The article provides a theoretical overview of the history of the study of function words in Russian linguistics. Various approaches to function words are noted, due to their structural, semantic and functional diversity. Particular attention is paid to the issue of the polyfunctionality of function words, their ability to act as different parts of speech in different sentences. It is noted that the constant expansion, deepening, clari­fication of the theory of function words in Russian linguistics is due to the mobility of this class of linguistic units, the permeability of its boundaries and the polyfunctionality of function words. Each category of function words is continuously replenished at the expense of both units of other function parts of speech and significant words. New function and polyfunctional units are most often composite, include several words; in addition, they are typically used in syntactic constructions, in connection with which the grammar of constructions is a promising direction of linguistic research.

The article dwells on the level of usage of classifiers and measure words used to quantify time and distance in Tajik, Mandarin Chinese, and English. These languages represent distinct typological profiles (synthetic, isolating, and analytic, respectively), leading to significant differences in how these concepts are grammatically encoded. The analysis of linguistic data, drawn from dictionaries, grammars, and example sentences, reveals that Tajik utilizes a limited set of dedicated measure words combined with inflectional morphology on the noun, while Mandarin Chinese employs a rich system of classifiers that categorize nouns based on shape, function, and other semantic features. English relies primarily on measure words without noun inflection or classification.

The article dwells on the analysis of scholarly interpretations of Majnun’s love and madness in “Leyli and Majnun” by Nizami Ganjavi in Western and Oriental literary criticism. The aim of the research is to identify areas of divergence and convergence in these interpretations, highlighting the advantages of a comparative metho­dological approach that integrates diverse perspectives to achieve a more nuanced understanding of the poem’s enduring significance. The study utilizes scholarly analysis of critical works.

The given article dwells on the morphological aspects of the gerund in English, a non-finite verb form combining peculiarities of both verbs and nouns. The aim is to analyze the structure, functions, and syntactic features of the gerund in details. The methodology includes analysis of theoretical literature, comparative analysis, examination of usage and translation examples, and corpus analysis. The results demonstrate that the gerund performs various syntactic roles, and action nouns, adverbs of manner, and other grammatical tools. While studying the gerund is important for understanding English grammar and improving translation skills.

The given article dwells on the significant contributions of Professor Nizomiddin Murodi to the study of literary ties between Tajik-Persian and Chinese literatures, focusing specifically on the influence of Persian-Tajik traditions on Uyghur litera­ture. Professor Murodi’s extensive research, encompassing monographs, articles, and international lectures, explores themes such as Tajik folklore in classical Persian-Tajik poetry, and the transmission of these traditions into Uyghur literary works, the histo­rical context, and impact of the destruction of the ancient Uyghur alphabet. The findings highlight Murodi key publications and academic engagements demonstrating his crucial role in illumination the complex cultural and literary exchanges between the Persianate world and China, particularly through the lens of Uyghur literature. Thus, N. Murodi’s work provides a vital foundation for understanding the enduring legacy of Persian-Tajik literary influence in the region.

On 12–14 September 2024, the scientific conference “XXIII Slavic Readings in Memory of Prof. P.A. Dmitriev and Prof. G.I. Safronov” was held at the Philologi­cal Department of St. Petersburg State University. The conference has been organised on the initiative of the Department of Slavic Philology of St. Petersburg State University since 1999, in recent years in the format of a biennale. The event is a tribute to the memory and respect for the outstanding scientists, whose names are associated with the restoration of Slavic studies at Leningrad University after the Second World War. Prof. P.A. Dmitriev headed the Department of Slavonic Philology at Leningrad and then St. Petersburg State University for more than thirty years, and his friend Prof. G.I. Safronov worked alongside him all these years. There were 70 reports at the conference, which touched upon various issues of the history, current state and perspectives of development of Slavic studies.