№ 12 (2025)

The article sets out to outline a holistic picture that allows for an understanding of the nature of art and the peculiarities of artistic communication, assuming that the author has already conducted a series of studies (reconstructing the history of art, examining the characteristics of works of art, the structure of artistic reality and communication). For better understanding and reliance on facts, two case studies are drawn upon: the well-known fairy tale by K.I. Chukovsky, "The Stolen Sun," and the understanding of eclipses by indigenous people, taken from E. Taylor's book "Primitive Culture." The author proposes an interpretation of Chukovsky's fairy tale: the use of Taylor's narrative as a plot scheme, the characterization of three tasks that Chukovsky addressed in artistic form (to write an interesting story for children, to tell about the saving of the sun, to demonstrate that there are two types of beings in the world - good and bad), the invention of schemes, and the use of expressive means. For a theoretical understanding of the formulated propositions, a distinction is made between two types of signs (within the framework of knowledge of objects and artistic imagination), as well as the concept of a non-utilitarian form of life, within which art was formed. Based on these theoretical positions, the concepts of artistic reality and creativity are characterized, which the author considers as a semantic configurator of art study plans. At the end of the article, it is noted that although art has gone through a long historical path, and its essence has changed, the semiotic foundation of art is unlikely to have changed: the possibility, relying on imagination, in leisure time to generate objectivity (reality) through signs and schemes, which is necessary and interesting to humans. Generating, responding to different positions in communication, satisfying them, starting from the artist (writer, composer) to the viewer, not excluding various intermediaries (art connoisseurs, later philosophers and scholars). Since the objectivity of art is not directly connected to ordinary objects and events (only through memory and imagination), it has been recognized as an independent reality since ancient times.

This article examines the specific adaptations of Puccini's opera Turandot within the aesthetics and practices of various forms of Chinese theatre (Peking opera, Sichuan opera), as well as the mechanisms of cultural transmission and the transformation of meanings in the process of intercultural dialogue. The aim of the analysis is to convey real traditional Chinese concepts and cultural characteristics through the prism of Turandot. This study provides a comparative analysis of two productions of Turandot directed by Zhang Yimou, as well as versions of Sichuan opera and Peking opera. The focus is on plot lines, characterization, personality traits, and other aspects of expression. The results obtained can be applied to the analysis of other cases of intercultural adaptation of works of art and contribute to the development of a theory of intercultural communication in the arts. Research Method and Methodology: Comparative analysis of the original work and its Chinese stage interpretations, elements of receptive aesthetics, cultural and art historical analysis of theatrical productions, and a semiotic approach to the study of the sign systems of various operatic traditions. Novelty of the Study and Its Conclusions: This paper provides a comprehensive analysis of the systemic semantic transformations that arise during the adaptation of Puccini's verismo opera to Chinese theatrical forms. Key strategies for adapting European cultural material and its reinterpretation within the context of the national artistic tradition are identified. It is demonstrated that the Chinese versions of the opera Turandot are not simple adaptations, but represent the creation of a new artistic phenomenon in which the fairy-tale plot serves as the basis for the expression of unique aesthetic and philosophical concepts. The scientific significance of the study lies in its systematization of specific mechanisms of cultural adaptation in the field of opera using Chinese interpretations of Puccini's work, which expands the understanding of intercultural communication processes in the arts and contributes to the study of contemporary forms of cultural transfer.

This study investigates the critical and under-researched issue of the widespread discrepancy between the official self-designations of art institutions in China and their de facto operational functions. This problem is central to accurately understanding the dynamics of the local art market and the trajectory of contemporary artistic development within the region. The identified misalignment generates significant practical challenges for various stakeholders, including practicing artists, art professionals, critics, and the general audience. Using the major urban center of Harbin as a representative regional case study, this research underscores the urgent necessity for a comprehensive and systematic scholarly analysis of what constitutes the functional identity of cultural institutions operating within a specific socio-economic context.Methodologically, the research employs an integrated qualitative approach. This encompasses comparative-typological analysis for categorizing institutions, functional analysis to deconstruct their stated versus actual roles, and immersive participant observation. This mixed-methods framework was essential for gathering robust empirical data and conducting a nuanced examination of the day-to-day operations and organizational behavior within the sampled institutions. Constituting the first systematic, field-based investigation of art institution nomenclature in Harbin, a key contribution of this study is the development of an original typology based on self-designation. This analytical tool allows for a critical assessment of the tangible relationship between an institution's chosen name and its real-world functions. An in-depth analysis of 323 organizations led to the identification of seven primary institutional types and revealed substantial, statistically significant variability in name-to-activity alignment. The findings indicate that a majority of institutions fail to perform the core functions implicitly or explicitly promised by their titles. For instance, entities designated as “art museums” (美术馆) demonstrated the highest degree of correspondence to established professional museological standards, albeit at only 56.3% (9 out of 16). Conversely, venues operating under the name “salon” (沙龙) exhibited the lowest alignment (a mere 3.1%, or 6 out of 191), a finding largely explained by the term's predominant local co-option by the beauty service industry. Similarly, so-called “art studios” (艺术工作室) showed a notably low correspondence (16.7%, 5 out of 30) to the traditional, widely accepted understanding of a dedicated creative workshop, highlighting a pervasive pattern of semantic drift and functional ambiguity within the local cultural ecosystem.

