Russian Culture Research Articles

Publishing and literature sale in Russian and foreign languages as a means of modernization of Russia in the first quarter of the 18th century

RELEVANCE. The problem of studying the relationship between the originality of Russian culture and the degree of foreign influence on its development is currently acquiring significant relevance. At the same time, the culturological approach, which describes the development of domestic social thought in the paradigm of “progressive – reactionary”, “ours – not ours,” gives way to an analysis of the specifics of the Russian reality of culture as an object of transfer, adaptation and reception of ideas and concepts taking place at different stages of social development. and reception of ideas and concepts taking place at different stages of social development. The purpose of the study is to comprehensively characterize the publishing business and the sale of literature in Russian and foreign languages in the first quarter of the 18th century.MATERIALS AND METHODS. In our opinion, for a comprehensive study of the problem of modernization in Russia in the 18th century, it is necessary to take into account hidden factors that reveal the experience of transmitting Western ideas. The most important of them include the practice of distributing European literature, which ensures the formation of a certain cultural environment.RESULT AND DISCUSSION. Purchasing foreign publications from foreigners living in Russia became an extremely common practice. It was in this way that the “Universal and Historical Lexicon” in German arrived in the library of Peter I. The autocrat personally ordered the purchase of this publication from foreign guests of St. Petersburg and a Russian translation of this work. Those books that could not be purchased personally were purchased by enterprising readers in the Baltic states or ordered from abroad through foreign merchants and Russian travelers.CONCLUSION. A study of the issues of book printing and book sales of Peter the Great’s time shows the enormous importance of published literature for the dissemination of progressive ideas and scientific knowledge in all layers of reading society. In a short period of time, Peter I was able to organize the production of a huge number of printed works and create conditions for their distribution throughout the country.

В фокусе внимания российская цивилизация

The review examines monographs on Russian civilization published in 2022–2024. The authors understand that in the modern world, the concept of Russian civilization has become iconic. Special attention is paid to philosophical and theoretical concepts that interpret the empyria of Russia’s civilizational development from a new angle. When characterizing the specifics of Russian civilization, attention is paid more to the geographical factor than to the ethnic substrate. The article emphasizes the civilizational value of Orthodoxy in the struggle for the identity of Russia and the future of mankind. The authors expand the usual horizons of understanding the phenomenon of civilization by means of a biosphere interpretation of its praphenomenon, differentiation of the infernal and sacred in the civilization development. The interpretation of Crimea as a cultural paradigm of Russian civilization is original. The problems of Russian civilizationistics are the insufficient empirical groundlessness of judgments, the abstract conceptualization of empiricism, the incompleteness of a comparative analysis of Russia with other civilizations, the lack of reflection of cumulativeness and continuity in personal scientific creativity.

The theme of joining Russia in the literature of the peoples of Siberia in the 1950s–1980s

The article examines the features of the embodiment of the theme of joining Russia in the literature of the peoples of Siberia in the 1950s–1980s in the context of state memory policy of this period. The research materials are the works of Altai, Buryat, Khakass and Yakut literature. The research is based on the theory and methodology of comparative literature, as well as on the theory of cultural and historical memory. It has been established that the appearance of the theme of joining Russia in the literature of the peoples of Siberia in the 1950s–1980s was associated with the memory politics of this period. At this time, the basis of the national histories of the peoples of the USSR was the concept of friendship of peoples, within the framework of which special attention was paid to the idea of the voluntary entry of indigenous peoples into Russia, which brought them various benefits and became the basis for further national development. The appearance of the first literary works on this topic in the literature of Siberia dates back to the time of anniversary celebrations in honor of the anniversaries of the voluntary entry of local peoples into Russia, which proves the connection between these phenomena. It is also known that in the writing community since the 1950s the directive was spread to pay special attention to the theme of friendship of peoples and the positive role of Russia and Russians in the history of the peoples of Siberia. Within literary discourse, this idea was embodied in works of various genres: historical poems, plays, novels dedicated to the era of annexation to Russia, as well as in a number of poems glorifying the patriotism of the peoples of Siberia and the beneficial influence of the Russian state and Russian culture on their historical destiny. These works are characterised by an appeal to historical facts, which in Soviet times were interpreted as a manifestation of the friendship of the peoples of Siberia with Russia, as well as to folklore legends, interpreted in the same vein. All these works can be considered as a kind of hypertext, formed in the literature of Siberia in the 1950s–1980s around the theme of joining Russia and reflecting the corresponding trend in the politics of memory of this period.

