Ideas and Ideals

In many of his works, the great Russian writer and thinker F.M. Dostoevsky depicted the boundary between sleep and reality, reality and hallucination as fl exible, which was noted by many researchers of his work. However, most attempts to comprehend this led to the idea that Dostoevsky’s lack of such a boundary was caused by the madness that struck his characters (K.V. Mochulsky, D.R. Khapaeva, I.I. Evlampiev). With this interpretation of the problem, the idea that reality exists in itself is accepted as a starting premise, and a healthy person sees it as it is, and a mad person sees it as it appears in their altered consciousness. Indeed, in this case, there is a gap in the thesis bequeathed to us by Parmenides about the identity of being and thinking about it. Thus, we are talking about an ontological interpretation of the problem. According to N.A. Berdyaev, Dostoevsky was the most important anthropologist ever before and after him. And F.M. Dostoevsky himself wrote that he was ready to spend his whole life dealing with what a person is, because he wanted to be one. This means that the problems posed in his works need an anthropological interpretation, and in this article philosophical and anthropological analysis is used as the main research method. If we approach this problem from a philosophical and anthropological point of view and raise the question of what reality is for a person, then we should conclude that a person does not know what reality itself is if it is not preceded by a sense of reality for him. Accordingly, we can assert that the plasticity of the boundary between reality and hallucination, dream and reality is not caused by human disease. It is not given to him at all to fi nd out what reality looks like in itself, for a person it is a side of the imaginary. Thus, we understand that a person does not live in the world, but in a picture of the world, and no reality in itself exists for them.

The article examines A. Varlamov’s novel “My Soul Pavel” and its production at the Russian Academic Youth Theater (RAYT). The research methodology is based on the hermeneutical approach, and also relies on the techniques of narratological and intertextual analysis. As a result of the analysis, the features of the genre nature of the work are established; its mythopoetic basis; the functioning of the intertext in the novel; the ratio of the author and the hero. The author shows a change in the dramatization of the original conception of the novel by his grandmother.

In the structure of the novel, the author refers to the artistic possibilities of such techniques as intertextuality and autocitation. These techniques are aimed at an educated audience and connect the text with routine postmodern poetics. Varlamov’s scientifi c erudition and writing professionalism are manifested in a demonstrative reliance on a liminal plot and an initiation scheme. The genre characteristic of the work given by the author is ‘the novel of growing up’. In addition, the novel uses the plug-in genre of vision. In the image of the main character Pavel Nepomiluyev, such important features of the Russian mentality as the traditional idea of wandering and the cult of power formed by the Soviet era are combined. The relationship between the author and the hero is considered through the prism of M. M. Bakhtin’s concept and is classifi ed as characteristic of romantic literature. The hero’s growing up implies his discovery of the negative aspects of Soviet reality: such as irresponsible management, theft, national problems, and the death of the village. The novel establishes an understanding of the elite of society as people who are fi rst and foremost distinguished by their love for their Motherland.

In the play “My Soul Pavel” in RAYT, playwright Polina Babushkina changed the concept of the novel, shifting the focus to criticism of the Soviet way of life. The mystical storylines of the text have been eliminated from the production, including an important episode of the vision for the meaning of the whole. However, there are interesting staging solutions in the play: reading a fragment of “The Tale of Igor’s Campaign”, an independent musical series involving a variety ensemble. As a conclusion, it is said about the modernity and artistic independence of the novel, as well as that the play is able to live on the stage of the theater, having internal resources for modifi cation.

