Analyses the processual being of culture within the context of its metahistorical becoming, particularities of contemporary culture development and its possible future evolution. The avthor argues that making and development of both culture and metaculture can be regarded as an outer process (independent of human factor) that determines societies. If a culture has undergone a cradle­to­grave cycle one can identify the four stages or phases in its becoming, which may be related to structural and conceptual frames of the tetractys. The initial intention of any culture sustains within the bounds of a certain cultural metaperiod, owing to which this culture exists. Profound changes in culture existence are possible when a new metaperiod begins within the cultural metaspace

Is based on understanding culture as a mode of being human. Deriving therefrom, the author defines five factors that determine a type of culture; those are relation to nature and modes of operation, community building, thinking and understanding. The content and structure of the latter may change depending on specific historical state of human society, namely pre­civilizational, civilizational and post­civilizational. This may be interpreted as a 2D model of cultural space. The third dimension is defined by coordinates of value and meaning; these are represented in sociocultural implications of a response given to the question as to what a human being is by different type of cultures.

Examines a symmetry phenomenon, which is regarded as one of the basic and form shaping characteristics of trademark geometry module. The authors argue that the symmetry patterns reflect both design developments and the evolution of graphic culture in general and identify most suitable chronological periods for content analysis of trademark patterns. The symmetrical trademark patterns’ dynamics is found to be dependant on general tendencies in Russian cultural development

Examines developments in understanding interrelation between consciousness and light in culture and philosophy. The author addresses the issues of its adoption and use in Russian lyric poetry for creation of poetical paradigm. Unlike other forms of culture, verse has more options to reveal and represent a number of semantic variations of the ‘consciousness → light’ archetype. These semantic variations are studied by means of contrastive analysis of numerous poetical texts belonging to the authors of the 19th and 20th centuries.

Analyses digitally modified music using aesthetical and art critical approaches. According to the author, simulacrum is one of the basic properties related to the music existing in digital form. The two levels of simulation in digital music are defined, namely semantic and syntactic (composing, performing and recording music) and pragmatic (reproducing, interactive perception) ones.

Considers specific manifestations of the high technologies’ impact on the planetary dynamics of civilization. The author discusses prospects and risks of global human development produced by the dominance of technoculture, reviews the influence of information technologies on the type and general direction of cultural evolution of modern humans, and analyses transformations of their identity as that of the species.

EXAMINES TWO AREAS OF CONTEMPORARY CULTURE THAT BOTH CO­EXIST AND CONFRONT, AS THE AUTHOR ARGUES. THIS CONFRONTATION IS ALSO RELATED TO INFORMATION RELIABILITY AS THE LEVEL OF INFORMATION CONFIDENCE IN “BOOK CULTURE” IS GENERALLY HIGHER THAN THAT OF THE “NETWORK CULTURE”. THE UNCRITICAL ATTITUDE TO DATA IS SPECIFIC TO INTERNET USERS, AND GENERATES A LARGE AMOUNT OF FALSIFICATIONS ON THE INTERNET. THE MOTIF OF INTEREST REPLACES VERIFICATION AND THE FORMULA “ALL INTERESTING IS TRUE” BECOMES THE VALIDITY CRITERION FOR ANY CONTENT. THE AUTHOR DEMONSTRATES HOW A TYPICAL INTERNET­USER BECOMES MORE PASSIVE, UNABLE AND UNWILLING TO VERIFY INFORMATION VALIDITY. THE VOLUME OF INFORMATION AND DATA ON THE INTERNET NOT ONLY DEVALUES NOTIONS OF THE “TRUE” AND “FALSE” BUT DISSOLVES BOUNDARIES OF THE “REAL” AND “VIRTUAL”. THE AUTHOR BELIEVES THAT CONSTRUCTIVE USE OF COGNITIVE, RECREATIONAL, AND OTHER INTERNET FUNCTIONS IS POSSIBLE WHEN CONFRONTATION WILL BE SUBSTITUTED BY THE DIALOGUE OF “BOOK” AND “WEBPAGE” CULTURES

Considers the main directions of the “visual culture” concept formation and development. The author analyses the main trends in evolution of this notion that are dependent on particular historical periods and a type of activity, to which this notion is applied

