DUSHANBE, December 20, Asia-Plus -- A scientific-theoretical conference formally titled “Russia and Central Asia: Historical Dialogue and Interaction Among Cultures” is opening at Russian-Tajik Slavic University (RTSU) in Dushanbe today.  

The conference is staged by RTSU under support of the Russian Embassy in Dushanbe and the Council of Russian Fellow-countrymen in Tajikistan. 

According to the embassy, the conference dedicated to the 160 ^th anniversary of known Russian researcher Nikolai Ostroumov is aiming to discuss research works on Central Asia as element of cultural exchange, formation of the press and printing in the region, as well as a place of Russian Orthodox Church in civilization and culture exchange.   

Ostroumov established a newspaper in Tashkent, Turkestan Vilayetinin Gazeti:  Tuzemnaya Gazeta, which was published for 35 years, from 1883-1917  (from 1890 to 1896, it is known that 600-700 copies per issue were produced).  He called the language of the newspaper "Sartiye" and tried to establish a circle of "Sart literature" around it.