This article analyzes the role of national holidays as a tool for shaping a state’s international image and implementing the concept of “soft power.” In the context of globalization and increasing intercultural ties, a country’s positive image is becoming an important factor in international relations. In this article, we examine how national holidays can contribute to strengthening cultural diplomacy, shaping and communicating national identity, and improving a state’s image on the global stage. We focus on the mechanisms by which holidays help disseminate examples of national culture, break down stereotypes, and strengthen ties between peoples. We also examine a number of challenges associated with the dissemination of national holidays for people with a migration history within the cultural field of the host society and the need for intercultural dialogue to achieve harmony in multinational communities. The article emphasizes that the effective use of national holidays requires a strategic approach, as well as consideration of cultural characteristics and universal values.
This article examines secular sacredness as an independent and self-sufficient phenomenon of the modern sociocultural space. The content and specificity of secular sacredness are analyzed in comparison with the religious manifestations of this phenomenon. It is established that the secular mode of sacredness includes the activity of a subject belong to the immanent world. This gives rise to a unique process of sacralization of object in real sociocultural spheres, embodied in a variety of variants. In accordance with the characteristics of secular sacralization, it forms a distinctive transcendence as a sphere of existence for sublime images conveying the value- semantic significance of objects sacralized in secular space. The independent existence of secular sacredness does not preclude its interaction with religious sacredness, giving rise to various combinations of the two. Verification of the theoretical presented in the text was carried out through reference to systemic (“civil religion”), artifactual (Eternal Flame) and activity-based (state national holiday) variants of the embodiment of secular sacredness in sociocultural practices.
This article examines the perception of the Arkaim Museum-Reserve based on the open statements of its visitors. The study examines Arkaim as an experienced space using five aspects of open statements: 1) the frequency of vocabulary used and its thematic categorization, 2) psychological assessment, 3) comparative description of space, 4) the characteristic of space used, and 5) narrativization of space. The use of these aspects is based on a phenomenological approach, humanitarian geography, and semantic analysis. Each aspectof the analysis allows us to consider how a neutral space is transformed into an experienced place imbued with individual and collective meaning. The analysis shows that the dominant semantic fields form a stable configuration of perception, in which the historical aspect of the space is inextricably linked with the natural landscape and the collective sense of the space’s spirituality. Analogies in descriptions of the sensations of being at Arkaim also confirm the appeal to Arkaim’s significance and its spirituality. The characteristics of the space in visitors’ comments also capture the connection between the historical and spiritual aspects of the space. Arkaim is characterized by a narrative of internal changes and insights, which confirms the understanding of Arkaim as a transformative place. Arkaim is perceived as a hybrid space in which the historical, natural, and spiritual dimensions complement each other. This integration allows for the formation of a stable structure of perception based on the interaction of the corporeal, cultural, and existential.
The article explores the concept of «cultural code», which has recently become widespread in various Russian discourses. The purpose of the work is to substantiate the methodological paradigm that considers cultural studies as a form of «cryptanalysis» and to develop a general algorithm for decoding the semantic layers of memorial spaces. The methods of cryptanalysis (frequency and mathematical), semiotics, cultural memory, and spatial theory are used as a theoretical starting point. Comparative analysis, structural and semantic decoding, and polyphonic interpretation of sources are used as methodological tools. The empirical part is based on the study of the memorial landscape of Arkaim as a case demonstrating the interaction of symbolic representations, material culture and practices of remembrance. The results of the study include the formalization of procedures for identifying levels of the “cultural code”, the identification of typological categories of iconic complexes, and the description of mechanisms for their translation into public memory. The work shows that, despite the metaphorical nature of the term “cryptanalysis,” this approach makes it possibleto systematize methods of interpreting memorial sites and spaces, provide a more transparent reconstruction of the communicative intentions of the creators and users of the memorial, and offer practical recommendations for the study and preservation of cultural heritage. This methodological model has an applied potential for cultural analysis and museum practice.
