Abstract: The subject of this research is the Chinese Neolithic Hemudu culture (河姆渡文化), it will be 50 years since its discovery in 2023. Its age is estimated at 6500-7000 years. Based on the analysis of archaeological reports, materials of the Hemudu Museum and research of Chinese and Russian scientists, the authors put the light on the geographical location of the ancient settlement of Hemudu, the history of its discovery, its main typological features, which led to identifying it as a independent culture of the Neolithic period of Eastern China. Hemudu had a great influence on the cultural genesis of Chinese civilization. More than 40 prehistoric settlements are attributed to the Hemudu culture. In this article, the authors gave a brief description of one of them – the ruins of Xiangjiashan (鲞架山遗址). The main conclusions of the study are as follows: the discovery and identification of the Hemudu culture was a major breakthrough in Chinese Neolithic archeology. It proved that the Yangtze basin was also the birthplace of ancient Chinese culture and rewrote the history of the development of Chinese civilization. In terms of its typological features, the Neolithic settlement of Xiangjiashan is similar to Hemudu, which indicates their genetic connection. The remains of the early Xiangjiashan period filled the gap in the history of the Hemudu settlement, making it more logical and understandable for researchers. All finds made not only in the settlement of Hemudu, but also in Xiangjiashan are extremely important for understanding the development of Chinese culture.

Keywords: Chinese neolithic, Neolithic culture, ganlan, culture genesis, diexingqi, archaeology, Xiangjiashan, Hemudu, Early Neolithic, China

Abstract: The object of this research is the cultural dialogue between the East and the West. The subject of this research is the methods and forms of conducting such dialogue in the works of the prominent figure, the founder of one of the modern yoga schools Bellur Krishnamachar Sundararaja Iyengar. The goal of this article lies in examination of the various aspects of interaction between B. K. S. Iyengar  and the representatives of Western culture at certain stages of his life. For achieving the set goal, the author establishes the conditions for conducting this dialogue, principles of effective interaction, and method for overcoming miscommunication of the parties. Hermeneutic analysis is carried out on the works of the world famous yoga teacher. The traditional text analysis, content analysis and comparative analysis are used for collecting the information on the topic. B. K. S. Iyengar is known first and foremost as the founder of one the yoga schools and popularizer of Hatha yoga. However, his social role is poorly studies, although deserves deliberate attention, considering the world trends for healthy life style, the integral part of which is yoga. The author aims to fill this gap and prove the uniqueness of Iyengar’s activity in the context of dialogue between the East and the West, as it encompasses all stages corresponding to different approaches towards conducing the cultural dialogue. The study reveals the contradictions in Iyengar's position on the relationship between the Western and Indian cultures, and indicates his contribution to the revival of the traditions of Ancient India.

Keywords: orientocentrism, yoga, comparative studies, East and West, dialogue between cultures, Iyengar, indian philosophy, system of values, synthesis of cultures, Upanishad

Abstract: The subject of this research is the several government institutions of Venice during the Late Renaissance Era that dealt with questions of matrimonial relations. Marriage played not only a crucial social role, but was also considered a church, which contributed to salvation of the faithful. Therefore, the questions of the validity of marriage or claims for separation of the spouses were considered by the Church court alone. The government institutions dealt with for offences against marriage, observed the execution of laws regarding the property of spouses, resolved custody issues of the minors, and prevented inappropriate behavior between the spouses. Special attention is given to the judicial institutions of Venice in from the perspective of their activity on matrimony. The article employs descriptive method, complemented by comparative historical analysis of the political and religious institutions of that time. The author's special contribution consists in the analysis of cases, such as the abduction of women or a breach of promise, which were interpreted differently by the religious and secular courts. As a result, in the late XVI – early XVII century, the secular administration gained prevalence in these questions.

