Abstract: The article is devoted to cultural memory, on the one hand, as the most optimal concept denoting a socially determined form of supra–individual memory, and, on the other hand, as a theoretical construct (structural and functional model) denoted by this concept. Cultural memory is understood as a type of supra-individual memory that accumulates collective, value-significant memories, intentionally preserved and transmitted in mytho-symbolic forms. The main features of cultural memory include: conservatism, collectivism, presentism, symbolism, anti-historicity, written character, artificiality, institutionality, expert character, sacredness. The functional potential of cultural memory is realized in the following functions: accumulative, integrative, identification, interpretive, stabilization.The scientific novelty of the presented article is reduced to several positions. Firstly, to substantiate the concept of "cultural memory" as the most optimal (in comparison with the concepts of "historical memory", "social memory", "collective memory", etc.) to designate one of the types of supra-individual memory. The advantages of this concept are: broad semantic coverage, fixation of the collective, social and constructed nature of memories. Secondly, to conceptualize the phenomenon of "cultural memory", to determine its essential features and functional potential. As the main conclusion of the article, the following can be noted. In the context of the terminological and conceptual diversity of memory studies, it is extremely important to determine the categorical foundations of memorial research, fixing the content, structural, functional boundaries of the phenomena studied. In relation to supra-individual memory, this is especially important, mainly due to the presence of a very wide range of its conceptual and meaningful interpretation. In the article we offer our reasoned vision of the phenomenon of supra–individual memory, in particular one of its forms - cultural memory as a special reservoir of collective, social, value-significant memories, intentionally preserved and transmitted in mytho-symbolic forms.

Keywords: past, memory studies, supraindividual memory, cultural memory, memory, potential of cultural memory, memory as a phenomenon, memory category, memorial research, collective memory

Abstract: The subject of the research is the historical 'turn' in the culture of our days. The beginning of a new understanding of history can be found in the researches of post-modernism theorists who wrote about the loss of the sense of history in fragmentary (post) cultural space. Shapinskaya raises a question about what causes the interest of modern human in the past and historical events in the form of myths or transformed in fantasies and narratives. One of the causes of this phenomenon is escapism that allows human to avoid the burden of everyday life by dwelling in fairy tales and fantasy worlds. The other important cause is expansion of digital technologies allowing to integrate historical-mythological images of virtual space. Shapinskaya describes several strategies of representation of the past, extreme examples are educational forms of representation of past events based on modern achievements and historical games that perform purely entertainment functions. Shapinskaya gives representational examples of such forms of presenting past events used in popular culture and concludes that there is a connection between the 'historical turn' and general characteristics of (post)Soviet culture such as fragmentation, changes in temporality, digitalization and gamification. At the same time, interest in the past is typical for the humankind in general and modern people are much concerned about preservation of cultural memory. From the point of view, searches for the grounds of human existence in the past are important for the development of identity of a modern human. 

Keywords: cultural memory, virtual space, identity, fantasy, (post)modernity, representation, escapism, Myth, Images of the Past, game

Abstract: In this article Atanesian analyzes the origin of Christian symbols in urban monuments of post-Soviet Armenia and process of understanding their symbolic meaning in terms of national features. After the break up of the USSR, Armenian Apostolic Church became part of the social life of Armenia again and decided to reinforce their symbolic presence in urban territories of post-Soviet Armenia. After declaration of Armenian independence and cancellation of the Soviet censorship in urban landscapes churches were built and khachkars were created. Numerous monuments depicting crosses erected by city authorities, benefactors and Armenian community over the last 20 years reinforce the role of Christian symbolics in the social life of post-Soviet Armenia. Based on the analysis of urban monuments erected in the post-Soviet period and depicting religious symbolics, the author states that Christian themes flourished in the monument building policy of the last years. By using the methods of observation and interview, the author specifies particular features of perceiving these symbols by citizens of post-Soviet Armenia. Over the last 15 years a lot of monuments for state and political activists accompanied by Christian symbols were erected in Armenia's central squares. Appearance of Christian symbols in the public space of post-Soviet Armenia was viewed by the author of the article as an attempt to oficially propagandize the importance of faith and Armenian Apostolic Church for further development of the country. 

Keywords: Armenian Apostolic Church, interpretation, ideology, cross, religion, church, monument, memorial, Christian symbols, state religion

Abstract: The article is devoted to opera writing by Benjamin Britten due to the problems of interpretation and perception of artwork in different cultural environments. Global cultural processes have made the artwork that was not so famous due to socio-cultural, language and communication factors, more available for general public. Music is viewed as a cultural text that inevitably changes its semantics as soon as it enters the other cultural environment. Keeping the balance between ‘authentic’ meaning and contextually determined mostly depend on an interpreter’s position and strategy. The author of the article analyzes Britten’s three plays ‘Albert Herring’, ‘Billy Budd’ and ‘A Midsummer’s Night Dream’ staged by English producers but shown in different cultural environments: in the composer’s homeland, at international opera festival and a different cultural environment (Russia in particular). The article is devoted to the 100th anniversary of Benjamin Britten celebrated in 2013.

