mihhail Lotman in Politics
In recent years, Mihhail Lotman has also been active in politics. He served as a member of the Riigikogu. The Riigikogu is the parliament of Estonia, which is like the country's main law-making body. He was a member of the conservative Res Publica Party.
Supporting Literature
Mihhail Lotman also stands up for writers and their work. In 2010, he publicly supported Sofi Oksanen's novel Puhdistus. He defended the book against people in Estonia who did not like it.