Keywords: violation of marriage promise, bride abduction, sacrament of marriage, courts, late Renaissance, Venice, marriage, guardianship, dowry, validity of marriage

Abstract:   This article examines the concept of technogenic civilization outlined by the academician V. S. Stepin. The factors of its ponderability and disadvantages are subjected to analysis: F. Vacon's historical project of mastering natural processes, focus of social institutions on implementation of this project, negative consequences thereof. The author discusses the methods for overcoming such consequences. According to Stepin, the way out consists not in rejection of the scientific and technological progress, but in attribution of humanistic dimension to it; another opinion (expressed by the biologist Timofeev-Resovsky) ‒ maximum usage of modern sciences and engineering, as well as reasonable and rational management. The author formulates the original concept: from his perspective, modern culture is being replaced by a new culture, which he names “post-culture”, forming a culture-congruent technology necessary for solving problems and tasks of the post-culture. A brief description is given to the idea of post-culture and the alternatives that may have to be addressed in the course of its establishment, for example, to problem of life preservation on the Earth. The author articulates and discusses the problem, as well as constructs the pattern of transition from the concept of technogenic civilization to the concepts of post-culture and culture-congruent technology.  

Keywords: consequences, project, implementation, social institutions, nature, technology, culture, civilization, modern, post-culture

Abstract: The subject of the research is ritual practices and their role in liminal and crisis situations of society and human existence in general. The author examines such aspects of the topic as the place of crises in existence and development of the world, society and human and lilminality as a form of crisis states and rituals as the means of adaptation to liminal states and protection of negative consequences of crises. Fusu focuses on the importance of rituals for supporting the integral sense of Self concept and social solidarity in the society. The article is based on the psychoanalytical approach. As an alternative, the author also applies the analytical and philosophical paradigm and uses comparative method, analysis and synthesis. The author's special contribution are caused by the fact that the author analyzes the role of rituals for an individual and society in situations of crisis and liminality.The main conclusion of the research is the author's thesis about the integrative role of ritual practices and that rituals bring more stability into life and world. The novelty of the research is caused by the fact that the author applies provisions of the analytical philosophy to the problem of liminality. 

Keywords: the border situation is being, consciousness, cognitivism, psychoanalysis, Liminality, society, personality, ritual, terminal state, social solidarity

Abstract: The article is devoted to the variety of death symbols in European and Japanese painting of the XVth - XXIst centuries. The subject of the research is the flowers viewed as symbolic, mystical and conceptual framework of different kinds of death in European and Japanese painting. The researcher focuses on the symbolic language of flowers in interpretation of death and different kinds of death in fine arts. Simple, delicate and sophisticated nature of Japanese painting conveys the message of uncertainty and focus on the moment which is reflected in the painting of flowers, too. In her research Belova has used iconological and comparative research methods using philosophical, culturological and historical research data. The rationale of the research is caused by the growing interest in the culture and national features of Japan. The researcher makes an attempt to compare symbolism of flowers used to describe an act of death and different attitude of European and Japanese culture to different kinds of death. Belova concludes that that for both European and Japanese painting national traditions and specific symbolic content of images of flowers used in the decoration of an act of death are very important. Flower symbols demonstrate the beauty and aesthetics of death. Modern European society has lost the old traditions of death perception while Japanese artists has discovered the essence of human life and death in the image of flower. 

Keywords: beauty, image, Shinto, Buddhism, Japanese and European painting, pre-Raphaelites, death, flower, symbolism, perfection

Abstract: The mentality of each nation is an extremely interesting phenomenon in terms of the history and modern age. This is the reason the author of the article chose to study mentality of the Mongolian people. The researcher focuses on such features of the Mongolian ethnomentality as the world view, psychological, ideological, geographical, and linguistic factors. The aim of the research is to describe specific features of the Mongolian mentality as a combination of the world view, moral, psychic, sensual and intellectual aspects that transmit the historical individuality of ethnos. The methodology of the research has been chosen in accordance with the aim and objectives of the research as well as peculiarities of the material under study. The main research method used by the author is the analytical analysis of the sources that explain the logic and definition of the term 'the mentality of the Mongolian people'. The scientific novelty of the research is caused by the fact that the author systematizes information about the mentality of the Mongolian people and conducts an analysis based on the idea of the history universality and the concept of local cultures in philosophical and cultural studies. The theoretical importance of the research is caused by the fact that the author offers definitions of such terms as the mentality of the Mongolian people, local cultures, transformation of the mentality of the Mongolian people in terms of the history of culture and philosophy. The practical importance of the research is that the results allow to better understand the role of the term 'mentality', ideas of the universal history and the concept of local cultures in the development of modern philosophy. The other result of the research is the author's statement that in terms of history, the mentality of the Mongolian people is a unique socio-cultural phenomenon that demonstrates itself through the system of moral values and spiritual life of the nation as well as individual and collective behavior of the people, their everyday life, style of life, rituals, tastes, social and cultural traditions.   

