Heritage Interpretation Research Articles

Investigating Space Heritage Interpretation for Tourism Development and Heritage Preservation at Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan

ABSTRACT Space heritage has become a new source of tourism development for destinations where major spaceports are located. As the world's first and largest operational spaceport for orbital and human launches, the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan stands out for its historical significance, but its heritage remains largely uninterpreted for tourism. Particularly, the environmental impacts induced by terrestrial space activity on surrounding environments and communities are overlooked in local museums and guided tours. Using a qualitative case study research approach with twenty-six stakeholders directly or indirectly involved in the management of Baikonur, this study explores how post-Soviet space heritage is interpreted and presented by various stakeholders involved in the development of tourism. Three themes are identified for planning implications at the Cosmodrome: governance of Baikonur and space heritage interpretation; space heritage interpretation and environmental issues; and multi-stakeholder roles in space heritage preservation and development.

Człowiek i jego historia w muzeach. Kilka uwag w związku z 26 Generalną Konferencją ICOM w Pradze

From 20th to 28th August 2022, the 26th ICOM General Conference took place in Prague. Its main theme was “The Power of Museums”. The conference was the product of a long discussion about defining the contemporary role of museums and their obligations to the past, present, and future. In the article titled: The Humans and their History in Museums. A few Reflections about the 26th ICOM General Conference in Prague the author discusses the course of proceedings and asks questions about the character and nature of the museum’s work in the field of history as an academic discipline. Some of the most important questions discussed in the paper include those on: museums’ aspirations in the field of sensual depiction of history; the relationship between the tangible and intangible heritage within museums’ method of work; the role of heritage interpretation as the basic tool of contact with the audience; and the urgent issue of neutrality and institutions’ engagement in the face of contemporary challenges. The source materials used in order to find answers to these questions are the legal acts about museums; the resolutions of the 1st Congress of Polish Museum Professionals (April 2015 in Łódź); and the definitions that constitute museums, both through legal acts on the state level and those passed by the International Council of Museums (ICOM).

Pre-Service Teachers’ Perceptions on the Use of Heritage in Secondary Education and Their Reception of Educational Materials from the Heritage and Museum Sector: A Case Study in Flanders (Belgium)

There has been a growing policy interest in establishing connections between heritage and education. Nevertheless, there seems to be very little evaluation or critical reflection on what actually happens in practice, and it remains unclear how heritage education is employed in countries throughout Europe. The aim of this paper is to assess the current status of heritage education in Flanders (the Dutch-speaking northern part of Belgium) via a literature review and an exploratory case study. The perceptions and opinions of pre-service teachers (n = 17) were investigated using three instruments: a questionnaire, document analysis, and the think aloud method. The results show that the pre-service teachers had a traditional interpretation of heritage, mainly relying on well-known and monumental examples and following a rather historical–artistic conception. However, it was found that their opinions were positive towards the use of heritage as an educational resource, and their evaluations of educational materials from the heritage and museum sector provided detailed information concerning teachers’ desires and needs in this regard. The implications of this study should encourage initial teacher training in Flanders to further consider the epistemological and methodological challenges in the emerging field of heritage education.

Education and heritage – subthemes: heritage education, interpretation and presentation of cultural heritage, heritage for our sambaquis generations in Laguna-SC: an Interpretation Center as a way to appreciate and safeguard cultural heritage

Education and heritage – subthemes: heritage education, interpretation and presentation of cultural heritage, heritage for our sambaquis generations in Laguna-SC: an Interpretation Center as a way to appreciate and safeguard cultural heritage

Heritage interpretation assessment framework for historic house museums in Singapore: a case study of the NUS baba house

Singapore is increasingly preserving historically significant structures through adaptive reuse, notably using historic house museums to connect with local history. NUS Baba House, a well-preserved Peranakan townhouse, is a prime example of this. Evaluating heritage interpretation at NUS Baba House can clarify relevant criteria, but existing principles lack specificity for the heritage interpretation of Singaporean historic house museums. This paper systematically assesses NUS Baba House's heritage interpretation using a literature-based framework, providing tailored recommendations across five dimensions: authenticity, sustainability, professionalism, guided tour interactivity, inclusiveness, and community engagement. While further validation through case studies is needed, this study offers a practical framework to enhance heritage interpretation at Singaporean historic house museums, filling a gap in current guidelines.

