Culture and Arts in the Modern World

Attractive Visuality Generation Within the 360˚-VR Video Format as a Technological Trend in Modern Film Production

Ihor Pecheranskyi — Fri, 22 Sep 2023 00:00:00 +0300

The aim of the article is to study the features of the process of attractive visuality generation within the 360˚-VR video format. Results. A comprehensive consideration of the issue with the use of general scientific and special methods (problem-logical, theoretical-informational, art studies, comparative analysis, the method of analogy, abstraction, induction, and deduction) demonstrates that one of the key trends in modern film production is the creation of a “multinarrative space” (A. G. Iñárritu) VR-immersion of the viewer as a recipient and co-creator of this space, accompanied by the transformation of the film into a visually attractive activity and transformation principles of film aesthetics in the 20th century. Scientific novelty. It is proved that the 360˚-VR video format is a unique audiovisual form that requires a special grammatical, technical and technological base (professional or amateur 360˚ camera, effective tools for creating and editing 360˚video content for the different platforms, Kolor Autopano Video Pro, SIFT algorithm, etc.) thus, brings the use of the immersion principle to a qualitatively new level. Conclusions. Due to this, attractive visuality is becoming possible in the quality of a new aesthetic and perceptual-virtual experience that is being formed under the influence of VR-attractions and modern special effects in the digital cinematograph. It leads to the synthesis between cinematograph and theatre when the transition is occurring from montage sequence to virtual-theatrical play where in consequence of 360˚-VR the action has been developing constantly, and the viewer is in the very centre of the events. Thereby, there are grounds to confirm that, including technological development and measureless creative possibilities in the process of projecting different VR-attractions, it is possible for a viewer’s infinite immersion in the space of a digital film; that, from one side, transforms film language on the modern stage, creating the perspectives of the further branch development, and from another side, it conditions a number of psychological problems and risks connected with the viewers’ reaction on a different level of density of the attractive field of modified film language.

Visual Art as a Means of Presenting a Fashion Designer’s Creative Idea

Liudmyla Dykhnych — Fri, 22 Sep 2023 00:00:00 +0300

The aim of the article is to identify the types and functions of fashion graphics as a means of visualising the ideas and concepts of a fashion designer. Results. The role of visual art in expressing the idea of a fashion designer is characterised; based on the systematisation and analysis of examples of fashion graphics that visualise clothing models of such designers as K. Dior, Y. Saint Laurent, H. Mepen, V. Nesmiian, A. Tan, V. Anisimov, as well as the author’s graphics of K. Lagerfeld, the following types of using visual art in presenting designer’s ideas are identified 1) fashion illustration in suit presentation; 2) Illustrated fashion magazines; 3) fashion illustration as a design element of the designer’s publications and fashion publications; 4) sketch of the product; 5) generalised (conceptual) image of the collection; 6) narrative graphics. The research methods include analysis and synthesis, historical and chronological, comparative, figurative and stylistic analysis, selective method, and systematisation of visual information. Scientific novelty. For the first time, in the context of the history and contemporary development of the fashion system, examples of fashion illustrations, sketches, and drawings by foreign and Ukrainian artists and designers are considered in the context of the designer’s communication with the target audience; for the first time, models of Ukrainian designers from fashion magazines of the 1960s–1970s, as well as models from collections of contemporary Ukrainian designers, are introduced into scientific circulation. Conclusions. After analysing the goals of designers and the impact of visual works on promoting fashion and fixing the suit images in the imagination of the consumer audience, the following functions of fashion graphics are identified: communicative (by presenting a sketch or illustration, the designer establishes or reinforces a connection with the target audience); advertising (by placing a sketch, illustration or author’s narrative graphics in the information space — printed and online sources, the designer promotes a new product or creates cult features for an existing product); correspondence of the suit to a work of art (using visual means, the designer brings closer or equates the process of creating a suit with the creation of a work of visual art). The practical significance lies in identifying the functions of visual works that present the ideas of designers. The artistic work of artists and designers, which reveals the uniqueness of the created clothing examples, can still be used by designers today, both in the design process and as analogues of advertising and communication tools.