Keywords: transformation, evolution, spirituality, culture, archetype, history, the mentality of the Mongolian people, Mongolia, socio-cultural space, local cultures

Abstract: Based on the analysis of proverbs and sayings, the authors of the article analyze how the age is perceived in different social and historical conditions by Russians and Japanese people. The authors have tried to define national-cultural specificity of perception of such a universally important concept as 'age', and analyze the definition of age and the influence of traditional religion and cults on its development. Comparing phraseologisms about age stages of human life, the authors underline national stereotypes and ideas about the spiritual and aesthetic experience and traditions of both nations. For this purpose, the authors have used comparative, linguocultural analysis as well as descriptive method to clarify the imagery picture of the world. The athors offer their own approach to understanding the multi-layer national world picture expressed in proverbs and perceived by language speakers as undoubted truth and nation's opinion. The authors conclude that there is a certain similarity in paremiological funds of both languages when age peculiarities are described. The similarity of biological and social characteristics of age in Russian and Japanese cultures proves that a specific feature of age in Japanese proverbs and sayings is a particular indication of a number of years. 

Keywords: national-cultural specificity, time, life expectancy, traditions, world perception, proverbs, social characteristics, age peculiarities, age, phraseologisms

Abstract: The article is devoted to the analysis of experience in crosscultural communication under the conditions of the Far Eastern frontier where, based on the authors, there are completely different patterns of cultural development. Within the framework of this research, the object of the research is Tatar migrant community of the Asian North East and the subject of the research is crosscultural communication with reference to the lifestyle of Tatar community living under the frontier conditions. Based on this, the authors set a research objective to define and analyze cultural patterns typical for the process of adaptation and integration of Tatar community in the socio-cultural space of China and Japan. Taking into account the fact that this objective is developed at the crossing point of several research problems, the authors make an attempt to analyze the object of their research using such methodological instruments as the frontier theory that allows to transfer methodological instruments from the sphere of history into the sphere of cultural studies as well as the theory of crossculturl communication that reveals dynamics of transformation of cultural patterns in terms of the 'encounter with the Other/Alien'. The novelty of the research is caused by the fact that the experience of crosscultural communication under the conditions of Far Eastern frontier reveals important laws of culture development in such heterotopic communities. Retrospective analysis of adaptation and integration of Tatar communities into a new socio-cultural environment allows to conclude that the decisive role in the process has been played by several factors: political, religious, national and external. Analysis of transformation of cultural patterns under conditions that were new for Tatar migrans has also revealed changes in linguistic, vestimentary and alimentary cultural characteristics through preserving old elements and adopting new elements of culture. 

Keywords: japanese tatars, chinese tatars, emigration, tatars, the Far Eastern frontier, frontier, Alien, Other, crosscultural communication, tatar language

Abstract: The author of the article provides a brief review of the creative work by Michael Yudin, the Russian composer and Leningrad and Kazan Conservatory professor (1893-1948). The uniqueness and diversity of Yudin's work was highly valued by musical culture figures of Leningrad and Kazan.  One of the purpose of this article is to describe main aspects of Yudin's musical creativity in 1942-1948 in Kazan. The teacher, public figure, and the author of many chorus compositions, Yudin became the first dean of the choral faculty in Kazan conservatory that was opened in 1945. As a result of Kazan's archives research, the author of the article managed to reestablish the history of creation of some works and to clarify the details of missing or previously misinterpreted facts. Yudin contributed to the development of opera in Tatarstan (in particular, his opera "Farida" written in 1944) during the era of intense formation of national musical cultures; Yudin also had an effective cooperation with the Tatar composer Saydashev ("Milaya Hafiza", 1943) and accordionist Tuishev ("Pioneer Suite" for string quartet).  It was he who created the Kazan Conservatory Choir.