IMMERSIVE VIRTUAL REALITY FOR DARK HERITAGE INTERPRETATION: THE CASE OF ŽANIS LIPKE MEMORIAL

The article will focus on the use of immersive virtual reality experiences in the interpretation of the dark heritage for young audiences. Here, through a case study of the Žanis Lipke Memorial, a new virtual reality experience was tested with young people, evaluating the benefits and shortcomings of this tool in conveying the story of the largest Jewish rescue mission at the time of the Holocaust in Latvia. Given that every heritage institution aims to pass on the heritage to future generations, it is also essential for them to keep up with the practices of the new generation of the digital natives in their information-seeking, education and leisure-time habits, given that technology plays a pivotal role in their daily life. While virtual reality is often associated with the entertainment and gaming industries, it is also increasingly used in educational processes, in this case – as an interpretive tool in educating people about the Jewish rescue mission and Holocaust at the Memorial. Young people in the focus groups acknowledged the emotional, embodied and implicit learning aspects of the virtual reality experience, but also pointed out some spatial and technological shortcomings of it. While some had relatively low initial expectations about the innovativeness of the Memorial, in the end, most recognised that the high-quality, realistic and historically accurate immersive virtual reality experience, combined with a physical tour at the Memorial, provided a deeper understanding of the historical event in question.

Digital interpretation of the botanical heritage through biodesign

The paper presents two digital studies through the study of botanical heritage and plant morphology as inspiration for biodesign. The goal was to create conceptual urban 3D models as potential tools for solving climate challenges faced by selected cities, as well as for raising awareness of botanical heritage. For the first study carried out for the city of Nairobi from Kenya, the inspiration for biodesign was the species Spathodea campanulata P. Beauv. This plant species is recognized as a symbol of the battle for the environment in Kenya. The inspiration for the second conceptual model of biodesign was the protected sycamore (Platanus x acerifolia (Aiton) Willd.) in Topcider Park in Belgrade (Serbia). As a natural monument of botanical character, this plane tree is about 200 years old. The same methodology was applied in both studies, which included field research, identification of the desired morphological pattern of plants, and digital modeling and visualization using appropriate digital (computer) tools. Two conceptual solutions are presented as the results of this research.

ETHNOMOTIVES OF LEVKASES BY OLEH DENYSENKO AS A MANIFESTATION OF NATIONAL IDENTITY

The article examines the body of works of the artist O. Denysenko in the levkas technique, the plot component of which is stylistically formed images with embedded ethnic motifs. The main features of the manifestation of self-identification in creative variations and artistic experiments of the artist are considered. The national identity, traditions of history and culture of the people are reflected thanks to the ornamental and symbolic system, which acts as a tool of image creation. Attention is paid to the search for new images, methods and pictorial techniques in levkas with the aim of emphasizing the individual manner of the artist. Particular attention is paid to stylization, the uniqueness of figurative and symbolic language and an individual approach to the interpretation of cultural heritage. The main influencing factors on the formation of general and personal national identification, where language, customs, rites, traditions, archetypes and art are manifestations of national identity, are identified. The transition from ethnoculture to the accumulation of material and spiritual values, which arose with the appearance of writing, is determined by special features of culture. These signs indicate a transition from general to personal identification. The article aims to investigate the main plot motifs related to national self-identification, which are present in O. Denysenko's creative work. In this context, the ornamental ethnic motifs and symbolism of the artistic language used by the artist in his works are analyzed. The relevance of preserving cultural heritage and positioning national identity is demonstrated by the language of art. Further research can be aimed at identifying the features of the symbolic language used by the artist, the search for new pictorial ways of self-expression, including the analysis of the use of metaphors, a peculiar color, compositional techniques and other elements that contribute to the creation of a characteristic individual style and a complex of means of expression in the artist's work.