The article is dedicated to the study of the value foundations of key typologies of cultural industries. The subject of the research is the axiological foundations (value systems) that determine the principles of construction and the structure of key typologies of cultural industries. By comparing international and Russian classifications of cultural industries, competing "cultural logics" are identified – stable paradigms of legitimization that determine which practices are recognized as significant in the field of culture. The focus is not on the external form of classification schemes, but rather on the conflict between value systems that prioritize economic efficiency, cultural heritage, or the principle of diversity, as well as the specifics of their hybridization in the Russian context. The study traces how these principles materialize in specific classification solutions, how they compete or synthesize within national and international cultural policy systems. A comparative analysis of international and Russian classification models is conducted through the lens of the concept of "value dominants." The scientific novelty lies in the abandonment of traditional sectoral comparisons in favor of identifying axiological systems that determine the structure of classifications. As a result, three value dominants are highlighted: canon and heritage, economic efficiency, and cultural diversity; the hybrid nature of the Russian model is revealed as a synthesis of managerial rationality with elements of international approaches, combining goals of economic efficiency and the preservation of traditional state regulation in the field of culture; an analytical tool is proposed for deconstructing hidden value foundations in the field of cultural policy. The practical significance of the work consists in providing analytical tools for optimizing cultural policy mechanisms, allowing for the identification and correction of value biases – both towards economic reductionism and towards inflexibility and isolation from contemporary processes – and contributing to the establishment of a more balanced, culture-centered strategy for the development of cultural industries.

This study examines the history of the monographic exhibition "The Defense of Red Petrograd," which opened at the Alexander Palace-Museum in Pushkin in the summer of 1939 and was lost during the Great Patriotic War, within the context of the development of museums in the Soviet Union in the late 1930s and early 1940s. Based on a wide range of sources, the author examined individual aspects of the exhibition and reconstructed the content of the main sections of its exposition. Furthermore, the sociocultural preconditions that shaped both the project's inception and some of its formal and substantive features are analyzed, particularly the motivations for commemorating the Battle of Petrograd in 1919 that existed in Soviet society in the late 1930s. The research methodology consisted of the historical-genetic method, the method of source analysis, and the method of reconstruction, applied in the process of studying the existence of the exhibition in the Alexander Palace, as well as the methods of deduction and modeling, used to determine the unrealized potential for the development of the exhibition and its significance in the history of museum affairs in Leningrad. As a result of this research, numerous facts from the history of the "Defense of Red Petrograd" exhibition were introduced into scholarly discourse for the first time. It was established that the exhibition was executed at a high professional level and enjoyed popularity with audiences throughout its existence. At the same time, it was marked by numerous negative aspects of the era that gave rise to it: the neglect of authentic relics of the past in favor of visual propaganda, the cultivation of the personality cult of I. V. Stalin, and so on. According to the assumptions put forward in the final section of the article, the exhibition in the Alexander Palace could have eventually developed into a full-fledged Museum of the Defense of Petrograd, but this opportunity was missed. At the same time, the exhibition in question likely became one of the sources of inspiration for the creators of the exhibition "The Heroic Defense of Leningrad" – the future Museum of the Defense of Leningrad – and thus nevertheless influenced the development of museum affairs in the post-war city on the Neva.

The subject of this research is the formation and functioning of the language of historical painting by Yu Xiaofu in the context of the contemporary artistic process. The object of study is his works on historical themes, in which the artist constructs a unique system of visual expression. The author analyzes in detail aspects such as the use of the technique of "spatial-temporal displacement," the creation of a dialogical narrative model, the dramatic organization of composition, as well as the synthesis of realistic modeling with the calligraphic expression of Chinese painting "xi-yin." Special attention is given to how Yu Xiaofu integrates the spirit of Chinese cultural tradition into the medium of oil painting, transforming historical representation into an open intertemporal communication rather than a linear reproduction of the past. The study emphasizes that Yu Xiaofu's artistic practice not only expands the expressive possibilities of Chinese historical painting but also demonstrates a commitment to preserving cultural identity in the context of globalization, as well as renewing the artistic language based on a national aesthetic model. The research employs comparative-historical analysis, iconographic analysis, and formal-stylistic methods, which allow for a comprehensive identification of the specifics of the language of historical painting by Yu Xiaofu. The main conclusions of the conducted study are that Yu Xiaofu has formed a unique language of historical painting that combines spatial-temporal displacement, a dialogical narrative model, and the synthesis of realistic and expressively calligraphic elements. His creativity demonstrates the possibility of renewing the historical genre in the context of globalization while maintaining a national cultural position. The author's significant contribution lies in the comprehensive analysis of the visual, cultural, and aesthetic mechanisms that define the specificity of Yu Xiaofu's artistic method, as well as in identifying the connection between his worldview, scenographic thinking, and the formation of a new model of historical narrative. The novelty of the research is manifested in the fact that it systematically considers Yu Xiaofu's historical painting for the first time as a modern intertemporal communicative structure that reveals the potential of the national artistic tradition in the creation of a new type of visual historical representation.

