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From the editor

2021 is declared the Year of Science and Technology in Russia. It is aimed at successfully overcoming the current challenges facing society, opening up new opportunities for young people, and popularizing the results of research conducted in our country.

S.S. Zengin

pp. 7-13

Culture as a “Soft Power”: Range of Actions and Potential Opportunities

Using the chronology of events in the world at the end of the 20th and beginning of the 21st centuries as empirical material and carrying out its historical and logical reconstruction based primarily on the analytical method, the article traces the evolution of ideas about the “soft power” of culture. The combination of the concepts “soft power” and the rather aggressively sounding “range of actions” contains a reference to the reliance on the “soft power” of cultural expansion as a mechanism of political and economic influence (which was realized to the greatest extent after the collapse of the Soviet system) declared at the end of the 20th century (Joseph Nye, Francis Fukuyama). In the context of globalization and rejection of large-scale wars in the classical sense, one has to observe the inversion of the classical formulation “war as a continuation of politics by other means” (Carl von Clausewitz) to the formula “politics as a continuation of war by other means”, which precisely applies primarily to cultural politics in the arsenal of which information warfare is especially effective. It is this aspect that is most emphasized in studies on this issue, both domestic and foreign. Meanwhile, in a situation where values and models of development have become the subject of global competition, particularly relevant is the observation, confirmed by history, that the imposition of any culture on other states, nations, confessions is destructive for both sides of such an impact. 

Keywords: culture, “soft power”, expansion, cooperation, intrinsic value, geopolitical tests. 

Vardan G. Torosyan, Rita N. Derzhiruchenko

pp. 14-21

"Khovanschina" by Modest Mussorgsky in the Light of the Russian Religious Mystery Play

The article aims to reveal the features of the ancient Russian tradition of religious mystery play in the opera Khovanshchina by Modest Mussorgsky. The opera, which the composer called a “folk musical drama”, has not yet been studied from this perspective, although its mystery features have been noted by researchers of different generations. Basically, Khovanshchina was viewed as expressing the sharp social conflicts of the era of the early reign of Peter I, with a predominant interest in the category narodnost’ popular in the past century. This predominantly socio-ideological approach excluded the possibility of entering the “religious vertical”, so clearly expressed in the era of the Time of Troubles.

Keywords: Russian religious mystery play, sacralization of historical opera action, principles of liturgical symbolism, historical musical myth.

Natalya V. Beketova

pp. 21-27

Roles of Characters in Peking Opera and Forms of Their Representation

The study examines the most typical roles inherent in the characters of traditional Peking opera: Sheng, Dan, Jing, Chow. The main problem of the study is to prove the rootedness of many phenomena in the life of modern Chinese society in regional forms (among others) of folk art of the past. The aim of the study is to prove the relevance and vitality of the traditions of folk theatrical performances in the theatrical art of China using the example of preserving the role of the characters of Peking opera. The methodological basis of the study is complex, phenomenological, semantic, comparative, cultural, and hermeneutic approaches. As a result of the study, the authors substantiate the fact that particular roles have sets of expressive means inherent in them: type of voice and vocal performance, specific theatrical makeup, literary text style, types of psycho-emotional reactions, and others. 

Keywords: Peking opera, opera theatrical makeup, role, color semantics, song and dance design.

Svetlana A. Mozgot, Li Yang

pp. 27-35

Musical Intonation in Modeling Images of the Environment in the World of Huang Tzu

The study examines the romances of Huang Tzu of the late period. The main problem of the study is to show the intonational diversity in the reflection of the images of the surrounding world in the romances of Huang Tzu’s later works. The aim of the study is to reveal the functions of musical intonation in modeling images of the surrounding world in the chamber-vocal works of Huang Tzu using the example of his romances of the late period. The research hypothesis is the authors’ assumption that in Huang Tzu’s chambervocal works, musical intonation performs complex tasks, acting as a sign-signal, performing symbolic and archetypal-code functions.

Keywords: Huang Tzu, vocal creativity, images of nature, musical intonation, semantic functions.

Mi Na Wu, Svetlana A. Mozgot

pp. 35-46

Boris Tishchenko’s Pushkin Symphony: On the Content and Dramaturgy

The object of this research is a symphony of Boris Tishchenko, an outstanding Russian composer of the second half of the 20th century. The composition was born in the footsteps of the music for the 1967 documentary film The Death of Pushkin. Tishchenko returned to his early work a little over thirty years later, on the eve of the anniversary of the great Russian poet, and made a symphony out of the film score. The composition, applied by the nature of its birth, was already a symphony, in the spirit and essence of its birth. Tishchenko composed the symphony for the film, and thirty years later only officially recorded this fact of his composer’s biography. 

Keywords: Boris Tishchenko, Pushkin, symphony, film music, orchestra, poems.

