Russian Culture Research Articles

MILESTONES OF HISTORY FROM 1914 TO THE EARLY 1920s: RUSSIAN FEMALE LYRIC POETS

The article is devoted to the problem of the development of women’s lyrics in Russia from 1914 to the early 1920s under the influence of external circumstances. The feelings connected with the events of World War I and the Russian Civil War, the turning point between which saw revolutions of 1917, found dramatic embodiment in the poetry of Anna Akhmatova, Adelaida Gertsyk, Varvara Malahieva-Mirovich, Vera Merkur’yeva, Lyubov’ Stolitsa. A purely feminine sense of catastrophe occurs on the borderline of understanding the situation and its ‘material’-intuitive comprehension; it creates a sense of the materiality of the moment and an emotional and evaluative reaction to it. In the lyrics, the militant spirit of a citizen ready to sacrifice own life, is combined with tenderness and strength that protects the home, family, motherhood. The female gaze is characterised by a pronounced orientation towards elements of folkish worldview; the role of mythopoetic images and motifs increases; the genres of folklore and spiritual poetry are actualised. The moment of history is explicated through the urban space, in which the signs of individual and collective destiny are read. The city and home are included in the semantic space of the motherland – Russia. Faith, love and motherhood define the attitude to what is happening as a human tragedy and almost as an impending Apocalypse, given for grave sins. Reflecting the milestones of world and Russian history, the poetesses go beyond the original chamber setting and rather develop epic images and motifs in their creative work. In the poems written on behalf of contemporaries, the lyrical “I” merges with “us”; the authoresses reach the tragic height of depicting the fate of their generation and the whole of Russia in the poems.

А.С. Пушкин forever. Долгий бессмертный Пушкинский день продолжается… К 225-летию со дня рождения А.С. Пушкина

This article delves into various aspects of the philosophical and literary discourse surrounding the creative activities of A.S. Pushkin. The plot of the article includes several independent sections that make up the system of the author’s representation of the phenomenon of A.S. Pushkin. The palette of meanings presented in the article includes, in particular, an exploration of philosophical Pushkin studies as an autonomous area of academic reflection. Emphasis is placed on the “domestic” and “romantic” aspects of the great poet’s life as subjects of philosophical interpretation. Moreover, the article delineates both classical and modern trends in the interpretation of A.S. Pushkin’s life and work by professional historians, literary critics, and advocates of the poet’s legacy. It concludes that Pushkin serves as a unifying force for multiple epochs of Russian culture: the imperial, revolutionary, and Soviet periods. At the same time, the space of Pushkin’s Russia is not confined to a single nation-state; it encompasses the Russian abroad as well.

The Russian Orthodox Church Turns to the Global South: Recalibration of the Geopolitical Culture of the Church

The Ukrainian parliament’s 2024 law banning the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate (UOC-MP) marks a significant conceptual and strategic recalibration of the Russian Orthodox Church’s (ROC) geopolitical culture. The framework of the “Russian world” project, which asserted a shared civilizational identity between Russia and its Orthodox neighbors, is increasingly untenable amidst the war with Ukraine and splits in the Orthodox world. In response, the ROC has pivoted towards global outreach, notably expanding into Africa. This move aligns with Russia’s broader geopolitical strategy, which frames Russia as a defender of multipolarity and traditional values against Western influence. However, the ROC’s attempt to adopt a global stance and reimagine itself as a universal church, rather than a pillar of the “Russian civilization”, faces ideological and geopolitical challenges, as explored in the paper.

Образы Тристана и Изольды в художественном мире произведений русских поэтов-символистов

