Jan. 29 – Aldo Canestri was a university professor who emigrated to Moscow. He was also a journalist and great translator, a linguist and philologist. He passed away on November 25, at the age of 79. Canestri was professor of Italian and Translation at the Linguistic State University of Moscow, the former Maurice Thorez, where he taught for nearly 50 years (he started working in Moscow in 1962). Canestri won the “new millennium” foundation prize, and authored several Russian-Italian and Italian-Russian dictionaries as well as conversation guidebooks. Canestri is also the author of specialized Italian dictionaries and manuals. His masterpiece remains the “Italian-Russian Dictionary of Italian civilization,” a guidebook to learn about Italy, the Italian mentality and how to translate all of it into Russian. Canestri left such a clear mark in Moscow and beyond. The Italian Cultural Institute of the Russian capital is paying its respects on Wednesday, February 4, with an evening in memory of the illustrious linguist: his students, colleagues, friends and family will be there. (Gil)