«Кто мы»: цивилизационные идеи классического евразийства и их эволюция

Classical Eurasianism inherited the “genes” of Slavic resistance to the European cultural monopoly, it offered its own view on the typology of civilizations and geopolitics and created its own political philosophy. Based on criticism of the universality of Western civilization, classical Eurasianists put forward the concept of Russia as a unique Eurasian civilization and gave their answer to the questions “who are we?” and “where are we going?” L.N. Gumilev, who called himself “the last Eurasianist,” became the author of a civilizational theory in which geographical features corresponded to certain characteristics of civilization, at the same time his views were based on geopolitics and on the desire to rethink the concept of the Russian spirit. Classical Eurasian political philosophy is closely related to the problem of choice that Russia is now facing; it offers its own view of the roots of Russian civilization, being a direct ideological predecessor of neo-Eurasian political philosophy. Its research has positive implications not only for Russia in its fight against historical nihilism and in restoring its national identity, but also for providing reference for the self-cultural construction of all ethnic groups in the process of globalization. The concept of community of human destiny put forward by China advocates taking into account interests of other countries when pursuing its own interests, and promoting the common good of all countries in the pursuit of own development, which may provide reference for the theoretical construction of Eurasianism.

Беседа врио первого зам. директора Института философии РАН, руководителя мегатемы «Российский проект цивилизационного развития», академика РАН А.В. Смирнова с главным редактором журнала «Проблемы цивилизационного развития», доктором философских наук В.Н. Шевченко

The current conversation of the head of the megatheme “Russian civilizational development project” academician Andrey V. Smirnov and the editor-in-chief of the magazine “Civilization Studies Review” Vladimir N. Shevchenko discovers the results of the five-year work of the research group of the Russian Academy of Sciences Institute of Philosophy, and gives a general assessment of the significance of the results obtained for a wide range of academic researchers – philosophers, political and cultural scientists, historians, and for the entire Russian academic community. In particular, important issues of clarifying the initially formulated goals and objectives of the project are raised. The general standards of publications in the journal, created to highlight the scientific results of research on the megatheme, as well as further prospects are discussed. The discussion also covers such problems as compatibility of various methodological approaches used by the authors of published materials, scrutinizes the relations of cultural, political and legal aspects. Significant attention is paid to theoretical views upon the interaction of civilizations in modern conditions, as well as the unique logic of the development of Russian civilization, the connection between “high” and traditional culture in the search for the most adequate expression of the essence of the civilizational project and its practical implementation.

INCLUSIVE CAPITALISM AS A GLOBALIST PROJECT AND RUSSIAN CIVILIZATION

The emerging concept of inclusive capitalism and the consequences of its implementation for Russian civilization are considered. It is shown that this concept is another version of the theory of “national welfare”, which hides the real plans of the globalists to establish their dominance in the world with the help of digital technologies for managing society and the economy in the long term. The role of national states will be reduced to the level of subordinate structures of a certain global corporation governing the whole world. However, such a development of events is not predetermined and will meet serious resistance from the main part of humanity. Special attention is paid to the fact that the practical implementation of the main provisions of the theory of inclusive capitalism undermines the historical, socio-cultural foundations of Russian civilization.

