Abstract: Based on the analysis of political wills written in French and related to the history of Russia, the author of the article considers theoretical and practical issues of researches of fake documents and mystification. The author describes the main features of the genre of political wills, how that genre developed in French culture during ХVIII – early ХІХ and what relations it had with other, both literary and historical, pseudo-biographic genres. The author studies the history and political environment of writing and publishing ‘wills’ of Peter the First, Friedrich the Second and Ekaterina the Second. In conclusion the author briefly touches upon Joseph Stalin ’s faked memories as well. It has been proved that apocryphal texts are not just funny exceptions but essential part of literature, history of ideas and politics. Bu filling the gaps, these texts fulfill the current requirements of cultural environment and ensure cultural development. For many years this topic has been on the fringes of scienti fic research, however, it is a very important topic in history, literature and folklore, politics and history of ideas.

Keywords: cultural research, history of ideas, political wills, fake, mystification, Peter the First, Ekaterina the Second, Joseph Stalin, Voltaire, Friedrich II.

Abstract: It has become quite a common thing to underline that Utopias are based on real life experience because only the reality can create basis for our imagination. At the same time, it is often forgotten that facts do not always reveal the historical reality because, as a rule, first they are adjusted to ideological cliché and only then they are analyzed. As a result, artistic fiction sometimes happens to be credible than the most precise scientific research. One can easily notice that Orwell’s formula can be easily reversed and sound like ‘«He who controls the future, controls the past. He who controls the present, controls the future». For us the image of future is more important than the image of the past and this is why today there are numerous appeals to the future as the basis for legitimacy of the present. The author of the article analyzes images of the future outlined in the five anti-Utopian novels written in the XX century. The author offers to classify anti-Utopian societies as divergent and convergent. Michel Houellebecq’s project of post-human future is viewed as an antimonic synthesis of polarities.

Keywords: cultural research, philosophy of history, anti-utopian, futurology, convergent society, divergent society, Michel Houellebecq, Francis Fukuyama, George Orwell, post-human future.

Abstract: Anton Chekhov places the plots of all his plays in one space in order to create ‘the other space’, if not on stage then at least in thoughts and spiritual activity of the main heroes. Such space becomes an active part of the plot even though it acquire special functions and meanings in each play. This other space is opposed to the ‘real’ space where the action takes place and has a special meaning, especially when it is combined with certain models of fiction time. It is quite obvious that we can talk about the binomiality of fiction space as a particular feature of Chekhov’s mature dramaturgy. Combination of the aforesaid three plays makes up a single fiction with a common metaplot – the main heroes’ attempt to go beyond the limits of their dull life. These three plays have the ‘here and now’ chronotopos as the ‘starting point’ and the node. This chronotopos represents the ‘improper’ life style where almost everyone is unhappy and frustrated. Trying to change their life, the main heroes of Chekhov’s plays create the ‘other’ space in their minds – and this is how the binomial fiction space of all these plays are created. The heroes vacillate between these two different spaces and two different times trying to solve the main problem of their life.

Keywords: cultural research, fiction space, fiction time, chronotopos, earthly paradise, city, ‘here and now’, future, past, present, dramaturgy.

Abstract: The article is aimed at analyzing changes in the system of private and alternative systems of education and inclusion of scientific projects not only as the fields of research but also innovation-based education of preschoolers and primary school students in order to develop efficient skills of intercultural communication, formation of cultural and national identity and natural tolerance. At the present time more and more parents get involved into the process of educating their children due to disrespect towards state preschool and especially school education. Some parents choose private education, others take children to infant development centers. Some parents are quite skeptical about social institutions of up-bringing and education and therefore practice homeschooling in a new modification – ‘no schooling’ theory. Parents’ initiatives regarding education of their children are becoming systematic which requires to include academic community in the process, too. The author of the article presents practical experience of implementation of ethnic education.

Keywords: cultural research, ethnic education, intercultural adaptation, tolerance, national identity, innovationbased education, ethnography of childhood and child’s pedagogy, communication creativity, dialogue of cultures (cultural communications), empathic dialogue.