Ghosts are a traditional element of any worldview. They create the plot of literary works, dreams, and even possess the ability to intervene in the course of historical events. Despite their diversity, they all come from the past, revealing it to the present.The authors of the article believe that ghosts inhabit the social relations of the metaphysical, dialectical, electromagnetic, relativistic, quantum, and postmodern worldviews. Each is characterized by its own mode of thinking and objective activity. This mode is a kind of medium, whose consciousness leaves an imprint on the spirit it evokes.In the mechanical worldview, ghosts affirmed the justice of legal laws; in the dialectical worldview, they affirmed the specificity of romantic consciousness; in the electromagnetic worldview, mediums summoned spirits; in the relativistic worldview, ghosts helped relive aristocratic life; in the quantum worldview, counts were replaced by extraterrestrial intelligence.To become a subject of social relations, a person must internalize the entire history of civilization, which they bring to the object of their relationship. The totality of these interactions preserves the historical past. The authors of the article seek to prove that, by creatingimages of ghosts, consciousness activates from historical memory what corresponds to the mechanical, dialectical, electromagnetic, relativistic, and quantum worldviews. Ghosts are viewed as a means for the historian to consciously penetrate the past.
This article explores the phenomenon of auteur theater as a radical art form within the specific cultural environment of an industrial region. Using an analysis of theatrical life in Chelyabinsk, the author traces the genesis of avant-garde movements, determined by a complex set of sociocultural factors. Particular attention is paid to the cyclical development of the regional theater space, characterized by alternating phases of stagnation and renewal. Nikolai Borisov’s project “Very Bad Theater” is used as an example, representing a contemporary model of auteur artistic protest. The study identifies the mechanisms by which elite art adapts to regional sociocultural conditions and demonstrates how the institutional system absorbs and neutralizes radical artistic practices during the process of their legitimization.
The significance of the army’s institutional role in the country’s historical development cannot be overstated. The army has always played a vital role in the formation and strengthening of the state, ensuring its security, and preserving its territorial integrity. In the modern world, its influence extends not only to the political and military spheres but also to the sociocultural space, especially in a country with a rich historical tradition like Russia. Today, the projection of military culture into the Russian sociocultural space has powerful potential for shaping the national and cultural identity of citizens. Military history, the exploits of ancestors, and significant victories serve as an important symbolic resource, strengthening a sense of patriotism and belonging to the state. National holidays dedicated to military victories and the courage of ancestors are a special tool for shaping national memory. They convey important images, meanings, and values, creating a patriotic foundation for the education of citizens. Days of Military Glory and memorable dates in Russia occupy a special place in this process. Ceremonial events such as military parades, troop marches, naval parades, andartillery salutes not only demonstrate the army’s contribution to the country’s destiny but also contribute to strengthening national unity. They play a vital role in consolidating society, uniting diverse social groups around shared historical values associated with the defense of the state. The army is not only a guarantee of security but also a crucial bearer of cultural and historical symbols that form the foundation of national identity and patriotic consciousness in Russian society.
The article analyzes the transformation of festive culture in the 21st century and the emergence of the «festive monstrosity» phenomenon. The study aims to identify the mechanisms that turn the liminal space of celebration into an invasive environment that suppresses the participant’s subjectivity. The theoretical framework relies on J. Baudrillard’s concept of hyperreality, M. Bakhtin’s theory of carnival, and V. Propp’s morphology of the folktale. The methodology employs a synthesis of structural-semiotic analysis of game rules and a praxeological analysis of subject interaction models within algorithmic environments. The research is based on the Dungeons & Dragons campaign module The Wild Beyond the Witchlight, including the prelude adventure «Lost Things».The analysis reveals that the game’s narrative structure reproduces the initial functions of the fairy tale but blocks the phase of affliction liquidation, constructing a «myth of trauma» and establishing a normative lack of self. It is determined that monstrosityin this model manifests through the alienation of qualia - intimate personal properties. The study identifies specific agency recovery strategies -»normative grounding» and «narrative re-appropriation» - which allow the subject to seize control over the festive scenario and implement conscious management of their own vulnerability. The results demonstrate a direct structural homology between the fantastic festive environment and the operational principles of contemporary media platforms, where the imperative of engagement becomes a form of disciplinary control. The article’s contribution lies in developing a praxeological approach to studying monstrous images as interactive systems, which opens new perspectives for digital anthropology in the age of hyperreality.