The author of the article examines the dynamics of images of Russia in the works of art of Yu. V. Mamleyev. In the writer’s early works there is no refl ection on Russia as a historical and cultural whole. Mamleyev depicts the hidden world of Soviet marginals who undermine their consciousness with crimes and sexual deviations. The fear of death awakens the attraction to it and the desire of the heroes to know death, fi nding themselves in an uncertain state between life and death. The image of “external” Russia in Mamleyev’s early works is also deeply pathological and demonstrates all kinds of mental disorders among its inhabitants. The writer’s departure for emigration awakened an interest in artistic refl ection on the present and future of Russia in him. Now madness and lack of depth (two-dimensionality) seem to the author to be its essential characteristics. The story “Refl ection” captures this image of Russia, which has lost its cultural identity and is deprived of historical memory. After returning to his homeland, the writer’s work became increasingly marked by apocalyptic motifs, characteristic of the national cultural tradition. In the novel “After the End,” Mamleyev creates an image of Russia in the distant future after the End of the World. It is inhabited by creatures deprived of the image and likeness of God, and seized by all kinds of madness. Their existence is an existence between life and death. It’s unbearable. But there are only two ways to get out of it: either to disappear completely from all levels of reality, or to leave the divine Creation into the Abyss of Non-Existence, devoid of any potential. In both cases, this means the end of the Russian Idea, the end of Russia. The author’s inability to fi nd an artistic embodiment of a different, positive image and meaning of Russia’s existence forces him to turn to philosophical journalism, where he constructs his ideal of “eternal Russia.”

In fi lm theory, in the hermetically academic form to which it has come today, there is a quasi-conciliatory conventionality, according to which any fi lm text fi nds its ‘legitimate’ place in the catalog of types, genres, movements, historical and cultural contexts. In the spirit of postmodernism, as described by Jean-François Lyotard, mass cinema is no longer the antithesis of cinema-as-art, but yet another ‘kind’ of cinema, etc. This allegedly allows one to think cinema as a totality, albeit diverse, but still united by a certain general principle. Using the example of Sergei Eisenstein’s and Andrei Tarkovsky’s approaches to constructing and understanding the fi lm image, this article shows that it is possible to talk about different cinemas, phenomena which differ not just on the dramatic or aesthetic level, but rather on the ontological one. We use the theme of hieroglyph and the East, which the above-mentioned fi lmmakers have been addressing in their theoretical works, while understanding it in completely different ways, as a template by which their fi lms are assessed. The differences that appear at the level of interpretation of the hieroglyph allow, in turn, to deduce fundamental differences inherent not only in those specifi c theorists and practitioners of cinema, but also to outline two essentially contradictory traditions of cinema, one of which, as it seems at the moment, has suppressed and supplanted the other.

This article explores the development of Orientalism in the works of Sergei Rachmaninoff, who, infl uenced by both Russian and Eastern musical traditions, creates a unique synthesis of cultural elements. Here, the expression of national identity is refl ected through the lens of personal experience. The music of one of the greatest Russian composers of the 20th century represents a complex intertwining of cultural infl uences, emphasizing the uniqueness of the Russian character, which is marked by a pursuit of infi nity and freedom through the concept of “elemental forces”, as well as through symbols of rebellion, space, and solitude. The article highlights the importance of understanding Russian culture not merely as a collection of customs and traditions, but as a valuable mosaic piece of the global cultural palette, unique in its multifaceted nature and depth of meaning. The author analyzes how Eastern motifs in the composer’s works become not just exotic insertions, but vital structural components that refl ect the musician’s inner world and personal experiences. Through an examination of pieces such as “Piano Concerto No. 2”, “Symphony No. 2”, “Études-Tableaux for Piano, Op. 39”, and “Alexander Nevsky”, it is shown how Rachmaninoff transforms Eastern melodies, adapting them to his artistic language and creating multilayered musical textures. The article emphasizes that Orientalism in Rachmaninoff’s music serves not only as a means of self-expression but also as a philosophical tool for contemplating questions of human nature and identity.

In conclusion, it is underscored that the composer shapes a musical space where personal and national experiences intertwine, creating a profound emotional revelation that mirrors the complex nature of the Russian spirit, refl ecting its quest for self-understanding and comprehension of the surrounding world. It concludes that through his artistry, Sergei Vasilievich Rachmaninoff advocates for the preservation and understanding of Russian culture as an integral part of the world’s cultural heritage, which is crucial not only for maintaining historical memory and spiritual legacy but also for enriching humanity as a whole.

