No 7 (2025)
Articles
The old song in dialogue with a work by a modern composer (dedicated to the 165th anniversary of the birth of the Russian songwriter Matvei Ozhegov)
Abstract
The article is dedicated to Matvey Ozhegov's 165th birthday. The article is devoted to the popular Russian song Mezh krutyh berezhkov ["Between the steep banks"]. Modern Russian composer Vladimir Ryabov used this music to create variations. It is noted that the author of this song is Matvei Ozhegov, a self-taught songwriter who worked at the turn of the XIX and XX centuries. He was born into a peasant family in Vyatka province. The process of popularization and cultural diffusion of his songs is described. Throughout his life, Matvei Ozhegov composed over a hundred and fifty «songs in the spirit of his native region’s people», as he put it himself, some of which have become an integral part of Russian musical culture. It is marked, Russian composers Igor Stravinsky and Dmitry Shostakovich quoted other song melodies by Matvei Ozhegov. The style of Vladimir Ryabov's compositions is characterized, in particular, his piano works in purpose to demonstrate the interaction of his variations with the melody of Matvei Ozhegov's song. The statements of authoritative experts in this field are given. An overview of his variation cycle "Twenty-five Russian folk Songs", consisting of two opuses, one of which includes the considered variations on the theme of the song Mezh krutyh berezhkov ["Between the steep banks"]. It is claimed that Ryabov doesn’t merely turn to the well-known melody of the song but treats his variations as a coherent musical and poetic work. The analysis of the substantial basis of the above-mentioned variations is carried out, for which the facets of the form and the elements of texture are correlated with the text of the song by Ozhegov. Offering own "program" of the work, the article proves that the composer not only managed to create virtuoso variations on the theme of the song, but also accurately convey the plot of the poetic text of Matvei Ozhegov in music.
Culture and Art. 2025;(7):1-11
1-11
Design of Immersive Scenes in Chinese Ink Painting: A Five-Sensory Experience Approach
Abstract
This research explores fusing traditional Chinese ink painting with digital immersive technologies (VR/AR, holography, touch sensors), focusing on creating multi-sensory experiences. It examines the unique aesthetic language and philosophical foundations of ink painting, particularly the "unity of man and nature," essence over realism, and fluid spatio-temporal composition. The study analyzes how effectively these technologies transmit ink painting's artistic language, using practical cases like the "Dream on the River" digital pavilion. A core contribution is developing a "synergy of the five senses" model for immersive scene design. This multisensory approach aims to overcome the limitations of the two-dimensional plane, deepen aesthetic appreciation, and create an environment where viewers feel like "traveling inside the painting." The primary goal is to provide new technical and aesthetic strategies for the living preservation of traditional cultural heritage, enhancing its appeal and accessibility, especially for younger generations. An interdisciplinary methodology combines art history, digital technology, and sensory perception. Theoretical analysis deciphers ink painting's philosophy and aesthetics, while case studies (like "Dream on the River") systematically evaluate the effectiveness of translating artistic features into immersive environments. The key scientific novelty lies in proposing and applying the "synergy of the five senses" concept to immersive exhibition design. Moving beyond predominantly visual approaches, this study offers a holistic model activating all senses for a comprehensive aesthetic experience. This opens new prospects for preserving and revitalizing traditional art digitally and establishes a foundation for further research into cross-modal interaction within art and design.