The article is devoted to a comparative cultural analysis of two competing symbolic models of the desired future, formed in the USA and the USSR during the Cold War era, which are considered in the study as stable cultural codes structuring social expectations, value and anthropological attitudes of mass consciousness. The focus is on comparing the “American dream” and the ideal of “achieving socialism” as two different ways of articulating happiness, success and the meaning of human life in the context of global ideological confrontation. It is consistently proved that the American dream was based on an individualistic logic that presupposes the achievability of success within the existing social order, whereas the Soviet project was based on a collectivist and utopian view of the possibility of moral transformation of man and the construction of a classless society in a historical perspective. The article analyzes the evolution of the socialist ideal from an early amorphous utopia to more materialistically oriented forms ofthe late Soviet period, which led to its partial convergence with the consumer attitudes of the American dream and at the same time to the loss of the internal integrity of the Soviet cultural code; special attention is paid to the role of visual culture, exhibitions of achievements and everyday consumer practices as tools of soft power that contributed to the ideological attractiveness of the American image life. It is concluded that the ideological victory of the United States in the Cold War was due to the greater anthropological realism and cultural simplicity of the American dream, while the collapse of faith in the socialist future was the result of a gap between the ideal and the social experience of the Soviet people.
The article is devoted to the study of the potential and mechanisms of including a character in the context of a state holiday as a key condition for actualizing the event, consolidating and revitalizing «invented traditions», as well as ensuring the continuity of generations. The article analyzes various types of characters, proposes a clear distinction between the concepts of «hero» and «character», and determines the functional role of personification in the figurative and semantic structure of a state holiday. Special attention is paid to the development and presentation of a consistent algorithm for integrating a character into the process of «generalizing» a festive event, which allows for a systematic approach to its design and implementation. As a result of the study, it is concluded that a character is one of the necessary conditions for a full-fledged «life» of a holiday and an effective tool for involving participants in it, contributing to its dynamic development and maintaining its semantic depth. The study uses methods of exemplification, design, and analysis, which allowed for a comprehensive examination of the problem and the development of practical solutions.
The article examines the features of the pragmatic use of music in modern culture in order to stimulate the consumption ofgoods and services. For this purpose, the text examines and interprets the functional and applied methods of music application that preceded today’s practices (Eric Satie’s “Furniture” music and Muzak background music), identifies the characteristic features of music distribution using modern technologies, and highlights the specifics of current forms of individual listening to music and its use for personal purposes using the example of the digital music streaming service Yandex Music, identifies and analyzes the key features of the utilitarian use of music in order to stimulate the consumption of goods and services through specialized digital services for commercial use Sound Business and Cube Media. The author of the article adheres to an interdisciplinary cultural approach, applying the results and provisions of humanitarian research in his work, which are devoted to the study of the role of music and sound in culture, uses general scientific methods of analysis, comparison, generalization and synthesis, and also adheres to the principle of integrity when considering these issues. According to the results of the study, it is noted that current technologies for the production and distribution of sound have made music reproduced using audio equipment available for use both in the context of individual listening and for voicing public spaces. Therefore, music today is not only a natural and familiar element of the auditory environment, but is also used in everyday life to solve a variety of utilitarian tasks as an effective functional and applied tool that allows to purposefully influence the psycho-emotional state of consumers of goods and services, as well as to form the sound atmosphere of commercial premises. At the same time, it is concluded that music, losing its attributes as a work of art in modern culture, becomes not only an integral element of the design of the acoustic environment, but also a tool for consciously shaping the “design” of a person’s psycho-emotional state, as well as their desires and needs. The results and main provisions of the study are proposed to be used in the study of current types of utilitarian use of music in society, as well as in the analysis of the role of music in modern culture.