This article is devoted to the consideration of the eternal images of Tristan and Isolde in the lyrical works of Russian symbolist poets. Russian culture and literature are interested in the famous Celtic legend against the background of a wide fascination with the medieval culture of Western Europe, perceived by symbolists in line with the ideas of panaesthetism of the era of Russian modernity. The purpose of the study is to determine the functions, place and content of the images of Tristan and Isolde in the artistic world of poems by Russian symbolist poets. This world is revealed in the categories of a lyrical event, a system of images, a lyrical situation, motive and plot. The research material was such works as "Humbly betraying myself to burn..." (1910) by M. Voloshin, "Thursday" (1909-1910) by C. de Gabriak, "The Elusive Kiss ..." (1919) by V. I. Ivanov, "My darling went fishing..." (1921) by F. K. Sologub, "The Temptation of Death" (1922) by V. Y. Bryusov. The scientific novelty of the study lies in the fact that as a result of the analysis, the ideas about the peculiarities of the interpretation of the eternal images of Tristan and Isolde by Russian symbolist poets were significantly rethought and concretized, and the national specifics of their interpretation were also determined. Based on the results of the comparative analysis, the following results were obtained for the first time. The images of Tristan and Isolde appear in the lyrical works of Russian symbolist poets in the function of generalized, multi-valued symbols, which are interpreted very inconsistently. They are used to comprehend the life trials of lyrical heroes, and their meaning is created in the halo of previous interpretations, starting with Dante's Divine Comedy and ending with R. Wagner's opera, as well as in correlation with other mythological heroes and autobiographical subtext. In general, Tristan and Isolde, contrary to the previous Western European tradition, seem to be a sign of such a spiritual experience that denies the ideal of great love as a harmonizing and enlightening force. Mutual passion, principles of honor attract lyrical heroes, correlated with Tristan or Isolde, to the torments of hell and death, and their hopes for happiness turn out to be illusory.

Muravyov, Kniazhnin, Voltaire and Le Franc de Pompignan

The article is devoted to the study of literary contexts of M.N. Muravyovʼs tragedy “Dido”. It has not been published, the manuscript of this text is kept in the Department of Manuscripts of the Russian National Library (St. Petersburg). The work shows that Muravyov polemicized with a number of European authors, among whom the central place was occupied by J.J. Lefranc de Pompignan, who wrote his “Dido” in 1734, and Ja.B. Knyazhnin, who, creating the play of the same name presumably in 1769, relied on Lefranc. If the French writer criticized Virgil, did not understand his “naturalness” and tried to propose new principles for building characters in the drama, then Muravyov, on the contrary, idolized the author of the “Aeneid” and wanted to return to the ancient original. At the same time, the young poet could rely on the writings of Racine and the critical articles of Voltaire, who for several decades ridiculed Lefranc and his works. One of Voltaireʼs key texts in this context was “Le Russe à Paris” (1760), in which he opposed M.V. Lefranc to Lomonosov, who was one of the main literary models for Muravyov. Thus, the article hypothesizes that Muravyov, creating his “Dido”, found himself in the middle of literary disputes: rejecting the line “Lefranc – Knyazhnin – Sumarokov”, he chose the line “Virgil – Racine – Voltaire – Lomonosov”, claiming to be an intermediary between European and Russian cultures.

Combating Manipulation and Encouraging Destructive Behavior as an Element of Political and Legal Culture

Negative spiritual and moral impact can be one of the manifestations of information confrontation within the framework of a hybrid war and can become a threat to the national security of modern Russia. This can be an impact on the political and legal culture of Russians through manipulation and encouragement of destructive behavior. The purpose of the study is to propose a system of measures to counter the threat of negative spiritual and moral impact. The axiological method was chosen as the main research method. Manipulation is considered as part of the strategy of opponents of modern Russia represented by the collective West, the encouragement of destructive behavior is a recognizable element of the policy of Westernization of culture, under the influence of which Russia has been for several decades. Counteraction to this threat should be comprehensive and based on both political and legal measures. Particular attention is paid to the consideration of measures to overcome the consequences of manipulation and encouragement of destructive behavior among Russians. Political measures and legal initiatives of the Federation Council of the Russian Federation, the State Duma of the Russian Federation and the Public Chamber of the Russian Federation are separately highlighted. The degradation of culture will inevitably lead to the degeneration of the nation, the loss of its national image, self-identity, sovereignty and support in life. Only joint efforts and responsibility of the state and society can lead to a positive result in the fight against manipulation and the encouragement of destructive behavior and form a developed and mature political and legal culture.

