Том 30, № 3 (2025): NEW INDIAʼS VOICE: MEDIA, CULTURE, AND COMMUNICATION
- Жылы: 2025
- Мақалалар: 20
- URL: https://journals.rcsi.science/2312-9220/issue/view/23712
- DOI: https://doi.org/10.22363/2312-9220-2025-30-3
Бүкіл шығарылым
EDITORIAL COLUMN
459-465
LITERARY CRITICISM
Fleeting Miracles: The Promise and Paradox of Eucatastrophe in Chekhov’s The Black Monk
Аннотация
The examined Anton Chekhov’s novella The Black Monk (1894), focusing on its exploration of eucatastrophe - a term coined by J.R.R. Tolkien to describe sudden turns from despair to joy. The story follows Andrey Kovrin, whose ecstatic visions lead to madness by illustrating the fragile nature of human existence tied to ambition, delusion, and longing for greatness. This study highlights how Chekhov subverts traditional fantasy structures. Through close reading, the analysis examines key passages to explore how eucatastrophe appears in the story with focus on Kovrin’s psychological state and transformative experiences. The findings show that, unlike typical fantasy, where eucatastrophe brings resolution, Chekhov twists this by showing that moment of inspiration and quest for enlightenment can end in doom and despair. Future research could explore the blend of psychological realism and supernatural mysticism in Chekhov’s works, along with comparisons to other Russian authors, to deepen our understanding of madness and the search for meaning. The contemporary relevance of The Black Monk in discussions of mental health and artistic ambition could also be explored.
466-476
The Military Prose by I.S. Shmelev and G.D. Grebenshchikov: Genre Strategies
Аннотация
The examined the main fire models of the military prose by G.D. Grebenshchikov and I.S. Shmelev. The relevance of the work is determined both by the selected material - littlestudied and first introduced into scientific circulation essays and stories about the First World War, and by the aspect of research - identifying the specifics of the author’s positions and genre strategies of writers. The task is to compare the war correspondence of Grebenshchikov, a participant in the First World War, whose essays are a look at the events from the inside and Shmelev, who spent the war years in the rear, a view from the outside: the perception of the war by ordinary people in the hinterland. The various life and creative positions of the authors contribute to recreating an objective picture of the First World War. This approach to the work of writers makes it possible to identify Grebenshchikov’s main genre models - notes, sketches, travel essays with a predominance of autobiographical motives, as well as a tendency to fictionalize Shmelev’s military prose. At the same time, both prose writers have similar genre strategies associated with the evolution from essays and short stories to the novel form.
477-488
The Etymology of the Title of A.P. Platonov’s Novel Chevengur and its Reflection in the Ideological Content of the Work
Аннотация
The purpose of this study is to determine a possible new etymology of the title of A.P. Platonov’s novel Chevengur and to track the reflection in the text of the novel of possible translations of this title into Russian. The relevance of the research is determined by the fact that the philosophical novel Chevengur is the main work of A.P. Platonov and invariably attracts the attention of researchers in Russia and abroad, since it touches on eternal questions of existence. Explanatory-etymological, comparative-linguistic and intertextual methods are used. The etymology of the title of A.P. Platonov’s novel Chevengur and its existing etymologizations are considered. A new hypothesis is put forward about the origin of the name ‘Chevengur’ from the Armenian-Turkic word ‘chilingar’, which is substantiated by the proven facts of A.P. Platon ov’s contacts with representatives of the Armenian community of Voronezh even before starting work on the novel Chevengur . The use of the words ‘master’, ‘locksmith’ and ‘blacksmith’ and their derivatives, which are variants of the translation of the word ‘chilingar’ into Russian, is traced in the text of the novel by A.P. Platonov. It is proved that these words are used in connection with the main ideas of Chevengur - a reflection in it of N.F. Fedorov’s Philosophy of the Common Task on the universal resurrection of the dead and the motive of the master and craftsmanship. This circumstance can serve as a reinforcement of the hypothesis about the Armenian-Turkic etymology of the name ‘Chevengur’. N.N. Borovko’s hypothesis about A.M. Gorky as a possible prototype of the blacksmith characters in the novel, Sotykh and Yakov Titych, is also considered, and it is recognized that it has a right to exist, the connection of these characters with the Philosophy of the Common Task is traced. There is also a combination in A.P. Platonov’s novel Philosophy of Common Task with social Darwinism, which is also reflected in A.P. Platonov’s article Communism and the Heart . The ideas of social Darwinism were embodied in the episodes of the extermination of the ‘bourgeoisie’ and the expulsion of the ‘semi-bourgeoisie’ in Chevengur, leaving only the ‘chosen’ communards alive.