Keywords: musical comedy, Tatar opera, co-authorship, Tatarstan Composers Union, Kazan of the 1940s, Mikhail Yudin, Salikh Saydashev, Faizulla Tuishev, Kazan Conservatory

Abstract: Used by the Bengal Renaissance thinkers in the process of understanding of Other, a method of dialogical hermeneutics is reconstructed in the article. The method is described as a mental phenomenon and general way of understanding the Other, the latter is being represented by the Western culture and its representatives. The generality of the method depends on both circumstances of colonial urban society and educational and scientific development in India and general aspiration to revive as well as general aspiration of Bengal intellectuals to revive and develop India. Admitting the presence of some general method of understanding, the author reconstructs the method based on the phenomenological approach and analysis of texts created by the key persons of the epoch. The methodology helps to present a structure and peculiarities of the process of understaning as well as working of dialogic hermeneutics. Dialogic hermeneutics is described as a trajectory of the thought moving that proceeds from the aspiration to find universal grounds behind differences of cultures and points of contacts and similarity of traditions, and then it moves from an exposing the deep similarity to an understanding of differences as a result of many-sides of life. This method opened new ways of self-cognition for Indian culture and created “understanding as an event” (M. Buber) owing to which India opened herself to interaction with the modern world.

Keywords: liberalism, hermeneutics, method of understanding, understanding of the Other, the Bengal Renaissance, Indian philosophy, Indian culture, East–West dialogue, conservatism, self-cognition of culture

Abstract: In the previous article a hypothesis was proposed that the United States is a subcivilizacional community, which is different from Europe by the specific form of American individualism. In this article we consider, first, the specific forms of collectivism, existing on two levels: at the micro level in the various communities and clubs as an American "bourgeois community" and American democratic institutions at the macro level of the country. Secondly, the three forms of American individuality, specify the national specifics of the United States and compare them with a form of individualism with European counterparts to clarify the subcivilizacional specifics of the United States. Thirdly, a comparison of American and Russian forms of individualism and collectivism.There is used the comparative-historical analysis using previously developed system concepts, in the heart of the concept are notions of civilization, subcivilizacion and national communities, emerging around the "cultural core". There is introduced the concept of "bourgeois community" contrasting with the characteristic for the Russian “narodnik” discourse the notion of "community", a prototype of which was "peasant community". A concentrated presentation of the development of American democratic institutions at the macro level is done. There is identified and discussed three types of American identity, reflecting the specificity of the three regions of the United States: New England, the South and the West. The comparison of types of collectivity and identity in the United States and Russia, as well as the focus of their cultures (degree of pragmatism and idealism) is done.

Keywords: bourgeois community, nation, subcivilizacion, individualism, ethnic, Russia, Europe, USA, individuality, frontier

Abstract: The article is devoted to the relationship between culture and civilization. Within the framework of the research, civilization is interpreted as the external expression of culture while culture is the content of civilization. Culture and civilization develop in different directions because civilization moves towards the greatest possible objectivity while culture develops retaining its subjective nature. This creates a growing tension in the relationship between civilization and culture. Civilization does not try to get rid of subjectivity, however, natural or socio-humanitarian sciences are unable to offer ways to do it. The present article was written based on the analysis and synthesis of the terms ‘culture’, ‘civilization’ and ‘subjectivity’ in the history of science. The author of the article also uses the method of rising from the abstract to the concrete. The author offers his own definition of the term ‘subjectivity’ in terms of the relationship between culture and civilization. According to the author, the ‘building’ of modern civilization is built upon the outrageous discrepancy between the speeding movement towards the globalized humanity (following the way of technological progress that involves the society and human himself and transforms the latter into an objective and controlled element) and the level of understanding the nature of this movement.