디지털 인문학으로 분석한 문화재 안내판의 분포와 어휘

The Cultural Heritage Interpretation Boards are public facilities erected on site to explain the designation, historical background, and preservation value of the cultural heritages. The Cultural Heritage Administration has been revising the inscriptions for the improvement project since 2019. With the previous literature largely grounded upon linguistics, this article analyzes the distribution and vocabulary of the Boards reinstalled from 2019 to May 2023. To do so, I employ the methodology of GIS and corpus linguistics in the name of digital humanities. The first half of the analysis performs inductive analyses examining a total of 2,705 Boards revised. Gyeongju-si houses the greatest number of them, while Paldal-gu in Suwon-si has the highest density. The top-frequency words — involving designation, periodization, and appearance — vary across the four regions and affirm the corpora’s uniqueness as Boards. In the second half devoted to deductive analyses, I visualize the locations where specific terms are mentioned. The search words are found in unexpected places unless irrelative usages are filtered out. Although this paper examined only the latest revisions due to the limited accessibility to the previous information, I hope to identify the complete patterns of the Boards in follow-up projects by incorporating the pre-revision data.

Beyond Urban Civilization

The genre of travel notes or a traveler's diary is definitely of interest to a wide audience and to field researchers due to the close interweaving of the cognitive and emotional levels of perception of the events observed by the author. The classic works of cultural anthropology are precisely the field notes from which future generations learn. The book under review Appropriation of Space from the series Letters of a Russian Traveler does not pretend to be scientific, but this is its advantage. The author, prose-writer Ilya Kochergin, based the text on his autobiographical experience of travelling in Siberia in the 1990s. He plunges into his memories to bring to life visions of the past. The first part of the book, Sensitivity to Geography, tells the story of his return to Altai, where he once was a forester in the Barguzinsky Nature Reserve. Despite all the measures taken, human intervention is visible in the Reserve. The author questions the very possibility for a city-dweller to experience virgin nature. In the second part, My House, the author takes the reader from the mystical space of the Altai mountains to the construction of a house in a village in the Ryazan region. The collective image here is associated with the interpretation of historical heritage. While the first chapter runs about man and nature, the second is devoted to the city versus the countryside. The third part brings the readers to the natural landscape of the middle zone, to fields, swamps, rivers, and forests. We cannot get back to nature, the cultivated lands are void of life, people, animals… The author observes the world shrink over the past decades: Russian cultural code rife with concepts of grandeur and vastness of the environment has been passed down from generation to generation, yet now it might not be adequate. In modern Russian society, the urban population predominates; in large agglomerations it is difficult to feel the true space and breadth. In the fourth part, Walks in the Water Meadows, I. Kochergin shares a tourist’s view of outdoor recreation on the left bank of the Oka river between Old Ryazan and Kasimov. The image of almost untouched nature relatively close to Moscow causes him boredom, anxiety or even fear. In the wild, different species of animals coexist in the same territory; it belongs to them, and humans are strangers here. In the final part, Inheritance, the author sets off with his teenage son along the route to the Barguzinsky Nature Reserve. A lot has changed in 30 years: transport accessibility, everyday life, and perhaps people. This part poses the key question of the book: “How can you inherit a space that doesn’t seem to belong to you? At times it is completely yours, appropriated and mastered, and at times it is completely alien.” Thus, balancing between involvement and alienation, Ilya Kochergin shares his field experience, shedding light on what is outside the urban civilization.

European Heritage Label-based Education as an Essential Part of Memory Education – The Polish Case

The purpose of this article is to show how the EHL is used for the interpretation, awareness, and transmission of heritage and memory. As part of the EU European Heritage Label (EHL) program, Polish institutions received six distinctions in the years 2014-2019, which places Poland high in the ranking of the awarded Brands in Europe. Polish institutions are obligated to spreading knowledge about the cultural heritage of Europe. On the one hand, EHL’s task is to raise awareness and transmit common values, elements of European history, and heritage, which can be interpreted as promoting “uni memory.” On the other hand, EHL aims to deepen intercultural dialogue and synergy, recognizing the values of diversity, which can be understood as promoting the idea of plural memory. The EHL organizers in Poland are obliged (by the provisions of the EU Program) to conduct a European narrative, but in practice, they sometimes remain at the stage of restoring and refreshing the memory of the site, organizing local memory, and revising the regional policy due to “dormant memory” during the communist period.