489-499
Space and Narrative in the Short Story by e.I. Zamyatin The Meeting
Аннотация
The short story The Meeting by E.I. Zamyatin has hardly been studied by researchers as an independent work. However, it is of considerable interest in the context of the reception of cinematography in the literature of the first half of the 20th century and in the literature of the Russian abroad of the first wave of emigration. At that time, the writer, like many of his contemporaries, addressed the problem of the interaction of literature and cinema, tried to unravel the phenomenon of cinematography, and also worked on scripts. In this regard, the reflection of the theme of cinema in the writer’s work is understandable. In addition, the role of space in the story remained underestimated for a long time. At the same time, the analysis of the narration in the work was covered in individual works of modern literary scholars, but the authors’ main attention was focused on the narrative techniques borrowed from cinematography and the indication of the presence of an unreliable narrator in the story. The aim of the work is to identify the features of the space and its connection with the narrative. The study is based on descriptive-functional, cultural-historical and hermeneutic-interpretative methods. The article analyzes the image of space in accordance with the established image of cinema in the Silver Age and the writer’s attitudes: attitude to cinematography, worldview, established creative principles. The role of this category in the organization of the narrative is studied, their interaction is obvious. The results of the work showed that the images and actions of the characters are consistent with the reality surrounding them. The connection between the space of the story and the features of the narrative is proven. A conclusion is made about the possible correlation of the images of cinema characteristic of the 20th century with the general ideological attitudes and creative views of Zamyatin and their reflection in the story The Meeting at different levels.
500-507
The Ballad of the Little Tugboat in the Context of Brodsky’s Poetry
Аннотация
Examined Brodsky’s first published poem, The Ballad of the Little Tugboat , in connection with other texts by the poet: Stanzas , Stanzas to the City , Poems in April , and some others. The introduction provides the history of the publication of The Ballad... ; the main part offers a detailed analysis of the poetics of the work. It is noted that Brodsky puts the genre definition of ‘ballad’ in the title of several more texts: The Ballad of Lermontov , Melancholic Ballad , Poems and Ballad from a Letter to E. Rein , Ballad with a Parcel . The source of most of these texts is the Maramzin’s Collection , the first self-publishing collection of Brodsky’s works, which contains unpublished texts by the poet. In addition, Brodsky’s ‘ballad’ texts are considered as part of the process of rethinking and overcoming the canons of the ballad genre in 20thcentury poetry. Comparing the Ballad of the Little Tugboat with the poe’s ‘adult’ poems allows it to be included in the circle of Brodsky’s metaphysical and ‘autobiographical’ poetry. An analysis of the image of the tugboat in Brodsky’s work allows us to conclude that the tugboat in the poet’s artistic world is an individual, free, romantic and at the same time stoic consciousness resisting the automatism of perception of life, whose choice is to swim ‘against the current’.
508-519
From Reading to Creativity: The Concept ‘Library’ in Valery Mikhailov’s Essay-Novels about Russian Poets
Аннотация
V. Mikhailov is known in the global literary space as a poet, prose writer, and laureate of many international literary awards. His essay-novels Lermontov, Boratynsky, and Zabolotsky gained wide recognition and received positive reviews from critics in Russia, Germany, and Kazakhstan. The aim of this study is to reveal how, in texts of the biographical genre, the author traces the evolution of the protagonists’ interest from reading to mastering the craft of writing. In the process of the protagonists’ personal and literary development, home libraries play a significant role. The home library, as a concept of knowledge, was an essential companion during the childhood of N. Zabolotsky and V. Khlebnikov - the idol of the 20th century Russian poet. A love for the spoken word, legends, and fairy tales grew into a love for books. A man of deep thought and feeling, N. Zabolotsky understood his high calling but referred to it with a simple word - profession. Alongside reading, the natural world awakened in the future poet a thirst for knowledge, and its imagery is reflected in many of his poems. While imitating V. Mayakovsky, A. Blok, and S. Yesenin, the widely-read N. Zabolotsky was more profoundly influenced by V. Khlebnikov. The novelty of this article lies also in its exploration of the influence of Russian Symbolists on the creative work of N. Zabolotsky.