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: Golem is one of the most known mythological images. The present article is devoted to the history of that image from Ancient times to the middle of the XIX century, before the appearance of the first literary sources mentioned it. During the medieval period the book by Sefer Yetsira was considered as a key to creation and revival of the golem. It was assumed that the golem could be woken by using various letters of the Jewish alphabet. Process of revival of the golem was associated with mystical experience. According to ashkenazi tradition golems were the creation of righteous persons who, because they were close to God, possessed some part of his wisdom and force. One of manifestations of Divine force is the ability to create living beings. However, even the righteous person could create only a weak reminder of Divine creations. One of shortcomings of the golem was his inability to speak. The earliest known written mentioning of creation of the Golem by the historical person refers to Rabbi Eliyahu from the Hill (1550–1583), and the most known history is the history about the Prague golem. His founder was Judah Loew ben Bezalel (the MaHaRal). Based on the dominating among historians and philologists opinion, the history of the Prague golem was first mentioned in German-speaking Jewish literature of the XIX century. In the 1830-1840’s there was a number of writing where that story was described. Origin of such stories was due to the folklore movement which was famous in Jewish literary communities back in those times. The earliest known source for the story thus far is the 1834 book Der Jüdische Gil Blas by Josef Seligman Kohn. Cathy Gelbin finds an earlier source in Gustav Filippson’s story «The Golem and the Adulteress» published in the Jewish magazine Shulamit» in 1834, however this dating is doubtful. The legend was transferred before orally; probably it goes back to times the MaHaRal.

Keywords: cultural research, golem, artificial creatures, Zizkov, Prague, Moshe Idel, Gustav Meyrink, Sefer Yetzirah, Rabbi Loew, Vilna Gaon, Kabala.

Abstract: The article contain an attempt to interpret the future of traditional culture under the conditions of globalization and ongoing modernization in Russia. To clarify this issue, the author focuses on the historical aspect of the problem. Modernization already has a long history. It has been developing throughout the XX century, including within the framework of realization of the social Utopia. However, this Utopia was just one of the variants of implementation the ‘project of Modern’ as it is called in modern philosophy. The process of formation and implementation of that project was quite a disadvantage for traditional values. Modernization was developed within the framework of the world perception of Modern. However, there were moments of revival of traditional culture which was always based on the Romanticism tradition. That tradition is still topical. It allows to soothe the negative processes provoked by modernization.

Keywords: cultural research, traditional culture, folklore consciousness, collective consciousness, modernization, sacral and secular, industrial civilization, archetype, globalization, identity.

Abstract: The phenomenon of lyric poetry is described in the article as a special, internally necessary form of self-realization of the person in culture and, moreover, as a special form of self-realization of culture as it is. At the heart of this phenomenon there are the principles of spontaneous self-discovery of human personality in a rhythmic speech flow and at the same time – spontaneous integration of the personality into elements and meanings of language and culture. Both of these principles assume, first, expansion of a search field of human memory and associations, and, secondly, a search field of communication between people. Thus, the lyric poetry appears to be a necessary ingredient of historical development in human culture. Supporting our need in implicit but deep and heart-felt conversation with people who are different from us, the lyric poetry also appears to be an essential ingredient of sociality and civil relations, accustoming us to self-knowledge and aspiration to find contacts with the other person and, therefore, to wisdom and tolerance.

Keywords: cultural research, lyric poetry, creativity, culture, language, existential, sudden, spontaneous integration, interlocutor, reference.

Abstract: It is known that in figurative system of art of the XX century totalization of problems of the modern world is observed. The present article is devoted to the new images of art which have been created during this century as a result of many artists, musicians and writing striving for epatage. Among such images, there is an image of Nothing (silence in music, one-color canvas without images in fine arts, zero in literature), hyperbolization of everyday items and accessories which does not seem that esthetic-looking at first sight, in verismo, naturalism, dadaism, ready-made, expressiveness, spontaneity in the capacity of such significant genres as happening and etc. It is noted that all these work certainly have an art concept, even despite the fact of their controversial esthetic importance and value. The author of the article analyzes examples from Marcel Duchamp, Kazimir Malevich, Allan Kaprow, Robert Rauschenberg, Andy Warhol, Jackson Pollock and John Cage artwork.

Keywords: epatage, art, music, fine arts, literature, concept, synthesis of arts, happening, image, innovations.

