The cultural codes of Tunisia in the work of G. A. Makhrova "My Tunisia"

Mikova Svetlana Stanislavovna ORCID: 0000-0003-3874-7110 PhD in Philology Associate Professor, Department of the Russian Language and Teaching Methods, Patrice Lumumba Peoples' Friendship University of Russia (RUDN University) 10/2 Miklukho-Maklaya str., Moscow, 117198, Russia mikova_ss@pfur.ru

Sadouri Hassanet Postgraduate Student, Department of the Russian Language and Teaching Methods, Patrice Lumumba Peoples' Friendship University of Russia (RUDN University) 10/2 Miklukho-Maklaya str., Moscow, 114198, Russia 1042215164@rudn.ru

The linguistic and cultural codes of Tunisia in the work of G. A. Makhrova "My Tunisia"

Introduction

Memoirs are, as you know, the memories of participants or witnesses of certain events. The memoirs are characterized not only by the documentary accuracy of the events described, but also by the emotional assessment of these events by the author.

"My Tunisia" is a memoir created by the famous Russian emigrant artist G. A. Makhrova. Narrating about her own life, she develops in this work two main themes in her work — the fate of Russian emigrants and the fate of emigrated artists. At the same time, the image of Tunisia appears on the pages of the narrative. The very title of the work – "My Tunisia" - focuses the reader's attention on the specifics of the author's perception of the country: the image of Tunisia combines the features of his own and someone else's space. It is important that the author of the work is a professional artist. Therefore, the image of Tunisia as a country is created, or, more precisely, drawn by the author using vocabulary with color semantics.

To reproduce the national flavor of the described country, as well as historical retrospectives, the writer, while remaining an artist, constantly changes angles, allowing the reader to admire the scale of the country, then look into its individual, characteristic details – linguistic and cultural codes. The French Russian scholar N. A. Struve, speaking at the presentation of the newly published book "My Tunisia", remarked: "Galina Makhrova has two gifts. The first by the artist, manifested with special expression in watercolors painted in Tunisia, where the colors are richer and brighter. The second gift of a storyteller and a memoirist. Without pretension, with great human tact, she tells about simple and less simple people. With mental and spiritual benefit for the reader." ^[1].

The editor-in-chief of the magazine "Russian Eyewitness" in the article "You show us our country" gives an explanation of the chosen method of narration, which G. Makhrova gave herself: "I fell in love with Tunisia, which, oddly enough, reminded me of Russia. With its great distances (it doesn't matter if they are snowy or sandy, marine), with its scope ... Europe is too small compared to Russian and African scales. I fell in love with the people living on that land."

The plot-forming core of the simple and sincere narrative in "My Tunisia" was the story of the families of sailors of the Black Sea Squadron who evacuated to Bizerte (the northernmost point of the African continent) in the 1920s, and the fate of Russian emigration intertwined in this art album with Tunisian landscapes of the artist, who signs her works with the name Galina.

Culture in the aspect of structural and semiotic analysis is an ordered system of cultural codes ^{[2, c, 645]}, which in works of verbal art manifest themselves in linguistic and cultural codes. Linguistic and cultural codes reflect the nation's ideas about the material and spiritual, the peculiarities of the national mentality, the system of assessments and values ^{[3, p. 48]}. In scientific works on philology, one can find different interpretations of the term "linguistic and cultural code". In our work, in interpreting the term linguistic and cultural code, we follow V. V. Krasnykh, who believes that "this is a set of names or combinations of them that have, in addition to their proper denotative meaning, cultural meanings" ^[4]. This definition is complemented by S.V. Ivanov: "The linguistic and cultural code is a system of linguistic and cultural correspondences organized according to a built-in matrix, the role of which is performed by the structural organization of the linguistic personality" ^[5]. V. M. Savitsky and E.A. Hashimov in the monograph "Linguistic and cultural code (composition and functioning)" argue that "as a cultural code can almost any sensually perceived part of reality can act: celestial bodies, natural phenomena, flora, fauna, the human body, household items, machinery, weapons, etc., etc." ^[6].