520-528
Mythopoetics of M. Mokaev: The Mountain Archetype
Аннотация
Examined the figurative realizations of one of the key archetypes in the poetics of M. Mokaev. The mountain, as a form of the material world, is an archetype of the ‘top’, symbolizing strength, connection with the divine. The path of spiritual enlightenment is associated with the motive of overcoming difficulties and trials. Mythological nominations act as carriers of value guidelines, correlate with the motive of inspiration, creative growth. In the poetry of the Balkarian writer, new information about the symbol is observed, presented in the form of author’s associations dating back to precedent texts. It is proved that the artistic system of M. Mokaev at a deep level is closely connected with the archaic ideas of the people, the cultural and historical chronotope. The correlation of spatial semantics with the mythological code is revealed in the poetic text through locative antitheses (profane/sacred, one’s own / someone else’s). As a result, it was revealed that the archetypal symbol of the mountain, on the one hand, is a fragment of an individual picture of the world, on the other hand, it interacts with universal categories and value orientations for world literature. The mythologem of the mountain contains not only a reference to myth as a text, but also goes back to myth as a genre, which creates a prerequisite for a mythological situation (‘life is an ascent’). Studying the poet’s idiostyle through the prism of the concepts of ‘archetype as a thought form’ (according to Yu. Lotman) allows us to penetrate more deeply into the author’s intent, to holistically present the artistic and aesthetic system of the writer.
529-538
Donna Tartt’s Novel The Secret History in the Context of the Crisis of Postmodernism
Аннотация
This study aims to identify the unique features of postmodernist and metamodernist discourse in D. Tartt’s novel The Secret History . The synthesis of these characteristics enables the characterization of this work as a transitional phenomenon, reflecting the crisis of the fundamental attitudes of postmodernism and the formation of the artistic paradigm of metamodernism. The scientific novelty of the work is related to the shift of the text analysis perspective from the consideration of moral issues and genre uniqueness to the inclusion of the novel in the context of fundamental changes of the post-postmodern era. The findings of this study demonstrate that the poetics The Secret History are predominantly shaped by the distinctive characteristics of postmodernism, as manifested through the narrator’s mosaic consciousness, the absence of moral and ethical imperatives, the intertextual inclusions that contribute to the novel’s semantic field, and the dissolution of the dichotomy between ‘elite’ and ‘mass’ culture. The subsequent section aims to substantiate the thesis that D. Tartt’s debut novel exhibits characteristics that transcend the postmodernist paradigm, thereby unveiling pivotal tendencies inherent in metamodernism: an appeal to the traumatic experience of the past, the issue of reflection, the articulation of authentic sentiments, and the aspiration to establish a cohesive social community, in contrast to the postmodern disconnectedness.
539-547
American Systematic Violence as an Imputes of Muslim Oppression in Home Boy by H.M. Naqvi
Аннотация
The contemporary British-born Pakistani author H.M. Naqvi (b. 1973) has written two novels. His first novel, Home Boy (2009), narrates the socio-cultural dilemma of the Muslim character Chuck and how the American society scents him as a lower individual in post9/11 attacks. This study focuses on the oppression of Muslim minority characters in American society, as I assume that America is reflective of the violent society, which is an essential problem to the oppression of Muslims in the selected novel. Using textual analysis methodology, I examine the depictions of Muslim minority characters by applying the concept of violence and its related critical insights of oppression by the American socio-feminist philosopher, Iris Marion Young. The objective of this study, thus, is to examine the author’s depictions of the American society as the violent society that oppresses the Muslim minority characters in the selected novel. The findings lie in demonstrating the Muslim characters’ oppressed state as a signifying factor of their vulnerable position amidst the violent American society.
548-557
Whose Water? A Critical Analysis of Climate Change, Hydropolitics and Environmental Justice in the Indian Graphic Novel All Quiet in Vikaspuri
Аннотация
This study explores the role of Indian literature in addressing socio-political and environmental issues with a primary case study of Sarnath Banerjee’s graphic novel All Quiet in Vikaspuri and investigates how the novel employs narrative fiction to expose not only several interlocking factors contributing to water scarcity and destruction of habitat but also an array of political projections. This novel is deeply questioning the critical issues of population control, environmental justice and economic restructuring. Employing qualitative literary analysis, the research delves into how the novel critiques socio-political structures and underscores the need for urgent changes to prevent further environmental degradation and human suffering. The findings reveal Banerjee’s novel urges readers to reflect on their role in the environment, far beyond mere entertainment. The novel disrupts global paradigms, questions established sociopolitical ideas and proposes a new horizon for life on Earth with full responsibility in respecting our environmental boundaries while pursuing social justice. The study finds that texts such as All Quiet in Vikaspuri are important environmental education and advocacy tools inspiring readers to imagine and implement a sustainable society. This research urges for a more inclusive understanding and enactment of sustainable solutions across all the ecologic-social nexus.