Keywords: Horror zivilizationis, civilization, culture, subjectivity, progress, natural sciences, socio-humanitarian sciences, noosphere, technical development, rationality.

Abstract: The article is devoted to the role of the UNESCO Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage in the sphere of intangible cultural heritage safeguarding. The author of the article analyzes the content of the Convention and established institutional structure. The author also studies the examples of the implementation of particular projects on intangible cultural values safeguarding. The author concludes that the Convention had played the primary role in protecting intangible cultural values. According to the author, this can be proved by the fact that one of the results of the Convention was the creation of the list of intangible cultural values. The list attracted attention of different states and popularized intangible cultural values. The author also notes that the Convention created the institutional grounds for the safeguarding of intangible cultural values and established such authorities as the Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage and the Intangible Cultural Heritage Fund. Based on the author of the article, that allowed to assign responsible authorities at the international level. The author also states that the establishment of the Intangible Cultural Heritage Fund financed collectively by the states participating in the project as well as creation of the programs and other initiatives aimed at preservation of intangible cultural values were the guarantee of an efficient execution of activities on preservation of cultural values.

Keywords: International law, UNESCO, Convention, cultural heritage, intangible cultural values, heritage, safeguarding, protection, Intangible Cultural Heritage Fund, List of Intangible Cultural Heritage, National Cultural Center.

Abstract: The author describes the definition and genesis of American individualism forming the basis of subcivilizational particularity of the USA compared to Europe and especially Russia. Individualism is a result of a certain ‘life style’ and colonization of a new continent. The main ideals of individualism are a ‘self made man’, ‘American dream’, success, competition and risk. The American individualism is viewed based on the examples of such typical American phenomena as land, gold, oil, meat ‘rush’, growth of cities and colleges, development of technology, education, science and culture. In his research the author has carried out comparative historical analysis by using the developed conceptual framework centered on the concepts of civilizational and subcivilizational communities that are being formed around the ‘cultural core’. Besides describing an important element of North American subcivilizational cultural core the author also shows that it is the subcivilizational particularity of American individualism created during the formation of the USA in the 17th – 19th centuries which is the main cause of the USA’s leading position in the modern post-industrial world. The author also describes the socio-cultural grounds of the American tendency towards the ‘direct action’ and simpler forms of high culture.

Keywords: Post-industrial, the cult of rush, land rush, life style, self made man, the cult of success, American dream, individualism, subcivilization, direct action.

Abstract: Latest Ukrainian events that have led to the disagreements between Russia and the West regarding evaluation of these events return us to the eternal problem about relations between Russia and the West as the two civilizations. Their relations have been developing in a form of a dialogue but there have been periods when the dialogue has been ceased. This is what happened during the First World War which 100th anniversary the world is going to celebrate in 2014. However, the First World War was not the last evidence of a growing conflict between Russia and the West. The Second World War was the next act of this tragedy. Reflecting on the two world wars of the 20th century, the author touches upon one of the most nettlesome questions in history – the misunderstanding that happens between different civilizations and the flare-up of which we are witnessing today. The author of the article makes an attempt not only to understand the damage caused by the clash of civilizations to the culture but also the way culture proves oneself in time of war. In this regard, the author focuses on the mentality of nations entering into a conflict. War is usually studied by historians or, to be more specific, military historians. Very few researchers study the psychological factor of war. However, the author of the present article makes an assumption that the clash of civilization does not only involve the conflict of military capacities but also the conflict of national mentalities. According to the author, by studying the mentality factor as a significant cultural feature in the history of wars, just as the present article does, we can create a new approach to war, the dialogue between civilizations and functions performed by culture in extreme situations.

Keywords: war, civilization, dialogue, mentality, culture, barbarism, statehood, empire, Byzantine tradition, messianism.