Folklore tradition of the Novgorod region: the problem of the area

The subject of the study is the folklore traditions that existed on the territory of the Novgorod region. Veliky Novgorod is an ancient city that played one of the main roles during the formation of Russian culture and art. Various forms and types of folklore developed on his lands, which had a huge impact on the development of folk music in the Russian North, the Urals and Siberia. The objectives of the article include: clarifying the nature of the relationship between the modern administrative borders of the Novgorod region and local folklore traditions spread on its territory; clarifying the areas of these traditions, taking into account the border areas; highlighting the territory of the spread of folklore traditions representing the Novgorod folklore system proper. The methodology of the work is based on the principles of systematic study of folklore, which have developed in Russian science. One of the leading methods is the areal research method. The allocation of musical and folklore areas is carried out taking into account historical and ethnographic factors. The characteristic of local traditions is given on the basis of the genre composition of musical folklore, its stylistic and structural properties. The article establishes the boundaries of the concept of "Novgorod folklore traditions". It can be applied to the folklore and ethnographic system that developed in the settlement zone of the Ilmen Slovene tribe in the early period of Russian history. There are three folklore and ethnographic complexes on the territory of the modern Novgorod region – southwestern, central and eastern. The Novgorod traditions themselves were formed in Priilmenye, but they were most systematically preserved in the eastern part of the region, which was mastered by immigrants from the central zone.

Kitovras in Russian Art: A Comparative Analysis of Artistic Works in the Context of Literary Sources

The article deals with the image of Kitovras in Russian literary works and art, considering the influence of the Byzantine and Western European traditions on it. The article shows the variation of Kitovras image from ideas about wise architects to symbols of the fight against vice. The analysis reveals the adaptation and transformation of European mythological motifs in Russian culture.

The influence of extracurricular activities on the formation of the value attitude of primary school students to Russian culture

The influence of extracurricular activities on the formation of the value attitude of primary school students to Russian culture

Vasily Kamensky visual and sound (for the 140th anniversary of the poet-aviator-budetlyanin)

INTRODUCTION. The relevance of the study is due to the need for a comprehensive approach to the analysis of the work of one of the leading figures of Russian futurism, Vasily Vasilyevich Kamensky. Actor, writer, editor, aviator, circus artist, artist, organizer of literary and stage space. All these talents converge in the focus of the poet. And it is necessary to follow the poet in his searches in order to rediscover him. The purpose of the study is to identify the features of the poetics of V. Kamensky, a key figure in the history of the Russian avant-garde.MATERIALS AND METHODS. The research material is the poet’s works, primarily of an innovative nature, in which he, relying on the traditions of his predecessors, makes a breakthrough to new possibilities of the sound of the word in combination with visual solutions. The analysis of the texts is based on linguistic poetics, as well as art criticism approaches and the transformative method of research of avant-garde texts developed by the author of this article using biographical materials and memoirs.RESULTS AND DISCUSSION. It is shown that the basic foundation for V. Kamensky is deep rootedness in Russian culture (folklore, poetic traditions of different levels). It is on the basis of this foundation that V. Kamensky, V. Khlebnikov, V. Mayakovsky search for new forms. Avantgarde transforms, but does not destroy. V. Kamensky’s passion for the latest technical achievements (aviation, telephone, radio, printing techniques, building materials) also brings its own characteristics to his creative workshop. V. Kamensky is a pioneer of Russian visual and sound poetry.CONCLUSION. The study, based on a comprehensive examination of the poet's creative laboratory and his associates, is addressed to a philological and cultural audience. It demonstrates the possibilities of convergence of methods in the analysis of innovative poetic structures. The results of the study can be used both in theoretical developments and in pedagogical practice.

The Russian urban text: city and atmospheres in My by E. Zamyatin

The origin of the relationship between landscape and atmosphere in the literary text must be sought first and foremost in the prototypical Stimmung that characterizes a given culture and from which, the specific interaction between man and the environment in a certain space, arises. In this sense, each literature will be a mirror of the specific contractive or expansive tendencies that characterize this interaction. Taking this into consideration, this article proposes a reading of the relationship between the Russian culture and the urban landscape, mentioning the possible identification of a real ‘Russian urban text’, in which the novel My by Y. Zamyatin can also be included as an example.

