Borrowing images from the traditional Chinese horoscope in contemporary Russian calendar literature: the logic of transformation

The article investigates the process of adapting images from the traditional Chinese horoscope (i.e., the 12 Chinese zodiac signs: Rat/Mouse, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Goat/Sheep, Monkey, Rooster, Dog, Pig/Boar) in modern Russian calendar literature. Drawing on the classification of calendar texts and typology of magazines proposed by E. V. Dushechkina in her monograph "Russian Christmas Tales," the author analyzes the mechanisms of transformation of Eastern astrological symbols as they integrate into the Russian cultural environment using popular magazines "Liza" and "Domashny Ochag" (1995–2023). It is revealed that the appropriation of the images of the animals of the Chinese zodiac represents a complex process of cultural processing, including adaptation to the Russian calendar cycle, reinterpreting the symbolism of the animals through the lens of Slavic folklore, localization through literary and historical allusions, as well as functional enrichment of the astrological system. The research method is a semantic analysis of the texts and a cultural commentary on the process of adapting Chinese zodiac symbolism in the Russian context. Special attention is given to the transformation of the semantic load of the images of the animals of the Eastern horoscope in the Russian calendar tradition. This work systematically analyzes for the first time the process of borrowing and transforming traditional images from the Chinese zodiac in contemporary Russian calendar culture. The phenomenon of including the Chinese zodiac tradition into the Russian cultural context and forming a peculiar "hybrid" representation is identified. The study shows that in the Russian discourse, the cultural significance of Chinese zodiac symbols has changed and differs significantly from their original meaning in Chinese tradition, highlighting the novelty of this cross-cultural symbolic synthesis. As a result of this transformation, a unique hybrid phenomenon emerges, blending the Chinese zodiac tradition with meanings resonant with Russian culture. Particular attention is paid to the analysis of calendar texts about the Chinese horoscope, integrated into the system of Russian calendar rituals, including the interpretation of zodiac symbolism, descriptions of inter-sign compatibility, materials about amulets, monthly forecasts, and yearly horoscopes. The research demonstrates that the Eastern horoscope in Russian calendar literature becomes an element of festive New Year culture, while divinatory and magical functions recede into the background.

Chinese horoscope, calendar diction, cultural adaptation, folklore transformation, national calendar, zodiacal symbols, intercultural interaction, New Year rituals, Russian periodicals, animal symbolism