This article presents a comprehensive cultural analysis of the key factors that shaped the formation and development of the Orenburg down-knitting industry, considered a unique phenomenon of Russian material culture. Unlike studies focusing on technological or artistic aspects, this work identifies and systematizes the historical and cultural determinants that contributed to the transformation of a local craft into a national brand. Drawing on historical, ethnographic, and local history sources, the author identifies four main stages and corresponding factors.These include: 1) the ethnographic factor of cross-cultural exchange (mid-18th century), based on the adoption by the Orenburg Cossacks (primarily Cossack women) of the collection and processing of goat wool from nomadic peoples and their synthesis with Russian knitting techniques; 2) the state-administrative factor (second half of the 18th century), associated with the scientificdescription of the down-knitting industry in the Orenburg province by P. I. Rychkov and his project to organize a profitable industry;the transport and infrastructure factor of the late 18th - early 20th centuries, which ensured the integration of the industry into the national and global markets through a network of fairs and participation in exhibitions; 4) the economic and production factor of Soviet modernization (1920-1980s), characterized by an attempt to industrialize the industry through artels and factories while preserving its foundation - the unique manual labor of craftswomen.The article concludes that the sustainability of the Orenburg down-knitting industry is based on the interdependence of three key aspects: unique natural raw materials, the presence of mechanisms for the intergenerational transmission of unique down-knitting skills, and the ability of institutions to adapt the craft to the requirements of different eras, extracting symbolic and economic capital from it.
The article examines the evolution of the scenario matrix of state holidays as a tool of symbolic politics and the construction of national identity. The author introduces the concept of a “scenario matrix,” defining it as a stable model for organizing a celebration, encompassing narrative, semiotic, communicative, and spatio-temporal elements. Based on an analysis of holiday scenarios implemented in Chelyabinsk between 2016 and 2025, and employing content and narrative analysis, the study identifies key trends in the transformation of festive culture. The results demonstrate a shift from a purely commemorative nature of holidays to a mobilizational one: a sharp increase in the proportion of current political elements, the dominance of the local (ethno-cultural) identity vector over the universal one, a rise in the frequency of state symbolism use, and the increasing complexity of formats (multi-format, immersive experiences). The evolution of the narrative (from historical reconstruction to mobilizational synthesis) and theritual-ceremonial component is analyzed separately. The author concludes that the scenario matrix serves as a mechanism for identity programming, ensuring the synchronization of collective experiences and the reproduction of a desired type of citizen in accordance with current ideological guidelines.From a cultural studies perspective, the research proves that the contemporary state holiday is transforming into a hybrid text, where archaic ritual structures are filled with current political content, allowing the scenario matrix to be viewed as a dynamic model for the representation of collective memory. Future research may focus on a comparative analysis of regional practices, identifying universal mechanisms for constructing festive identity, as well as studying the reception of holiday scenarios by the mass audience. This opens up prospects for predicting the effectiveness of symbolic politics and developing recommendations for event industry professionals.
The article analyses the functions and meanings acquired by the Russian national costume within the ritualised space of contemporary Russian state holidays. The author considers this process as a deliberate element of state cultural policy aimed at consolidating society and providing a visual representation of symbols that unify the nation. The empirical basis of the study is a narrative analysis of posts from the official website of the Ministry of Culture of the Russian Federation over a five-year period.The main findings of the work point to a consistent trend of the purposeful incorporation of folk costume, especially during holidays of historical and political significance (Russia Day, National Unity Day, Victory Day). The costume plays a dual role: on the one hand, it serves as a demarcating sign of cultural distinctiveness and “spiritual bonds,” and on the other, it acts as an integrating element visualising the unity of a multinational people. The author identifies key forms of the costume’s utilisation (flash mobs, theatricalperformances, immersive installations) and differentiates its roles (key/background, focused/participatory).The article argues that within the context of a state holiday, the Russian national costume undergoes decontextualisation and stylisation, transforming into a “simulacrum of tradition” - a universal visual code transmitting official values (patriotism, sovereignty, continuity). Despite the risks of losing authenticity, this process is assessed as natural and functionally justified from the perspective of the tasks of symbolic politics and the construction of collective identity. Thus, the costume emerges not merely as a decorative element, but as a complex semiotic resource in the dialogue about contemporary “Russianness.”
