The article analyzes the indicators of information activity of cultural institutions based on the rating presented on the “PRO.Kultura.RF” platform. Different levels of their employee’s information activity are caused by uneven digital maturity, insufficient level of digital competencies, unwillingness for working in new conditions. Cultural institutions are tasked with increasing the level of digital activity in interaction with visitors to ensure convenience, accessibility and efficiency of their use of cultural values in digital format. The introduction of innovative methods in the practice of cultural institutions of the country is complicated by the imperfection of the existing tools for their adequate assessment. This study, carried out on the example of cultural institutions of the South of Russia, relied on a sample of numerical data on rating indicators that most clearly indicate the level of information activity: the number of connections to the portal and the number of personal accounts created on this resource, as well as the number of connections to the Digital Culture counter, which provides information on user visits to the official websites of institutions. Based on absolute numbers, they were compared for individual regions of the South of Russia and a rating was built. The average values of individual indicators of information activity of regional cultural institutions were calculated, their weight was determined by setting threshold values in relation to the population of the region. This allowed a more objective division of the studied regions into four groups: with a high level of information activity, average, low and unacceptably low. Different economic and demographic conditions of the regions of the South of Russia, the presence of different points of view of their leadership on the content and mechanisms for implementing digitalization indicate the relevance and complexity of the problem of integrating high technologies into Russian socio-political reality.

Since the beginning of the 21st century, there has been an active development of military music festivals in our country, one of the main elements of which is the performance of a combined orchestra. This led to a wide interest among the authors of the article in studying the history of its origin and the fields of its application. Training combined orchestra for performance at socially significant events includes three stages: preliminary, main and final. The first is characterized by the implementation of organizational work, which includes clarifying the thematic focus of the event, its duration, the amount of resources and funds. These criteria determine the content of the musical material, the high-quality preparation of which largely determines the success of the performance of the combined orchestra. When instrumenting musical compositions, not only the level of professional training of the groups is taken into account, but also the acoustic features of the intended performance venue. An important element in the preliminary stage is to ensure the unity (tonality, instrumentation, form, etc.) of the musical material (scores and orchestral voices) and the careful preparation of the teams “on the ground” under the guidance of their conductors. The main stage of training includes solving the performing and technical tasks of the entire combined orchestra. At this stage, the groups are arranged taking into account the composition of the participants of the event, their uniforms and the order of exit (departure), synchronicity and unity in the performance of drill techniques are practiced, and rehearsals are conducted as part of a combined orchestra. To coordinate the actions and manage the musicians, the head of the combined orchestra attracts assistants from among the conductors of the drum majors, who duplicate the instructions using a tambourstock. The coherence and organization of the musicians’ actions ensures the dynamics of rehearsals, which usually do not take enough time. At the end of the training, dress rehearsals and runs are held, which, in fact, are the final stage of a large, time-consuming and interesting work.

Soviet filigree art (folk filigree craft) is a poorly studied area in modern art history. In particular, the artistic, as well as technical and technological, merits of industrial filigree in Mstera (Vladimir region, Vyaznikovsky district) have hardly been studied, although some publications of the Soviet period published fragmentary information about the Mstera jewelry factory and its leading craftsmen. The interpretation of concepts such as artistic production culture, industrial design, design, and introduction of filigree jewelry into production continue to cause controversy among researchers. Therefore, their study requires the development of new approaches. Factory filigree technologies, which have become leading in folk art centers, demonstrate the great interest among Soviet jewelers in this traditional Russian technique. Exhibition-oriented works made in it appeared, distinguished by a high level of execution, as well as mass production, which required new artistic and production solutions. The introduction of the concept of “industrial openwork filigree” into scientific circulation is relevant in light of the evolution of traditional Russian folk crafts. In this article, the process of manufacturing openwork filigree in production conditions is studied and recreated for the first time in detail. The research methodological framework is based on experimental and technological approaches. The experimentally determined features of ornamental compositions in the openwork filigree technique, related to serial items of the Mstera factory, are also introduced into scientific circulation: the nature and thickness of the wire, the main motifs, artistic and compositional techniques. It is noted that the most variable compositions were characteristic of serially produced filigree tableware. Within the framework of the research, for the first-time questions are raised about the methods of reviving the traditional Russian art filigree technique in the folk jewelry production centers of the Soviet era, the plot and ornamental component of which has preserved the symbolism of the original Russian culture. The article allows to expand the understanding of the evolution of the art of openwork filigree at the Mstera art factory “Yuvelir”, the range of its products and their ornamentation, and this publication is intended to serve as a basis for continuing both theoretical and practical study of the topic.