The national specificity of linguistic and cultural codes is studied in a number of works based on the material of individual linguistic cultures (for example, the floral code ^[7], the material code ^[8], the natural code ^[9] are studied on the material of English linguistic culture, the zoomorphic code of F.N. Guketlova is described on the material of three linguistic cultures ^[10], the culinary code is analyzed on the material of Russian linguistic culture E.V. Kapelyushnik ^[11]. The specifics of the implementation of the cultural code in the artistic picture of the world within the framework of a separate work, the work of an individual author and a whole direction are studied in literary works (see, for example, ^[12]).

Thus, the study of linguistic and cultural codes in a work of art, aimed at identifying their national specifics, seems to be an urgent area of scientific research.

According to the classification of V. V. Krasnykh ^[13], the following cultural codes are distinguished: somatic (bodily), spatial, temporal, objective, biomorphic, spiritual [see also 14]. Different cultural codes, different "cultural languages" can be used in the same text ^{[15, 16]}.

Let's consider which codes and by which units are implemented in G. A. Makhrova's narrative about Tunisia to create a linguistic and cultural image of this country.

1.      Subject code

G.A. Makhrova's text "My Tunisia" presents ethnographic realities, especially the vocabulary group of the thematic groups "Clothes" and "Cosmetics" is numerous: "She wore a djellaba – a self-woven Tunisian hoodie of gray-black color with a hood thrown back"; "Red fezzes on the heads of movers and porters reminded Kirill of his Tunisian childhood"; "Here they also sell "kohl" - black lead powder, a wooden or silver stick is dipped into it, which is used to circle the eyelid (kohl was used for tinting the eyes back in Ancient Egypt") ^[17]. It should be noted that the interpretation of the meaning of tokens with a national-cultural component is given in the same sentences, which makes it possible to attribute these tokens to the components of the image of an "alien" space ^[18].

Within the framework of the subject code, culinary names occupy a special place – the names of national dishes and drinks: "Jalal showed his work, Latifa treated him to tea. I remember how good iced tea with a sprig of mint is in summer" ^[17]. For residents of Arab countries, tea is a symbol of hospitality; "Tunisians do not use small plates, they eat their daily food – couscous - from bowls resembling Central Asian bowls ^[17]. "Tanya almost always cooked only one dish – couscous (the national Tunisian dish) or borscht with meat pies ^[17]. "After work, he would buy a piece of meat or chicken, vegetables from the shopkeeper and cook couscous. The food was served with local red wine" ^[17].

2.      Spatial code

In creating the image of Tunisia, it is difficult to do without using proper names: they contribute to the reader's penetration into an unfamiliar world, reflect the local flavor, have a vivid national cultural semantics, since their meaning is derived from the history and culture of the native–speaking people. A proper name is a boundary separating the universal and the national–specific ^[19].

In the text of G. Terry's "My Tunisia" proper names as a means of creating a linguistic and cultural image of Tunisia are diverse in the object of naming. Toponyms are the most numerous category. Among them, names of geographical objects less known to the Russian reader can be distinguished, which in most cases are accompanied by such generic names as "beach", "city", "lake", "river", "district". Generic instructions allow you to attribute these units to the components of an "alien" space: "In the evening we drove to the Ain Draham mountains by car, spent the night in a hotel"; "The view from their "nest" was immense: the sea, the wild beach of Raouad, the salt lake of Schott el Riad"; "In the west of Tunisia, near the Algerian border, on the rocky birch of the Mediterranean Sea there is a resort the city of Tabarka"; "The Krumir Mountains rise above Tabarka"; "The northernmost point of Tunisia (and all of Africa) is the White Cape. Next to it is the city of Bizerte, which was a naval base of the French Navy until 1963"; "Behind the forest there are several rocky capes at the mouth of the Medjerdy River"; "Behind La Marsa, the most beautiful town, Sidi bou Said, built of stone, sheltered on a rocky ledge"; Our the house is on Eshmun Street, behind an iron fence; We went to the wild beach of Raouad, beyond Gammart, where there was no one and you could swim naked ^[17]. // Beauty: sea, sandy beach, dunes, sand again, unpaved dirt road, and behind it the shallow salt lake Schott el Riad, even further some vegetation; When I looked from our terrace at the Gulf of Carthage, at Mount Bu Kornin, it seemed to me that my roots go back to the depth of the Carthaginian land, that I feel like a continuation of those women who lived here before me; Carthage is located on the hill of Birsa, where our house was located; I will not describe the Roman cities, theaters, thermal baths that saved the underground palaces at the foot of the Krumir Mountains from the summer heat – there are guidebooks for this; "The Great Carthaginian (or Tunisian) the bay ends at Cape Bon. Beyond it, the coastline turns south. Here, on the east coast of Tunisia, are the most famous resort places: Nabeul, Hammamet, Sousse, Kerkenna, Djerba ^[17]. Thus, mountains and slides stand out in the landscape. A component of the image "Tunisia is a country for recreation" is also being implemented: beaches and resort towns.