The article examines paraliterature as a sociocultural practice within metamodernism, as a new episteme characterized by oscillation. The study aims to explore the nature, functions, and specificity of paraliterature against the backdrop of shifting cultural hierarchies and the digitization of culture. The research material includes theoretical works on paraliterature as well as empirical examples of non-institutional writing (texts published on self-publishing platforms and produced in creative writing schools). The methodological framework draws on cultural studies, Michel Foucault’s concept of discursive formation, and Richard Saint-Gelais’s notion of “transfictionality.” The discussion emphasizes that while paraliterature originated within postmodernism, it has acquired new forms in the metamodern era due to digital technologies and a shift in emphasis from aesthetic value toward communicative and identity-forming functions. The author concludes that paraliterature constitutes an autonomous, marginal yet viable sector of contemporary culture, where legitimacy is conferred not by institutions but by community practices, and where value resides not in artistic quality but in participation in rituals of co-creation, self-expression, and cultural self-identification.
This article presents an attempt at a culturological analysis of existing digital cultural phenomena, particularly user-generated content, and their influence on the development and structure of contemporary culture. Using Yuri Lotman's approach to analyzing cultural phenomena, the author examines the consequences of the popularity and potential influence on the cultural dynamics of the Minecraft video game, as well as the user-generated content created by video bloggers using this video game. The author concludes that the high variability of user-generated content, coupled with the already high variability of cultural phenomena, can influence the format and productivity of dialogue as the primary mean of generating new cultural phenomena. An attempt is made to interpret the change in dialogue format within the framework of the intersubjective-intrasubjective dichotomy.
The article is devoted to the problem of studying the odic tradition in the poetry of Boris Ryzhy. The genre of the ode and its Russian-language canon have already been studied in some detail at the level of pathos, stylistics, and verse practices. However, since Romanticism, the canon of the ode has been transformed, mandatory signs are violated, and the canon is replaced by the inner measure of the genre. At the same time, the issue of trends in genre change in the poetry of the twentieth century remains poorly understood. Practically nothing has been written about the odic tradition in Boris Ryzhy’s poetry, which is not at all surprising: firstly, Ryzhy himself is not very willing to give genre titles to poems, and secondly, his odic mode is clearly inferior to the elegiac. The subjectivity and imagery of Ryzhy’s texts also contradicts classical models. At the end of the twentieth century, the ode does not resemble its canonical invariant either stylistically or motifically, which may illustrate B.’s poem. The red-haired “Ode”, which is discussed in the article, explores in detail the genre title, stylistic markers, and subject relations in the text. The synthesis of subject and object in Red’s poetry can be traced not only in the odic, but also in the elegiac mode. In the poem “Angel, illuminated face, lit ...”, the praiseof poetry is devoid of traditional markers, on the contrary, it is associated with a dim fire, a ten-watt lamp, in which either death or poetry is possible, and everyday life is impossible and ridiculous. Thus, the antithesis of everyday life and poetry forms an ode in which poetry is praised through a self-evident belittling of everyday reality for the poet. The formula of correlation and comparison is extremely important for B.The redhead. An ode in which value orientations are fundamental is realized only when the object of praise has something to compare and contrast. Thus, the odic pathos is manifested in the Red-haired man’s poem “In a long Italian coat ...”. Schemes that are impossible in the canon become important; the genre relies on those characteristics that are opposite to the canonical ones. The very principle of the genre’s work in the lyrics of the twentieth century is changing: the canon is being destroyed, only genre memory remains.