Heritage Sites, Devotion, and Quality Enhancement in Tourism: The Promotion and Management of Ancient Marian Places of Worship along the Appian Way in Puglia and Basilicata

Religious tourism is a significant and growing field of tourism that overlaps with cultural tourism. It has the potential to improve the quality of life of those who live in places of faith or along routes of spiritual interest. Religious tourism involves a complex interplay of spiritual and economic motivations. Effective religious tourism management requires respect for spiritual values, partnerships, local engagement, and quality assessment. Devotional practices have evolved from medieval spiritual care to communal expressions and periodic rituals. This paper specifically analysed the characteristics of the Marian cult and pilgrimage flows to places of Marian faith. It examined their value potential from a religious and cultural perspective and their role as a particular attractor of experiential and quality tourism generated by the territorial context. The area of reference is the region of Puglia, which has often played the role of cultural bridge with the eastern coasts of the Mediterranean in the past. The second part of the paper focuses on the proposed itinerary along the Appian Way in its final route between Puglia and Basilicata. Marian shrines were sometimes the cause and sometimes the evidence of the cultural and economic poles that characterised the medieval and modern variants of this ancient road route. The study outlines a serial path that integrates the usual settlement or infrastructural levels of territorial knowledge with the Marian theme, which was analysed diachronically. An operational track in the contemporary territorial dimension emerged from the correlation of both the stratigraphic reading of the landscape and the interpretation of material and immaterial cultural heritage. This track aims to aggregate and promote the sustainable rediscovery of those places, which are largely cut off from the routes of mass tourism, in adherence to the most recent European and local cultural and landscape guidelines.

Опера в зеркале российской научной периодики последних пяти лет

The article gives an evaluation of the present-day condition of research works dedicated to opera in Russian academic periodicals and their correlation with publications in musicology in other countries. The material for analysis was provided by over 200 articles from 18 Russian journals, as well as a number of works written in English. As a result, it was possible to reveal several priority aspects of examination of opera. Conclusions are made about the expansion of the chronological and geographic frameworks in research works written in Russia, which corresponds to the world-wide tendency. At the same time, as analysis has shown, Russian musicologists, unlike those in other countries, pay much less attention to the Classical and Romantic heritage, considering it to having been sufficiently studied, and give their preferences to early and contemporary works. An important place in Russian scholarship about opera at the present time is taken up by source studies works receptivity and libretto studies — the areas closely connected with the needs for preparation of academically fitted editions and performances of opera works. Special attention is paid to articles in which opera becomes an object of theoretical analysis. Herein, Russian musicology keeps pace with that in other countries. All of these observations have made it possible to come to the conclusion that at the present time such directions in research of opera predominate which earlier for various reasons remained out of the scholars’ eyesight. Russian scholarship about opera is undergoing a period of deconstruction of an entire set of cliché evaluations and filling up of blank spots, which creates the basis for new approaches to interpretation of the opera heritage and the topical processes of musical theater.

The Term Mῦθοϛ in 19th Century Russian Translations of Aristotle’s “Poetics”

Aristotle’s “Poetics” had a decisive influence on the subsequent development of European literary theory. Translation and interpretation of its thesaurus still remains one of the most difficult literary problems due to the depth and capacity of the terms and the complexity of the conceptual apparatus. The term μῦθοϛ was translated into Latin as fabula and in this translation entered the terminology of European literary criticism. However, such a translation does not fully convey the meaning of the term. In addition, the assignment of the meaning of an implausible narrative to the term “fabula”in Latin rhetoric, adopted by the medieval rhetorical tradition, completely distorts the Aristotelian understanding of not only myth, but also mimesis. Russian classicist poets adopted the European tradition of rendering the term μῦθοϛ as a plot, but 19th-century theorists and translators began to look for new equivalents to convey this term. N. F. Ostolopov uses the term “fable”, which turns out to be unsuccessful due to its ambiguity and the presence of an evaluative meaning. S. P. Shevyrev conveys μῦθοϛ as a myth and shows that such an interpretation adequately conveys the depth of the Aristotelian term. However, his experience was eagerly used by the translators of Poetics. B. I. Ordynsky in his translation uses the term “fiction,” which conveys the content of the term μῦθοϛ more adequately than fabula, but does not take into account all the shades of its meaning. V. I. Zakharov renders the term μῦθοϛ as plot and myth, but their use in translation is not regulated. V. G. Appelrot, like V. I. Zakharov, uses two terms to convey Aristotle’s term — myth and plot, but Appelrot’s use of them is more consistent. In cases where Aristotle talks about myth as a common cultural property, Appelroth uses the term “myth,” and in those cases when Aristotle talks about the individual author’s interpretation of a common cultural heritage or an original structural-narrative complex, he uses the term “fabula.” The research conducted by 19th-century theorists and translators demonstrated the complexity of Aristotle’s term and prepared discussions about conveying its meaning in the 20th century.