The rich past of the country as part of the Roman Empire is reflected in the descriptions of monuments and cities: "It seemed to us that everyone should definitely visit the Bardo Country Palace located near the capital, where the National Museum of Alaui is located, which has a unique collection of Roman mosaics. ^[17]. Tunisian traditions are the result of a mixture of different cultures: Arabic, Punic, Roman, Turkish, French.

Proper names that emphasize the antiquity, exotic nature, historical significance, beauty and power of Tunisia become linguistic and cultural codes that remind readers of this.: "Behind La Marsa, the most beautiful town, Sidi bou Said, built of stone, is sheltered on a rocky ledge"; "It is located on Mount Birsa and is surrounded by greenery and flowers; "Behind Carthage, the flat coast stretches to La Gulet (former port); "Attracted by the beauty of Sidi-bou Said, poets, writers, artists, cinematographers settled here"; "These were beautiful places: Carthage, Sidi bou Said, La Marsa or Gammart" ^[17]; "Tunisian villages often arise on the site of ancient Roman settlements or near them, houses here are built from the remains of ancient buildings ^[17]. Participating in the modeling of the landscape image of Tunisia, proper names act as cultural codes and remind the reader of the special position of the country, located at the crossroads of ancient civilizations.

Tunisia's location in an arid region and the problem of water scarcity influenced the perception of water as a value: "The main thing was that he started searching for water and, digging near his hut, got to fresh water. For Muslims living in hot countries, fresh water plays a huge role; Tunisians began to look at Gorchakov with respect" ^[17].

3. Biomorphic code

One of the phytonymic symbols of Tunisia is jasmine. Small bouquets of jasmine can be seen everywhere in this country: they decorate shops, street vendors and house doors. Tunisians believe that this particular flower symbolizes home comfort, love and harmony. The fragrance of jasmine evokes associations with happiness and warmth among locals: "In the cities of the northern part of Tunisia, bouquets of jasmine are collected and knitted from spring to late autumn. <...>. Small oblong, white, slightly pink, not yet blooming flowers are plucked and bumped into pine needles, thus forming a long stem" ^[17].

Jasmine reminds G. A. Makhrova of Tunisia when she buys such bouquets in Paris. It is emphasized that this is a unique symbol of Tunisia: "This sophisticated art for creating evening sophistication does not exist in any other African country" ^[17].

Adjectives with a color component are of particular importance in the linguistic and cultural image of Tunisia. The image of Tunisia is mottled, multicolored, bright, it is impossible to distinguish the dominant colors: "Beyond Sidi bou Said, the road among the red–orange rocks descends to Amilkar beach"; "The sky is blue, the walls are white, orange oranges on a tree with green leaves, a little further - yellow lemons, ripening all year round, pink and red hibiscus, and blooming geraniums in pots..."; "Behind the high white walls you can guess the gardens: eucalyptus, cypress, palm trees and bougainvillea of various colors"; "The view from the terrace was such that it was difficult to look away: the greenery and flowers of our garden, further to the shore - other villas surrounded by palm trees and drowning in greenery, even further away is a multicolored sea, now blue, now pink"; "All this space is united by the finest combination of colors: blue sky, red sunset, fawn schott, pinkish sand and gray-blue sea"; "Lilac bougainvillea grew above the gate, to the right – a false mimosa, in the garden – an orange tree, an araucaria, a lemon tree bearing fruit all year round, an olive, a banana palm, a false pepper tree wrapped in a climbing plant with white clusters of flowers, climbing roses along the wall of the house" ^[17].

The color scheme works to create a single image of a bright exotic country.