Culture and Art. 2025;(7):12-31
12-31
Research of methods of analysis and visual transmission of cultural heritage in the design of the city brand
Abstract
The subject of the research is the expression of local cultural heritage elements in the visual system of the city brand and the methods of their visual translation. The object of the research is the elements of cultural heritage in the visual system of the city brand. Unlike the author's previous publication in the journal, this paper proposes for discussion a three-level way of expression: "cultural purification - form reconstruction - visual communication". Three translation methods are analyzed in detail: purification and recoding of symbols, pattern deconstruction and rhythm reorganization, as well as reconstruction and symbolization of the regional color spectrum. This study is devoted to the artistic expression of local cultural heritage in the design of visual elements of the city brand and substantiates how cultural symbols are translated into the image of the city. A method is used that combines theoretical research with case studies: collection and analysis of successful practices (Bishan, Luduan, Yunnan). Also semiotic analysis: interpretation of cultural symbols through the prism of the theory of signs (for example: Nuo masks as signs of ritual heritage). Visual Analysis of the Rhythm of Luduan Ornaments: A Field Study at the Stage of “Cultural Purification”. The study found that traditional cultural resources not only strengthen the recognition of urban culture through scientific visual reconstruction, but also expand the communication path of the brand system. This article provides a theoretical basis and methodological recommendations for the visual construction of urban brands, and considers a project path that can expand the possibilities of modern expression of cultural heritage. The scientific novelty of the study lies in overcoming the traditional linear model of “element extraction - simple application” by integrating three interrelated processes: decoding the cultural core, modern design reconstruction and optimization of communicative efficiency. The author develops a three-stage visual model (“cultural purification - formal reconstruction - visual communication”) that systematizes the logic of heritage transmission in urban branding, and also proposes three specific methods - symbolic purification, ornament restructuring and color adaptation - to improve the efficiency and applicability of the theory. Four principles of visual strategy are formulated: simplification, semantic consistency, modern aesthetics and systemic unity. Recommendations are given for integrating cultural heritage into visual systems of different types of city brands.
Culture and Art. 2025;(7):32-48
32-48
Documentary photography as a form of an author's statement about an event: the specifics of George Kadish's photo cycle
Abstract
George Kadish (1910–1997) was a Lithuanian Jew, photographer, and survivor of the Kaunas ghetto. For several years, he secretly documented the daily lives of ghetto prisoners. The object of research in this article is a series of photographs by George Kadish, taken in the Kaunas ghetto in the period from 1941 to 1944, and the subject of the study is the form of the author's statement about the event in documentary photography. The article proposes to analyze Kaddish images from the point of view of the duality of documentary photography as a direct and indirect statement about an event. The article pays special attention to the second type of documentary, which refers not only to the photograph itself, but also to the event as a whole, allowing the analysis of photography to go beyond its own framework. The proposed visual analysis is based on the Didi-Huberman approach. In analyzing the images, he pays special attention to the depicted space and random details, as well as the practice of photographing itself. This approach allows not only to describe the photos, but also to expand the possibilities of understanding them. The novelty of this study lies in the application of the Didi-Huberman methodology to the photographs of George Kadish. Within the framework of the analysis proposed in the article, several subject groups of photographs are considered. It is especially important to pay attention to those elements in the photo that may seem insignificant and uninformative at first glance. The article attempts to give these photographs a special witness status. They appear not only as fixed moments of that reality, but as the concentration of the prisoners' experience, which is never fully expressed. The article presents the point of view that these photographs appear to us, on the one hand, as fragments of individual experience, and on the other – as part of the collective experience of the Holocaust.
Culture and Art. 2025;(7):49-63
49-63
Gnostic images in the visual culture of modernity
Abstract
The visual culture at the turn of the 20th to the 21st century demonstrates a persistent interest in gnostic motifs, manifesting in film and media art as well as in performative, architectural, and bioart practices. The focus of the study is the analysis of visual forms in which gnostic knowledge is realized not as iconography but as a way of experiencing otherness, loss, and sacred rupture. The object of study is the visual culture of modernity as a field of representation of sacred knowledge in a post-secular context. The subject of the research includes gnostic images and their interpretation in contemporary visual practice—from cinema and bioart to installation, performative, and architectural forms. The emphasis is on the ways in which gnostic optics transform into visual codes that are not reducible to illustration but act as initiation, a gap in the sign, a challenge to the sensual. Special attention is given to how contemporary art uses light, emptiness, silence, and fragment not as formal techniques but as structures of sacred experience. Gnostic visuality is viewed as a form of pneumatic knowledge—not conveying meanings but invoking anamnesis. The research relies on the philosophy of the visual as a method of analyzing media representation of the sacred, the phenomenology of the image—to reveal the ontological status of the visual motif, hermeneutics of the symbol—for the interpretation of archetypal structures, and gnostic ontology—as a metaphysical framework for reading visual experience. The main conclusions of the study assert gnostic visuality as a special type of imagery manifested in contemporary artistic, performative, and cinematic practices, identifying mechanisms of remythologization of sacred experience through images of light, fragment, silence, and decay. The study shows that the gnostic image acts not as an iconographic sign but as initiation—through perceptual and bodily experience. The scientific novelty lies in the interpretation of gnostic motifs—Sophia, the demiurge, tripartite anthropology, pleroma—in the context of contemporary visual culture, as well as in the introduction of the concept of iconic neomyth as an aesthetic strategy for restoring sacred form outside of tradition, through light, silence, and emptiness. A unique contribution of the author is the development of an interdisciplinary approach that connects gnostic ontology of the image with the phenomenology of perception and the philosophy of visual experience.
