Articles

The article is devoted to the Soviet influence on work of Anglo-American Committee of Inquiry on Palestine according to the memoirs of its member Bartley Crum, who in 1947 published a book “Behind the Silken Curtain”. Anglo-American Committee’s work took part in Europe and the Near East in 1945–1946 and, as a result, the committee came to the conclusion that the solution of the refugees’ problem is to permit Jewish refugees to go to Palestine. The Soviet Union was excluded from the work, and even though some officials from the State Department and lots of British officials were afraid of the Soviet expansion and the increase of Soviet influence in the Middle East, the real impact was rather small. However, the deep distrust between former alliances made the solution of the Palestine problem uncompleted, the report of the Committee evoked the protest in the Arab world and the negative reaction of the Soviet government. Arab-Israeli conflict has not been settled yet. Although the relations between European Jews, Muslims and European nations have changed drastically, the new challenges in foreign relations connected with refugees’ problem and the Middle East conflicts demand the contribution of all main actors.

Paolino’s funeral is a ceremony held during the Greek Carnival in Martignano (Apulia region).This is an example of a restored tradition of the ethnolinguistic minorities of Southern Italy, but with the rather archaic and specific features of traditional culture being taken into account. On the one hand, the rite goes back to the tradition of burning or tearing of a Shrovetide effigy, typical of European city carnivals and symbolizing the passing period. On the other hand, depending on new conditions and political nomenclature, the tradition is supplemented with new meanings and newly invented elements. This study attempts to identify the degree of presence of Greek elements in the rite “La Morte te lu Paolinu”, describe the mechanisms that organizers use in the process of reconstructing an older rite, and determine the main functions of this reconstruction.

The last decades of the 19th century were marked by an unprecedented growth of the so-called “non-academic ethnography” in Russia. This period of time witnessed a rise in the number of ethnographic descriptions of the peoples of Russia created by non-academic researchers, such as teachers, doctors, government officials, clergymen, political exiles, rather than professional scholars. The texts created by them, both nonfiction and literary, are extremely valuable for the study of the spiritual heritage of the peoples of Russia. The article provides a definition for the term “non- academic ethnography” and substantiates the legitimacy of its use; it outlines the methodological aspects and the prospects of using non-academic ethnography for the study of traditional cultures of the indigenous peoples of Siberia. The two identified extensive groups of sources are missionary diaries and ethnographic works written by political exiles. The article proves the need for a discursive approach to their study and the importance of considering extra-textual phenomena, such as: the collective identity of the authors of these works, their behavioral practice, the ideological semantic field which defines the position and the goals of the non-profession- al ethnographers, etc. Although the research potential of the indicated sources is evident, its actualization requires the implementation of modern scientific methods.

Of a special interest to contemporary researchers are the topics related to the history of the second world war, especially concerning the “artistic intellectuals and the war”. No doubt that from the point of view of regional studies, this issue is relevant because it contributes to the further development of theoretical and methodological approaches to it, and the replenishment of factual knowledge about the features of tackling it in different regions. In this article, the issue is dealt with on the example of artistic contribution of the Polish intelligentsia in the struggle against fascism during the second world war. Poland was fully occupied and subject to regulations established by the occupying forces. It was in that country that the rules of the“New Order” were tried and tested, later to be introduced in other countries, including the occupied territories of the USSR. In October 12, 1939 in the Gazette of the Third Reich was published a decree on the General government in the Eastern parts of the Polish lands, while the Western ones were annexed to the Reich. The official programme in the field of culture for the Poles was also officially announced. It was actually aimed at the destruction of the Polish national culture. Many of the artists of Poland during the second world war were connected with the Resistance movement. They contributed to the struggle, creating works of fine and performing arts, music and cinema. In difficult illegal conditions there was even restored the process of teaching all types of art to young people by way of caring about the post-war development of national art creativity.