Abstract: There are the following two tendencies in artwork devoted to the Russian Avant-Garde at the turn of XX – XXI centuries: 1) breaking with cultural-historical tradition and formation of a new system of values; 2) ideological connection between Avant-Garde and Modernism. One way or another, these artworks reflect particular features of the process of production of different Avant-Garde tendencies: new language, new style of art and etc. The present article is focused on the description of the Russian Avant-Garde from the point of view of its potential in formation of cultural environment. The main conclusion is that the production of different forms in Russian Avant-Garde is a necessary empirical model. The ontological role is to create a unique cultural environment with all the values and standards and their management model. The author’s conclusions are illustrated by quotes of the masters of Russian Avant-Garde as well as ideologists of culture and art during that period.

Keywords: cultural research, Russian Avant-Garde, modernism, values of Avant-Gardue, silver age, manifesto and motto, cultural life, forms of culture, cultural relativism, traditions and innovations.

Abstract: The article is devoted to the discovery of the temporary modus of analytical thinking that means description of logical relations in the sphere of time relations. Time means one’s internal perception and subjective experience of time. Serial music was chosen as the empirical material that is equally based on time relations and analytical thinking. The research methods included phenomenological analysis of perception of time as well as the structural and harmonious and rhythmic analysis of the musical text. The article also describes time aspects of preconditions of analytical operations: division, distinction and concreteness (tematization); the role of perception of time in formation of categories of quality and quantity is also shown. The differentiating potential of time relations is well shown during the analysis of the etude No. 2 of the cycle «Four Rhythmic Etudes for a Piano» composed by Olivier Messiaen (1908–1992). The musical text is analyzed from the point of view of axiological and differentiating role of time. The etude is submitted as art integrity where time is a source and condition of distinctions, differentiations, creation of logical system, recognition and definiteness of tones, tematization of sounds of series.

Keywords: cultural research, analytical thinking, internal perception of time, distinction, differentiation, thematisation, quality and quantity, length and intensity, serialism, Oliver Messiaen.

Abstract: The present article is devoted to Vadim Rabinovich. Vadim Rabinovich (was born in 1935 in Kiev and died in 2013 in Moscow) was a Soviet and Russian philosopher, cultural researcher, poet and author, literary expert and translator. He became an honored scientist of the Russian Federation in 2006 and was awarded the Galileo Model by International Academy of Sciences in Paris (1979), the Blue Ribbon of St. Clement of Ohrid University of Sofia (1988). Vadim Rabinovich graduated from D. Mendeleev University of Chemical Technology of Russia (1959) and Maksim Gorky Literary Institute (1967). He also was the member of the Union of Writers (1979) and had a PH degree in chemistry, doctor of philosophy, professor, member of the Executive Committee at International PEN-Club and Russian PEN-Center. Vadim Rabinovich was the author of the books ‘Alchemy as the Phenomenon of Medieval Culture’ (1979), ‘Image of World in the Mirror of Alchemy: from Natural Elements and Atoms of the Ancient Times to Boyle Elements’ (1981), ‘Confession of a Booklover who Taught Letters but Consolidated Spirits’ (1991), ‘Human in Culture. Introduction to metaphorical Anthropology ’ (2008), ‘Imitaphores of Ravinovich or Heavenly Cutter’ (2010), ‘Poetological Studies’ (2012), ‘Alchemy’ (2012), ‘Noon of Middle Ages’ (2013) and collections of verses ‘A Violin in Every Tree’ (1978), ‘Purple Rook’ (1988), ‘Twenty One Plots for Zhaleyka, Echo and Jingle Bells’ (1995), ‘The Tit of the Eye’ (2008), ‘One Hundred Poems’ (2013). He was the editor-in-chief and one of the authors of selected works published by the Department of Languages of Culture at Russian Institute for Cultural Research. The series was called ‘Languages of Cultures ’ and there were three of them called ‘Interaction’ (2002), ‘Image – Concept – Image’ (2009), ‘In a House of NAI’ (2012. He was also the Chairman of the Editorial Board of the ‘Bersenevsky Collections’(2012).

Keywords: cultural research, Vadim Rabinovich, philosophy of culture, history of culture, metaphoric anthropology, languages of cultures, alchemistry, imitaphores, poetry, poems.