Russian Culture Research Articles

The Promised Novelty of Mussorgsky's Folk Dramas

Boris Godunov and Khovanshchina are folk dramas, for the composition of which the composer prepared as for the main creative achievements, exploring the artistic style and honing his skills on previous and simultaneously created works. The goal was "new shores <…> of boundless art". M. Mussorgsky's decisive call "to new shores!" is unforgettable in the memory of descendants. However, not everyone knows the full statement of the composer, who strived to "seek these shores, seek tirelessly, without fear and embarrassment", to seek in order to "stand firmly on the promised land" [5]! Referring the reader to the biblical story, the image of the "promised land" can in no way be interpreted as having appeared for the sake of a "catchphrase", since the outlines of the "new shores" are associated with the "deification of the word" in Mussorgsky’s creative work. The composer treated verbal speech in an evangelical manner so responsibly that he considered it to be the source of truth in creativity and in life; he was able to reproduce it on stage as it was not only in external events but also in the internal spiritual dimension. Wemean the divine principle by spirituality. Mussorgsky’s operatic works continue the process of “catechism” of the opera genre started by M. Glinka [11]. In the history of the arts, the secular genre of opera, conciliar in terms of expressive means, occupies a position exceptionally close to the aims of worship. Opera owes its birth to such a situation in the cultural life of “man and humanity”, in which a strong spiritual and educational impact on the listener and viewer was sought. In our Fatherland, the formation of the genre was completed in Glinka’s works with the opera’s acquisition of a meaning-forming for Russian culture faith-centredness. The content of Glinka’s theatrical works is aimed at educating the public according to the evangelical understanding of love. It is what “catechism” of the genre consisted of. A. Dargomyzhsky, M. Mussorgsky, and P. Tchaikovsky were the continuers of Glinka’s work. The works of the 19th century geniuses of Russian opera can be assessed as belonging to the style of “spiritual realism” [14]. Today, despite the still-existing inertial obstacle of the last century to cancel the spiritual principle as the fundamental source of culture, there is a need to return the full content laid down by the authors to opera classics. It also concerns the masterpieces of Mussorgsky, whose personality is associated with the protest novelty of creative work. In relation to the means of musical expression, the composer can truly be called a revolutionary. However, the semantic content of his works belongs firstly to the evangelical character traditional for Russian culture. This “promised” component of Modest Mussorgsky's work is still waiting for its researchers and performers, on whom musical and theatrical life depends, as well as listeners, since opera is a genre that requires preparation of perception. Opera is the art of recognition, which is all the more impressive, the more the listener understands the content of the musical performance. In Mussorgsky's work, it is associated with the evangelical meaning - the "new shores <...> of the promised land".

Творчество Максима Грека и проповедь Андрея Денисова: к постановке проблемы

<p>The literary school created by the Vyg Old Believers the early 18th century is a unique phenomenon of Russian culture. The Vygovtsy' desire to use the latest rhetorical strategies was organically combined with a reliance on national tradition, represented, in particular, by a system of book authorities. These included the 16th-century Greek-Russian theologian, philosopher, and philologist Maxim the Greek, deeply revered by the Old Believers. The defenders of the Old Rite not only used his writings in ecclesiastical polemics to defend their position. It was the Vyg Old Believers, led by their mentor Andrei Denisov (1676-1730), who continued the manuscript tradition of Maxim' writings, creating a new codex on the basis of his texts — the Pomorian Codex. The article emphasizes that Maxim the Greek influenced the literary work of Andrei Denisov, the leader of the Vyg Old Believers. He was not only the initiator of many years of work on the creation of the Pomorian Codex and not only one of the main compilers of the Pomorian Answers, where the arguments of Maxim the Greek were used. The name of Maxim and references to his writings can be found in Andrei Denisov's sermons, and one of Maxim the Greek's plots, borrowed from the work of Hieronymus Savonarola, formed the basis of Andrei Denisov's popular work in the Old Believer tradition — Slovo plachevno o zlostrafaniyah i skorbeh Tserkvi Christovoy [the Lamenting Tales for the afflictions and sorrows of the Church of Christ]. The author of the article makes assumptions about the influence of some artistic principles of the work of the famous Athonite on the poetics of Andrei Denisov's sermon.</p>