In the article the author examines the geoliterary aspects of “The Letters of a Russian Traveler” by N.M. Karamzin. This means that travel writing is seen as a way of literary exploration of space. Karamzin’s literary journey is characterized as a secular pilgrimage, in which holy places are replaced by cultural ones – natural, historical, cultural, and literary. The author changed the established vector of cultural assessments, considering Europe not as “paradise” and not as “hell”, but as a cultural space equal to Russia. “Notes” convincingly demonstrates that literary travel has a cyclical structure and a clear-cut spatial organization, which includes the linear space of roadside landscapes and the nuclear space of stops, which should be considered as an entrance to another culture. Important attributes of literary travel include a low speed of movement, which allows you to “read” the aesthetics and structure of the cultural roadside landscape, but also a low pace of the journey itself, which optimally combines stops and crossings, which allows you to harmonize the perception and images of new countries and localities.

This article deals with the study of behaviours peculiar to different peoples during the crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The pandemic delivered a heavy blow to globalisation, both as a concept and a process. Its expansion and acceleration have been obvious in the recent years, including in the fields of culture and everyday life. One of the major questions raised by globalisation deals with its impact on the national (regional) cultures: does it destroy the local traditions, customs and lifestyles, or does it enrich them with new opportunities? The pandemic has clearly demonstrated resilience of national traditions, mentalities and distinctive behaviour patterns. In the time of a serious crisis it has become evident that national distinctness is preserved behind the external uniformity of the material culture. It has manifested itself in different areas, including in how different nations reacted to the pandemic- related quarantine and restrictions, and what steps their governments took. This study is predominantly based on media reports, web resources, statistical information, and data issued by a number of research and non-governmental organisations. As an additional source, it uses findings from a survey conducted by the author among the students of the Lomonosov Moscow State University in January-February 2021.

The 9th International Conference “The Creative Individual in the Cultural Context: Readings in Memory of V.I. Fatyuschenko” was held at the Faculty of Foreign Languages and Regional Studies of Lomonosov Moscow State University in September 2021. The conference has existed for more than fifteen years and has become a traditional academic event in the life of Moscow State University. The conference participants are scholars from the humanities faculties of Moscow State University, leading Moscow universities, universities of Russia, near and far abroad. Within the framework of six sections, there was a comprehensive exchange of the research results evaluating the role of personality in traditional and modern cultures, in literature and art, science and culture of daily life. The conference participants focused on the problems of formation and preservation of individual and ethnic identity; the phenomenon of autobiography and the axiology of creativity; the image of the creator in historical memory and arts. The mate- rials of the papers, apart from a variety of artistic texts, included rare historical documents, folk music, spiritual traditions, materials of ethnographic expeditions, family photographs, and various egodocuments. A special place in the conference was occupied by the memorial section that develops the academic heritage of the outstanding scholar Alexander Vladimirovich Vashchenko.

This article attempts to examine the sociocultural space of the United Kingdom, along with its peculiarities based on “The Forsyte Saga” by John Galsworthy. Today, the notion of such a sociocultural space still provokes heated debate among scholars. This paper is an attempt to define the main characteristics of this during one particular period. The sociocultural space of the UK in the late 19th and early 20th centuries was in a state of flux, where the norms and values of two epochs were in bitter conflict. The main focus of the novel is on the representatives of the elite. The author masterfully depicts the ideals, norms and values that formed the basis of upper-class English life during this time. The Forsytes were a highly conservative family, whose outlook was based on cold calculations and a hunger for profit. By contrast, intellectuals and artists of the time saw this world differently. They valued love, family, and sincerity over cash. These contradictory mindsets form the core of a sharp conflict that completely reshaped the sociocultural space of the United Kingdom (particularly England). The ideals and values of a world of feelings and emotions prevailed over the norms and principles of a more materialistic world, and determined the many peculiarities of the sociocultural space of the new era.