Is devoted to aesthetic transformation of the status of opera at the turn of the 21st century, which led to a change in functioning of this musical history phenomenon. In its many manifestations opera began to live according to the laws of show business, involving a whole range of marketing ploys aimed at enhancing, maintaining and satisfaction of public interest in opera

Analyses how Russian viewers of the multichannel TV perceive narrative and aesthetic clichés of the Soviet movies. The influence of Soviet clichés on social construction of today’s reality, especially on attitudes of the rural dwellers towards the Past is in the focus of the paper, the authors of which follow the media ecology approach

Is devoted to Manga as the biggest and the best­known work of Hokusai (北斎, 1760-1849). The paper discusses the phenomenon of Hokusai Manga and its place in the context of Japanese picture books. Was it a drawing manual or comic cartoons or perhaps a pictorial encyclopedia? What are the historical meanings and etymology of the word manga and its little­understood supra­heading “Denshin Kaishu”?

Analyses inter­relation of literary and musical texts and reveals Ancient Russian musical figurativeness of music. The author studies melodic, harmonic, stylistic, genre and compositional treats of cantata and argues that all these treats were aimed at implementation of the Ancient Russian choral tradition.

Deals with the spread and circulation of Yves Montand’s songs in the USSR. The author explores the response of the audience to his work and the reasons for this French singer’s popularity with the Soviet public. The article considers Montand’s Soviet Union touring from December 1956 till January 1957 and gives particular attention to political aspects of Montand’s arrival in the Soviet Union that were linked to suppression of the Hungarian Uprising by Soviet troops in autumn of 1956.

Is devoted to the comparative analysis of visual representations of scientific corporations in European painting and graphic art in the 17th century. The author reveals both organizational principles of scientific institutions and symbolic, cultural, political, scientific and social values which underpinned them.

Addresses the issues of the relationship between face and personality that are both of eternal duality and unity, which may be described in the terms of opposition “Myself - the Other.” The Face and Personality are not identical but inseparable. In the history of thought, the ambivalence of relationship between face and personality developed from a natural individual and personal medieval paradigm through rationalist identification of appearance and personality towards the existential relativity

Deals with the image of animal, which is one of the most topical in contemporary art. Nowadays, animal imagery becomes a new source of creativity. It makes artists search for new forms of expression and produces new topical issues. The author analyses the role of animality in contemporary art and its relation to the problem of corporeality.

Addresses the concept of ‘panvasilion’ by the patriarch of Jerusalem Paisius Ligarides and discussions of the idea of Righteous Kingdom in Muscovite Rus’. The transfer of the greatest images of the Holy Land and the relics of the Christian East to Russia in the second half of the 17th century put Moscow on par with the great historical centres of Christianity. Muscovite Rus’ strengthened its position and since then pretended to play the role of a “Righteous Kingdom of End Times”. Church historians acknowledge that translation into Russian of “Tablets” (1656) has become a decisive moment in the maturation of the plan for a “New Jerusalem”. The Greek text of the book was presented to the Russian Patriarch by Paisius Ligarides, who was lately destined to play a major role in condemnation of the former.

Reviews a collection of articles “Document’s Status: Final Paper or Alienated Evidence?”

Is devoted to the American sociologist and author Josiah Flynt who visited Russia in 1896-1897 and described his impressions of the country, especially of St.­Petersburg, in his books “Tramping with Tramps” and “My Life.” The author also suggests certain reasons that may explain the relatively small popularity of Josiah Flynt’s books in the USA and abroad.

Addresses “The Life of St. Sergius, the Wonderworker of Radonezh” as a unique piece of ancient Russian literature, which narrates the heroic deeds of the great Patron Saint and Intercessor for the Russian land. It was created by Epiphanius the Wise who was a disciple of the St. Sergius and Pakhomius the logothete (the Serb) who came to Rus’. The comparison of ideas, imageries and stylistic patterns of Epiphanius’ literary works and Pachomius’ writings shows that Epiphanius and Pakhomius differently evaluated the significance and meaning of St. Sergius’ ascetic life.