Yuri E. Serov

pp. 46-57

Boris Tishchenko. The Suzdal and Palekh Suites: New Music of the Russian Cinema of the 1960s

Boris Tishchenko has a large number of symphonic works: 16 symphonies; ballets; an opera; numerous concerts for various instruments with an orchestra; but his film music has been insufficiently studied. In the article, the author aims to present this field of the creative activity of the outstanding Russian symphonist of the second half of the twentieth century by examining the composer’s experience of working in documentary and feature films, which basically consisted in cooperation with the famous Leningrad film director Solomon Shuster. The research material was Tishchenko’s symphonic scores that he created for the films Suzdal and Palekh. Among the main literary sources that help to more accurately describe the image of Tishchenko as a composer, the key studies of V. Kholopova, V. Syrov, M. Tarakanov, and A. Demchenko were considered. Interviews of the composer and memoirs of contemporaries were also used in the study. 

Keywords: Boris Tishchenko, Solomon Shuster, film music, symphony orchestra, Suzdal, Palekh.

Yuri E. Serov

pp. 57-63

Dramatic Features of Non-Fiction Road Movies

The article analyzes the dramatic features of road movies in non-fiction films, uses a comparative analysis of the director’s tools in the films Katyusha (directed by V. Lisakovich), Brothers in Arms. In the Name of Common Victory (directed by O. Strom) and Pizza in Auschwitz (directed by M. Zimmerman). The road movie is a dramatic structure that has been studied in detail in American film studies, but it is not sufficiently analyzed in the domestic field of art studies. 

Keywords: documentary, road movie, reversion, drama, path of hero, Katyusha, Brothers in Arms, Pizza in Auschwitz.

Elizaveta S. Trusevich

pp. 63-70

Virtuosity, Decorativeness and Illusoriness in Russian Portrait Painting in the 1820s

In the article, the author considers the main formal features of portrait painting in Russia in the 1820s. There are the following areas associated with the creation of an image in the genre of portrait: virtuosity, decorativeness and illusoriness. In the eyes of art critics and the public, of particular value was the freedom of creative manner and the associated rejection of hatching, the movement towards a denser paint layer and pure colors. The artistic style became the basis in the portrait painting of the young Karl Brullov and in many of the works of Vasily Tropinin in the 1820s. At this time, colorism becomes important, artists try to achieve a variety of it in the image of the face, shoulders and hands. Neutral colors, with a predominance of grayish tones, are gradually replaced by more diverse colors. The most popular in carnation is the interaction of bluish and pinkish shades. They are used pure and highly diluted with oil. 

Keywords: portrait of the 1820s, portrait in Russia, virtuosity in painting, decorativeness in painting, illusoriness in painting.

Yuri Yu. Gudymenko

pp. 71-81

The Architecture and Sculpture of the House of Arts in the Old Park: On the Style of Alexander Alekseev

The article considers the architectural and sculptural complex of the House of Arts in the Old Park (Staryy Park) of the Black Sea village of Kabardinka. This building, completed in 2020, is the creation of Alexander Alekseev. The relevance of the study is due to the need to highlight the works of this modern architect and sculptor, as well as to attract the public to the role of the Old Park in the cultural life of Russia. The aim of the article is to identify the stylistic features of the architecture and sculpture of the House of Arts in the Old Park of Kabardinka. The research objectives are: 1) to analyze the three-dimensional structure and solution of the building facades; 2) to identify the plastic characteristics of the sculptural design of the building; 3) to determine the specifics of the artistic and figurative structure of the House of Arts.

Keywords: Old Park in Kabardinka, House of Arts, features of Alexander Alekseev’s architectural and sculptural style.

Svetlana L. Dmitrieva

pp. 81-93

On the Absence of an Inkwell in the Evangelist Luke: The Architectonics of the Miniatures of the Khitrovo Gospels and the Gospel of the Assumption Cathedral

The dispute over the authorship of the miniatures of the famous Moscow Gospels of the 15th century (the Khitrovo Gospels and the Gospel of the Assumption Cathedral) testifies to the unsurpassed value and significance of these works for Russian culture. It is suggested that the author could be one or more artists (among them are the names of Theophanes the Greek, Andrey Rublyov, Daniil Cherny and unknown artists). The latest studies of the Khitrovo Gospels (2014) speak of five different authors of the miniatures. The author analyzes the architectonics of miniatures with the evangelists. Using the methods of mathematical construction of the composition, the author determines that all the eight miniatures with the evangelists are built according to the same scheme: first, the artist built a circle circumscribing the book and the hands with the center at the point of contact of the pen and the page.

Keywords: Khitrovo Gospels, Gospel of the Assumption Cathedral, Andrey Rublyov, Fibonacci spiral, circle quadrature, Byzantine miniature, Russian miniature.