Contemporary approaches to determining the value of architectural heritage

The article discusses the concepts of “heritage” and “value”, identifies approaches to determining the value of architectural heritage objects, and provides recommendations for its definition. The traditional interpretation of the concept of “heritage” is undergoing changes in modern times, and therefore, its value becomes the fundamental basis for its protection and preservation. Modern researchers distinguish groups of values (tangible and intangible), which are based on the interpretation of architectural heritage as part of the past and related to its modern existence in the context of a certain place, time and community. Thus, the determination of the value of an architectural heritage object should be based primarily on the study of its historical and architectural and artistic features (as an element of the past) and its current state in the context of sustainable development. Currently, there are two approaches to determining the value of architectural heritage objects: a formalized, based on a point system, and an approach linking value values with their material carriers, which allows taking into account the individual characteristics of each monument. The general standard for determining the value of architectural heritage objects has not yet been developed.

Phenomenology of Perception (for Preservation) of Cultural Heritage: Insights on Coastal Kenya

Contemporary social awareness of cultural heritage mostly expresses the understanding of intangible heritage according to rationalist theories of perception. These theories bind modes of recognition to empirical and sensory domains. Yet in order to value and safeguard cultural heritage, be it in the form of ritual practices, symbolic narratives, creation myths or religious and mystical experiences, it is necessary to interpret and appreciate the being and doing of diverse cultural groups. A meaningful analysis of intangible dimensions in cultural heritage needs to consider the role and ontological status of human emotion and imagination.
 Individuals are actors in a given space and interact with it as much as they can, depending on the frequency of their visits. Repeated research stays in the Kenyan coastal region offered the author opportunities for communication with a specific natural and cultural environment. This paper explores a participatory process of enhancement and interpretation of intangible cultural heritage that includes feelings and emotions in analysis of the body of knowledge that results from this research approach.

Environmental interpretation and socio-cognitive mindfulness: A literature review

Visitors to environmental and heritage sites can have heightened experiences through effective interpretation. Thus, providing effective environmental and heritage interpretation is important for visitors who explore those sites. In parks, recreation, and tourism research, the addition of socio-cognitive mindfulness into interpretation methods is a technique that can be used to improve interpretation experiences. This review sought to summarize what is known from the literature in this field about applying socio-cognitive mindfulness in interpretation settings as well as how it can be applied effectively. Themes that emerged from this review of 17 analyzed sources were that socio-cognitive mindfulness in interpretive settings can lead to learning experiences and studies that have tested Moscardo's conceptual framework regarding mindfulness in interpretive settings have provided evidence for how mindful interpretive experiences can be implemented (i.e., use of multisensory media, novelty, variety, questions, and visitor control can facilitate mindfulness in interpretive settings). Mindful interpretation can be used to enhance sustainability education in interpretive settings and future research directions for socio-cognitive mindful interpretive research is also discussed. Management implicationsA literature review was completed about socio-cognitive mindfulness applications in environmental interpretation settings. Findings from this review indicated that mindful interpretive experiences serve to enhance visitor learning experiences. Socio-cognitive mindful interpretive experiences can be facilitated by applying concepts from Moscardo's (1996, 1999) framework. Providing novelty, variety, elements of visitor control, or through the use of multisensory media or questions can serve to provide mindful interpretive experiences. Furthermore, from this review, mindful interpretation can be used to promote sustainability education by applying mindful interpretive techniques to environmental interpretation settings. This can be a useful application of mindfulness in such settings.