The article examines the poetics of Boris Ryzhy’s poem “Autumn in the Park”, which clearly shows the key features of the poet’s creative thinking. The reflexive understanding of the dichotomy of life and death and the elegiac perception of contemporary reality, which appear as peculiar constants of his lyrics, reveal various ways and forms of their verbal actualization. One of such conceptually significant embodiments of B. Ryzhy’s poetic “elegism” is his reflection on the “autumn-park” realities projected into the microcosm of the lyrical hero. The structural-semiotic and phenomenological approaches used to study the poetic text help to clarify the verbalization of elegy in the poet’s work. An analytical review of the poem “Autumn in the Park” testifies to the semantic unity of artistic symbolism and plot structure of the text. This work demonstrates the lyrical hero’s immersion in a reflexive understanding of death as a marker of the progressive abolition of existential vitality. Regret for the passing of life produces the elegiac character of reflexive comprehension of the ontological presence of man in the world. The system of artistic signs (“autumn”, “par”, “angel”, “pond”, “hand”, “eyes”, “roses”) actualized in the structure of the poem determines the logic of the reflexive self-determination of thelyrical hero. The elegiac plot, set at the beginning of the text and consistently implemented in the process of textual structure, explicates the desire of B. Ryzhy’s poetic “the self” for the value conjugation of life and death through stoic acceptance of the natural laws of the macrocosm and anthropological (creative) elevation above the inevitability of their impact on the human microcosm.
The article analyzes V. Kalpidi’s book “Philosophy of Poetry” (2019) as a transdiscursive philosophical ego-text. Calpidi’s work is defined as important for studying the evolution of modern Russian poetry, as it reflects the transition of writers to a meta-position in relation to their own work and the actualization of self-reflection. Calpidi, a metamodernist and cultural trader of the Urals, reflects in the Philosophy of Poetry the triad “gift-genius-talent” through the relationship of synchrony and diachrony: genius generates meanings, talent exposes them in “banality” to transform the recipient, erasing the boundaries of life and creativity. Transdiscursivity justifies his “right to speak” by deconstructing truisms for the circulation of meanings in the local literary community and among the field of poetry as a whole, which provides the generative potential of discourse. In Calpidi’s book The Philosophy of Poetry, the author is represented as the “center of coherence of discourses”: he forms not just a text, but a complex tradition with new acts of speech. This leads to external shifts in the context and expands the possibilities of a transdiscursive dialogue. Calpidi identifies “talent” as an intermediary between ideal “genius” and innate “gift.” Talent forms and exposes the meanings of genius, creating poetry as a cultural practice. Talent here is not an independent entity, but a tool of realization, which is often brought into the cult of cultivated mediocrity. Genius generates new meanings and creates artifacts, while talent exposes them, giving them a form understandable to the reader. The poet recognizes the complexity of communication with the addressee, where much remains unexpressed, and poetry is based onthe interaction of hidden meanings and formal platitudes. The author sneers at his own mediocrity, emphasizing the need for constant rethinking of concepts in the dynamics of tradition and creativity.
The fact that the Ural space is a posteriori conflictual has been repeatedly acknowledged historically and aesthetically (we can recall numerous examples, from the circumstances of resettlements and exiles to the Urals to, say, the artistry of the “depressive school” of Ural drama). This same conflictuality is also identified with the parameter of the geographical-territorial borderland: the junction of Europe and Asia. In this article, we will be interested in the geopoetic aspects of Andrei Rodionov and Ekaterina Troepolskaya’s play “Happiness Is Just Around the Corner”, included in the collection of poetic plays “Optimism” (2017). This text, in our opinion, develops these characteristics - in terms of the author’s, generic, and substantive positions and can be considered part of the “Ural text” of Russian literature.
