Identity, Belonging, and Conflict

The concept of community is a controversial concept in terms of social sciences. However, today, when considered together with the concepts of identity and belonging, it can be said that the community has strong connotations. Where the community begins and ends is explained by the concept of boundary. The inside or outside of the border is a map of meaning. Because giving meaning to complex nature and society is one of the most important needs of human beings, the crisis of meaning created by modern times for humanity has led to the strengthening of grand narratives. The narratives, which propose various ways of life for the salvation of humanity, especially make use of symbols and symbolic forms. Because symbols are carriers of meaning, in this study, the identity factor, which constitutes the essence of the endless conflicts in the world, has been investigated with the symbolic constructs of the ideological view. For this, a connection has been established between identity, belonging and the community, which includes the meaning of collective action.

Biography in the aspect of cultural communication of an artist and audience

The purpose of the article is to reveal the communicative potential of the master's biography, to prove its influence on the cultural dialogue between humanity and the achievements of the artist. The research methodology is to apply a number of approaches: analytical – to comprehend the literature on the topic of the article; interdisciplinary - for a comprehensive study of factual material and in obtaining new knowledge; systemic using a whole range of methods (biographical, semiotic, culturological, hermeneutic, historical, theoretical generalization) – comprehending the stated quest, etc. Scientific novelty – for the first time in the national humanities, biography is explained as the way of civilizational contact between the creator and the public, the translator of the most important meanings of the era. Conclusions. The publication states that the artist's biography is an important component of the communicative space of nowadays. It embodies the anthropological dimensions of history, the worldview of the day through the coverage of the hero's life, his significant achievements. The author of the chronicles builds the life strategy of the master in such a way that he becomes clear to the recipients of any period. An analysis of the chronicle reveals the richness of symbolic forms of cultural contact associated with works of art, epoch-making features and social circumstances, and so on. In unity, they affect the perception of the artist's image. This process is carried out by the public as a result of decoding spiritual information in accordance with existing norms, traditions of a particular time, awareness of the existential and creative experience of the character. Biography as a means of communication demonstrates freedom from ideological, social limitations, as it allows communication of individuals of different eras, removes territorial, speech, social, and others barriers. Due to their ability to embody the universal concepts of civilization, the chronicles express not only the story of the artist, but also allow the modern recipient to express himself. Thus the listener (viewer) through the biography is in contact with the master, his time, humanity. Keywords: biography, cultural communication, artist, audience.

Stage practices as a means of self-identification of the Greek ethnic of Azov region

The purpose of the article is to reveal the peculiarities of the revival of ethnic self-identification by the Greeks of the Azov region by means of stage practices. Research methodology. The historical-cultural method was used (to study the historical period of formation and development of the Greek ethnos of the Azov region); theoretical method (to summarize the data of the material analyzed in the article in order to highlight the main trends of stage practices of the Greeks of the Azov region); structural-functional method (for analysis of the structure of ethnocultural self-identification); cultural-semiotic method (for the study of the method of constructing ethnocultural self-identification as a mental structure through symbolic forms), etc. Scientific novelty. The main constants of ethnocultural identity are studied; the possibility of constructing a positive ethnic identity in contemporary performing arts in general and the ethnic group of the Greeks of the Azov region, in particular, is considered; The peculiarities of the revival of ethnic self-identification by the Greeks of the Azov region by means of stage practices were revealed. Conclusions. Manifestation of ethnocultural self-identification of cultural and artistic practices has a complex semantic and expressive structure and manifests itself as a multilevel system. In accordance with the constructivism and cultural-semiotic approach, the stage practices of the Greek ethnos of the Azov region offer a way to construct ethnocultural self-identification as a mental structure through such symbolic forms as a worldview, ethnic worldview, and artistic worldview. They reflect the consciousness of man and society as a whole, as well as what is important for the Greek ethnic group, and have the greatest potential for building a positive image of the ethnic community. Keywords: Greek ethnos, Greeks of the Azov region, stage practices, ethnocultural self-identification.

Semantic space of “Well-Tempered Clavier” of J. S. Bach as a basis of the performing concept