The article highlights the key principles of organizing exhibitions in the USSR and their implementation in the projects of the national pavilion at the Venice Biennale. At the beginning of the period under study, the Soviet pavilion is organized according to the principle of all-Union exhibitions: the national and cultural diversity of the country and the continuity of generations are demonstrated in the group exhibitions. Various types of fi ne art are presented, glorifying the ideals of socialism. Subsequently, political changes in the country are refl ected in the exhibition of the national pavilion. The promotion of Soviet realistic art occurs through cultural policy, with an increased focus on the tastes of the audience and adjustment to the format of the Biennale. Criticism becomes less harsh, and solo exhibitions of once banned avant-garde artists are held. There is an increasingly noticeable integration into the pan-European artistic context. This trend reached its culmination in 1990, when a Russian exhibition was devoted to pop-artist Robert Rauschenberg. 

The article also explores the question of who performed curatorial functions in the Soviet Union. The Venice Biennale is examined as an artistic, economic and political event, based on an analysis of its most striking projects and scandals. Based on archives, interviews and articles, a curatorial system is recreated. The need for a non-binary approach to the study of Soviet culture is noted, in which the offi cial and the private or underground cannot be opposed, just as the artistic and ideological aspects of the exhibition cannot exist in isolation.

The article discusses the institution of presidency, which has a signifi cant impact on the cultural policy and ‘cultural sovereignty’ of Pridnestrovie. It is noted that the development of the culture of the republic is directly related to the personality of the leaders of the PMR, their involvement in the cultural and historical processes taking place in the state.

It is noted that the institution of the presidency acts as the effective imperative for the development of the country’s cultural policy under the infl uence of the legal status, territorial location of the republic and the established educational and award system. Collectively, these form a creative community and cultural leaders, determining the content core of their functioning, the intentionality of the socio-cultural functioning of the region, preserving its uniqueness and “cultural sovereignty”. Using the prism of educational, enlightening and leisure activities, and the correlation of the functioning of national-cultural associations and creative unions, three stages are considered; a different stage for when the young republic had different leaders. It is demonstrated how a change in the socio-moral differentiation of priorities, due to a change in the course pursued by the institute of presidency, leads to certain “swings” in society, a violation of the parity of multicultural interests, and an imbalance in the spiritual consciousness of cultural elites. And it is proven that it is the personal involvement of the head of state, especially in a presidential republic, under the infl uence of internal political events, that infl uences the content core and accents in cultural policy, the pace of fulfi llment of the designated tasks, and the degree of their implementation.

A historiographical review of the cultural policy of Transnistria is presented, examining the identifi cation of the main directions of development at the end of the 20th and the fi rst quarter of the 21st centuries. The author uses promising methodological approaches to conducting cultural research based on a synthesis of practical, experimental methods and theoretical understanding of scientifi c results.

The subject of the article is neopragmatic aesthetics; its formation, methodological foundations and specifi city of the object of research. To reveal the stated goal, the author turns to the works of the American philosopher Richard Shusterman, who most consistently and clearly substantiates his philosophical position. The American philosopher, despite the strong infl uence of the analytical school, restores the connection with pragmatism, with the aesthetics of John Dewey, points out the dead ends and problematic points of the analytical approach. The article presents the evolution of American philosophical aesthetics with an emphasis on the transitional stage from the analytic tradition to a neopragmatic one. It is shown that Shusterman’s attempt to get rid of the “Platonic stigma” in the philosophy of art is carried out at the expense of criticizing analytic aesthetics. Thus, Shusterman makes critical arguments about the established habit of identifying art in its multivariate manifestation with the notion of “high” fi ne art associated with the sublime and true art. Shusterman shifts the focus of attention from the problem of defi ning art to the analytics of aesthetic experience, which allows him to transform aesthetics into somaesthetics - a body-oriented, practical philosophical discipline. The author concludes that Shusterman’s concept of somaesthetics emerges in a polemic with fundamentalist foundations in aesthetics, namely, the tradition of distinguishing objects, works of art from what is not, i.e. defi ning art. The author notes that a key fi gure for the formation of the theoretical basis of somaesthetics was Shusterman’s acquaintance with the position of Noel Carroll, who moves from the search for the essence of art to the investigation of the internal standards and motives of art. Schusterman, picking up on this strategy, affi rms his anti-essentialist position. In polemics with his colleagues, he shifts and rethinks the problem fi eld of aesthetics, declaring war on “Platonism,” criticizing the Greek philosophical tradition, to which we owe the fact that practical activity has become valued much less than theoretical activity. Along with this, the author concludes about Shusterman’s sophistic strategy and logic of thinking, citing arguments from the work of postmodernist researcher Barbara Cassin.

