Concerns the socio­philosophical and cultural analysis of Valerian Muravyov’s heritage (1885-1930). He was a Russian cosmist of the “second generation” and the author of ideas that were original in his times and are still novel challenging the contemporary world outlook. Those ideas are gradually penetrating into the scientific discourse thus becoming an asset of the Russian and global intellectual environment. The author reveals the content and universal cultural significance of the main Muravyov’s intentions including his outlines of hypostatic logics and anthropological mathematics, images of the social conciliar­hypostatic All, the idea of the recurrence of the Entity, and other. Muravyov’s approaches to the perfection of a human being together with the major tracks of the cultural evolutionary ascent of the Homo sapiens are also examined. The author makes an attempt to comprehend holistically Muravyov’s heritage and theoretically codify it within the context of the contemporary world outlook revealing the general logic and internal contingency of his cosmistic thoughts and ideas. The author argues that Muravyov’s insights go with the trend of historically veridical scientific and technological progress of humanity and that they are fully consistent with the trends in the development of information technologies.

Addresses the example of the Classical Antiquity and argues that the culture of a primitive society focuses on the Outward and the culture of the developed society emphasises the Inward. The author demonstrates that these trends may be traced in a variety of institutions and phenomena; he addresses manifestations of extra­intentionality and intra­intentionality in religious views and practices, the ethical complex, representations and perceptions of the Self and the Other, in the law, aesthetics, the arts and literature. Certain types of socio­cultural activities, artistic works, and monuments that typologically belong to different periods of the archaic and developed society within the Ancient culture are historically compared (contraposed).

Analyses the postmodern concepts of “transgression” and “bricolage” in relation to contemporary art. Addressing the street art and the social art the author shows how the model of bricolage with the elements of transgression­profanity works in the modern culture. The mass audio­visual culture dictates a new way of perceiving art works, and all of them are the reflections of the media culture, or its bricolage “bounce.” The media culture and the society of globalisation in general produce a syncretic or bricolage environment with a “soft ban” system anticipating transgression; it is the erosion of boundaries which creates the illusion of transgression steps that can turn an artistic activity into a political action or make it balance on the verge of breaking the law. However, in such a type of culture, a transgression step is not opposed by a ban but by another transgression state which is a part of the system of market relations already

Is devoted to the socio­cultural aspects of photographic self­portrait which is examined through the prism of Do It Yourself principle. The author underlines that in the 21st century, this type of practices is represented both in material and virtual spheres of culture and argues that selfie represents a special type of practice that involves producing the media image of the self and personal reality with one’s own hands.

Explores the object­language laws in visual arts and the interrelation of art signs that are employed in painting and cinematography. The author addresses the “Age of Innocence” by Martin Scorsese and analyses the cinema art speech as determined by the object­language of the painting styles, namely the impressionism, pointillism, Art Nouveau, etc. The artistic culture is described as a dialogue space where languages of various types of arts reveal their origin from a single source and make their capacity of general understanding messages produced in culture obvious.

Examines reflections of the artists on the historical phenomenon, compares them to the universal human approaches and traces transformations of this phenomenon into the “given circumstances” (Konstantin Stanislavsky) in the course of artistic work. The author addresses the Russian national cinematography and argues that it may pretend on the leading position in representing the theme under examination. The Russian films reveal particular aesthetic and ideological paradigms, general cultural patterns, relationships, and positions related to the topic which are not that apparent in other arts, for example, in drama, music or literature. The author believes that all these principles eventually allow drawing conclusions on and proposing principles of ethnic cultural theory of film art which may be interpreted as a visual representation of the deeper archetypes and stereotypes of national cultures analysis of the Holocaust theme in mass shows. The cultural and the general creative principles and techniques of mass musical show productions are also examined.

Presents the results of the study in classical guitar music by Stravinsky. The author considers three pieces by Stravinsky where he used guitar and his transcription of the “Four Russian songs” suite (version of 1953-1954) that included a guitar part. The specificity of interpretation of the tone quality, the instrument capabilities in Stravinsky’s understanding and the features of composer’s style apparent in this music cycle are revealed. The author also focuses on the bell ringing effects that are particular of the piece.

Analyses the history of musical culture in the Far East of Russia and considers historical, geopolitical, and social factors in the development of the Russian state that significantly influenced the substance and dynamics of the musical culture at the regional level. The period under discussion starts from the incorporation of the Amur and Ussuriysk regions in the Russian Empire and finishes with the termination of the Russian Civil War.

Addresses the history of the old Russian musical instrument in relation to the medieval Russian culture. The author generalises existing research approaches, estimations, and findings on the origin of domra, musical practices related to it and disappearance of this mysterious instrument. The prevalence of domra in Russian instrumental music of the 16th and the 17th centuries and its close relation to the art of skomorokhs (buffoons) are revealed. The attempt is made to explore the nature of instrumental performance related to this ancient Russian musical instrument.

