Ideas and Ideals

The article presents the results of a study assessing the impact of economic freedom on economic growth and public welfare, which is based on a formalized theoretical representation of degrees of freedom in the form of a parabolic curve with an optimum and deviations from it. This notion of economic freedom echoes the vision of socially useful ‘private vices’ described in Bernard Mandeville’s “The Fable of the Bees”. The evaluation tool is a theoretical-analytical economic-mathematical model of economic reproduction, refl ecting the dynamic process of production and distribution of a public product. Imitation of the development of the socio-economic system with different degrees of economic freedom and in conditions of institutional transformations leading to a change in the degree of freedom confi rmed the expediency of striving for the optimum of freedom. At the same time, contradictions were revealed that arise in the simulated system due to the ambiguity of the interests of economic agents involved in the reproduction process. It also shows the contradictory nature of the institutional reforms themselves, which have far different consequences for different social strata with overall positive changes in the economy.

The planning process is important for the rhythmic functioning of an organization. Planning at each stage of the production process leads to forecasting fi nancial results, in particular the profi t from sales of the organization.  As a rule, in the process of forecasting profi t from sales, only internal factors or processes that infl uence the organization’s activities are taken into account. The purpose of this paper is to substantiate the use of correlation and regression analysis as a tool for forecasting profi ts from a sales organization. The paper considers two approaches to forecasting profi t from sales, taking into account, among other things, the infl uence of external factors affecting organizations whose main activity is related to the rental and management of its own or leased real estate. The fi rst approach to profi t forecasting is based on the direct counting method and economic and mathematical algorithms. The second approach is the use of correlation and regression analysis, based on the infl uence of selected external factors. Profi t forecasting using correlation-regression analysis showed that the average rental price of commercial real estate has a negative relationship with sales profi t, and the amount of electricity consumed has a positive relationship with profi t from sales. Based on the results of the correlation analysis, it can be concluded that changes in the rental price of commercial real estate and the volume of electricity consumed affect the company’s sales profi t.  The value of the forecast sales profi t obtained under the optimistic scenario, calculated by the direct calculation method, is close to the forecast values calculated by the methods of correlation and regression analysis, which proves the importance of using this forecasting tool.

The article discusses the issue of crediting medium-sized companies in the current economic situation under the infl uence of sanctions. It examines the specifi cs of lending to these companies under such conditions. The author used methods such as complex analysis and system analysis. The paper considers the impact of economic restrictions on the Russian economy over the past decade, with a focus on sanctions imposed since 2022. Complex analysis allowed identifying the impact of sanction pressure on the crediting process. System analysis helped establish internal links between risks associated with lending under sanctions and decision-making regarding lending to individual borrowers. A list of the main risks associated with the implementation of a credit mechanism for companies borrowing from banks under the sanctions regime was formulated. The article explores the transformation of trade in trucks and other specialized equipment under economic constraints, as well as the tools banks use to assess the possibility of lending to these borrowers in current conditions.

The article highlights the features of car dealerships and analyzes the truck market in 2023: 144,000 new trucks were sold in the fi rst 12 months of 2023, accounting for 3.9 % of the overall cargo market in the country. There has been a shortage of heavy-duty tractors, estimated at 40,000 units. The top-selling tractor brands were identifi ed – domestic Kamaz and Chinese brands such as Dongfeng, Shacman, Howo, and Sitrak. Historical information is presented on the development of the truck market since 2022, including the role of credit institutions in promoting Chinese models. The activities of a Russian freight transport dealer (the name and location of the company are confi dential and subject to bank privacy) are analyzed using the author’s risk assessment method to determine the potential for lending to this business.

This article discusses the possibilities of using foresight analysis methods in relation to the issue of food supply. Taking into account the fact that food markets are a rather complex object of study, and food supply depends not only on quantitative (volume of consumption, total calorie intake), but also qualitative parameters (quality of nutrition, structure and macronutrient composition of the food basket, provision of micronutrients, etc.), using only quantitative, economic and statistical methods for analysis is inappropriate. The best effect can be achieved by foresight techniques that take into account non-trivial, deep connections and allow a more comprehensive look at the phenomenon under consideration.

Taking into account the above, the authors systematized modern approaches to foresight analysis, considered the most effective methods, such as identifying weak signals and wild card events, and also identifi ed the features of using these methodological approaches for analyzing food markets, which are subject to a wide range of diffi cult to predict climatic and technogenic factors, as well as factors of geopolitical and macroeconomic nature. An emphasis on identifying implicit connections, and also predicting key reference points that can have a decisive impact on the development of food markets, can help improve economic resilience in the face of emerging global food crises.

Thus, the study allows us to conclude that the use of modern foresight analysis methods for studying food supply issues is highly relevant. Identifi cation of weak signals and wild card events can allow a more rational and realistic approach to constructing scenarios for the development of food industry sectors, as well as early identifi cation of potential threats that could destabilize the situation and have a signifi cant negative impact on the level of food supply, both at the level of individual countries and in the world at large.

The question of optimal monetary policy is one of the most controversial among economists in different countries of the world. The answer to this is largely determined by the way money is formed in the economy. According to modern macroeconomic concepts, money supply can be infl uenced by factors other than monetary policy. This article discusses the main theoretical approaches to determining the mechanisms of formation of the money supply. The main attention is paid to the post-Keynesian theory of endogenous money supply, within which the accommodation and structuralist approaches dominate. Both approaches are based on the premise that the money supply in the country is affected by changes in bank loans. However, they differ in the degree to which the monetary regulator satisfi es the banks’ need for loans: full (accommodation) and partial (structuralism).

The main source of money supply growth in the modern world is the credit channel, which is considered key from the standpoint of post-Keynesianism, but considering the Russian economy in retrospect, one cannot help but note two more important sources, such as the currency channel, which was of great importance in the 2000s, and the fi scal channel, which currently also plays an important role in changes in the money supply. Since 2013, the Central Bank has been actively using such a regulatory instrument as the key interest rate in its monetary policy, which is consistent with the position of post-Keynesianism. Using the conducted theoretical review, as well as an analysis of the current state of the Russian money market and monetary policy, it is concluded that there are prerequisites for the endogeneity of the Russian money supply, which provides grounds for further analysis of the cause-and-effect relationships of key macroeconomic indicators using econometric models.

In the modern world, tourism, as an industry of interconnected sectors, infl uences the development of specifi c sectors of the economy and performs social and cultural functions. The article presents the author’s position, based on summaries of existing approaches and considering the paradigms of urbanization theory, that urban spaces today serve as a unifying sphere for various types of tourism, which are viewed as structural components of urban tourism. Based on the research fi ndings, the author provides a unique interpretation of the concepts ‘urban tourism’ and ‘urban tourism services market’, characterizing the urban tourism services market of Novosibirsk by highlighting various types of tourism resources – cultural-historical, architectural, infrastructural, etc.; the necessity for theoretical exploration of specifi c aspects of the urban tourism services market is argued. In particular, the possibility and necessity of implementing a conceptual economic model for assessing the current state and forecasting the development of the urban tourism services market based on the identifi cation of basic factors of its functioning – demand potential and supply potential – are justifi ed. The role of investment policy in the development of the urban tourism services market and the possibility of using cluster tools to activate demand and stimulate the sale of urban tourism services in the metropolis are outlined.

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.