In the context of digitalization and globalization of the cultural sphere, the study of the use of artificial intelligence technologies in museum and exhibition practice is of particular relevance. This article is devoted to the analysis of the role of AI in the design of exhibitions and in interaction with the audience. The focus is on three key cases: digitalization of the Palace Museum (Gugong, Beijing), immersive projects of the TeamLab art Group (Shanghai) and the Chinese Pavilion at the World Exhibition. These examples reveal a variety of strategies for using AI, from preserving and interpreting cultural heritage to creating immersive digital environments and implementing cultural diplomacy. The theoretical basis of the research is the theory of human-computer interaction, concepts of intercultural communication and semiotic analysis, which together allow us to consider AI not only as a technological resource, but also as a mediator of cultural meanings. The methodology includes a structural, compositional and pragmatic analysis of curatorial decisions, as well as a comparative cultural approach. The results showed that AI provides personalization of routes and content, dynamic adaptation of the exhibition space to the behavioral and emotional reactions of visitors, and also creates new scenarios for intercultural communication. At the same time, the risks associated with technological limitations, loss of authenticity and ethical aspects of data processing have been identified. It is concluded that artificial intelligence is becoming a universal tool for museum and exhibition design, performing interpretative, communicative and strategic functions. The prospects for further development are related to the expansion of the use of multimodal analysis systems, the integration of AR/VR technologies, the deepening of personalization of the exhibition experience and the development of ethical protocols that ensure a balance between innovation and the authenticity of cultural heritage.

Contemporary design faces an identity crisis, largely stemming from the dominance of commercial models that sideline issues of social responsibility and sustainable development. The aim of this work is to critically analyze key scholarly publications from the last decade (2015–2025) dedicated to reinterpreting V. Tatlin's constructivism. The study seeks to determine the contribution of these works to developing design culture methodology as a holistic, integrating system. The research is theoretical and analytical in nature. Its methodological foundation is a literature review, including analysis of articles in Scopus and RSCI databases, monographs, and materials from significant exhibitions during the specified period. To deepen the understanding of Tatlin's legacy, a comparative analysis of different interpretations was applied. The interpretation of the heritage was conducted through a philosophical-cultural approach and critical reflection by contemporary authors. The analytical work focused on identifying prevailing trends, existing gaps in the study of the topic, and the specifics of how Tatlin's ideas are transforming in modern contexts. The study's results confirm the viability of Tatlin's methodology, conceptualized as an "open system." The research also identified and systematized key contradictions associated with Tatlin's legacy. The main conclusions emphasize that his heritage retains its status as an important conceptual foundation for overcoming the identity crisis in design, offering a substantive alternative. The dialectical nature of the legacy's relevance lies in its capacity to fuel criticism of commercialization and stimulate ethical discourses in design, while simultaneously entering into inevitable conflict with market realities due to its utopian essence. Promising directions for research include: in-depth study of applying functional principles in infographics; critical analysis of implemented public space projects; and the search for practical pathways to bridge the gap between the anti-commercial ethos of Tatlin's legacy and the economic realities of contemporary design practice.

The subject of this study is the creative activity of the Yakut folk singer S.A. Zverev-Kyyl Uola (1900–1973). The aim of the work is to examine the diversity of his creative endeavors, which developed through the interaction of traditions and innovations in the context of the modernization of Yakut society. The results of the research include observations on the peculiarities of the formation and development of the personality of the folk singer S.A. Zverev-Kyyl Uola, whose diverse creative activities manifested in the roles of: improvising singer, guardian and promoter of Yakut national culture, expert on Yakut rituals, poet and playwright, artist, and activist who was at the origins of the development of Yakut professional musical and theatrical art, consultant for the creation and staging of the first Yakut operas and ballets, founder and choreographer of Yakut stage dances, organizer of artistic amateur activities, and organizer of the recreation and celebration of the Yakut national holiday Ysyakh, among others. The research employs retrospective, biographical, historical-cultural, and classificatory methods. The theoretical and methodological foundation of the study is based on the works of leading researchers in the field of folklore traditions in the artistic culture of the 20th century. The creative activity of S.A. Zverev-Kyyl Uola has previously been considered from the perspective of specific aspects without taking into account the interaction with other components. The novelty of the conducted research lies in the expansion of the research approach. The results of the study are applicable in the theory and practice of studying the creativity of folk performers, as well as in the teaching of scientific disciplines in the field of folklore. The innovation of the study consists of applying a scientific approach that examines the creative activity of S.A. Zverev-Kyyl Uola in a comprehensive and multifaceted manner. The main conclusion of the research is the thesis on the diversity of artistic realizations of the creativity of S.A. Zverev-Kyyl Uola, who, as a bearer of traditions, responding to the demands and challenges of his time, contributed to the transition from oral forms of Yakut traditional culture to written, professional ones through his creative activity.