Развитие системы педагогического образования в Республике Гана

Relevance. Integration of African students into the Russian cultural and educational space is one of the most effective means of fostering friendly bilateral relations in order to implement Russia’s humanitarian policy on the African continent. Pedagogical education can become an important form of cooperation; it may include enrolling foreign students in higher education programs and expanding our work in educational centers abroad. Such a center promoting Russian culture among students was opened in the Republic of Ghana in 2003. However, our understanding of the organization of pedagogical education – primarily the system of teacher training – will contribute to deeper integration into the Ghanaian educational system in order to achieve the above-mentioned objective. We should aim to comprehend the internal structure, objectives, content, management, and evolving directions of the Ghanaian educational system, grounded in its history. The aim of the research is to analyze the contemporary system of teacher training education in the Republic of Ghana. The methodology uses a cultural approach, blending comparative and historical pedagogical methods with analysis of scientific literature, state educational documents, reports of the Ministry of Education and international organizations, enhanced by field observations and interviews with representatives of Ghana’s higher education. The findings reveal a dynamic evolution in Ghana’s higher education system, highlighting its contemporary structure, governance, and educational policies concerning teacher training. Conclusion: the study identifies the principles underpinning the organization of Ghana’s national pedagogical education and notes the active renewal phase of the teacher training system, which aligns with national interests yet relies on international support (methodological and financial). Therefore, at the moment, Ghana is as open as possible for cooperation in teacher training education. Practical application: the research results are valuable for the development of the Center for Open Education in Ghana and for creating joint training programs under the Russian Federation’s Humanitarian Policy abroad. Additionally, the results can contribute to comparative pedagogy courses at university level.

Понятия забвения и культуры отмены в контексте исследований памяти

The article examines the concepts of forgetting and cancel culture, which play a significant role in modern memory studies. The latter is developing as an area of interdisciplinary research that combines ideas about memory that exist in different scientific disciplines. The key issues in memory research include forgetting, can-cel culture, politics of memory, nostalgia, psychological traumas, among others. Forgetting occurs when memory of a phenomenon, event, or person fades away. One of the trending topics in modern socio-humanitarian knowledge is cancel culture, representing a form of social boycott aimed at excluding an individ-ual or group of people from social and professional circles as a negative reaction to some of their actions or statements. Presently, there is an attempt in the West to cancel Russian culture, including literature, music, bal-let, art, etc. However, the cancellation of Russian culture appears to be not so much a cancel culture as a de-structive technology aimed at breaking or at least complicating communications between Western countries and Russia.

Культурные промыслы России как современный и востребованный продукт

The article discusses the possibilities of various information and educational tools for popularizing Russian culture. The experience of successful organizations in the field of positioning cultural crafts of the peoples of Russia as a modern and popular product is analyzed. As a result, it was found that information and educational technologies have great potential in the field of presenting folk crafts to a wide audience. They make it possible to show products as a standard on the domestic and foreign market. A study of the activities of such large cul-tural crafts enterprises as the Pavlovo Posad Shawl Manufactory and JSC Gzhel Porcelain Factory shows that the use of various tools, including the organization of exhibitions, master classes, virtual excursions, live broad-casts, interaction with famous designers contributes to the fact that the manufactured products acquire the sta-tus of a modern brand. It was revealed that information technologies help to introduce more people to the cul-ture of folk crafts, while the presentation of folk crafts in unusual collaborations and the development of tourism products are very effective.

