The paper approaches the techno-humanitarian balance of physical (accelerating) and humanitarian (controlling) technologies. It demonstrates that the absence of the human in this ba­lance makes the idea about ensuring the socio-system’s sustainable development through the establishment of techno-humanitarian balance erroneous. The required adequate proportion of “powers” between the technologies in the techno-humanitarian balance necessitates the civilization to attempt to “harness” not only the technological singularity but the humanitarian singularity, too. It is shown that the techno-humanitarian balance in the singularity mode destroys the human physical and mental nature. The human is introduced into the binary technological balance through transforming it into a triple balance and adding the semantic technologies inherent to human beings. The triple balance is characterized by the oppositions between intelligence and thinking, information and meanings. The paper explores the triple balance and its edges in the context of the ultimate singularity. It is shown that the human being, through thinking and meanings, can correlate themselves with the semantic singularity (the infinity of the semantic field) — thus becoming Homo Singularity. These conclusions are substantiated through the V.V. Nalimov’s probabilistic model of consciousess, which also mathe­matically formalizes the process of semantic decapsulation of the personality and the personal interaction with the semantic vacuum (infinity).

The paper introduces the concept of finite dilatation of the cultural semantic field and the big semantic transition as the era of formation of Homo Singula­rity and beginning of their practical work with semantic infinity. The paper provides examples of such practical work in the fields of art and science. Homo Singularity not only prevents their physical and mental nature from destruction but also keeps the po­werful artificial intelligence under control by counte­ring big data with their ability to integrate the multiple into the single (whole) and make a transition from the discrete level of information to a continuous (infinite) level of meanings.

The article is devoted to the problem of organization of a productive dialogue between represen­tatives of different sciences during the comprehensive interdisciplinary research of man in the context of traditional culture. The prerequisites to the given problem statement have been formed during a long-term experience of joint field studies made by the authors in Russia (Adygea, Russian North, Bashkiria, Burya­tia, Kabardino-Balkaria, North Ossetia, Khakassia, Yakutia and other regions) and Mexico, as well as through the analysis of relevant results of academic and research work. As a solution of the given task, the authors develop the methodological construction “metaposition” that allows to approach to complexity and interdisciplinarity of research through the principle of dialogue in the common sociocultural field. Metaposition as a technology of organization of polyprofessional cooperation of different experts in a common research space is aimed at development of scientists’ skills of fi­xation, systematization and representation of the results of their work taking into account positions of their colleagues from other subject areas. Realization of this technology leads to creation of a metalanguage and to widening of researcher’s scientific culture (theoretical frames of each expert, style of their scientific reaso­ning and personal qualities). The development of metaposition as a stable system of cooperation between different positions of researchers suggests three interrelated stages: defining the research’s common field; revealing the borders of scientific positions; constructing the interpositional dialogue. Opportunities of application of the methodological construction “metaposition” at different stages of field research (before the field, at the field, after the field, during analysis of the field data) are concretized through a relevant algorithm and supported by examples from the field practice.

The article attempts to debunk, in the public consciousness, some myths related to the econo­mic component of theatrical activity. The question is about the substitution of the concepts of self-sufficiency and financial and operating independence of the theatre, the policy to “earn more”, and the assessment of theatre activity effectiveness from the perspective of business approach and requirements of constant increase in attendance.

Basing on the analysis of statistical data, the article studies the structure of financial receipts of theatres. The results show the impossibility of functioning of the Russian repertoire theatre on the principles of self-sufficiency, in which the theatre’s own expenses should be covered by earned income. Russia, which has a provision index of 4.2 theatres per 1 million inhabitants (2017), lags behind foreign countries, and in more than half of the constituent entities of the Russian Federation, it is lower than the average Russian index. The thesis that there are many theatres in Russia is refuted by the results of statistical data analysis and international comparisons. The hopes that private theatres can become a serious competitor and substitute for state theatres in Russia are not supported by real practice. Large metropolitan theatres have long reached the limit of attendance at the level of 99%. Low attendance is not always an indicator of the theatre’s inefficiency, and the low living standard does not allow people to go to the theatre as often as they would like. Finally, it is not possible to demand 40-year-old attendance indicators from the theatre, because the possibilities for leisure activities have drastically expanded, including through the development of information and communication technologies. The task solution of increasing the atten­dance of theatres does not lie in the direction of the policy of 100% occupancy of the auditorium, but requires serious investments in the touring activities and infrastructure of the host party.