558-570
The Phenomenon of Identity Stratification in the Poetics of Modernism
Аннотация
The aim of the work is to represent the idea of the fractional perception of one’s own self within the boundaries of the poetic text using the example of the fusion of mystical, real and conventional playspace in the poems of O. Paz and G. Maliev. The scientific novelty of the research lies in the chosen aspect of studying the ways of selfidentification of the subject in the field of modernist discourse based on the example of Mexican and Ossetian literature. For the first time in the history of Ossetian philological research, Maliev’s work is subjected to a comprehensive literary analysis in the context of intercultural connections and influences. Paz’s and Maliev’s texts explicate the theory of stratified wholeness of understanding of the world and man in it. In Paz, the cyclical nature of the time loop and the division of the lyrical self reflects both the current methods of modernism - surrealistic games with the subconscious and creative techniques - and the idea of the eternal search for the ideal, lost time, the harmonious and enduring “now”. In Maliev’s work, the problem of identity manifests itself in the search for the self, through an attempt to meet the elusive guest, whose essence is something native, close and, at the same time, otherworldly and transcendent. The commonality of the poets’ worldview consists in the same choice of poetic space (night, deserted street) and in the impossibility to come into contact with a doppelgänger, a shadow, a guest, as an embodiment of the phenomenon of Ouroboros, a temporary loop of selfrejection in the world of looped loneliness. The result of the study presents the assertion that the search for selfhood in the literature of the early twentieth century moves away from tragic reality into a playful, conventional sphere, when the idea itself becomes the semantic center, and the end result is not as important as the striving for it.
571-577
JOURNALISM
Gandhi as a Brand: How Intermedia Advertisements Subvert His Transversal Values
Аннотация
Examined the process of media reinterpretation of Mahatma Gandhi’s legacy in 20th-21st century Indian advertising. Drawing on 37 case studies, it demonstrates how the philosopher’s transversal values (ahimsa, swaraj) are supplanted by commercial narratives, reducing his ideas to utilitarian slogans. As a result, Gandhi’s iconography in popular culture transforms the philosopher into a brand serving consumer society, while advertising practices dilute his political philosophy, emphasizing superficial symbols (clothing, glasses) within the framework of heteronomous preferences. In the contemporary digital world, Gandhi’s transversal values are under threat. This process reflects a global trend of commodifying historical figures, where depth is replaced by questionable utility. The methodological framework combines visual analysis of advertising imagery and discourse analysis of its interplay with Gandhi’s original texts, worldview, and his archetype as a moral sage and mentor. The study contributes to the debate on the conflict between cultural memory and the logic of media markets.
578-588
Political Communications in India: Comparing the era of Nehru and Modi
Аннотация
India has experienced an intricate pattern of political communication in times of popular leaders which has shaped larger political discourses and narratives on nationalism, secularism, caste and class. The increasingly mediatized political communication merits a comparative between the Nehruvian era (1947-1964) and the contemporary times (Modi, 2014 - till now) as both the eras are led by popular leaders. This research attempts to evaluate the contours of mediatised political communication in India, through a qualitative content analysis of the political communication of the two leaders. The research utilises historical speeches and media interactions of the two leaders, using the archival data such as historical records, speeches, writings, newspaper articles and television broadcasts. The political communication between the Nehruvian and contemporary era is crucial in terms of both traditional media and new media. Nehru relied on traditional media for his communication and used a public place to address the masses fundamental issues of the country. Modi’s communication strategies emphasised new sources of media such as social media and online news and is focused on the individual-centric and mediacentric communication shaping the political narrative in contemporary India.
589-597
India-Pakistan Conflict on the Global Mental Landscape: Media Geographical Focus
Аннотация
Presented the results of a study of the behavior of the global Internet audience in relation to the conflict between India and Pakistan. For the first time in scientific research, the media geographic approach is applied to the analysis of this topic. The objective of the study is to identify semantic morphosculptures associated with the relations between India and Pakistan and determine their place in the global mental landscape. The methodology of the study was based on the theory of rank analysis. The chronological framework of the study covers the period from 2004 to May 2025. The results of the analysis of big data extracted using the Google Trends service showed that the semantic morphosculpture associated with IndoPakistani relations on the mental landscapes of a number of South Asian countries has become the Kashmir conflict. Correlations are revealed between the media space of the conflict, mediated by the world mass media, and the mental space manifested in the search queries of Internet users in different countries of the world. The results of the analysis of the dynamics of reactions of Internet audiences to conflict processes can become the basis for predicting the behavior of the population in conditions of their escalation and modeling solutions.
