Abstract: The subject of the study is the functioning of the neognostic myth in cyberspace. Such aspects of the topic as the relationship between religion and the Internet from a non-instrumental point of view on technology are considered in detail. Digital and network technologies are seen as a modern repository of religious beliefs, and not as tools for proselytizing or proclaiming the good news. With the help of an archaeological approach to technical media, the author proposes to determine the deep times of the digital disclosure of technological mysticism, depending on a specific technical materiality characterized by wireless networks and mobile devices. Currently, there are trends in world culture towards the construction of a syncretic myth, which contains elements of the dying Christian paradigm and trends introduced into it from the outside or emerging again. The categorical apparatus developed in the discourse of postmodern aesthetics makes it possible to apply such methods as phenomenological, discursive, hermeneutic and archetypal analysis to the analysis of visual culture. In the study of visual neognostic myth, the concepts of archetypal models, plots, cliches, the theory of the evolution of symbols, general cultural positions of psychoanalysis and the concept of myth are used. The main conclusions of the study are as follows. Gnostic epistemology underlies the imagination of cyberspace. There is a constant in the history of the West that Eric Davis calls "techno-gnosis." In this regard, cybergnosis would be only the latest incarnation of a profound phenomenon. In the world of cyberculture, technognosis manifests itself in hacker ethics, cyberpunk literature, science fiction films and video games. With the help of an archaeological approach to technical media, the deep moments of the digital are determined, showing that there is a technological mysticism in video games that depends on a specific materiality. The new metamodern perception of the world recognizes not only the possibility of perceiving various logical and irrational paradigms of the world order and gaining knowledge about it, but also gives a positive connotation to pluralism itself, when diversity becomes more desirable than truth, which is characteristic of cyberspace. The novelty of the research lies in the fact that the research is the basis for the formation of a clear conceptual understanding of the phenomenon of the neognostic myth in its visual form (as opposed to verbal) as a dynamic cultural model generated by digital art strategies and implemented today in media culture.

Keywords: cyborg, cybernaut, neo-Gnostic myth, video games, mystical imagination, sacredness, digital networks, media archaeology, technology, techno-paganism

Abstract: This article reviews the instruments and distinctive features that allow conducting creative activity within the game “Minecraft”, which implies modification of world and its rules, as well as the game project at the choice of the gamer. The author also examines the application of this game in educational sphere, including higher educational institutions. The subject of this research is the game “Minecraft”, or rather its peculiarities viewed from the perspective of aesthetics, mechanics and instruments for carrying out creative and educational activity. The author draws parallels between this and other game projects that have similar mechanics with Minecraft for determining the common properties and characteristics for carrying out the designated activities. The novelty consists in assessment of the value of games as a versatile topic for domestic research, as well as in demonstration of their successful application for educational purposes. The relevance is defined by fact that the topic of studying video games in Russia is in the infancy of its dynamic development, and the problem of distance education is especially acute due to COVID-19 pandemic. The conclusion is made that the universal neutral minimalistic style of Minecraft, alongside other features of this project, is a powerful instrument for the fulfillment of creative and educational projects.

Keywords: universality, gamification, media design, education, players' creativity, aesthetics, sandbox games, video games, technical aesthetics, virtual space

Abstract: Modern world is experiencing drastic changes under the influence of new technologies. This is what made the course of this research. The subject of the research is the influence of communication technologies and means of informaton transmission on the development of graffiti and street art. In particular, the author analyzes what features of the aforesaid art practices have been modified by the Internet. The Internet has created such new means of information transmission as microsites, social networks, and photo hosting provider and has allowed to make audio- and video and film transmission to the mainstream audience. The research is based on the method of semi-structured interviews that involved graffiti and street artists from the Samara Region. The novelty of the research is caused by the fact that the author discovers that physical space loses its importance in the aforesaid art practices, the audience and artist's recognition are 'virtualized', and the fact that representatives of the graffiti and street art demonstrate different attitude to the influence of the Internet on their creativity. The author has also demonstrated that all the aforesaid changes have different intensity of expression in graffiti and street art. 

Keywords: communication technologies, writer, street artist, audience, space, virtualization, Internet, graffiti, street art, hip hop

Abstract: The object of the research is the phenomenon of the artificial reality. The authors of the article analyze theoretical and practical aspects of the nature of the artificial reality. They interpret these factors as the factor of transformation of collective consciousness based on instrumentalization of one's previous experience which relates to an intensive use of basic mythologemes in contemporary pop culture. Scandinavian myth is an example of such mythologemes. The subject of the research is the mythologemes and various archetypical constructs as these are presented in the Gothics gaming universe interpreted by the authros as a specific marker of the gaming industry development. The authors base their research on using chronological and semiotic methods as well as the method of historicism. The novelty of the research is caused by the fact that the author analyzes gaming universes (based on the analysis of one of them) as a mechanism of transformation of collective consciousness in terms of contemporary pop culture development. For several decades computer industry has used the phenomenon of Scandinavian myth that is based on provinciality with a feelable fatalistic tendency which has become one of the factors of popularization of the Nordic archetype and all its attributes in a modern multicultural global society which is the result of both conscious and unconscious use of this image. 