Творчество В.В. Розанова: техника описания и теория изменения вещей как образ исторического осмысления действительности

The creativity of V.V. Rozanov is a special kind of theory (speculation), allowing one to see things as potencies. The thinker perceives the phenomena and processes of the material and spiritual plane in the context of this speculation. Istria defines the internal and external relationship of these processes as a set of external and internal changes. External changes are defined by the concept of uncertainty, and internal definitions of a certain potency. Rozanov considers the interaction of these potencies simultaneously statically and dynamically. Statically, it presupposes the existence of regularities and the victory of order over chaos. Dynamically manifested as the primacy of randomness in life, since all potencies can not be realized. The interaction of these two forms of change creates life in all its complexity, Rozanov's theory helps us comprehend, therefore, at different periods of the thinker's creativity, both static and dynamic aspects of potentiality that create the history of the world as a sounding word and as a silence. This avoids subjective and one-sided interpretations of the thinker's philosophical heritage. The author uses the method of reconstruction in the work, which makes it possible to show that the philosophical heritage of Rozanov is a semantic field formed around the concept of "potentiality." The scientific novelty of the study lies in the possibility of isolating broad contexts of Rozanov's work and considering its various aspects as a complete metaphysical and dialectical theory, that helps to integrate different aspects and sides of Rozanov’s creativity and makes it more understandable.

Plastic Interpretations of the World Artistic Heritage in the Monotypes of Valery Babanov

Since his youth, Valery Babanov’s professional activity has been connected with the art of book design. He is a graphic artist, illustrator of classic and modern prose, poetry of domestic and foreign authors. The search for his own line in art revealed the proximity of his individual creative nature to the monotype technique. The history of the creative path of the outstanding master of prints E.S. Kruglikova, thanks to whose activity it was in St. Petersburg in the early twentieth century that the Russian school of monotype was born, had a great influence on his choice. Prominent Leningrad artists K.A. Kordobovsky, G.D. Epifanov, D.M. Plaksin became mentors in mastering the “pictorial” graphic printing technique. But an example of virtuoso artistry in working with monotype was K.I. Rudakov. A true fan of monotype in book illustration, Babanov strives to create subtle professional graphic works that reveal the essence of the literary work. Long practice has honed the techniques used by the artist in his work: the base — perfectly smooth plates of plexiglass of different sizes with slightly rounded edges, black paint layer, squirrel brushes, cotton paper. In addition to the visual interpretation of literary texts, the master actively works in easel graphics, in particular, realizing a project of plastic interpretations of the world’s artistic heritage. The artist’s solo exhibition “Striving for Perfection” (2020), which became the intermediate result of his activity, presented selected monotypes, in which Babanov reflects on the work of the great masters of painting, passing the history of art through his perception. A visual narrative of contemplation and plastic retelling of the legacy of the old masters and artists of the twentieth century — interpretation by means of monotype — in personal sensations there is a reflection of creative individuality, a fuller disclosure of natural identity. The more the artist understood, penetrated, felt the sample of copying, the more he presented himself. Turning to the past, V.V. Babanov continues to follow the eternal path of apprenticeship.

Temporal scale imbrication and its importance for interpretation in geocultural sites in Jebel Dahar (Southeast Tunisia)

Geocultural sites combine a high cultural and natural heritage value and are particularly suitable for the interpretation and promotion of cultural and natural heritage. Based on previous geoheritage inventories, this paper analyzes seven geocultural sites in Jebel Dahar (Southeast Tunisia) from the perspective of temporal interrelationships. Through a synthesis on the development of the natural landscape of Jebel Dahar and its occupation by human beings, the work focuses on the importance of the interweaving of temporal scales in the analysis and interpretation of geocultural sites. A specific methodology in four steps is proposed: (i) a synthesis on the components of the site in the form of a text; (ii) a summary table built according to a temporal scale composed of six periods (geological, geomorphological, prehistoric, historical, present and future); (iii) a graphical representation of the interweaving of these temporal scales; (iv) a cartographic representation of the results of the analysis. Steps (iii) and (iv) were applied only to the geocultural sites of Matmata-Beni Issa and Douiret. The paper also emphasizes the importance of the interweaving of temporal scales in the interpretation of geocultural sites. These scales could be part of the criteria for the inventory, selection, evaluation, interpretation and management of geocultural sites.