Explores the two approaches to the study of ceramic ornamentation that existed in the Left­bank Ukraine, namely those defined by the study of ethnic cultural features and by interpreting the general world view. The author distinguishes eight periods of efflorescence in the art of ornamented ceramics mostly related to foreign cultural influences and analyses semantics of particular pattern elements.

Is an essay on the two approaches to hermeneutic analyses of a visual text. The author addresses the “Old man with his grandson” by Domenico Ghirlandaio as a visual text that needs understanding and interpretation. The first approach is based on the creation of a new, quasi­artistic reality in the form of a dialogue in the classroom; it provides the holistic approach to understanding as a reconstruction­experience. The second one implements the proper hermeneutical analysis and involves tackling the interrelation of the basic hermeneutic concepts of “text” and “context”. Interpretations that apply this strictly logical method resemble the process of “preparation” and lose much in terms of the holistic humanistic approach. The author puts a question: which of the two approaches is deeper and more meaningful? A reader is to make a judgement.

Traces the story of composer’s collaboration with the most celebrated Wagnerian tenors of his time - Josef Tichatschek, Ludwig Schnorr von Carolsfeld and Albert Niemann. Basing on the analysis of the rich documentary material the author makes an attempt to describe the ideal of the heroic tenor that Richard Wagner was dreaming of all his life.

Examines the works of art of the famous Russian visual artist that were based on reconsidering traditions of the Russian North. The author aims to outline the ways of redesigning the folk art tradition in individual creation. The terms of “North traditions’ synergism” and “traditional­individual creation” are proposed and conceptualised. It is argued that the art of the Russian North was essential in Bilibin’s creative work and it is still the vivid source of Russian culture.

Results from a fundamental research on the biography and creative work of the prominent Russian artist Filipp Malyavin (1869-1940) and covers the last pre­revolutionary period of his creative activities. The research is based on the archive documents and publications including those concerned with his emigration of 1922.

Analyses the so called floral codes within the system of historical communication forms. The author argues that it was a particular type of aesthetic communication existed and developed throughout the 19th century. The research aims to elaborate approaches to including the “language of flowers” in behavioural practices proposing their typology and addresses the period of the Russian culture history when the use of the language was most noticeable and productive.

Explores the issue of development of the modern choral performing in the Kemerovo region. The authors define the notion of “art school” and its features, analyse emergence of the academic choral singing as the successful phenomenon of musical life in the region.

Analyses the attitudes towards the Nazi past that existed in West German society from 1945 through the 1950s. The author considers the social and political situation in the Federal Republic of Germany, the concept of “zero hour”, and collective guilt thesis that were tackled in the publications of sociopolitical character. The author concludes that in Germany in the post­war period, a specific “victim’s mentality” prevailed that rejected the idea of collective guilt and responsibility for the Nazi crimes.

Addresses understanding the Russian Church (patristic) literature from the pedagogical perspective. The author analyses specific features of religious literature in terms of its pedagogical potential including the reliance in Scripture, personal experience of organising the spiritual life, attention to the issues of spiritual and moral personal development and guidance.

Analyses biographies of saints and ecclesiastical leaders of both hagiographic and quasi­hagiographic types written in the 1920s and the 1930s. The author argues that through represented characters she builds her own image of the Church as a holy, communal organism the main characteristics of which are freedom, responsibility, eschatological orientation and creativity.

Studies the “The Tale of Tsar Saltan” by Alexander Pushkin from the folklorist perspective. The author draws on the works of the prominent folk literature researchers including Vladimir Propp, Eleazar Meletinsky and others and reveals a link between this tale and pre­history realities of the Neolithic Era and life of kinship communities.

Deals with interpretation of the early Christian texts and Jewish apocrypha which are a mystery still. The author addresses two themes, those of the shine and the opposition of light and dark powers in pursuit of the light which are of “folk” character (birth of a solar hero, capture of light, pursuit of the sun parallels). The research is based on the texts of the Second Temple period including apocryphal “Joseph and Aseneth,” the “Fourth Book of Ezda”, and the Book of Revelation in particular.

Argues that the “principia of history” are marked by the dualism represented by the “sacred madness” of elites on the one hand and practices of “taming the profane” on the other. These principia shape the symbolic, political, and social knots of reality that converge and thus produce the common “reality” of historical interferences.

Considers the factors, ways, and terms of the early Romani migrations. The author analyses various documentary sources to define Romani migration types, the influence of their lifestyle and economic activities. Particular attention is given to migrations of the Romani people along with the Ukrainians, their resettlement in Slobodskaya Ukraine and southern areas of Russia, the ways of their integration into Russian social strata system. New documentary sources of the Russia Roma history are introduced including the bill of sale of 1699 from Kharkov region as the earliest known testimony about Romani settlement within the borders of the Russian State.