THE INTERACTION OF LEGAL SYSTEMS AS LINGUISTIC COMMUNITIES. Part 2

Law as a linguistic phenomenon has seldom been a subject of research in the Russian civil law studies, as well in national jurisprudence at large. As for attempts at systemizing descriptions of the semantic interaction of legal systems, its properties and types, they are barely existent. At the same time, the cases of such interaction per se seem to lie on the surface. The article examines the general properties of such interaction, identifies the essential features of its main varieties and offers descriptions and solutions to the most interesting issues within each one. Doing so, the author makes use of some case modelling. Along with well-known kinds of semantic interaction, such as the characterization problem and the application of foreign law (in conflict law), comparative studies and incorporation, the article also refers to interpenetration of various schemes of meaning within same jurisdiction. The author puts all the matters in the context of linguistic problem and approaches them from the standpoint of his understanding of private law. The scientific outcome can be seen in the attempt to create a general theory of semantic interaction of legal systems based on general properties of such interaction and on the disclosure of its individual types.

Lexical Means of Hierarchization of Value Ideas about Russian Culture among Chinese Students (Based on Materials from the Textbooks “Russian Language for Universities” of the “Vostok” Series)

Introduction. The article analyzes the contexts of the textbooks published in the Peopleʼs Republic of China and addressed to students studying Russian at universities. The analysis includes contexts devoted to the realities of Russian culture and texts containing evaluative vocabulary. The purpose of the study is to present the lexical means used by the textbook authors to form a hierarchy of value ideas about Russian culture among Chinese students studying the Russian language. Methodology. The work was conducted in linguocultural and linguoaxiological aspects, using modern research into ethno-oriented methods of teaching Russian as a foreign language. Results. The analysis showed that one of the main means of creating ideas about Russian culture among Chinese students studying Russian as a foreign language is evaluative vocabulary, which is used to form a value picture of the world, hierarchically structured and determined by the ideas existing in Chinese culture. Conclusions. Words having evaluative meaning set a hierarchy in accordance with the evaluative scale reflected in them.

ОБЩИННОСТЬ КАК ЦЕННОСТНАЯ КОНСТАНТА РОССИЙСКОЙ ЦИВИЛИЗАЦИИ В ИСТОРИОСОФИИ СЛАВЯНОФИЛОВ

Одна из исходных установок историософии славянофилов заключалась в стремлении выявить т.н. «начала» – изначальные субстанциональные особенности того или иного народа, разворачивающиеся в процессе его исторического развития и в решающей мере это развитие определяющие. Одним из таких «начал» в исторической судьбе русского народа славянофилы считали общинность. Поставив вопрос о российской самобытности, они именно в этом контексте открыли для науки и общественной мысли русскую общину-мир. В статье исследуется славянофильская трактовка взаимосвязи общины как института и общинности как ценностной константы российской цивилизации в работах основных идеологов славянофильства (А.С. Хомякова, И.В. Киреевского, К.С. Аксакова). Славянофилы в рамках своей парадигмы выделили и осмысли-ли такие содержательные параметры общины (а все эти параметры носят ярко выраженный ценностный характер), как общинно-уравнительное землевладение с ментальным неприятием частно-индивидуальной собственности на землю, трудовое пра-во на землю, отсутствие иерархии, равенство домохозяев, взаимопомощь, мирское самоуправление, внутренняя правда и обычное право. Общинность как ценностная константа российской цивилизации противопоставлялась славянофилами западному индивидуализму, «эгоизму собственности», не без оснований рассматривалась как возможная гарантия от «язвы пролетариатства». Славянофилы предложили плодотворный подход к общине на разных этапах российской истории, тонко подметили и интер-претировали отличия русской (славянской) общины от западноевропейских аналогов. One of the initial methodological guidelines of the historiosophy of the Slavophiles was the desire to identify the so-called "beginnings" - the original substantial features of a particular people unfolding in the process of its historical development and determining this development to a decisive extent. Slavophiles considered communality to be one of such "principles" in the historical fate of the Russian people. They were the first to raise the question of Russian identity, and it was in this context that they opened the Russian community (mir) to science and public thought. The article examines the Slavophile interpretation of the relationship between the community as an institution and community as a value constant of Russian civilization, examines the main aspects and manifestations of community in the works of the main ideologists of Slavophilism (A.S. Khomyakov, I.V. Kireevsky and K.S. Aksakov). The Slavophiles, within the framework of their paradigm, identified and comprehended such meaningful characteristics of the community (and all these characteristics are valuable) as communal equalization of land ownership with mental rejection of private-individual ownership of land, labor law on land, lack of hierarchy, equality of householders, mutual assistance, secular self-government, internal truth and customary law. Communality as a value constant of Russian civilization was opposed by Slavophiles to Western individualism, "egoism of property", and was considered, not without reason, as a possible guarantee against the "ulcer of the proletariat". In the works of Slavophiles, a fruitful historical approach to the community at different stages of national history is proposed, the differences between the Russian (Slavic) community and its Western European counterparts are subtly noted and interpreted.