Script and Creating a Religious Identity: The Typography of the Talmud

Efrat Grossman — Fri, 22 Sep 2023 00:00:00 +0300

Aim of the article. This article deals with the iconic typography of the Talmud page and focuses on the relationship between script and religious identity. It examines changes in design and typography in the modern editions of Steinsaltz, Artscroll, and Koren since the 1980s, and how they led to the removal of some of these editions from the yeshiva world, preventing yeshiva students from using them. Results. The Talmud is the central and most influential text in the world of Jewish law. Its study holds great spiritual significance, and many regard it as a means for self-expression and connection to the Torah’s oral tradition. During the second half of the 20th century, initiatives were taken to change the traditional layout of Judaic texts. The aim of these initiatives was to create a new “Israeli design” for Judaic texts while remaining loyal to the past. Designers sought to strike a balance between conservation and innovation in aspects such as book design, technological advances in the printing industry, accessibility regarding reading, studying, and prayer, and catering to broader target audiences. In most cases, new book formats were chosen, but at times, such changes generated strong opposition in certain Jewish sectors, resulting in those books being banned from study halls and synagogues. A case in point was Rabbi Steinsaltz’s project of redesigning the Talmud to make Talmud study more accessible for struggling learners. Rabbi Steinsaltz changed the format of the Talmud page to a more readable format, using new fonts, additional punctuation, and wider spacing between the lines. This change, however, was not accepted by the Haredi (ultra-Orthodox) and parts of the National- Religious public. Scientific novelty. Existing research deals separately with the issue of Zionist Hebrew typography and the issue of the ultra-Orthodox society. To the best of our knowledge, so far, no research has directly linked the two issues to examine the ultra-Orthodox approach to design in general and to Hebrew typography in particular. This study contributes to previous research on Hebrew typography, emphasising its role in conveying a social, educational, and ideological message, regardless of the written text’s content. Conclusions. Judaic texts that are used in the ultra-Orthodox world are visually different in design from those used in the secular and/ or National-Religious world. While the ultra-Orthodox staunchly preserve the traditional Judaic book format (albeit with minor changes), the secular world and parts of the National-Religious public welcome books that have a variety of fonts, colorful designs and pictures, decorations, and didactic explanations to aid the reader. The Talmud is a book with a distinct typography and contains a wealth of information. The layout of a Talmud page allowed for a variety of different texts to be combined in one book, making it easier to study. The fixed template, which is exactly the same in all tractates, generates a visual representation of the text so that a large amount of information can be remembered through an “eidetic memory” of images. Rabbi Adin Steinsaltz’s edition of the Talmud (Koren), which changed the traditional page layout to make the text more accessible, remained only partially faithful to the original but brought about a true revolution. For some audiences, this innovative edition represents a pinnacle of Hebrew literature, while for others, it is seen as a violation of the sacred literature and should be banned. There has always been a strong connection between the ultra-Orthodox world and Hebrew typography, and it is still present on a daily basis. The Hebrew letters are cornerstones in the design of the Holy Scriptures. However, the attitude of the ultra-Orthodox world toward modern Hebrew typography as reflected in this study, is one of ambivalence, some acceptance but mostly strong reservations.

