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 object of the research is the artistic and empiric content of the Crimean mentality of culture. The subject of the research is the applied and decorative arts and monumental artwork of a modern artist Pavel Greyser. Mentality represented by his artwork influences the development of the aesthetical image of Crimea. In her research Zolotukhina defines Greyser's artwork as a representation of the basic beliefs of Crimea of the mid - late 20th century and may be of interest to those researchers who study the modern state of an artistic life of a region. The research is based on one of the applied methods of cultural research, philosophical art analysis allowing to objectively define features of the artist's creativity in general by studying particular pieces of his artwork. This method has demonstrated that hidden invariant images of the artist determined his typical concept of the fixation on natural landscapes and mixture of techniques. In addition, the researcher has used the semiotic method as well as the methods of artwork description and analysis. Pavel Greyser's creative works have never been studied before which makes the novelty of the present research. Zolotukhina analyzes stylistic peculiarities of Greyser's artwork as artistic texts that carry a semiotic meaning. Taking into account that in her article Zolotukhina describes only part of Greyser's creative legacy, there is a need in further researches of visual arts created by Pavel Greyser: fine arts, graphic arts and wall painting. 

Keywords: artistic text, romanticism, creation, form, mindset, aesthetic concept, Pavel Greyser, analysis, the form, artist

Abstract:  The research is devoted to the main issues of cultural tourism in the Primorsky Krai through the eyes of Korean tourists. The number of tourists travelling from Korea to the Primorsky Krai has been growing lately. One of the reasons that encourage such a great number of Korean tourists is the historical and cultural legacy of the remains of Balhae and Korean independence movement. One of the problems related to Russian tourism is that despite interesting cultural monuments, foreign tourists often have difficulty finding recreations. According to the authors of the article, in order to solve this problem it is necessary to create a tourism infrastructure in places where cultural monuments are located. The authors use the method of interviewing Korean tourists about cultural tourism and field research method, analysis of archives and museum sources about the remains of Balhae and archeology, as well as analysis of travels. These materials allow to complete the real picture that lacks actual researches on the matter. The results of the research can be used by travel companies as well as state authorities that realize and implement the cultural policy and thus contribute to the development of Korean tourism in the Primorsky Krai.

Keywords: Primorsky Krai, The remains of Balhae, cultural heritage, archaeological monuments, Ussuriysk, Khasansky District, memorial places, South Korean tourists, Tourism infrastructure, Cultural tourism

Abstract: In this article Rozin discusses the attitude to death in contemporary culture. The author analyzes the reasons and circumstances that revive interest towards death and whether one should fear it. Rozin analyzes three concepts of life after death: pagan (animistic), Christian and esoteric. These concepts are based on the idea of human soul that is eternal. Howeover, the shift to the Modern Period and development of rational research thinking made us forget about that idea. As a consequence, people started to fear death again. The author of this article offers a solution of this problem through critisizing myths about life and death of a modern human and development of the 'right life' concept. In his research Rozin applies the following research methods: problem statement, comparative analysis, cultural historical reconstruction of ideas about life after death, and scenario approach. As a result of his research, Rozin describes the situation of the contemporary culture that returns researchers to discussing life after death and trying to find a solution of this problem. According to the author, the solution of the problem is the criticism of memos about life and death of a modern human and adoption of the 'right life' concept. 

Keywords: body, soul, science, thinking, myths, culture, personality, death, life, problem

Abstract: Based on the analysis of sculpture pieces from St. Petersburg collections (Yelagin Palace, State Russian Museum, Museum of Porcelain and Chess, St. Petersburg State Museum of Theatre and Music, Leningrad Museum of Everyday Culture 1945-1965 Years) and Soviet porcelain catalogues, Ivanova analyzes creative activity of a Leningrad artist Anatoly Kiselyov in terms of the development of the Soviet art industry of the 1950 - 1960s. The most famous and the brightest images were created by the master during his work in art workshops of Leningrad Porcelain Factory under the State Research Ceramic Institute. The porcelain of this factory was throught to be second-rate and was not accepted by Soviet criticism and art critics. Activation of museum exhibition activities over the past years using Anatoly Kiselyov's sculpture creates the acute need in a more in-depth analysis of the master's porcelain in particular and porcelain produced at the Factory in general. For this purpose, the author has offered her own classification of porcelain made by Anatoly Kiselyov in accordance with the mofits, plots and stylistic solutions typical for the Khrushchev Thaw. The author uses this classification to describe the role of the artist in the process of implementing new doctrines and arts and crafts concepts. 