4.      Time code

The history of Tunisia goes back to ancient times. To emphasize this, G. Makhrova uses words that act as a kind of linguistic and cultural time code in the context of her work, opening a portal to the distant past for the reader. Thus, the connection of Tunisia with ancient culture is emphasized. "A lot of things can be found in Carthage after the rain: antique coins, Roman marble weights, fragments of Roman or Byzantine clay lamps"; "Therefore, here you can find intaglios (of course, more often broken than whole), beads and many other fragments of antique objects; "Nowhere have I felt the proximity of the ancient world so much as in Tunisia" ^[17].

The culture of Tunisia, historically rich and interesting, has long been shaped by the influence of various civilizations, which is reflected in architecture as well ^[20]. Moreover, the word "antique" is used not only in describing the city, but also in conveying the interior, objects, and manner of work of a creative personality, which indicates the importance of the ancient period in the minds of Tunisians: "Antique white columns, bas-reliefs, statues, vases are everywhere"; "Antique vases were visible in the large windows of the second floor"; "His works create a sense of antique harmony"; "He works with a broken knife, nail and hammer, using fragments of antique stones and marble, which are lying around in abundance" ^[17].

The use of vocabulary, which represents temporary linguistic and cultural codes that send the reader back to the era of antiquity, contributes to the formation of the image of Tunisia as a country with a rich history, whose inhabitants are proud of it, strive to preserve and pass on to descendants.

5. The Spiritual Code

The very word "Tunisia" in G. A. Makhrova's text acts as a code that evokes the reader's basic ideas about the culture of this African country.

It should be noted that among the words used next to the name of this country, "independence" or an antonymous word is often found. This underscores the importance of Tunisia gaining sovereignty, the path to which was long and difficult. We see a reflection of this in the following examples: "When Tunisia achieved independence, many Europeans left, and the church choir broke up"; "Somehow at the end of the occupation of Tunisia, the Germans captured all Europeans in the central Cafe de Paris, including George Nikolaevich"; "Since the independence of Tunisia gave rise to many homeless and orphans (they were called the "children of Bourguiba"), the government built centers for the upbringing and re-education of these children"; "Therefore, by the time Tunisia gained independence, a whole generation of artists of a national trend was discovered, but absorbed European traditions" ^[17].

There are names of deities in the text of the narrative, which also act as linguistic and cultural codes that emphasize the rich history of Tunisia and expand ideas about the culture of this country. Many Tunisian customs and traditions are still connected with faith. So, on the pages of the work we read: "According to legend, it was here that the terrible god Baal lived" ^[17]. This is followed by the disclosure of information about the deity, which is not known to representatives of all cultures. "Baal, the Punic god, demanded not just sacrifices, but small children (a sacrificial cemetery was excavated in Carthage: children's bones were stored in clay vessels placed close to each other)" ^[17].

Among the components of the spiritual code in the work of G. A. Makhrova, lexemes naturally stand out, one way or another related to Tunisian fine art, which is a kind of business card of this country.

The text of G.A. Makhrova mentions the "Tunisian School", created by a group of artists united by the desire to depict, reveal, and develop national motifs: "This was the Tunisian School. Exhibitions of artists of this school were officially and solemnly opened at the SalonTunisien every year" ^[17].

In addition, some proper names of Tunisian artists are mentioned: "This group included their mentors (Pierre Bergol, Pierre Bourchel) and representatives of the older generation: Yahya Turki (a student of Albert Marquet), Ali ben Salem and Hatim el-Mekki, as well as artists of the younger generation: Zuber Turki, his brother Hidi Turki, Amar Farhat, Jalal bin Abdullah, Ali Belaga, Mohammed Sehili, Abdelaziz Gorji" ^[17].

The perception of Tunisia as a part of the Arab East and Arab culture is emphasized by numerous phrases with the adjective "Arabic": "an Arabic-style palace", "the old Arab part", "Arab miniatures", "sign in Arabic", "on the top floor of an Arab house" ^[17].

Conclusion

The analyzed linguistic material makes it possible to conclude that the specificity of the linguistic and cultural image of Tunisia in G. A. Makhrova's work "My Tunisia" is due, firstly, to the fact that the writer has the vision of a painter, and secondly, is a representative of another culture.

The creation of this image in a work written in the genre of memoirs is accompanied by the use of words referring to linguistic and cultural codes. Thanks to the reconstruction of somatic, spatial, temporal, biomorphic, spiritual codes, the reader sees the image of a country with a special way of life and philosophy, a country with a rich and rich history and culture, a country with its own traditions and customs, hospitable, colorful, with exotic nature.