The development of the Internet and Web 2.0 in the 21st century has led to the emergence of “new media”, creating the possibility of user interaction. The advancement of “new media” and “social media” as its part has made it possible for users to express their opinions and feedback to specific ideas and events more openly and freely, using the Internet as a platform for representation. However, the overflow of information also led to further disorientation and obfuscation of users. Studying the phenomena of the Internet environment allows, on the one hand, to gain a greater understanding of public opinion and attitudes and, on the other hand, to delve deeper into the problems of users’ understanding and perception of information. The behavior of Internet users in the Chinese segment of the Internet is attractive due to its peculiarities related to censorship and certain technical limitations. Chinese IT corporations created various social media platforms and microblogs to substitute for the Western web platforms restricted on Mainland China. Being a part of the Chinese internet segment notwithstanding, those platforms are subject to censorship as well. However, despite the apparent technical and political restrictions, the public opinion of Chinese Internet users (mostly netizens) in some cases can contradict the government’s official position. It also allows netizens to lobby their interests, showing that it is possible to express their civic position through the Internet even under the current political censorship conditions, transforming Chinese netizens into real social power.

The article actualizes the concept of ludic culture and examines its specific features in the context of the Russian Renaissance of the turn of the 20th century. It explores experimental play in the form and subject matter of literary fiction, as well as in everyday behavior, the usage of literary pseudonyms, the creation of literary societies, meetings, groups; the observance of cult rituals as pretend play, perpetration of literary hoaxes – all of it based upon the provisions and statements formulated in the book Homo Ludens by J. Huizinga. Elements of play which permeated the culture at the turn of the 20th century affected all aspects of public life. It can be difficult to trace back the origin of the ludic Renaissance which stirred up the minds of artists, awakened the creative potential of writers, painters, theater workers, etc. However, it can be argued with a high degree of certainty that play culture extended its influence to other spheres of human life: economics, politics, law, sciences. Having fertilized these spheres of human activity with its creative energy, it endowed them with the potential to influence the formation and development of a talented personality. Cultural luminaries of the time did not attempt to turn play into a field of knowledge and use it analyze the behavior of other people, influence or control them. The phenomenon of play culture took on the features of spontaneity and freedom.

In Russian Slavic studies of the XIX–XX centuries an important role was played by the Montenegrin principality. The struggle for independence against the Ottoman Empire left a deep mark on the history and artistic heritage of the Montenegrins. In the feudal era it was a small nation inside the Serbian state, but in modern period they waged endless wars against the conquerors, who considered the west of the Balkan Peninsula the possession of the Turkish sultan. Because of these wars, the Montenegrin tribes were doomed to poverty, hunger, social and cultural backwardness. For a long time Montenegro did not have the opportunity to maintain active ties with other European countries, remained aloof from scientific and technological achievements and from progress in the humanitarian sphere. As the result of the cultural isolation of the Montenegrins, which lasted for several centuries, the traditional tribal way of life, mythological consciousness, and the folklore were preserved. However, such an archaic state of society did not mean that the country did not develop. The ideas of the Age of Enlightenment were almost unknown to the Montenegrins, but their own scale of values was formed in their environment, based on important concepts such as freedom, honor, valor, loyalty, military duty, etc. They had their own meaning for the Montenegrins, significantly different from common meaning of these words in other European countries. The mechanism for the transmission of these values was also unique. Montenegrin youths grew up to the sound of Montenegrin gusle and the monotonous singing of folk song performers, absorbing the warlike spirit of these songs, the brutal details of the battles and admiring the heroes, whose names were passed from mouth to mouth from generation to generation.

The article is devoted to the specific features of Russian public art-a phenomenon of modern art that has been widespread since the 2000s, but has not been sufficiently studied yet in the Russian academic community. An attempt is made to generalize the works of domestic researchers that indicate a turn from onedimensional characteristics of public art to its multidimensional essence, to a wide variety of interpretations, the birth of new concepts that indicate conceptual shifts and cultural transformations of applied developments of public art. The authors focus on the current trends of Russian public art (the interest of officials and city residents in public art as a tool for the development of the territory; the demand for the development of urban space and cultural landscape in the context of the dynamics of the festival-biennial movement and the number of art residencies in Russia, the influence of digital culture and pandemic isolation on current forms of public art, etc.). The emphasis is placed on the competencies necessary for professionals to work in public art, as well as the prospects of this practice in Russia. The authors conclude that the development of modern art in the near future is moving towards the flourishing of socially engaged practices. The topics that concern the art community today are inclusion, social and political problems, postcolonial discourse, where art, as a form of collective public expression and the result of group activity, is replacing individualistic logic.