The relevance of the article is due to the issue of formation in a modern multicultural space of the new image of the executor — the carrier of new senses and cultural memory, as well as need for creative comprehension of the world treasury of musical art in the artistic realities of modernity and research on the specifics of its modern performing versions. The purpose of the article is to outline the determinants and the specifics of the semantic space of “Well-Tempered Clavier” of J. S. Bach as conceptual basis of the performing concept. The methodology of the article is based on the principles of a comparative approach, which enables the use of research tools for cultural studies and musicology, in particular historical, historical-contextual, genre, hermeneutical and semiological methods and approaches. The results. The article outlines the following factors of conceptual polyphony of “Well-Tempered Clavier” as accumulation and artist experience of reflection and protecting the world in symbolic forms, the significance of the synthesis of arts and the unity of emotion, image and symbol on the parameters of baroque aesthetics, the connection of “Well-Tempered Clavier” with the creativity of the artist, resonance of symbolic forms with axiological structures of historical and cultural epochs. The article substantiates the significance in pluralistic symbolic field of the works: semantics of tonality and tempo, which acts as a construction of performing chronotope; sacred melos with perceptually fixed semantics, means of embodiment of which is citing, representation as complementary unity, allusion-variable reproduction; numeric symbolism; rhetorical figures, sound treatment — visualization of the musical process; fixed in the context of European art semantics — in particular “mirror in the mirror” (on micro — and macro levels of the of the music text organization); the genre “ambivalence”, which determines the superposition of different variants of “genre’s memory” and enables the creation of an artistic-reflective arch between the era of Baroque and postmodernism, designated be the leveling of the genre. The scientific topicality of the article is due to the clarification and systematization of representations regarding the specifics of the semantic field of “Well-Tempered Clavier” of J. S. Bach and the positioning of conceptual polyphony of the work as the basis of performing concepts and text. The practical significance of article is determined by a direct possibility of applying research results in the performing practice. Conclusion. Performance of “Well-Tempered Clavier” of J. S. Bach on the basis of the interiorization of symbolic forms is a guarantee of its performing “reading” as an embodiment of the process of being human in a cross-cultural dialogue, deploying self-reflection in the space of a representation of postmodernism paradigm as a multidimensional cultural message, in which the axiological experience of humanity is concentrated and the eternal problems of its spiritual being are actualized.

Spatial Imaginings in the Age of Colonial Cartographic Reason: Maps, Landscapes, Travelogues in Britain and India by Nilanjana Mukherjee

Nilanjana Mukherjee’s book looks at construction of space, leading from imaginative to concrete contours, within the context of the British imperial enterprise in India. Fundamental to her argument is that colonial definitions of sovereignty were defined in terms of control over space and not just over people, and hence it was first necessary to map the space and inscribe symbols into it. In the latter half of the eighteenth century, imperialism and colonization were complex phenomena that involved new and imminent strategies of nation building. No other period of British history, as Linda Colley has noted, has seen such a conscious attempt to construct a national state and national identity (Colley 1992). Although the physical occupation of India by the British East India Company could be said to have begun with the battle of Plassey (1757), nevertheless the process of conquest through mediation of symbolic forms indicate the time and manner in which the ‘conquest’ was conscripted

The Cross-Cultural Background and Modern Transformations of Religious and Spiritual Symbols of Lithuanian Identity

Traditional symbols and codes are very powerful elements of culture. In modernity they have become connected with the paradigm of intertextuality: being actual because of their modern and contemporary treatment, at the same time they are associated with intracultural communication, the national historical background and ethnic traditionalism, as well as having a lot of intercultural features. Paradoxically serving to define cultural boundaries and uniqueness, they also can testify to historical processes of cultural globalization. The aim of this research is to contextualize the iconicity and contemporary meaning of modern national visual symbols (a rue, a six-petal rosette; a sun with wavy rays) and uncover the main differences and similarities between their ancient historical and folkloric meaning and actual modern interpretations based on art, folk art and art-historical, historical, archaeological and folkloric data. This interdisciplinary approach is based on semiotic (i.e. ethnosemiotic), ethnological interpretation and contextual analysis of the function and meaning of visual symbols as elements of culture. The study clarifies how these ornamental signs of national identity, which are related to cultural heritage, but with intercultural historical origins, come alive and come to be newly interpreted by the social imaginary, influenced by scientific concepts in modern religious, spiritual and cultural life and their representations, and how these signs are prevalent internationally. It also analyses how, as logos in highly symbolic forms relating to mythical paradigms, these visual signs are involved in processes of the auto-communication of culture, its transmission, creation and memory, and how they are related to the boundaries of semiotic space or the semiosphere (Lotman 2005: 210; 2009: 131-142).