The article is a study of French fashion magazine illustration in the period of its formation in the late 17th and early 19th century. On the example of the illustrative material of the most significant periodicals of that time, which to a greater or lesser extent covered the issues of fashion and style, it was revealed that French fashion magazine illustration in the period under study went from imitation of static black-and-white frontal images like costume prints, to figurative and expressive dynamic colour images. To a certain extent, this process, as well as the increase in the share of pictorial elements in relation to the textual component of fashion periodicals by the beginning of the 19th century, was a reflection of the social and cultural aspects of French economic, political and social life in the late 17th and early 19th centuries, shaped by the ideas of the Enlightenment and the Great French Revolution. The search for optimal content from the point of view of marketing prompted the publishers and editors of the first fashion magazines to rely on the expressiveness and quality of illustrative material. This approach, in which the content and form of the images perfectly met the requirements of the time, had a positive impact on the circulation of these publications and, as a consequence, on the spread of French fashion ideals. Created by a plead of remarkable artists and engravers, fashion magazine illustrations of the late 17th and early 19th century, in addition to being important documents of everyday life and unique informative sources for fashion historians, are outstanding examples of graphic art, have undoubted artistic value and as an object of study are worthy of close attention.

The article devotes to the history of the creation of tempera murals Crimea and Caucasus in the foyer of the Palace of Worker (Palace of Culture for the Railway Workers) in Kharkov. Their author is the famous artist Eugene Lanceray (1875—1946), a member of the World of Art association (since 1900), a full member of the Imperial Academy of Arts (since 1915), who was forced to leave for the Caucasus (Dagestan, and then Georgia) after the Russian Revolution of 1917. In 1931—1932, when he came from Tiflis to Kharkov, he painted with tempera on plaster. This was preceded by a long stage of preparatory work and discussions, including those related to ideological differences over the plots that arose at different party and trade union levels. The research is based on archival documents from the Russian State Archive of Literature and Art (in particular, materials related to the discussion of murals in the spirit of the new symbols of Soviet monumental art: “Free Labor in the USSR and Oppressed Labor in Western Europe, China...”, “Perekop”, etc.), as well as personal documents (diary entries of the artist, his reflections on the subjects, correspondence with his brother N.E. Lanceray, sister Z.E. Serebryakova, architect A.I. Dmitriev, engineer V.V. Veryuzhsky, art critic R.G. Drampyan and others). The article highlights issues related to the master’s work on other monumental works in the intervals between the execution of the Kharkov order, with the stylistic searches of the artist, which he conducted, including under the impression of a business trip to France (1927), with the problem of the relevance of classical forms in Soviet art in the late 1920s and early 1930s. The present study makes it possible to clarify and reconstruct the circumstances of the creation of the Kharkov murals by E.E. Lanceray.

The article examines the metaphors of special symbols and commentary in the works of the contemporary artist Hamid Savkuev and analyzes how they construct the deeper meanings of his works. The question of the language of modern art is considered in the context of its combination with the traditional language. Special symbols related to culture, history, tradition, education and nature used by the author in his works are studied. Their specificity, role and significance in art, traditional and modern culture are revealed. Savkuev is an artist who has been intensively creating in recent years, and the article analyzes the hidden images and commentary of his works using a combination of practical and theoretical approaches. The author traces the work of H. Savkuev, who builds the artistic language and meaning of his works in four directions: the traditional folk art of Kabardino-Balkaria, the Nart epic, religion and philosophy. The artist, possessing a unique style and boundless imagination, rethinks the value of traditional art. His works are not only visual presentations, but also a meeting of emotions and thoughts, demonstrating a deep understanding and exploration of art. H. Savkuev strives to combine academic art and modern thinking, while preserving traditions and presenting a richer and more diverse artistic image. He boldly explores and rethinks its content, thereby opening up new creative directions and spaces for reflection in the context of an ever-changing time, paying tribute to tradition, but also shaping the perspective of art development.