Keywords: cultural research, text and context, authenticity, culture, creation, interpretation, opera, chronotope, semantics, art.

Abstract: the article attempts to trace the ways of visualization of memory, performing a hermeneutical insight into the history of screen representations of “cinematographic memory”, “cinematic retentiveness” and “cinematographic postmemory ”. The goal of the article is to substantiate the concept of “cinematographic post-memory” on the basis of showing the correlations of the concepts of “memory”, “fire” and “sacrifice” in the cinematographic reminiscence of the 1812 fires in Moscow as a cultural trauma of sorts. The three ways of overcoming this “memory trauma” can be metaphorically called “the Letey waters” historical anesthesia (extrusion of traumatic experience), “the Wisdom of Mnemosine” (dealing with traumatic experience by rethinking it, “accepting” it as a given part of historical memory) and the “Paramnesia’s Smirk” (memory metamorphosis, reforming of memories via pseudoreminiscence, substitution of ersatz and fakes of the past. Cinematographic “post-memory” of the Moscow 1812 fires chose the third way, as illustrated by multiple screen versions of Tolstoy’s “War and Peace”: K. Vidor and M. Soldati’s in 1956, S. Bondarchuk’s Oscar-winning movie in 1956, and R. Dornhelm’s 2007 screen version. In the rich variety of ways to create the visual images of fire in “memory films”, three main rapidly interchanging approaches of cinematic illusion based on pulsating magnification seem dominant: the “point-blank view”, the “chiasm view” and the “distant view”. They do not just mark the distance play, or the change of scenes by changing magnification. They are three masks which hide the ironic smirk of Paramnesia, three ways to set up distorting filters for ocular and mental perception – the prisms of “mental optics”, filters of sight and thought, conscious screening of the trauma without the ability to actually erase it.

Keywords: history of art, culture and art, memory, visualization, cinematograph, Paramnesia, trauma, war, fire, sacrifice.

Abstract: The article analyzes prejudice as the factor disabling the processes of reconciliation between peoples. The author describes the causes of prejudices as well as ways to minimize them and possibility to establish methods to overcome so called ‘memorial barriers’. The author also touches upon the topic of collective memory and sites of commemorations. The above mentioned problems are studied in terms of relations between Russia and Poland.

Keywords: cultural studies, prejudice, reduction, collective memory, sites of commemorations, conß icts between groups, intolerance towards uncertainty, theories of contact, cultural programming, relations between Poland and Russia.

Abstract: The article considers the problem of representation of the past in post-modernism culture. In those times the most famous form of addressing to the past was the pastiche which is, in fact, a mimicry that reminds of the past and does not have any historical referents. Based on Fredric Jameson’s theory of post-modernism, the author analyzes a series of cultural texts and modern practices showing the loss of the feeling of history in the culture of postmodernism while popularization of historical plots in mass culture, especially in screen arts. Post-modernism examples of historical art include the usage of such instruments as combination of fragments from different epochs and presence of both real and fi ctional characters. One of the forms of such practices in art is the interpretation of classical plots deprived of any temporal features. The author admits that post-modernistic interpretation of history is rather contradictory and concludes that the desire to understand the past is quite typical for ‘post-culture’ human despite all the changes in interpretation of history which happened at the end o the 20th – beginning of the 21st centuries.

Keywords: cultural studies, post-modernism, representa tion, history, pastiche, nostalgia, image, biography, narrative, referent.

Abstract: The article analyzes a wide range of audio visual products (nonfi ction fi lms, videos and telecines) devoted to life and creative work of a Byelorussian poet Maksim Bahdanovich and created in the Republic of Byelorussia over the past four decades. Based on the example of complicated and contradictory processes of formation of his cultural memory, the author of the article studies formation and development of a memorial paradigm in the Byelorussian screen culture, describes certain patterns of interaction between studies of literature and screen culture, proves the common factors of evolution of informative and genre-style approaches of the makers of audio visual products (depending on axiological evaluation of the poet’s works dominating in a particular state in history as well as the change of development priorities of a national non-fi ction fi lm production).

Keywords: art history, Maksim Bahdanovich, national intelligentsia, cinema periodicals, cinema documentation, documentary telecine, fi lm – portrait, national Byelorussian idea, genre and style solution, plot making.

Abstract: The article describes Taganrog as a place with a strong historical and cultural energy (in Russian and Global historical and cultural contexts) and Chekhov’s province as a special area of ideas and spirits at the crossing of opinions of pre-Chekhov and after-Chekhov Russia artists and philosophers. The author defines A. P. Chekhov’s consolidating role for Taganrog and his contribution to establishment and progressive dev elopement of cultural institutions there (theatre, library and museum) as well as the ‘feedback’ which the famous writer received when he was alive and which Taganrog citizens felt after the writer died.

Keywords: cultural studies, memory of history, homeland culture, genius loci, place of development, province, historical city, cultural memorial, Taganrog, A. P.Chekhov