Fr. Cyprian (Kern, 1899–1960), His Diaries and Memoirs

Abstract The article is devoted to Fr. Cyprian (Kern, 1899–1960), evaluating his Diaries and Memoirs, edited it 2021 by the author. One of the eminent theologians of the Russian Emigration, professor of Saint Sergius Theological Institute in Paris, Fr. Cyprian was born and brought up in Russia, took part in the Russian Civil war, and lived as a young Russian emigrant in Yugoslavia in 1920–1930. In 1928–1930 he was the Head of the Russian Ecclesiastical Mission in Jerusalem. His Memoirs and Jerusalem Diaries are a very important and in fact unique source not only on the biography of Fr. Cyprian himself, but for the religious and cultural life of the Russian Emigration in the Balkans and in the Holy Land during the first half of the 20th century. They also shed light on characteristic patterns concerning the interaction between different communities in those regions.

Современная цивилизация и перспективы ее развития (к 90-летию В.С. Степина)

The article attempts to combine the ideas of civilizational development formulated by V.S. Styopin with various civilizational concepts and ideas of macrosociology that became widespread in the late 20th – early 21st centuries. An interdisciplinary study of the problems of civilizational development in the era of post-non-classical science allows to show how the philosophical ideas and concepts of V.S. Styopin correlate with the ideas and concepts of representatives of social and humanitarian disciplines, including domestic and foreign sociologists. The importance of ana­lyzing the problems of civilization is largely due to the fact that they affect not only science, i.e. field of knowledge, but also the development of social reality and re­flect the changes that have occurred in Russia and the world – global antagonisms in politics, culture, everyday life. V.S. Styopin, presenting the genesis of the deve­lopment of world civilization, called our time an era of transformation of the type of civilizational development, or an era of transition from one type of civilization to another. Representatives of macrosociology, history, and political science reveal the genesis, structure, and values of the current civilization – the one that Styopin called technogenic – and analyze it in general and at local levels (including the lo­cal Russian civilization), also emphasizing the historicism and variability of any type of society. In terms of their significance, the civilizational ideas of V.S. Styopin can be considered as Russian contribution to the development of the philosophical, scientific and humanitarian revolution of our time

CHASTUSHKA AS A TEXT OF RUSSIAN FOLKLORE LINGUISTICS

Chastushka is a traditional form of Russian folk poetry that encapsulates humor, social commentary, and cultural reflection in a compact verse structure. This study delves into the historical origins and evolution of chastushka, examining its significance in Russian culture. We explore the linguistic features that define chastushka, including its rhyme schemes, rhythm, and use of colloquial language, which offer insights into regional dialects and the socio-linguistic landscape of Russia. The performance aspect of chastushka is also analyzed, highlighting its role in communal gatherings and celebrations, where spontaneity and audience interaction contribute to its enduring popularity. By investigating thematic elements such as love, daily life, and political satire, the research illustrates how chastushka serves as both entertainment and a medium for social reflection. This article underscores the importance of chastushka in understanding not only Russian folklore but also the dynamic relationship between language and culture. Through a comprehensive analysis, this study aims to contribute to the field of folklore linguistics and foster appreciation for this rich cultural tradition.