The article explores the phenomenon of the color form, which is a combination of color and formal characteristics that play a significant role in visual communication, cognitive processes and the transmission of cultural values. The color form serves as a tool through which cultural meanings are transmitted, emotional responses are evoked and cognitive processes are activated. The purpose of the work is a theoretical understanding of the color form based on the integration of methods of sociohumanitarian sciences and philosophy.

The article presents the results of a study of the evolution of the color form from ancient concepts of proportion and harmony (developed by Plato and Aristotle), its symbolic interpretation in medieval art, the interpretation of the color form in the Modern period and the use of the color form in the culture of the 20th and early 21st centuries. The article examines the specifics of the interaction of color and form in design, which is largely influence the emergence and development of mass culture. The semiotic aspect of the interaction of color and form is considered, in which the color form is represented as a system of signs containing cultural codes and meanings transmitted through the interaction of shapes and colors. The color form is a powerful visual communication tool that conveys complex ideas and emotions through a combination of color and shape. The meaning of color varies depending on cultural traditions and historical context.

The article analyzes the changes in the role of the color form in the information society, including its application in digital culture. In the context of digitalization and mass culture, it is becoming a functional tool for global information exchange. Future research in this area is likely to focus on studying the evolution of the color form in a digital culture.

The epistolary heritage of great Russian composers is an inexhaustible source of knowledge about their lives and work, everyday life and holidays — a reflection of thoughts, feelings and emotions, immediate responses and deliberate decisions. It contains a picture of the era in its everyday life and grandeur, in biographical dialogues, in events and facts that reveal unknown facets of the soul and heart, the secret tonality of being. A large number of letters of various themes are devoted to important business issues. Very often they concern specific aspects of music publishing activities, the design and sale of print runs, pricing, ethical and legal framework, etc., creating another chapter in the annals of the country’s cultural life in the second half of the 19th — early 20th centuries. The traditional contexts of this issue are state and legal acts, as well as the active professional position of the music publishers themselves, including their private correspondence. Among a number of composers, musicians, critics, public figures, the personality of M.A. Balakirev deserves special attention. His correspondents included leading domestic manufacturers, owners of the largest trading enterprises, etc. This extensive correspondence contains valuable information concerning copyright issues, a relevant topic that unites the commercial style of all industry firms. Interesting details are revealed in the relationships between M.A. Balakirev and M.P. Belyaev, V.V. Stasov, Yu.G. Zimmerman, P.I. Tchaikovsky, P.I. Jurgenson, in their debatable nature, reflecting the dynamics of historical and cultural processes and a large volume of professional tasks at various levels of the printing cycle. This range of issues formed the purpose and research profile of the article.

The article devotes to the exhibition activity of Elsa Schiaparelli, designer and owner of the haute couture house. This topic has not yet been subject of a special study. The history and theory of curating fashion exhibitions is in demand due to the intensive development of a new discipline — fashion curation. Also, the relevance of the mentioned problems is conditioned by the existing demand for mastering the heritage of Elsa Schiaparelli, a significant figure of the fashion scene of the first half of the 20th century, who had a powerful impact on the formation of the contexts of contemporary fashion. An important part of the Maison Schiaparelli history has been its active and fruitful collaboration with the art world, and one of the overlooked aspects of this co-operation has been its exhibition activity. The article establishes the couturier’s links with the artistic avant-garde, particularly as a participant in the Surrealist project, who was directly involved in landmark exhibitions such as the Exposition Internationale du Surréalisme and First Papers of Surrealism. On the example of Maison Schiaparelli window decoration, the possibility of interpreting the window of a fashion industry enterprise as a place of realization of curatorial practices is considered. The episode of Elsa Schiaparelli’s participation in the Exposition Internationale des Arts et Techniques dans la Vie Moderne as an exhibitor at the Pavilion of Elegance is analyzed in detail. For the first time, Russian-language emigrant periodicals are used as a source for this story. Schiaparelli’s approach, which is close to the modern understanding of the exhibition as a medium, is studied, which allows raising such issues as the status of fashion in the art system and the representation of fashion in museum and exhibition spaces. Schiaparelli’s contribution to the formation and design of contemporary practices of fashion exhibition is discussed.

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