Signs of the Uniqueness of the Ukrainian Printed Book in the Context of the Global Digitalisation of Art

Viktoriia Oliinyk — Fri, 22 Sep 2023 00:00:00 +0300

The aim of the article is to explore the features of the uniqueness of a classic printed book as a valuable source of art studies analysis against the backdrop of dynamic transformations in Ukrainian book design. The article seeks to determine the prospects for its development as an artistic and project form, and ways to preserve the relevant design traditions. Results. The perception of traditional printed books in Ukraine today has changed in the context of the global digitisation of art. In this regard, the following opposing positions of scholars are highlighted: some predict a new phase of life for printed books, which involves the transformation of their socio-cultural role and the acquisition of different artistic content, while others underestimate the potential of traditional paper publications compared to innovative electronic formats. However, it is worth noting that the modern Ukrainian printed book has exclusive visual and aesthetic characteristics, demonstrating a unique synthesis of subject-spatial and artistic-design solutions. These characteristics include the long-term preservation of book design traditions, presentation of the designer's own artistic style (illustrator), tactile features (paper type, frame type, etc.), as well as the consistency of the layout at all levels of its implementation. The article proves this fact by comparing the design features of classic book editions with their alternative forms: electronic (multimedia) and interactive editions, as well as art books. The scientific novelty of the article consists in a comprehensive examination of the coexistence of various book forms on the modern domestic book market, their mutual influence, and the formulation of prospects for the development of the Ukrainian traditional printed books based on theoretical and empirical research of relevant sources, which was carried out for the first time. Conclusions. The article demonstrates that the highest potential of a traditional printed book lies in its highly differentiated design, unique artistic, genre and functional characteristics. The guarantee of the future of such publications is the mandatory presence of artistic and creative components in the book ensemble, as well as a genre-functional variable component.

The Heritage of Tsarist Russia’s Military Forts as an Object of Postcolonial Revision: Case of the Kaunas School of Art Building 1922–1923

Lina Preisegalaviciene — Fri, 22 Sep 2023 00:00:00 +0300

The aim of the article is to rethink which objects in contemporary Lithuania are worth being European cultural heritage and which are not — as many of them are now being used by the neighboured aggressive country as examples (politicised arguments) for today’s Russia’s imperial historical narratives. Results of the research demonstrate that the discussion on mitigations of Tsarist Russia’s military forts heritage is a new topic, as the recent decades in Lithuania have shown that the heritage of military forts’ architecture in the post-soviet decades is being protected even more than in Soviet Russia’s occupation period. So, this trend in Lithuanian cultural Heritage research emerges as an object worth deeper postcolonial revision. Significant is building the future from the past. Within this frame of thinking, the article invites us to remember the national history and select well-known cases from the country’s past as most valuable for national and cultural identity. The example of the famous 100-year-old Art School building in Kaunas city (which in the interwar period 1918–1940 was the temporary capital of the Republic of Lithuania) was chosen as the article’s main case study. After 100 years, there are no longer any doubts or debates as to how much the area of the 9th battery in Kaunas Oaks Hill (Ąžuolų kalnas) has “suffered” due to the fact that the complex of buildings of the Lithuanian national Art School was built in a Tsarist Russia military fortress plot. This is evidenced by the other mentioned cases — today outstanding national cultural heritage objects were built a century ago replacing Tsarist Russia’s military architecture, meanwhile, according to the laws in force today — these buildings should be protected. Conclusions. Russia’s war against Ukraine, it’s the right time to reassess countries’ critical heritage: in which situations it is worth, how much it is worth, and in which it is no longer worth protecting the architectural heritage of military power formed by Tsarist Russia, especially when it is ruined and too difficult to adapt it to the needs of modern people.

The Concept of Musical Nationalism in Compositional Creativity: A Theoretical Aspect

