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The forum was linked via the web to students from Tula State Pedagogical University (TSPU), and Dr Tassilo Schmitt, the noted German Ancient Historian from Bremen University. The latter fascinated his audience with the answer to the question 'Who was Flavius Dades?'. He was one of many speakers, including Iosif Hadjikyriakos, the director of the Larnaka Archival Fund in Cyprus, who gave a lecture on the Latins in Cypriot civilisation. Our own Professor Nikolai Bolgov spoke about Gaza as a part of the Byzantine Empire, and Professor Mikhail Gratsiansky of Moscow State University tried to pin down a divide between late Antiquity, and the early Middle Ages. He also led the open discussion on the meaning of 'transition' in the ancient word. TPSU's Dr Sergei Yartsev, gave a lecture on the Bosphorus Goths, a group of late Antiquity barbarians. Professor Nikolai Pisarevsky, from Voronezh University, gave a lecture on the origins of ancient art. The lectures were followed by short presentations from a few of the students.

The forum was made possible through the work of Dr Victoria Tarabaeva, Director, and Dr Ivan Shatokhin, Deputy Director, of the Pedagogical Institute. They were assisted by Dr Elena Litovchenko and Dr Elena Semicheva, who also organised a tour of important museums in and around Belgorod for our guests.