Culture and Art. 2025;(7):64-88
64-88
Comparative analysis of public art in China and Russia
Abstract
The art of street spaces is becoming more and more relevant and popular in the modern world. This article proposes to conduct a comparative analysis of public art in two major countries - China and Russia. The subject of the study is the popular trends in street art in China and Russia. The article contains the results of a comparative study of public art in both countries. Special attention is paid to popular areas of street art, the analysis of current trends in the development of this genre. The author reveals in detail the functional aspects of public art in the context of the cultural characteristics of Russia and China, identifying common features and unique features of these areas. The research is focused on identifying current trends in street art and prospects for the development of public art in both countries. The research used methods of comparative analysis and synthesis, the historical method, as well as the axiomatic method. The novelty of the research is the consideration of public art, taking into account the national characteristics and cultural traditions of each state. A comparison of this art in China and Russia allowed us to identify common features in modern artistic practice: the scale of distribution, the main thematic areas and functional significance. The results obtained will form the basis for further scientific research in the field of contemporary art, design and urbanism, and may also contribute to a deeper understanding of the influence of public art on the formation of the cultural landscape and public opinion in both countries. Comparative analysis opens up new perspectives for studying the interaction of art with society in different cultural contexts. Understanding the peculiarities of street art in China and Russia will help to better understand its role in shaping the cultural and social environment, as well as in the development of modern trends in art.
Culture and Art. 2025;(7):89-100
89-100
Cringe: Between Metamodernism and Postmodernism
Abstract
The article attempts to understand the reason for the phenomenon of popularity of the term "cringe" that spread from youth slang at the beginning of the 21st century. The genre of cringe comedy is posited as an exemplar of the penetration of cringe into popular culture. The temporal coincidence of the genre's emergence with the waning influence of postmodernist theory, which purports to be the primary language for describing cultural trends, particularly in Western countries, during the second half of the 20th century, is noteworthy. Consequently, a number of concepts have been created to reflect the latest trends of our time, which the philosopher A. Pavlov has summarized under the term "postpostmodernism". A prominent example of this is the concept of "metamodernism", which has gained significant popularity. This concept has been employed to theorize the shifts in the "structure of feeling" that have led to the emergence of cringe as a salient phenomenon of our contemporary era. It is evident that there is a significant demand for at least some form of authenticity and, simultaneously, for connection with others, even if that connection is as ephemeral as the shared feeling of awkwardness. However, the authors of the "metamodernism" concept only vaguely outline the connection between changes in sensibility and changes in socio-economic conditions. Adam Kotsko's thesis helps to compensate for this shortcoming, linking shifts in sensibility with the economic transition from Fordism to Post-Fordism. Yet, the changes that have occurred in structures of feeling can equally be explained within the framework of postmodernism. Therefore, the choice between postmodernism or metamodernism as a tool is determined by the preferences of the researcher, and the phenomenon of cringe, along with related cultural phenomena, fits well within the framework of postmodern theory, emphasizing the continuity between socio-economic bases and their representation in culture.
Culture and Art. 2025;(7):101-110
101-110
Gender symbolism in the cultural code of Chinese socialist realism painting.