The subject of research in this article is the artistic practices of modern Russian Germans, implemented within the framework of the cultural festival “German Sloboda”. It is proved that festival artistic practices belong to the “culture of ethnos” (according to V. G. Babakov’s classifi cation), that is, they are a combination of ethnic and externally introduced components. The latter are the artistic practices of postmodernism, such as performance, happenings, environment and their varieties. The scientifi c novelty of this work is the consideration of the traditional culture of Russian Germans in the context of artistic forms, methods and techniques of modern times. The objectives of the work include: an analysis of the artistic practices of the cultural festival of Russian Germans “German Sloboda” from the point of view of correlating ethnic content and modern forms of its presentation, as well as the development of the above-mentioned artistic practices in the history of the festival. To achieve the set goals and objectives, a historical-genetic method is used, which allows us to trace the relationship between ethnic traditional and modern innovation in artistic practices, as well as a structural-functional method that demonstrates the artistic practices of modern Russian Germans as an integral part of their spiritual culture. As a result of the analysis of the artistic practices of the cultural festival of Russian Germans “German Sloboda”, a conclusion is made about the culture of modern Russian Germans as a synthesis of the immanent and transcendent, as a combination of following the sociocultural experience of previous generations – traditions – and the desire of the current generation for changes – innovations. The “culture of ethnos” of modern Russian Germans is in the stage of modifi cation and transformation of its forms, creative experimentation, search for an individual-personal beginning with constant reliance on the collective traditional experience of the past. The seven-year history of the cultural festival of Russian Germans “German Sloboda” clearly demonstrates the active use of postmodern artistic practices, in which art leaves traditional spaces (galleries, museums, concert or theater halls) and conquers new spaces that are not necessarily associated with art.

The article discusses the problem of rejecting the image of beauty in modern dance. It is indicated that the theme of despair, fear, violence and depression begins to dominate in modern dance since its inception in the 20s of the last century. The characteristic features of movements and plasticity in expressionist dance, in the school of M. Graham, are described: broken vertical, inwardly turned chest and feet, sharpness and convulsiveness of movements, blows aimed at oneself, etc. The article consistently examines the possible causes of this trend, such as technical ease and accessibility, lower energy cost of ‘sad dances’, as well as the opportunity to demonstrate originality, nonconformism, express social protest, etc. There is an opinion that the expression of pathological motives, negative feelings, fears in art contributes to the liberation from their destructive effect in real life. This approach is questioned, because there is also a reverse mechanism: as a result of viewing relevant plots (for example, scenes of violence), infection with emotions occurs, role models arise, and the thresholds of what is permissible decrease. Along with criticism of a number of trends in contemporary art, the importance of the concept of ugliness for culture is emphasized. Meeting one’s own infi rmity and imperfection, be that physical, psychological or moral, plays an essential role in the spiritual development of a person. However, modern art, including the dance performances considered, follow the path of establishing ugliness as a new norm and cultivate the perverted reality of the ‘sick’ creativity of a disintegrating personality. The expression of beauty, on the contrary, is characteristic of an integral personality striving for perfection and praising life.