Christian Orthodoxy as the Spiritual Foundation of Russian Culture

Christian Orthodoxy as the Spiritual Foundation of Russian Culture

«Мысль», «ум», «мышление» в стихотворениях Пушкина, Лермонтова, Соловьева, Лосева

The article identifies and analyzes, for the first time, one of the permanent motives of Russian lyrics – the motive of thinking. The thematic lines of the classical period (God, world, man, poet's path) are rooted in the religious tradition; the poets' reflections on thought are stimulated by the demand for attention to inner life and to the mind in the practice of Christian life. The process of thinking becomes the object of intellectual reflection of poets under the influence of German philosophy. Thought, as one of the phenomena of the world, enters into a wide sphere of poetic perceptions, becomes an object of contemplation primarily in the works of Pushkin and Lermontov. Numerous lexemes “to think” in the XVIII century were used outside the philosophical context; the analyzed reflections of the poets of the XIX century form a kind of poetic epistemology – the knowledge of thought. The motive of thinking that runs through all Russian lyrics is presented in the article as a separate aspect of philosophical poetry as a whole, it forms the metatext that is significant for describing the poet's worldview. Solovyov and Losev gained the experience of both contemplative and mental comprehension of the truth. In Solovyov's poems, thinking is the basis and generating condition for visions. In Losev's poetic treatise “Justification”, the mind is affirmed as the mental basis of the heart's life, and love in its elevation to meaning – as the mind. Thus, the philosophical poets expressed in poetry the fruitful unity of two paths that are significant for Russian culture as a whole – mind and heart, intellectual reflection and contemplation, philosophical thought and poetic image.

Mystery Tradition in Mikhail Prishvin’s Novel The Worldly Cup

This article examines one of M. Prishvin’s key texts, i. e. the novel The Worldly Cup (Mirskaya chashcha) (1922), which has never been analysed as a mystery text in the context of the European mystery tradition and theatrical mystery of the Silver Age (The Twelve (Dvenadtsat’) by A. Blok, Christ is Risen (Khristos voskres), The Antichrist/Coming/The Maw of the Night (Antikhrist/Prishedshii/ Past’ nochi) by A. Bely, Demonic Action (Besovskoe Deistvo) by A. Remizov, and Dream in the Desert (Son v pustyne) and The Human Face (Lik chelovecheskii) by V. Gippius). Prishvin acts as successor of the mystery tradition, as it was perceived in Russian culture from V. Solovyov to J. Brodsky. The story highlights the following features of the mystery tradition: going beyond the visible world (meta-history), its transformation, the symbolism of the cross, the resurrected Lazarus, the number “12” and “X”, and the communion cup. The Worldly Cup is both a mystery of the revolution (“Black Mass”) and “The Mystery of Golgotha”. The key to the mystery reading of the text is the symbolism of the communion cup, which refers to the archetypal plots of the Western Middle Ages (myths of the Grail and Faust). Prishvin was familiar with the myth of the Holy Grail in R. Wagner’s interpretation (Parsifal), whose music the writer greatly appreciated in his youth. The article reveals plot similarities (stages of “initiation”) between Alpatov, Parsifal, and Lancelot. Alpatov is a Russian Parsifal; for him, every meeting is an already acquired Grail, according to the evangelical and mystical law, which was accentuated by Russian religious thought. According to this law, what is given is returned; the face of Christ appears in everyone. Compassion as Alpatov’s main feature becomes a real active force, since in the Gospel it extends to everyone, including those who “do not know what they are doing”. Alpatov thereby finds himself in the role of the mother of God, praying “for everyone indiscriminately”, from The Descent of the Virgin Mary into Hell (Khozhdenie Bogoroditsy po mukam), which Dostoevsky defined as a mystery. It is established that Prishvin’s acquaintance with V. Gippius’s mystery play Dream in the Desert (Son v pustyne) influenced the mystery plan of The Worldly Cup. Prishvin interprets the writing vocation as the role of a mystic who initiates the reader into his mystery and opens to them the possibility of a new reunion of man and God, new relationships between people, and the gift of discerning harmony in nature.