Abstract
The subject of the study is the civilizational uniqueness of gender signs and symbols that are part of the archetypal structure of codes in Chinese culture at the level of ancient traditions and modern morphology, including the latest socialist doctrine. The constancy of the basic attributes of gender semiotics is expressed in all key areas of culture, including art and painting, which determined the goal and objectives of the research: to substantiate the iconographic images of the "male" and "female" in Chinese socialist realism through a connection with the ancient tradition of sanjiao, whose archetypes and symbols fix the cultic reverence for the "man-Father" as the head of the clan and the founder of the nation; to reveal the causes and consequences of the establishment of socialist realism in Chinese painting of the 20th-21st centuries; to overcome the narrow definition of "socialist realism" as an artistic method and recognize it as a specific manifestation in the culture of the PRC and the USSR of ideological faith in the optimistic future of the socialist society based on labor heroism, equality of men and women, social justice, and the absence of classes. The methodological toolkit of the study included a combination of methods and techniques of semiotic analysis of cultural texts, oral and written tradition, images of painting, and digital analogs of artistic visualization. Descriptive, historical, comparative, structural, and formal-logical methods were applied in combination with each other to provide a comprehensive understanding of socialist realism art. The research results yielded conclusions that are novel and relevant in the field of cultural and art theory: it has been proven that socialist realism in the PRC and the USSR was a type of culture with characteristic attributes of a system of collective values and a communist worldview that affirmed faith in the just future of the new type of person; the morphological structure of gender images in the paintings of realist artists from the "Great Leap Forward" period (1958-1960) and the Cultural Revolution (1966-1976) to the present has been identified; gender images in socialist realism paintings have been classified according to the archetypes of the Father-Man, the Sage, the Righteous, the Hero, the Mother-Woman, and the Young Beauty; social and political components of changes in the creation of the iconography of the "male" and "female" in the context of the established historical and cultural situation have been established, and a connection with archetypal structures of the cultural code has been justified. The conclusions obtained can be recommended for practical application in the fields of cultural theory and history, cultural semiotics, and realistic art.
Culture and Art. 2025;(7):111-125
111-125
Landscape class of the Moscow School of Painting, Sculpture and Architecture in 1857-1882 under the direction of A.K. Savrasov: the evolution of the teaching method and the influence of the creative personality on the students
Abstract
The article is devoted to the activities of the landscape class at the Moscow School of Painting, Sculpture and Architecture (MUZHVZ), which became a special phenomenon in Russian artistic culture, since some of the highest achievements of Russian realistic landscape are associated with the work of its graduates (A.K. Savrasov, I.I. Levitan, K.A. Korovin). In 1857–1882, the head of the class was Alexei Kondratievich Savrasov (1830–1897), thanks to whose influence the Moscow landscape school was formed. The central place in the study is occupied by the question of the role of A.K. Savrasov as a class leader, the evolution of his pedagogical method is analyzed, which changed during 25 years of his teaching practice, which was largely due to his creative searches. The study pays special attention to the revelation of the connections between the landscape class, its students, and Moscow artistic life. It was revealed that the students of the class were not only passive observers of the artistic process, attending meetings of Moscow collectors, but also its active participants. They took part in lotteries and competitions organized by Moscow artistic societies, and also exhibited their works at exhibitions, receiving responses in the press. The methodological basis of the research is based on cultural and historical analysis, including work with archival data, as well as personal sources and periodicals. The scientific novelty of the work lies in the fact that the study presents a holistic picture of the life of the landscape class of the Moscow School of Painting, Sculpture and Architecture of this period in the context of the historical and cultural situation in Moscow. The findings of the study demonstrate that the landscape class in 1857–1882 was already an established phenomenon in the educational system of the Moscow School of Painting, Sculpture and Architecture with its own pedagogical developments that brought tangible results in the creativity of students, and the students of the class themselves were closely integrated into the artistic process taking place in Russian art in the late 1850s–early 1880s. In addition, the article identifies the circle of students in the landscape class, many of whom are little-known artists today. The study contributes to the introduction of their names into scientific circulation, which may become a starting point for further research into the history of Russian landscape.