Abstract: The article is devoted to ethno-historical concept of the Russian culture suggested by L. Gumilev who discovered the relationship between ethnogenesis and culturegenesis in ethno-cultural history. He showed the dependence of culture on the landscape, the biosphere and the passionarity of other ethnic groups. Lev Gumilev viewed Russian culture as the Eurasian phenomenon and the frontier between sedentary and nomadic peoples, the Forest and the Steppe, the East and the West. Collapse of the USSR and the ethno-cultural crisis of former constituents of the Russian and Soviet Empires make us view Gumilev’s theory of ethnogenesis in a different light and apply its projective and predictive capabilities to modern socio-cultural realities in Russia during XXI century.

Keywords: cultural research, Russian culture, cultural and civilizational identity, ethnogenesis, culturegenesis, passionarity, breakdown (collapse), Eurasian cultural knot, super-ethnos.

Abstract: The author proposes a theoretical model of origin and dynamics of new “butt-joint” culture (term by G. S. Pomerants) cultures in Eastern regions, based on an understanding of the Other as general ground of that process. Civilizationalcultural “borderland” in model is described as imperative presence of Other (Western) culture and its representatives in the space of traditional East Subecumenism. The attitude towards the Other from both sides directs process and results of interaction. New “butt-joint” culture is complex “symphonic” synthesis of civilizations, which are in dialogue. Heuristic possibilities of this model are depicted on the material of the Bengal Renaissance XIX – early XX century, which is the first regional variant of national-cultural renaissance in India.

Keywords: cultural research, culture, the Other, understanding, tradition, innovation, West, East, national and cultural renaissance, the Bengal Renaissance.

Abstract: According to the author of the article, Silver Age showed that by restoring mythological pagan meanings culture could actually destroy civilization which has been slowly and heavily built by advanced force of people. That artistic epoch was the resonse to introduction of huge massses into the historical field of freedom. Old systems of hominization, humaniziation and civilization failed – and the artistic system stepped in taking people back to a pre-civilized stage with real mysteries and human sacrifices in an effort to help masses deal with all the freedom that came upon them. It was as if humankind went through its spiritual development again and came to prevenative mechanisms of civilization again, but this time masses could deal with it. At the end of the article the author concludes that after cataclysms in the 20th century all Europe including Russia are coming back to the renaissance paragirm of history (i.e. paradigm that is based on persoality).

Keywords: cultural studies, history, culture, civiliza tion, cultural renaissance, spiritial elite, Silver Age, historical field of freedom, aristic epoch, the masses.

Abstract: The article inspired by the work ‘Avant-Garde in Culture of the 20th Century (1900-1930): Theory. History. Poetics’ views avant-garde from the point of view of the ‘frontier’ conception. The author of the article describes the heuristic potential of the system approach and raises a question about specifying the civilization ‘look’ of avantgarde. The author concludes that as a socio-cultural phenomenon avant-garde is global but not universal and its archaic origins are limited to Indo-European area. During the Þ rst three decades of the 20th century avantgarde movement covered the closely related civilizations of the two types: ‘classical’ Western sub-ecumene and ‘frontier’ civilizations of Russia, Latin America, Pyrenean Europe and the Balkans. The East was, and still is, affected by the avantgarde movement but its affect has been rather superÞ cial and avant-garde has been more of a foreign innovation there.

Keywords: cultural studies, avant-garde, socio-cultural ‘frontier’, dialogic approach, heuristic potential of the system approach, integrity under the conditions of dominating variety, classical Western sub-ecumene, frontier civilizations, foreign innovation, theory and history.

Abstract: The article is devoted to the language as one of those cultural components which are the most apprehended by very diverse culture beams with a very different level of education. However, as numerous examples show, collective stereotypes and prejudices are rather usual for famous writers, people of art and even scientists including linguists. Collective concepts of the world and language also need explanation and assessment. The article compares collective concepts of language in the two countries, Russia and Japan; regarding Russia the article covers only Russian language speakers.

Keywords: cultural studies, linguistic culture, native language, collective consciousness, stereotypes and prejudices, cultural infl uences, modernization, westernization, national specifi city, concept of the world and language.