Keywords: instrumentalization, providentialism, the Scandinavian myth, spatial-temporal localization, archetypal design, cultural landscape, the Gothic, gaming universes, paradigm, Khorinis

Abstract: The subject of the research is the personality of Ivan the Terrible. The author of the article pays special attention to the conceptual grounds of interpreting personal qualities of this contradictory character. Tokmachev suggests that most researchers have used 'external' or 'technical' approaches to analyzing Ivan's personality. Particular sets of conditions such as historical, geographical, psychological and even algebraical are usually projected and the tzar is understood as a 'shuttlecock' that was influenced by external conditions. As a result, Ivan the Terrible is shown as an 'uneducated eastern despot', 'hysterical person', 'bonding of different personalities' or, on the contrary, 'educated ruler' and 'uniter of Russian lands' who was even less 'bloodthirsty' than European monarches of those times. The author defends his thesis that a human being or any other living creature as the matter of fact is governed by his or her internal program, text or word like a personal computer rather than an external set of circumstances. The author of the article tries to find such an internal program for Ivan the Terrible, too. The author bases his research on the novel 'Chronology from John' and Pavel Lungin's movie 'The Tzar' (based on Aleksey Ivanov's script). The author concludes that such an internal program that created the basis for Ivan's actions could have been the perception of the surrounding world as the day of The Last Judgement and The End of the World (as we know, Europe and Russia anticipated The End of the World at the turn of the XVth - XVIth centuries). Noteworthy that Ivan the Terrible perceived himself as Jesus Christ of the Second Coming and the Messiah who had come to 'judge the alive and dead'. In this sense, the oprichnina acted as the army of angels and cruel executions performed by oprichnics were taken as the punishment of the Justice. 

Keywords: architecture, iconic space, oprichnina, tzar, messiah, Last Judgement, End of the World, program, Mental World, Ivan the Terrible

Abstract: One of the themes discussed by Rozin in his article is the possibility for the synthesis of art and science. Discussing this topic, the author creates the discourse that combines scientific and art genres. Relying on modern philosophical, semiotic, psychological and biological researches, Rozin establishes the concept of 'cosmogual' in a form of a novel. In his novel cosmoguals are aliens who feed on mental energy of humans and have long been guiding human development and evolution. The first part describes how the author of the novel Mark Vadimov has learnt about cosmoguals from the Black Communicant and what comogualies are. Victor Zun, Vadimov's friend who died tragically, also appears in the story. The first part of the article is ended with the commentary of Rozin regarding the reality and existence of cosmoguals. Quite obviously, the discourse made by Rozin is quite unusual. It involved both rational (philosophical and scientific) considerations and fictional methods such as scientific facts and fantasy. The author's methodology and creative work are what brings together all these diversified elements. As a result, Rozin has managed to touch upon a few important issues such as the synthesis of scientific and artistic thinking, reality and existence of fictional phenomena (in fact all phenomena, even very real, were originally thought up by someoine), explanations of human evolution. In addition, Rozin has actually created a scientific and artistic discourse that allows to discuss these problems. 

Keywords: cosmoguals, evolution, reality, psychic/mental energy, novel, science, art, discourse, transition, synthesis

Abstract: Nowadays the Internet space is an essential element of practically all phenomena or events. Everything important, interesting and topical is embodied in the global network. To be presented in the virtual space means to be able to show that you are important. The Republic of Abkhazia, the state that has a rather complicated political status, is fully presented only in the Internet space today because the greater part of the global community considers the region to be the territory that has been annexed from Georgia. The author of this research article analyzes the process of development of official state web-resources of the republic, the issues related to completing the content of the information space, difficulties faced in the development of the virtual sector, absence of the national domain of the highest level and causes of particular gaps in the development of non-state web-resources. As the main method for analyzing the website, the author of the article uses her own research developments as well as European programs on improving electronic resources in the sphere of culture and ethnography.

Keywords: virtual space, ethnopolitics, Abkhazia, information space, information security, web-resources, self-identification, ethnic identity, virtual identity, state websites.

Abstract: The article describes methodological approaches and theoretical aspects of mediaology as the synthesized humanitarian science of XXI century which in some way ended the epoch of information sciences. The subject of mediaologyis the formation and development of media culture as a part of media reality researches: its anthropology and genesis, semiotic system and social functioning, influence on modernization processes in the society and all over the world. Medialogy is focused on principles of spiritual regulation of different spheres of existence, evolution of sociocultural and political systems as well as new mythologies, reforms, information wars, problems of personality socialization and etc.

Keywords: cultural research, computer technologies, medialogy, media management, media culture, media reality, media semiotics, media philosophy, media politics, media pedagogy.

Abstract: The article descibes challenges of the information epoch, infl uence of information technologies on social conciousness, growing role of media culture including the industrial culture, transmission of information and the culture of perception of this inormation. Mass media is more and more actively acquiring new functions of creation of a new social and cultural human environment – virtual world which is often perceived as an objective reality. They create myths which allow us to perceive and explain the world around. However, myths create a human themselves as well. Formation of a personal outlook, system of morals, picture of the world is one of the main functios of media culture in modern society. In the long run, media helps a special mythological media reality. Modern human happens to be between a myth created by mass media and objective reality. This is why the ‘ecology of culture in the space of a screen’ becomes so important. Media education plays an important role in formation of that ecology. Its object and subject is a media human – a new type of personality of the 21st century.

Keywords: cultural stuies, information technologies, media culture, media environment, medial reality, virtual reality, cypser space, media human, myth and mythmaking, media education and media competence.