Dynamics of Changing Profile of Russian Identity in 2021–2023 (the case of the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia))

The article presents the first results of applying a multidimensional approach to studying dynamic changes in various aspects of Russian civil identity in 2021–23. It uses a technique based on a five-component model for measuring group identification developed by K. Leach et al. The empirical base for the study is data from a survey conducted among residents of the Sakha Republic (Yakutia). Based on the analysis of the results, the author concludes that 2022 was a period of social and political turbulence, during which there was a rethinking of both the sense of belonging to Russian society and the perception of it as an integral entity. The most significant events for all generations of Russians were discussions and conflicts on issues related to belonging, commitment to, or at least loyalty towards, the Russian community, its values, norms, and historical path. In 2023, the process of the Russian community consolidation became dominant, as evidenced by the growing indicators of all dimensions of Russian identity above the average. The most active growth was seen in groups with high self-esteem in those identity parameters that reflect individual efforts to rethink and inform a personal attitude towards the Russian community. While, according to parameters that rather reflect the formation of a generalized image of the Russian community as a whole in the information environment (including images transmit through social networks, mass media, texts of fiction, theatrical productions, cinematography, TV etc.), the increase in groups with high values was less significant.

The relevance of the concept of cultural-historical types in modern Russia

The article examines the problem of historical process models, shows the role of values as a stabilizing force of each period of history and scientific and technological discoveries as a dynamic force determining the change of eras. A model is proposed that combines the principles of civilizational and formational approaches to history, in which local civilizations could be considered a way of history until the beginning of the third globalization — the Renaissance, the scientific and technological achievements of which made it possible to unite the world into one economic system. The prehistory of globalization is shown — its early versions: political (the formation of ancient empires, with a single state structure and various cultures in its composition) and religious (the formation of supranational regional world religions, with a single culture in different parts of the corresponding region). The article discusses the role of Russia in this process. The main properties of the four stages of axiogenesis of its culture are shown: the adoption of Christianity, the formation of a single state, European modernization, the creation of a socialist society. The article examines the main problems of constructing a thesaurus of contemporary Russian culture: axiological abstractionism, axiological idolatry, and axiological anti-historicism. The article shows the main forms of interaction between contemporary Russia and the East and the West in the context of Russia's axiogenesis. Three negative aspects of this axiogenesis in relation to the West are highlighted: demonization, which forces one to refuse to understand the degree of inevitability of modernization; isolationism, which forces one to refuse to cooperate with the West; and finally, resentment, which forces one to refuse to understand the nature of one's own problems. Three negative aspects of Russia's axiogenesis in relation to the East are highlighted: angelization of the East, which provokes a refusal to understand the real content of Eastern cultures, and above all, their dependence on the West; underestimation of Eastern threats to Russian security; and finally, a refusal to understand how Eastern cultures are alien to Russian culture. It is argued that in the context of the global problems of our time, generated by the capitalist mode of production, only socialism is capable of stopping the world's continuous movement toward catastrophe. The experience of socialism in the USSR, together with all its negative aspects, must be taken into account and become the basis for the formation of a future thesaurus of Russian culture.

Investigating the Relationship between Learning the Russian Language and Transferring Russian Culture

Investigating the Relationship between Learning the Russian Language and Transferring Russian Culture

Historiographic concept of the genesis of Russian civilization in domestic political and legal thought

The article on the basis of a significant body of sources and research carried out a historiographic analysis of the genesis of Russian civilization in the historical and legal paradigm. The historiographic concept takes into account the main civilizational signs, allowing you to analyze the features and diversity of civilizational models reflected in the works of various authors, including representatives of national schools. The historiographic approach made it possible to compare the views of various authors on a number of historical and legal problems regarding the genesis of Russian civilization, which are debatable. Particular attention is paid to the ratio of the concepts of “civilization”, “state-civilization”, “civilization space”; the views of scientists, politicians, public figures on the peculiarities of the development of Russian civilization are analyzed.

Comparison of institutions of obligation due to harm and unjustified enrichment in modern Russian civil law

Relevance. The study is devoted to comparing the institution of obligation due to harm (Chapter 59 of the Civil Code of the Russian Federation) and unjustified enrichment (Chapter 60 of the Civil Code of the Russian Federation) in modern Russian civil law from theoretical and practical positions using the only criterion of differentiation – the consequences of committed actions (inaction. The article focuses on the problem of choosing a particular claim and notes the ambiguity of judicial practice on this issue.The purpose of the article is to compare the institutions of obligation due to harm and unjustified enrichment (Chapters 59 and 60 of the Civil Code of the Russian Federation), to determine possible improvements in legislation).Objectives: to determine the essence of tort and unjustified enrichment; to analyze various points of view on the relationship between tort and unjustified enrichment and the institution of obligations due to harm and unjustified enrichment; to identify and consider the problem of competition of claims; to propose a possible differentiation of institutions of obligation due to harm and unjustified enrichment.Methodology. In the preparation of the work, dialectical, formal-legal, comparative-legal methods of scientific cognition were used along with methods of description, analysis, and scientific abstraction.Results. As a result of the conducted research, it was recognized that the institutions defined in Chapters 59, 60 of the Civil Code of the Russian Federation have difficulties in their differentiation, which creates the problem of competition of claims. The main criterion for their differentiation should be considered the consequences associated with the actions of a delinquent or unreasonably enriched person.Conclusions. It is concluded that the Plenum of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation in a special Resolution clarifies the provisions of the norms of the Civil Code of the Russian Federation on the distinctive features of unjustified enrichment and obligations arising from harm).