The article shows that the erroneous decisions put into the practice of making managerial decisions are counterproductive because they contradict the nature of the theatre and the development laws of the eco­nomy of culture as a whole.

The article’s problematics relate to the field of theoretical understanding of the emergent deve­lopment of 3D animation in modern culture, its technological, artistic, commercial features. The article focuses on specific features of character design and the influence of the character’s audiovisual image on the aesthetic imagery of the screen work. The study aims to distinguish the concepts of “character type”, “visual imagery”, “audiovi­sual imagery”, “artistic ima­gery” and to substantiate the semantic relationships between them. The authors uphold the belonging of character design to the field of object design, identify the main phases of desig­ning the audiovisual imagery of the character object, and determine its structural role in transmedia projects. In the process of consi­deration of these aspects, the article involves materials from interviews and speeches by artists Alexander Petrov, Mikhail Tumelya, and Maxim Kostenko.

Via the deductive method, the article highlights the components of the screen artistic imagery in terms of subject-spatial content. In the context of solving certain problems, a comparative analysis of character ensembles in various techniques is carried out using examples of national and foreign animation. This analysis reveals the main trends in the development of artistic space of the screen work. The article also covers commercial, technological and aesthetic aspects of character development in modern 3D animation.

The conclusions of this study provide the conso­lidation of the term “object design” in the art field and can be further used both in analytical work and in the educational process in the areas of history and theory of art, media and multimedia directing theory and practice.

A characteristic feature of the artistic life of Russia at the turn of the 19th—20th centuries was the growth in the number of private art collections and the expansion of the social composition of collectors due to the addition of industrialists, merchants and intellectuals. After the Russian Revolution of 1917, these collections became one of the important sources in the formation of art collections of metropolitan and provincial museums of Russia. The article is devoted to one of the most interesting private collections of the Kazan province — the collection of A.F. Mantel, formed at the beginning of the 20th century from paintings and graphics by the leading masters of the World of Art association: A.N. Benois, I.Ya. Bilibin, A.F. Gaush, B.M. Kustodiev, D.I. Mitrokhin, G.I. Narbut, N.K. Roerich and others. The article reveals the fates of once famous works of the artists from the World of Art association, which were shown at the association’s exhibitions and published in well-known books, magazines and almanacs such as Apollo, Libra, Rosehip, At Dawn and others. A.F. Mantel’s collection played an important role in the formation of museums in several cities of the Volga region — Kazan, Tetyushi, Kozmodemyansk — becoming one of the sources of contemporary national art collections. Due to various reasons, the most of the collection, including the part received by museums, was lost in the late 1910s — 1930s. Relying on archival and literary sources and museum collections, the author, for the first time, managed to restore, with a high degree of accuracy, the composition of the part of A.F. Mantel’s collection that was purchased for museums of Tetyushi and Kozmodemyansk, and to clarify the composition of the Kazan Museum’s collection.

The article, for the first time, exami­nes the work of the master of the 18th century Jean-Honoré Fragonard (1732—1806) within the context of the theatre culture of that time. Being a student of François Boucher (1703—1770), who was working as a theater decorator for a long time, Fra­gonard from his youth had the opportunity to join the world of theater. The painter’s passion for the stage greatly influenced the thema­tic and figu­rative composition of his works. Early histo­rical pain­tings of Fragonard, such as “Jeroboam Sacrifi­cing to Idols” (1752, School of Fine Arts, Paris), were crea­ted under the influence of Baroque thea­ter and decorative art and opera productions. Undoubtedly, Fragonard’s familiarity with theatre was promoted by his long stay in Italy, where the famous families of theater decorators Bibiena and Galliari was wor­king at that time. The article pays special attention to the process of planning and execution of the painting “The High Priest Coresus Sacrificing Himself to Save Callirhoe” (1765, Louvre), made not without regard to the opera “Callirhoe”, popular in Paris in the 18th century. It was theater that inspired the master to create his famous costume series of “Fantasy Portraits”, one of which depicted Marie-Madeleine Guimard (1743—1816), who not only had posed for the artist, but also ordered him to design her own mansion conceived as a temple of Terpsichore, the Muse of dance. In addition, Fragonard was the author of several panoramic genre paintings conveying the atmosphere of the then popular street theater. Works of this brilliant master exem­plify the relationship of arts that determined the nature of the cultural environment of that era and requires constant attention from modern researchers.