Raisa A. Suslova

pp. 93-104

Easel Printed Graphics in Volgograd Oblast: 2000–2020

The aim of the study was to analyze the state of easel printed graphics in Volgograd Oblast at the beginning of the 21st century. The object of the study was the graphic artists of Volgograd Oblast and their preferences when choosing techniques of easel printed graphics: etching, linocut, engraving on cardboard, monotype. The study used catalogs of art exhibitions, critical articles, personal files of artists stored in the Union of Artists of Russia, interviews of artists with the author of the article. The main material for the review of easel printed graphics were the works of Volgograd graphic artists from the collection of the Volgograd Museum of Fine Arts named after I. Mashkov, the Pushkin State Museum of Fine Arts, the State Museum of Fine Arts of the Republic of Tatarstan, works from the personal collections of artists. The article presents the masters of printed graphics in the region and determines the individual features of the use of various printed graphics techniques. 

Keywords: printed graphics, etching, monotype, linocut, engraving on cardboard, Volgograd.

Anna V. Filimonova

pp. 104-109

The Theme of the Great Patriotic War in the Works of Artists of the Severe Style

The memory of the national heroism of Soviet citizens forms the basis of the national spirit and pride in the country, national identity. Paintings dedicated to the Great Patriotic War are an important link in education and almost documentary evidence of the events of those years. Among the works about the Great Patriotic War, paintings of artists of the Severe Style are particularly distinguished. In 1958, the art critic N.A. Dmitrieva opened a discussion that outlined the criteria for a new style. The art critic A.A. Kamensky was the first to suggest a name for the new style. A study by A.I. Morozov is devoted to works of young artists of the 1960s–1980s. A number of art critics have written works with an analysis of paintings by artists of the Severe Style. Among modern studies, works by K.V. Karpova, T.P. Alekseeva, and N.V. Vinnitskaya, which analyze previous research and examine works that are significant for the history of the direction, are of particular relevance.

Keywords: Great Patriotic War, Severe Style, Soviet painting, Soviet art, color.

Uliana S. Kostyukova, Natalia B. Akoeva

pp. 110-116

The Symphony of the Finale in the Reflection of Domestic Musicology

The article examines the symphony of the finale from various angles presented in Russian musicology. In a multi-part composition, the result is marked with the finale, and the nature of the latter influences the meaning, or the general idea of the work. It seems relevant to consider one of the tendencies of the symphonic cycle – the strengthening of the drama of its last movement. The aim of the research is to study the specificity of the drama in the finale symphony. The research focuses on the theoretical problems of culminating the final part in the cycle. The research object is the complex of dramatic characteristics of the symphony of the finale in research by Russian musicologists.

Keywords: symphony of the finale, culmination, dramatic profile, concept.

Olga V. Shmakova

pp. 117-122

The Cultural and Existential Situation of the “First Buddhism” and the Modern World

Modern humanity has entered an era of deep crisis. On the one hand, it reached unprecedented heights of civilization and culture, but, on the other hand, the limit of the very possibility of its further existence was openly revealed. The consciousness of the unattainability of world history has created a problematic situation, intensifying interest in the history of the spiritual culture of humankind. A special place in these searches is occupied by the worldview of the “first Buddhism”. The core of the Buddha’s teachings is the way to overcome the cycle of life and ensure the fusion of the personal human soul with the Universal. Having been knocked out of the caste-determined society and forever losing a return to the world of lost well-being, the Buddha understood that the main obstacle here is the karmically deterministic cycle of life.

Keywords: Buddhism, information civilization, history, cosmic mind, progress.

Boris P. Borisov

pp. 123-134

Opportunities of Cultural Heritage in the Territory of the Republic of Crimea as a Universal Sphere of Interaction of Subjects of Passive Socioeconomic and Sociocultural Development

In the modern world, in the conditions of a post-industrial economy, problems of preserving and representing cultural heritage, as well as the search for mechanisms that allow using its potential in the development of territories, acquire particular relevance. The aim of this article is to reveal the possibilities of cultural heritage as a universal sphere of organizing interdepartmental interaction. The research object is cultural heritage as a universal sphere of interdepartmental interaction between the state, business and non-profit organizations in the development of society. This study proceeds from the polysemantic nature of the concept of cultural heritage, which necessitates the application of an interdisciplinary approach to its consideration.

Keywords: cultural heritage, state, interdepartmental interaction, cultural economics, cultural policy, sustainable development.

Olga I. Mikitinets, Svetlana V. Belkina

pp. 135-140

Heroes of American Comedy Films of the 1990s as a Reflection of the US Culture

The article presents the results of a study of the 1990s US comedy heroes as the embodiment of American culture. The aim of the study is achieved using a hermeneutic approach to cinematography with a subsequent analysis of the behavior and appearance of the typical heroes of US comedy films of the 1990s on the material of the films True Lies, Dumb and Dumber, and Liar, Liar. The study is based on a comparative method that allows correlating the movie characters, methods of analysis and synthesis.

Keywords: American comedy film, US culture, movie heroes, mentality, hermeneutics.

Vladimir N. Bedenko

pp. 141-142

Information About the Authors (in Russian)