Tutoring as a form of support for the adaptation of foreign students at the university

Introduction. Strengthening globalization processes leads to the expansion of international cooperation in the field of education. This is especially reflected in the growth of international mobility of students in higher education institutions, in particular, Russian universities. And if the first students of the beginning of the large waves of mass educational migration were proficient in the Russian language and were familiar with Russian culture, then the students who followed them were much less proficient in the language and cultural code. And, since the internationalization of education remains a prerequisite for the existence of universities, and long-term adaptation of foreign students to learning conditions worsens the quality of their training, there is a need to organize their psychological and pedagogical support in the first years of study. The purpose of the article: to specify the main problems of adaptation of foreign students to the conditions of study in Russian universities and to justify the need to organize their tutor support. Materials and methods. The study involved 556 international students of the first and second years of study of three Tatarstan universities (Kazan National Research Technological University (KNRTU-KICT), (Kazan); Kazan National Research Technical University named after A. N. Tupolev (KNRTU-KAI), (Kazan); Elabuga Institute of the Kazan (Volga Region) Federal University (EI KFU) (Elabuga). Research results. The results of the study confirmed the presence of adaptation problems among foreign students. The main ones are difficulties with the Russian language (41%) and acclimatization (21%). It takes 46% of students about a year to get used to the learning conditions, and 23% – more than a year. The main learning difficulties they identify are awkwardness when speaking in public in front of an audience (23%) and teachers’ underestimation of their educational results (20%). More than half of the students see older compatriots as a source of help in overcoming cultural and educational barriers; The help of a supervisor turned out to be effective only for 15% of respondents. Taking into account the results obtained, it is proposed to organize the training of future tutors from among foreign senior students who have undergone appropriate psychological and pedagogical training. Conclusion. While maintaining the institute of curatorship, it is necessary to create a tutoring institute in universities that train foreign students. The main functions of tutors, which are absent from the curators of academic groups, should be to help foreign students overcome barriers to socio-cultural adaptation and insufficient proficiency in Russian, promote the acceptance of foreigners by their new environment, help in building effective interaction with the university administration and teachers, study students' personalities, monitor the results of their educational activities, help in professional identification, monitoring of newly emerging difficulties of students, strengthening cooperation between Russian and foreign students.

MOVEMENT OF MOVEMENTS: RUSSIAN ACTIVISM IN EXILE AND THE POROUS POLITICAL OPPORTUNITY STRUCTURE

What happens when a social movement must relocate to continue its advocacy? Such a “movement” of movements has been going on—in a partial, fragmented way—since Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, raising a host of issues for Russian social movements. Past research has identified several broad trends in Russian civil society prior to the war: enduring, evaporating, and adapting forms of activism. These terms captured, respectively, organizational types that had persisted since the 1990s, those unable to survive, and those that adapted to Russia's increasingly repressive environment. This article examines a new trend in Russian civil society, escaping, in light of the concept of political opportunity structure. Specifically, we find that Russian feminist and environmental activists operating beyond Russia's borders experience a porous political opportunity structure that crosses state boundaries, creating new opportunities for activism as well as constraints.

Музыка в живописи Натальи Нестеровой

The article discusses the friendship and creative connections between the famous representatives of Russian culture — painter Natalya Nesterova and composer David Krivitsky. The relevance of the topic is connected with Nesterova’s 80th birthday anniversary the world is celebrating. This is a reason to draw attention to the fact that at the moment there is an extremely limited number of scientific works devoted to her heritage. This article for the first time publishes some unknown facts from her artist’s biography and presents her pictures from the composer’s personal archive. The research perspective is to reveal the significance of musical art and performance for N.I. Nesterova and to show the originality of her approach to depicting musicians and the intended symbolic meaning in her paintings with musical subjects. As an exceptional case, the article describes her activities as an illustrator for the music editions of the composer D.I. Krivitsky. It can be concluded that communication between the two bright creative personalities had a mutual influence and served as an impetus for the emergence of interesting works of art.