Compensation for Losses in the Process of Bank Resolution

The article concerns the current judicial practice by applying the provisions on damages in the bank resolution by The Bank of Russia (par. 2 of clause 5 of The Bankruptcy Act, entered into force on the 8’June, 2018). This rule attracted the attention of researchers from the very beginning due to its specificity: the losses have been called untypical since their amount is determined in advance by law. Now the courts reject to apply these provisions with reference to the absence of retroactive force; in other situation the court has required to examine the circumstances of the case more thoroughly. Analysis of the norm shows that it doesn’t comply with the general provisions of the Russian Civil Law and is unlikely to be successfully applied at all. Herewith The Bank of Russia could use another legal means to achieve the goal of compensation for losses.

THE FIRST IDEOLOGICAL COURSE IN HIGHER EDUCATION IN MODERN RUSSIA

Book review: Fundamentals of Russian statehood: an educational and methodological complex in the discipline for educational organizations of higher education. V.M. Marasanova, V.E. Bagdasaryan, Yu.Yu. Ierusalimskiy, L.G. Titova, S.A. Kudrina. Moscow, Publishing house “Delo” RANEPA, 2023, 272 p. In the review, the author examines the features of introducing the course “Fundamentals of Russian Statehood” into the domestic educational process. This educational and methodological complex was developed by teachers from all over Russia with the support of the Ministry of Education and Science. The authors of the educational complex emphasize the value of the civilizational approach, the Russian civilizational school. Among the advantages of the course, the author of the review highlights the fact that the work deeply substantiates the unity and continuity of the historical path of Russian civilization, which logically follows from the close relationship of civilizational archetypes that manifest themselves at various stages of Russian history. The educational and methodological complex formulates the basic characteristics of the state-civilization model. The innovative nature of this discipline is emphasized. It reveals the concept of traditional Russian spiritual and moral values, listed in the “Fundamentals of State Policy for the Preservation and Strengthening of Traditional Russian Spiritual and Moral Values” approved by Decree of the President of the Russian Federation No. 808 of 09.11.2022.

A.S. PUSHKIN AND MIKHAILOVSKOYE IN CRITICAL ARTICLES BY V.YA. KURBATOV

The article is the first registered attempt to comprehend the perception of A.S. Pushkin and the role of Mikhailovskoye in Pushkin’s inner spiritual life by V.Ya. Kurbatov (1939–2021), the well-known literary critic. The material for research is the critic’s articles and notes from the period of 1990–2010 collected in his book “Pushkin for Every Day” that make up his myth about the national poet. In this article the author demonstrates that it is the national idea that becomes the background for the interpretative angle of Kurbatov’s critical reflection in the epoch of self-identification. Being the unconditional value reference point for the critic, Pushkin is perceived by him as the benchmark for integrity and completeness as well as Mikhailovskoye is seen as the place where the comprehensiveness of the Russian life can be found yet at the same time being the reproach to the contemporaries for their duality and spiritual “emigration”. The specifics of V.Ys. Kurbatov’s position is conditioned by his triune religious, philosophic and literary approach to the phenomena of the Russian culture, on one hand, and by his subjective method together with his personal, individual view and his search for self-identity, on the other hand. In this article the author makes the conclusion that the articles and notes of V.Ya. Kurbatov about A.S. Pushkin written in line with the religious and philosophic interpretations of the national poet in XIX–XX centuries, reveal the deep and unique personality, ethical standpoint and aesthetic views of our famous contemporary.

Why did faith lose to ideology?

The article is devoted to the analysis of the role of the religious factor in the Russian Civil War and its coverage in the collective monograph of St. Petersburg historians.