Keywords: fairy-tale motifs, L.N. Smorgon, V.V. Sterligov, the ballet Petrushka, art industry, LFOP, Experimental factory, A.A. Kiselyov, thaw, soviet porcelain

Abstract: Analysis of the audience always remains one of the key objectives in a study of social functions of art. However, the world is so rapidly changing that what was thought to be true long ago is now turning out to be illusion or banality. What is the problem and what do we know about the art audience today? How research approaches to creating concepts and methods that would be adequate to modern science targets have been developing? These are the questions this article is devoted to. Briefly tracing back Russia's experience in conceptualization of art audience and methodology of sociological research of audience, the author of the article outlines the main problem and describes high-priority tasks in a sociological analysis of the art audience. Traditioinal approaches of sociology of art, psychology or marketing do not give a full understanding of trends and patterns of consumer behavior and thus may lead to ignoring some potentially important determinants. Application of interdisciplinary methods allows to reveal hidden statistical patterns and assess determinants of consumer behavior that cannot be measured by traditional methods but play a crucial role. This means the shift to a completely new level of research validity. The most valuable conclusion of the research is that man-and-art relationship is not accidental but determined by both objective characteristics and intellectual cultural resources and external influence of the social and cultural environment. Along with that, there is a growing understanding that the art audience of different kinds still have much in common although each of them has their own peculiarities. The research results contribute to art studies and analysis of social functions of art, and offer new prospective methodological approaches that become available due to interdisciplinary convergence.   

Keywords: social dimensions, cultural activity, cultural consumption, attendance, sociological research of the audience, art audience, art, culture, audience typology, evolution of research approaches

Abstract: The article is devoted to the problem of reference in image studies. The relationship between images and their reflection is one of the key problems in this field of research, especially because, as the author of the research notes, one of the possible views on the genealogy of image directly relates to such phenomenon as estrangement. Referring to Hans Belting's researches, the author of the article notes that the origin of an image itself is related to the phenomenon of estrangement of the image from its reflection and fixation of an image in another material medium, on the one hand, and preservation of that relationship with its reflection, on the other hand. To clarify these complex relations, the author applies three concepts, representation, exemplification and vestigium (trace). The first concept is used according to the definition offered by a modern researcher G. Bohm and Hans-Georg Gadamer in his 'Truth and Method'. According to their interpretation, representation is understood as intensification and extension of a referent's presence. Then, the author refers to the term 'exemplification' as it was first introduced by Henry Nelson Goodman as a new type of a sign. Having demonstrated, that none of these strategies fully explains the phenomenon of estrangement, the author refers to the third concept of vestigium (trace) of St. Augustine. Unlike the first two concepts, vestigium is described as the process of the denial from an image's own features which cannot be said about a sign and thus cannot be estranged from the presence it is conveyed through. However, this concept offered by Augustine has not been of great interest for researchers so far. It does not have a translation in Russian and has never been used in image studies. This is what makes the novelty of the present research.    Gottfried Böhm Gottfried Böhm in 2015 Born January 23, 1920 (age 98)Offenbach, Hessen Occupation Architect Awards Pritzker Prize   Buildings Neviges Pilgrimage Church, VelbertBensberg City Hall   Böhm's 1968 Iglesia Youth Center Library, Cologne.   Böhm's pilgrimage church, Velbert(then Neviges). Gottfried Böhm

Keywords: Hans-Georg Gadamer, mimesis, image studies, vestigium, reference, representation, sign, image, St. Augustine, Henry Nelson Goodman