“Tashkent Has Gained Sad Glory”: The Death of Vera Komissarzhevskaya and the Limits of Russian Culture in Late Imperial Turkestan

The unexpected death of the famous actress Vera Fedorovna Komissarzhevskaya while on tour in Tashkent was both a major event for Russian speakers in Turkestan and an empire-wide media sensation. This article examines coverage of the death of Kommissarzhevskaуa from smallpox in 1910 in the Russian-language periodical press in both Turkestan and leading urban centers in the Russian Empire. The actions of mourners in Tashkent and coverage of these events locally and in the capital press reveal that Kommissarzhevskaуa’s death was an imperial event that magnified the tensions within Russian claims to represent a civilizing force in Central Asia. For educated Russian speakers in Turkestan Kommissarzhevskaуa’s death was an opportunity to self-consciously assert their status as bearers of Russian culture in a press environment in which local acts of commemoration swiftly attracted an empire-wide audience. In the face of racialized and Orientalist depictions of Turkestan in the capital press, local journalists and members of educated society sought to demonstrate their belonging in, and dedication to, Russian culture in ways that blurred the boundaries between the imperial center and its peripheries, revealing Kommissarzhevskaуa’s death to be at the center of an ambiguous empire-wide discourse of death, disease, and the limits of Russian modernity. While educated Russian society in Tashkent sought to demonstrate their membership in a greater imperial civilization, the circumstances of Kommissarzhevskaуa’s death and the discourse of smallpox called into question Russian claims of civilizational superiority and laid bare key anxieties at the heart of Russia’s colonial presence in Central Asia.

Formation of Social Ties in P. I. Potemkin's Embassy to France (1680–1682)

Based on the extant complex of Russian and French sources, this article analyses the mechanisms of the formation of social ties of the Russian embassy in France in 1681. The embassy had both foreign policy and diplomatic significance for the representation of tsarist power and Russian culture in France: the envoys had not only to inform Louis XIV about the events in Eastern Europe, but also to get an overview of the French position on the preparation of the Perpetual Peace of Russia with the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, the conclusion of the Russian-French trade treaty, and to ensure the recruitment of foreign specialists. The author examines the formation of relations in the context of the new diplomatic history, paying special attention to the problems of power representation, the personalities of diplomats and the cultural side of their mission. For the first time in historiography, the article characterises the whole complex of archival documents about the embassy, the peculiarities of the formation of social ties of the embassy participants necessary for the successful implementation of the tasks of the diplomatic mission. The study is based on French court reports on ceremonies, notes of courtiers, internal correspondence of Russian and French diplomatic departments, materials of the Parisian periodical press, and reports of Russian envoys. Conclusions are drawn on the peculiarities of the strategies of the envoy P. I. Potemkin in establishing social relations, their significance for the development of Russian diplomacy, foreign policy, and cultural contacts with Western Europe, as well as on the peculiarities of the reflection of these relations in the surviving sources.

Государственная поддержка как фактор, предотвращающий распад института семьи

This article attempts to understand how the social support of State authorities can prevent the negative impact on the institution of the family in terms of changes in various social trends and changes in the political culture of Russians. It explores the relationship between the State and the family in the context of the support factor. The relevance of the article is due to such factors: firstly, 2024 was declared the Year of the Family in the Russian Federation in order to show the importance of the institution of the family for the state, secondly, the inevitability of overcoming differences in the interpretations of social features of changing the institution of family valuesin domestic scientific thought.

Современные тенденции и проблемы развития института доказывания в гражданском судопроизводстве

The article examines the existing problems of the functioning of the institute of evidence in civil proceedings of the Russian Federation. It is difficult to overestimate the importance of the institution of evidence in civil proceedings. Proving in judicial practice is an indirect human cognition, the authors argue that the subject of this cognition does not just observe or empirically collect information, he analyzes existing facts and makes new conclusions. The authors investigated the theoretical foundations of the functioning of this institute, analyzed statistical data in this area. In the course of the analysis of scientific literature, the authors have formed a wide range of evidentiary tools in Russian civil proceedings. Due to the consideration of real judicial practices, the main gaps in the legal regulation of the mechanism for the use of evidence in civil cases were identified. In conclusion, the options for changing the articles of the CPC of the Russian Federation are proposed, which will improve the mechanism of judicial proceedings.