Culture and Art. 2025;(7):126-146
126-146
Current trends in the innovative development of Miao folk art in contemporary design in China.
Abstract
The object of this study is contemporary design in China. The subject of the research is the current trends in the innovative development of traditional Miao art in modern Chinese design. The study addresses the research issues, briefly outlines the results of existing research on Miao culture, and highlights the specifics of Miao aesthetics and its applicability in various design fields. Through a number of design projects, the innovative interpretations of technologies, materials, and the visual language of Miao art in the development of contemporary products are traced. The necessity of updating and modernizing Miao art through contemporary design methods in accordance with the expectations and aesthetic preferences of modern society is emphasized. The question of digital technologies in the innovative development of Miao art for the implementation of specific design projects is examined separately. The main research methods include systematization, case study, and generalization, which allowed for the identification of general trends in the innovative development of traditional Miao art in modern Chinese design based on specific design projects. For the first time in Russian science, the main approaches of Chinese designers to the reevaluation and modernization of Miao art are traced. The study concludes that the relevance and value of Miao art in contemporary design in China are explained by the demand from Chinese society for products connected to traditional culture and the culture of ethnic minorities, the development of domestic tourism, and the high demand for souvenir products. The aesthetics and art of the Miao people provide wide opportunities for the innovative development of ecological design, ethnic style in design, and more. Additionally, there is significant potential for using modern digital technologies in the implementation of various design projects that involve reevaluating and renewing Miao art. The use of innovations allows for expanding the boundaries of perceptions regarding materials, techniques, artistic forms, and ways of expressing meaningful universal concepts. As a result, modern Chinese design actively brings Miao art beyond the confines of traditional culture and the region, giving it new life and new interpretations from the perspectives of globalization and multiculturalism.
Culture and Art. 2025;(7):147-160
147-160
The features of the musical embodiment of Chinese poetry in the vocal cycle "Songs of the Wayfarer" by G. Sviridov.
Abstract
The article explores the dialogic nature of the musical-poetic synthesis in Georgy Sviridov’s vocal cycle Songs of the Wanderer. It examines the composer’s unique approach to creating a musical work based on ancient Chinese poetry translated by Yu.K. Shchutsky. The study investigates the interaction between Russian and Chinese cultural traditions at the levels of musical language, dramatic structure, and performance interpretation. It analyzes the symbolic semantics of the cycle’s musical imagery, the specifics of vocal declamation, and the treatment of the piano part as an equal participant in the musical dialogue. Special attention is given to the historical context of the cycle’s creation, linked to Sviridov’s evacuation to Novosibirsk in 1941–1942, which shaped a distinct emotional state of "lostness" while simultaneously fostering openness to Eastern culture. The performance history of the work, which only received its first concert realization in the 21st century, is also considered. The research employs an interdisciplinary approach combining musicological analysis with elements of cultural, literary, and performance studies. Methods of stylistic, structural-functional, and comparative analysis are used to reveal the dialogic essence of the work. Biographical and historical-contextual methods are also applied to explore the connection between the cycle’s artistic features and the composer’s life circumstances and creative evolution. The scholarly novelty of the study lies in its comprehensive examination of the dialogic nature of Songs of the Wanderer as a unique synthesis of Eastern and Western cultural traditions. For the first time, a detailed analysis of the symbolic semantics of the cycle’s musical language is conducted, revealing the interaction between vocal and piano parts as equal participants in a cross-cultural dialogue. It is established that Sviridov creates an original system of musical symbols embodying the philosophical depth of Chinese poetry without direct stylization, thereby forming a new type of intercultural dialogue in musical art. The research contributes to the understanding of Sviridov’s creative evolution, showcasing a previously unexplored facet of his compositional talent—his ability to deeply engage with a foreign cultural tradition. The study also identifies the distinctive features of the cycle’s performance interpretation, which demands a unique combination of vocal and pianistic traditions from musicians.
Culture and Art. 2025;(7):161-173
161-173