Abstract: The subject of the research is the peculiarities and patterns of consumer behavior of the State Tretyakov Gallery audience, available cultural activities, and the author's attempt to define and measure their determinants. The growing interest towards audience preferences on the cultural activities market creates the need for cultural institutions to analyze the audience needs and modify the functional and format of the main activity in accordance with contemporary trends and demands. Museum specialists have come to understanding that without taking into account the needs of the audience, it is impossible to overcome the communication barriers between museum and audience. Sometimes museum specialists try to classify and manage their audience the same way as they classify and manage their exhibit items. On the other hand, they continue their traditional attempts to analyze the audience based on personal traits that are attributable to their visitors a priori. Today this is perceived as a rather limited approach that hinders from the actual understanding of true patterns of consumer behavior. Based on the author of the article, application of methods of mathematical statistics and econometrics to analyze sociological data expands opportunities for the sociology of art and signifies a shift to a fundamentally new level of research validity. In his article Ushkarev presents several new theoretical results of a grand-scale survey that involved the audience of the State Tretyakov Gallery. As part of his research, Ushkarev studies the museum audience based on conceptual features that go far beyond the borders of traditional socio-demographic descriptions but not only on objective parameters that are traditionally described by art sociologists. The interdisciplinary approach used by Ushkarev in his research has allowed to define cultural activities of the art museum audience and the impact of subjective and unmeasurable dimensions of the audience such as motivation and cultural capital. 

Keywords: types of museum audience, determinants of cultural consumption, sociology of art, econometric analysis, attendance, motivation, cultural capital,, consumer behavior, cultural activity, museum audience

Abstract: The aim of this research is to trace back director functions in a professional activity of a piano concertmaster. The subject of the research is the work of a piano concertmaster with an ensemble composition using the stage production techniques. The author of the article analyzes a director method of working with a text, stage movements, expressivity, acting areas, etc. Kalitsky pays special attention to the organisation function of a director and piano concertmaster that is necessary for creation of a single artistic style. The author also touches upon the duality of acting and directing in an activity of a piano concertmaster. The author uses the comparative analytical methodology to analyze the activity of a director and concertmaster. He demonstrates that the ensemble model used to organize the sound and stage space is one of the most important functions in a professional activity of a piano concertmaster which can be achieved only through understanding and perception of directing techniques used to produce a stage action. The author of the article emphasizes the need in a directing approach to stage production and work of a piano concertmaster not only with ensemble partners but also for individual studying a musical text in factor, dynamic and agogical terms. Kalitsky underlines the importance of the solo performance training of a pianist for success as a director of a musical ensemble. Application of the research results in a professional activity of a concertmaster will give a better understanding of not only artistic targets faced by him or her but also organisation functions of a pianist in a musical ensemble. The author concludes that there is a need in ajdustment of current programs of piano concertmaster training in order to teach them director principles of being a pianist in a musical ensemble as well as independently seeking his or her artistic ensemble solutions. 

Keywords: role-playing features, organization of creative space, performance, dynamics, agogics, texture, stage production, ensemble, Director, Concertmaster

Abstract: This is the review of a monograph written by a Soviet Kazakhstan academic writer and Doctor of Arts Saule Utegalieva 'The World of Sound of Turk Music: Theory, History, and Practice' (the Case Study of Instrumental Music Traditions of the Central Asia' pulished in Moscow by the Composer Publishing. In her review Sokolova underlines the importance of this 30-year research that covered a major layer of instrumental music cultures of Central Asian Turk nations and revealed in-depth features of instrumental sound. From inside the culture, the author of the monograph explains conceptual and axiological meanings of Turk sound timbres and demonstrates the integrity of Turk world of sound both horizontally (in relation to different Turk nations), vertically (using the same principles of making sound by different musical instruments) and diagonally (construction of a musical form of an instrumental music composition). To write the review, Sokolova has applied the method of critical analysis and principles of hermeneutics to interpret the origin of particular ideas represented by the author of the monograph. The monograph was published in Moscow in 2013 but has not been presented to the general Russian reader. This review is intended not only to attract attention to a serious research of Saule Utegalieva but also outline the most nettlesome problems of modern instrumental music research. In addition, taking into account the new cultural policy of Kazakhstan and adoption of Latin alphabet by Kazakhs Russian-Kazakhstan research communication has very little chance. Saule Utegalieva's research is one of the recent fundamental researches devoted to traditional music that has been published in Russia.  

Keywords: kobyz, dombra, chordophones, music of Central Asia, instrumental music, Turks, Utegalieva, phenomenon of sound, Saule, properties of musical sound