The Genealogy of Ancient Comedy in the Representation of Olga Mikhailovna Freidenberg (Russian Translation)

The article discusses the concept of genealogy and the cultural significance of the ancient comedy in the view of O. M. Freidenberg. For Freidenberg, the ancient comedy was a form of metaphorization of reality. The metaphor, like the symbol in Cassirer's philosophy, was interpreted by Freidenberg as the immanent product of the human spirit. Recognizing the similarity between the ideas of Cassirer and the reflection of Freidenberg, this study attempts to indicate the relationship between the literary concept in the context of Freidenberg and the theory of culture, which was the work of Cassirer. As with Cassirer, the original thinking was, in the Russian researcher's view, concrete, indivisible and figurative. The development of literature is the development of conceptual thinking, which became more and more abstract. The structure of ancient comedy was, therefore, the result of the development of human thought, the evolution of which Freidenberg saw, like Cassirer. The concept of the genealogy of comedy by Freidenberg, seen from the perspective of the Cassirer's theory of symbolic forms, is an original, consistent and logical hypothesis about the cultural significance of ancient comedy. Most of the interpretative problems it presents arise from the attempts to consider it in isolation from the cultural theory endorsed by Freidenberg, of which Cassirer was the author. The article is addressed to philosophers of culture, literary critics and historians.

City’s Cultural Memory: Modern Practices of Symbolizing the Past

The article is devoted to the discourse of the city’s cultural memory. The relevance of studying this topic is determined not only by the fundamental aspect associated with the episodicity of existing studies of this phenomenon. From an applied point of view, the city’s cultural memory is a symbolic resource that can be used to create an appealing image, form a sustainable urban identity, and strengthen the citizen’s sense of belonging to the city. The accumulation and objectification of cultural memory take place in symbolic forms, which makes it important to study the practices of symbolizing the urban past, the essence of which is to generate the significance of the relevant or latent layers of cultural memory for the citizens.The article presents the results of the final stage of research related to the study of the process of constructing the cultural memory of the city. The purpose of the article is to analyze modern practices of symbolizing fragments of the urban past, which mean their significance for contemporaries. Basing on the culturological cross-section of the issue, the author integrates different research contexts. The methodological basis of the article is the communicative approach that focuses on the processes of meaning formation, and the constructivist method that considers memory as a multi-layered and dynamic construct. Analyzing the practices of symbolizing the urban past by the example of Russian cities, the author of the article demonstrates how the episodes of the city’s memory are updated in the modern world, how cultural meanings become memorable for citizens. The author uses the results of previous studies and identifies the following elements of the symbolization of the urban past: a) ways of encoding fragments of the past; b) communicative trajectories of memory symbolization; c) factors of producing meanings about the collective past of the city. The obtained results open up new frontiers in understanding the processes of formation of the collective ideas about the city, and prospects for empirical research, forecasting and constructing the cultural memory of Russian cities, giving them the opportunity to change their present and future.

ART COMMUNICATION LANGUAGE AND THE ANALYSİS OF MUHSİN KUT’S WORKS

In every geography where people live, besides their efforts to meet their mandatory needs, people also put forward their first artistic products. While carving the rocks, the first humans expressed their feelings, what they thought, saw, and lived, and made various descriptions. Thus, the foundations of the art of painting were laid and the colors discovered. In fact, human beings, who are innately creative, have searched for permanent ways to express their feelings, thoughts and wishes as well as their battles and successes, and transfer them to the future generations. In this way, various artistic works that developed from simple pictures to symbolic forms and letter sequences were created. The communication established in this way with art also started a process of exchange of messages between individuals and groups. This exchange, which plays an active role in the interaction of people with each other, has appeared in every situation as a social consequence of being a receiver and a giver. Because the most important elements of communication are formed with these forms of expression, which are realized in written, verbal, visual and auditory terms between the receiver and the transmitter. Today, many artists create works by using the universal language of symbols, by attributing their own meanings to many contents with commonsymbolism, objects and colors. Effective communication between societies with art is also ensured through the symbolic forms used. With this research, it is aimed to examine and evaluate the works of artist Muhsin Kut, who presents different thematic perspectives with his paintings with and without figures containing social themes, in terms of their technical and aesthetic features. The research was carried out with document analysis (literature review) method, which is one of the qualitative research types. Today, many artists create works by using the universal language of symbols by attributing their own meanings to many content with common symbolism, objects and colors. Through the symbolic forms used, an effective communication between societies with art is also ensured. With this research, it is aimed to examine and evaluate the works of the artist Muhsin Kut, who presents different thematic perspectives with his social paintings with and without figures, in terms of their technical and aesthetic features.

„Symbole geben zu denken”? Theoretische und didaktische Überlegungen zur Reflexionsphilosophie Paul Ricoeurs

Current thinking is strongly oriented towards the logos and sees the need for demythologizing. The myth seems to belong to past forms of consciousness that belong to a "naive" worldview. Today's thinking, however, has to be based on the ratio in still in the tradition of Descartes. Based on Paul Ricoeurs' philosophy of reflection, this article aims to show that the integration of symbolic forms like the myth but also poetry into today's thinking should not be understood as a departure from the logos, but rather as its expansion with ontological relevance. Finally, it should be explored to what extent such a way of thinking proves to be productive for educational processes.