The interview reveals modern art history’s main trends identified within the framework of the conference “Art History in the Context of Other Sciences in the Modern World. Parallels and Interactions”. The Russian State Library and the scienti­fic journal “Observatory of Culture” were partners in organizing the conference in 2019. The method of aca­demic interviewing used in this publication provides an opportunity to reveal the personal vision of the conference project’s author and co-chairman of the Organizing Committee, chairman of the Program Committee, head of the Department of Humanities and Social Sciences of the Institute of Contemporary Art, chief researcher of the GITR Film & Television School, expert of the Times Higher Education World University Rankings, member of the Russian Expert Council (ASEP/Scopus), D.Sc. (Art History), professor Grigoriy R. Konson. In fact, the interview is a quintessence of the author’s policy document on the development of culture, science and education in modern society.

The academic forum was a socially significant event of international scale, characterized by the latest scientific and educational trends in Russia and fo­reign countries, as well as by art studies integration into the context of interdisciplinary research loca­ted at the intersection of art history, philology, linguistics, philosophy, cultural studies and psychology. As a result, there are prospects for reaching the level of cross-sectoral conceptualization of research ge­neralizations. The interview reveals the topical issues of science functioning in the modern internatio­nal society. There is concluded that the scientific integration characteri­zing the conference “Art History in the Context of Other Sciences in the Modern World. Parallels and Interactions” is a progressive method in understanding the essence of art, permeated by multi-vector trends in the global humanita­rian process. Therefore, the joint efforts of scientists here contribute to the development of an antidote to destructive trends in the socio-cultu­ral life of mo­dern society.

The article reveals artistic features of the unique ancient frescoes of the Protoevangelium cycle of the Spaso-Preobrazhensky Cathedral of the Mirozhsky Monastery in Pskov, dedicated to the life of the parents of the Blessed Virgin Mary, as well as her childhood and youth. The article considers a brief history of the first artistic ima­ges of the Virgin, her life and the Protoevangelium cycles in the history of world art and the monumental painting in the period from 2nd to the 12th century. In previous scientific publications, the attention was paid to the history of the monastery, the disclosure of ancient fresco technique and technology, the conditions of frescoes preservation, as well as the main characters and the content of the scenes. The novelty of this study lies in the analysis of artistic features of the Protoevangelium compositions of the Spaso-Preobrazhensky Cathedral of the Mirozhsky Monastery and in the disclosure of a narrower to­pic insufficiently covered in the specific literature and requiring further in-depth research: the perception of the ancient frescoes’ background details by vie­wers of the 21st century. The article analyzes the artistic features of additional, secondary background details of the frescoes, whose thoroughness is unique for the medieval period of Christianity formation in Russia. The author focuses on our contemporaries’ perception of the features of the composition and color of the Mirozhsky Monastery’s Protoevangelium frescoes’ background in comparison with similar scenes of medieval murals in temples of Kiev, Veliky Novgorod, Polotsk and other cities. The artistic compositions of the Spaso-Preobrazhensky Cathedral were developed on the initiative of Archbishop Nifont, one of the most educated people of his time, and made by Byzantine masters invited to Pskov to paint the walls in the first half of the 12th century. The frescoes of the Protoevangelium cycle are located in a separate South-Western compartment under the choirs. This article organically complements the scientific publications devoted to the analysis of gospel scenes, acts of the apostles, the life cycle of the Pope Clement, prophets and martyrs depicted in the paintings of the Mirozhsky Monastery.