Russian World in Yakut Heroic Epic Olonkho

This article evaluates the impact of Russian culture on the Yakut epic, Olonkho. The emergence and evolution of the Russian character in Olonkho are analyzed. Texts from various local traditions and time periods of Olonkho serve as the research material. The study employs a historical poetics approach, showcasing the evolution and changes in the portrayal of the Russian character in Yakut epic texts, considering the territorial and temporal differences in the texts and the individual characteristics of storytellers. It is determined that the semantics of this character transform from “foreign” to “native”. The Russian character in Yakut heroic epic texts initially appears through epic formulas, comparisons, and epithets, manifesting foreignness and alienation. Subsequently, the Russian individual becomes a character participating in the Olonkho plot. A transition from “foreign” to “different,” “other” is observed: intermediary zones (the meeting place of heaven and earth, forests, mountains) start resembling objects belonging to Russians. When Russian material culture aligned with the life and customs of the Yakuts, objects adopted from Russians began resembling parts of the main hero’s (bogatyr) body, vividly demonstrating the incorporation of the Russian character into the category of “ours.” References to certain realities of Orthodox Christianity are also made in Olonkho. Images of Baba Yaga, Zmey Gorynych, the forest spirit, motifs of path selection are borrowed from Russian fairy tales and myths. Russian names, names of Russian cities and places, among others, are mentioned.

SEMANTIC FIELD “POWER” IN’S NOVEL “THE ARC FOR THE UNINVITED” BY VLADIMIR MAKSIMOV

The article presents a comprehensive description of the semantic field ‟Power” in the novel by the well-known Russian prose writer of the 2nd half of the 20th century, Vladimir Yemelyanovich Maksimov. The purpose of the study is to identify the structural and semantic features of the field, the communicative and pragmatic properties of its nuclear components, which are semantic dominants of the text and actively participate in organising the artistic narrative, depicting characters and events, and explicating the conceptual content of the study. An analytical review of the main linguistic studies devoted to the study of the phenomenon of authority in Russian culture and linguistic consciousness, and the scientific description of semantic fields in the system of language and speech is carried out. Modelling the field structure of the novel is based on the principles of discourse analysis of the text, and it is determined by the specifics of the writer’s linguistic personality, the individual originality of the artistic picture of the world, the genre-stylistic and plot-compositional features of the work, and the linguacultural situation of the depicted era. The component composition of the field, its core, centre and periphery, and microfields are consistently characterised. Semantic connections and intersections of field components are determined with contextual conditionality of additional meanings revealed. The semantic field ‟authority” combines four microfields: the central part of the field structure includes the microfields ‟state authority” and ‟God power”, the peripheral zone includes the microfields ‟family authority” and ‟authority and power of natural elements”. The core of the field includes the key lexemes of authority, power and the leader. The semantic dominants of the text, being components of the analysed field structure, contribute to the development of action in space and time, create narrative polyphony, reflect the author’s position, and convey the bright features of the writer’s linguistic personality.

THE INTERACTION OF LEGAL SYSTEMS AS LINGUISTIC COMMUNITIES (P. 1)

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 systemising descriptions of the semantic interaction of legal systems, its properties and types, they are barely existant. 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 characterisation 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.

