«Gogol: Interpretational Paradoxes» was the theme of the session of the debating society "The Paradoxes of Modern Artistic Culture» that took place in November 2009. It was devoted to the great writer's 200th anniversary. The mystery of Gogol's writings, of his life and death, new analysis of his books and fate constituted the subject-matter of the discussion. The participants were presented with two new artistic interpretations: the film «Gogol: a Portrait of the Mysterious Genius» made by D. Dyomin, asst. professor of the Chair of Film Directing, and an account of the Rome exhibition of Professor S.A. Alimov, an academician of the Russian Academy of Arts. What is artistic thought? How the writer's work correlates with his biography, i.e. everyday life? These two problems were the center of the discussion.