«Европеизм» между политикой и культурой: исторические смыслы и современные трансформации (материалы «круглого стола»)

The journal “Voprosy Filosofii” has repeatedly addressed various aspects of the philosophy of culture. In particular, issues of the interaction between Russia, the West, and the East, the unity of the world and the diversity of cultures, multicultur­alism and the dialogue of cultures, the role of the philosopher in culture, and the prospects for the development of Russian culture have been discussed. Special im­portance has been given to the understanding of cultural studies as a scientific and ed­ucational discipline. In April 2024, we once again turned to the philosophy of culture in the context of the problem of “Europeanism” and discussed the historical meanings and contemporary transformations of this cultural-historical phenomenon. The follow­ing questions were proposed for discussion. What constitutes the “essence” of Euro­pean culture? Does “Europeanism” have an obligatory historical and geographical at­tachment? Why does the methodological concept of “presentism-antiquarianism” gain crucial importance today, particularly for research in the field of the philosophy of cul­ture? Is antiquity the origin only of European culture, or is it the origin of the Great Culture? Is “Europeanization of the Earth” possible today? (Spengler, Husserl, Hei­degger). Who are the true heirs of antiquity today? Are there differences between Greek and Roman cultures? Which type has Europe inherited today, and to what ex­tent? Has the perception of “Europeanism” changed in Russian and world philosophy of the 19th–21st centuries? The role of Hegel in the mythologization of “Europe.” Is “Europeanism” a political myth of the 21st century? How do you evaluate the at­tempts at philosophical comparisons of the crisis of European culture in the 1920s and the 2020s? Does “Europeanism” exhaust European culture? And what philosophical or cultural problem do we want to see behind this? The crucial topic of discussion was the interpretation of Europeanism as a symbolic construct, connected with the assessment of the prospects for the development of the cultural future of Russia, Europe, and Humanity

От «Пути жизни» к «Своду мыслей»: проблемы реконструкции философского мировоззрения Л. Н. Толстого

The article discusses the history of the creation of the "Code of Thought of Leo Tolstoy", which reflects the writer's system of views and reconstructs the religious and philosophical foundations of his work. This literary and philosophical monument began to be created during Tolstoy's lifetime and with his participation, the process of collecting and systematizing the thoughts of the classic took several decades. The Code presents various aspects of the writer's religious, philosophical, moral, and aesthetic views. The sources of the Code are Tolstoy's artistic, philosophical and journalistic works. The study of the stages of the evolution of the thinker's worldview shows a clear tendency to create metatexts that reflect all the facets of his religious and philosophical teaching. However, the "Code of Thoughts" was never published, despite the efforts of Tolstoy's closest disciples and followers. The authors of the article trace the influence of the structure of the writer's last collection of thoughts "The Way of Life" on the overall content composition of the "Code of Thoughts", showing that it was it that was taken as the basis for the formation of the text setting forth the main features of Tolstoy's worldview. With the help of archival sources introduced into scientific circulation (documents from the funds of V.G. Chertkov, N.N. Gusev and others), the authors made an attempt to clarify the features of the work on this monument, to show the influence of the socio-cultural, political context, life circumstances that prevented the publication of "The Code of Thoughts of L.N. Tolstoy", which was supposed to become a bright page in Russian philosophical thought. "The Way of Life" was a guideline for the creators of the "Code of Thoughts", which was a way of religious and philosophical conceptualization of the writer's heritage, the key foundations of his consideration of man, spiritual life, social and cultural changes. The work shows the importance of this work, which has not yet been published, for understanding the history of Russian culture, for the interpretation of topical problems of modern Tolstoy studies. The methods found for reconstructing the worldview architectonics of the "Code of Thoughts" can be the basis for continuing its study and further work on preparing for publication a monument that resurrects the work and aspirations of both the writer himself and his like-minded people.