THE PHILOSOPHY OF FRATERNITY AND THE FOUNDATIONS OF MORAL SOLIDARITY

Analyzing the historical forms of moral solidarity, one of which is the phenomenon of fraternity and trying to see in this form the foundations of constructive cooperation in modern conditions, we should pay close attention to the underestimated conceptual provisions and mechanisms. We believe that these factors play an important role in overcoming disintegration processes, both at the level of social communication and at the level of the mental foundations of intercultural and intercivilizational communication. The article is devoted to the philosophical foundations of the phenomenon of fraternity, mainly based on the material of European and domestic socio-philosophical reflection. The relevance of this topic is determined by the fact that the current international situation presents new challenges and that Russia is looking for constructive solutions to complex contradictions that have arisen in the international community. On the other hand, the axiological foundations of Russian civilization, which have been its genetic basis for many centuries, require constant philosophical reflection. The article discusses the essential importance of the phenomenon of fraternity for overcoming social disharmony, clarifies the advantages of this form of social interaction over formal cooperation. The methodology of the work is based on a socio-philosophical analysis of the axiological and ethical foundations of various forms of joint human activity. The article attempts to identify the structure-forming foundations of the system of social relations by the example of the phenomenon of fraternity.

Образование и новые реалии повседневности у горских народов Северного Кавказа во второй половине XIX века

The article examines the changes in the life of the mountain population of the North Caucasus that occurred after the end of hostilities in the region. The emphasis is on the field of education, which received special attention from the authorities. It was assumed that with the help of proper education it would be possible to form law-abiding subjects of the empire, whose example would have a beneficial effect on their relatives and fellow countrymen. The changes taking place were reflected in the everyday life of young people, in their clothing, food, and behavior patterns. For the conservative-minded part of the mountain community, such transformations looked “sinful” and were therefore condemned. Most often it was about people of the older generation who saw this as a threat to national identity. The most consistent critics of the new preferences were the inhabitants of the mountainous regions, who were less involved in economic and cultural ties with the Russian settlers. Those living on the plains of the society accepted innovations more easily and tried to introduce what they considered convenient or emphasizing the high status of a person. Often, hostility to the changes was explained by religious beliefs. There were fears that, under the influence of Russian culture, young people would abandon Islam and begin to profess Christianity.

“Mental map” in “Letters of a Russian Traveler” by Nikolay Karamzin and the problem of the national myth representation

The article analyzes “Letters of a Russian Traveler” by Nikolay Karamzin in terms of the symbolic-mythological perception of space, suggesting a view of the countries, depicted in the travelogue, as symbolic-mythological units of the “mental map” in the book. A “mental map” is understood as a holistic image of a geographical space, value-restructured in accordance with the author’s vision of European cultural and the historical situation. The purpose of the work is to reveal the hidden additional plot of Karamzin’s book, which determines the logic of the perception of geographical space and its comprehension, taking into account the historical and political situation witnessed by Karamzin’s hero-traveler. Using the methodology of the structural-semiotic, historical-genetic and comparative-typological reading of the text, as well as the methodology of human geography, the article shows how Karamzin generalizes ideas about the logic of the Western European history and culture development at the end of the 18th century. We also characterize the writer’s symbolic and mythological view of the cultural dialogue between Russia and Europe, the place and role of the “Letters...” of France, Switzerland, England and the countries of the German world on the “mental map”. Conclusions are drawn about the significance of the spatial image of “Letters...” for the design of Karamzin’s historical and political concept of the late 18th century, in which the key role was played by the ideas of the dialogue, the ability to evaluate the achievements of European culture and to develop the potential of Russian culture.

Аксиологические проблемы образования в современной науке

Introduction. Modern Russian society is faced with serious challenges and threats that require the rethinking of values based on traditional Russian spiritual and moral values. This situation actualizes the need to analyze the axiological problems of education, the solution of which could have a significant impact on the preservation of Russia’s spiritual security, because education has a key impact on the process of formation and development of personality. Theoretical analysis. Modern educational activity is faced with a number of problems that have axiological grounds: the lack of a unified and clear system of values in the field of education, insufficient attention to the moral and ethical aspects of education, the problem of humanization of education. Conclusion. The solution to these problems can be found in the development of an axiological theory, which contributes to the formation of a worldview based on the recognition of the value of a person as a personality, as well as education based on the principles of priority of universal values, human life and health, and free personal development. It is necessary to conceptually rethink the education system, taking into account the priority of traditional spiritual and moral values inherent in the Russian culture of society.