598-609
Social Media and Social Isolation among Indian Digital Natives: emerging Ramifications of Digital Citizenship
Аннотация
The pervasive integration of social media platforms into the daily lives of digital natives represents a complex socio-technological phenomenon with profound implications for social cohesion, psychosocial development, and mental health trajectories. Given India’s diverse social fabric, understanding these dynamics is critical for societal stability and cultural continuity. The present investigation employs a quantitatively driven methodology to elucidate the nuanced relationships between social media engagement patterns and social isolation among digital natives in Delhi, a microcosm exemplifying India’s rapidly digitizing demographic. Analytical results demonstrate statistically significant positive correlations: social isolation exhibits strong associations with social media usage frequency, perceived digital social support, and dependency on social media platforms. Findings substantiate the hypothesis that heightened engagement with social media - particularly among Indian digital users - correlates with attenuated face-to-face interactions, increased subjective feelings of loneliness, and exacerbated social fragmentation. Given the heterogeneity of India’s social fabric, these emergent patterns of digital-induced social disintegration necessitate culturally sensitive intervention strategies. Recommendations include promoting balanced digital consumption through digital literacy programs, strengthening offline social competencies, and fostering community-based engagement initiatives - aimed at mitigating social isolation and safeguarding the social cohesion essential for India’s societal stability and cultural resilience.
610-620
Mediating Ecology within the Context of Marxist Discourse: An Inquiry into the Hindi Film Sherni
Аннотация
In the contemporary mediated era, cinema plays a crucial role in depicting and portraying the ecological connections between humans and non-humans, nature. Given the extractionist approach of capitalists in shaping the Anthropocene and the resilient practices of the communities against uncontrolled exploitation of natural resources, it becomes important to understand the changing metabolic rift between humans and nature. This study focuses on the Hindi film ‘Sherni’ (2021) as a reference point to comprehend the role of cinema in establishing the connection between society and the environment. Departing from typical Hindi film stereotypes, ‘Sherni’ addresses urgent issues related to human - nature, metabolic relationships, the environment, and the challenges faced by local communities to counter exploitative practices in the forest. The paper argues for the need to explore these changing metabolic rifts within the context of ecological communication. Using the Marxian concept of metabolic rift and content analysis, the film explores the complexities of humanenvironment relationships disrupted by forest and animal exploitation (tigress poaching), as well as displacement of local communities for capitalist gains. This brings forth the need to use ecological films as a tool to disseminate information and establish communication practices related to the environment in society.
621-631
INTERVIEW
632-643
REVIEWS
Existential Media Studies: A New Perspective on Human Existence in the Digital Environment
Аннотация
In foreign media studies since the early 2010s, a new direction has emerged that offers an original approach to studying media and various contemporary media phenomena - Existential Media Studies. The founder of this direction, Amanda Lagerkvist, emphasizes the need to fill the deficit of existential content in media theory. In this context, media are studied not as communication channels, social institutions, or material artifacts, but primarily as environments and ways of existence for modern humans. Central to this is the question of what it means to be human in the age of digitalization. Thus, media are examined from the perspective of ontological and philosophical-anthropological issues as an existential phenomenon, with key ideas and principles developed in existential philosophy of the 19th and 20th centuries serving as methodological foundations. This article outlines the main themes of existential media studies, which have shaped their development and current state. This work will contribute to further discussions about the prospects of existential media studies both abroad and in Russia.
644-654
Digital Transformation of Russian Video Game Media: Analysis of Key Online Platforms
Аннотация
Video games have established themselves as a key sociocultural phenomenon of the 21st century, which predetermined the formation of a specialized information field around them. This study is devoted to a comparative analysis of leading Russian online media specializing in video games. The aim of the study is to identify and analyze the similarities and differences between these platforms. To achieve this aim, the research involves reviewing the key stages of their development and determining the dominant thematic framework of their materials. The paper also focuses on the origins and significant milestones in the development of game journalism in Russia. Key findings include the systematization of the main thematic vectors characterizing the Russian gaming media landscape and the formation of a generalized portrait of the target audience. The dynamics of the game industry’s development, the specifics of adapting global trends within the Russian media environment, and persistent patterns of gaming content consumption confirm the high relevance and significant potential for further interdisciplinary researches in this field.
655-668