Образовательная деятельность подразделений Отдельного Кавказского корпуса в контексте политики по включению Кавказа в общеимперское пространство (первая половина XIX века)

The aim of the research is to reveal the essence and specificity of the educational activities of the Separate Caucasus Corps within the framework of Russian authorities’ efforts to integrate the Caucasus into the common imperial space. The paper examines the educational activities and policies of units and subdivisions of the Russian army stationed in the Caucasus. Educating representatives of the mountain peoples was considered by the Russian authorities as one of the instruments for spreading Russian power in the Caucasus region through the transmission of common imperial values. Concurrently, personnel were being trained for the army and the regional administration. The scientific novelty of the research lies in the fact that military units, which acted as organizers of educational institutions, served as the primary subjects of educational activities. Educational activities are considered within the context of the relationship between Russian authorities and local peoples against the backdrop of the Caucasian War. As a result, it has been found that schools for the local population played a significant role in integrating the mountain peoples of the North Caucasus into Russian culture and education, contributing to the formation of the first generations of national intellectuals and strengthening mutual understanding between Russia and the Caucasus. Educational activities became one of the technologies not only for strengthening Russian power in the Caucasus region but also for integrating the region into the civilizational space of the Russian Empire.

Semantic range of the concept “reader” in contemporary Russian culture

Semantic range of the concept “reader” in contemporary Russian culture

Civilization in the Face of Sociology

The article is a brief overview of the concepts that exist in sociological science from the moment of its inception to the present and related to civilizational issues. The peculiarities of this branch of knowledge, which arose during the Great Industrial Revolution, in the era of the formation of nation-states, led to the fact that for a long time sociologists did not use a civilizational approach, the idea of civilization prevailed as a certain stage in the development of society, opposing “barbarism”, in the age of Enlightenment (F. Guizot), and in the twentieth century (N. Elias). At the same time, it is possible to identify a certain attitude to civilizational issues in Marxism, and in an alternative approach to it, which the author calls technological (D. Bell, O. Tofler with J. Gelbraith adjacent to them), and in the concept of the “world-system” by I. Wallerstein, and in geoeconomics by F. Braudel. The article analyzes the contribution to the sociology of civilizations of the classics of the civilizational approach (N.Y. Danilevsky, O. Spengler, A. Toynbee, P. Sorokin). Special attention is paid to the “civilizational turn” in sociology in the 1970s, primarily related to the works of Sh. Eisenstadt and continued at the beginning of the XXI century by Aronson, as well as the concept of Russian civilization in the works of sociologists D. Nielsen and I. Yakovenko. The article raises theoretical questions about the civilizational approach from a sociological perspective, first of all, the scientific possibilities to identify specifically cultural and value cores of various civilizations, including Russian, to define Russian civilization in relation to the concepts of Eastern Christian civilization and Soviet civilization, as well as the degree of its universalism and autarkism.

Eurasian Civilization: Conceptual Geo-Economic Framework in the Context of a New World Order

The article is based upon the authors presentation at the All-Russian Conference with international participation “The Concept of the Russian Civilization” held at the School of Public Administration of Lomonosov Moscow State University on January 22–23, 2024. In addition to the basic propositions of the presentation the article contains certain ideas and methodological hypothesis regarding the framework for defining the limits of the Eurasian geopolitical space taking into consideration the on-going global and regional transformations. The successful integration of the geo-economic macro-region “Larger Eurasia” as a part of the economic regionalization in the contemporary political environment of competition of values means considering a wider array of factors beyond geo-economics: history, including the history of economic development, culture as well as the social aspects. The author promotes the position in favor of the integration of the mechanisms that are based upon the Eurasian theory and advanced mechanisms that form the economic and governing basis for the formation of the geoeconomic macro-regions. The trend for the formation of geoeconomic macro-regions was slowed down by the West but non dismantled completely. Those factors are directly involved in the issue of Eurasian frontier and the mechanism of its geo-economic demarcation. Special attention in the article is paid to the issue of the Western border (frontier) of Eurasia. The issue is addressed basing on the authors hypothesis about the existence of “Dnieper proto-fault” that integrates civilizational (socio-cultural) and spatial geo-economic aspects. The fundamental transformations’ potential including the force which lies in this proto-fault has already manifested itself during the Special military operation that Russia has started in February 2022.The effective analysis is needed not only for the interdisciplinary approach but flexible and creative adaptation of the philosophical heritage of founders of the Eurasian theory updating it to the newly emerged reality and relevant to the special, geography-based political and economic architecture.