Gabriella Astalosh — Fri, 22 Sep 2023 00:00:00 +0300

The aim of the article is to reveal the essence of the concept of musical nationalism and the principles of its manifestations in professional compositional creative work. Results. The need for national identity, the desire to express oneself, and the focus on uniqueness drive humanity towards creating certain products of activity in the scientific, research, and creative spheres, collectively shaping the patriotic mentality of the entire nation. Every conscious artist who aims to lobby for national content in the socio-cultural and even political space through his creative work appeals to factors that are reproduced in the audience’s imagination as a symbol, code of the nation. The search for means and forms of expressing originality based on national characteristics, and the desire for cultural autonomy via the reproduction and artistic reinterpretation of typical features, mythology, mentality, folklore, etc. create traditions of the national style. The way this paradigm is expressed depends on the depth of experience of national issues by the author of an art work. Musical nationalism becomes the highest degree of realisation of the national idea in creative work, forms a unique concept, a content of which consists in conscious and purposeful reproduction by artists by means of music of bright national-mental attributes, values, ideas, thinking patterns and philosophising, psycho-emotional characteristics, temperament, world perception, and worldview, etc. Scientific novelty. For the first time in the history of Ukrainian art studies, the term “concept of musical nationalism” is introduced into scholarly discourse, and its meaning and the expediency of its use are explained. Conclusions. The professional musical art of any country becomes a reflection of the cultural heritage of the nation, and is based on the synthesis of the artistic content of the art sample, its emotional message, and those specific means of expression that are most capable of revealing the context of the work. One of the most distinctive identifiers of compositional creativity is the national factor, manifested by the artist in presenting characteristic features of the local society, certain archetypes, and traditions, which are originally interpreted in his heritage. A conscious, purposeful approach to the ideological content of music is the result of the author's creative reflection, a reflection through the prism of his own stylistic preferences and priorities of a number of national ideals, national dreams, centuries-old aspirations of his native people influenced by specific historical and political factors. All this forms the concept of musical nationalism.

Borrowing in Visual Art Works: Aspects of Attitude Formation in the Educational Environment

Svitlana Borysova — Fri, 22 Sep 2023 00:00:00 +0300

The aim of the article is to highlight certain aspects of attitude formation in the educational environment to the issue of borrowing in visual art works and in project and design activities. Results. Borrowing, considered as the transformation of something into one’s own property, can take different forms, with appropriation as borrowing someone else’s work (part of it) to express new content and visual plagiarism as an ethical violation, presenting someone else’s visual work (part of it) under one’s own name, including. The analysis of research related to borrowing in visual art works gave grounds to single out the socio-cultural, pedagogical, psychological, moral and ethical, legal, and technological aspects of attitude formation to the issue of borrowing in visual art works and in project and design activities. The range of attitudes towards borrowings in works of art is determined, ranging from acceptance to denial of the existence of original works, and can be perceived under different conditions as a neutral, positive, and negative phenomenon. The article proposes recommendations for preventing visual plagiarism in creative student projects, which can be applied by teachers in educational and methodological activities. The scientific novelty lies in identifying and analysing the socio-cultural, pedagogical, psychological, moral and ethical, legal, and technological aspects of attitude formation in the educational environment to the issue of borrowing in visual art works. Conclusions. Considering the identified aspects of attitude formation in the educational environment to the issue of borrowing in visual art works is crucial for developing a well-balanced strategy of behaviour by teachers and improving the methodology of teaching the educational components of artistic and design educational programmes regarding the formation of a culture of academic integrity and prevention of visual plagiarism in the development of visual works. The issue of responding to manifestations of visual plagiarism in the educational environment, the development of a set of methodological measures to promote a zero-tolerance stance towards plagiarism, and the conscious and constant adherence to professional ethics in the field of visual art require additional study and detailed analysis taking into account existing practices.

Arts’s Fight for Life or the Triumphant End of the Avant-Garde

Irina Danilova — Fri, 22 Sep 2023 00:00:00 +0300

The aim of the article is to outline a logical sequence of events that led to radicalism in the art of the 19th and 20th centuries by studying the connections between art, life (reality), and science and technology. From the mid-nineteenth century through the 1970s, art acquired a unique quality: it rapidly radicalised, creating a number of alternative art practices, such as impressionism, abstractionism, cubism, ready-made, etc. Before that, except for random individual phenomena, art for centuries was just changing styles: Baroque, Rococo, Classicism. Results. The article identifies the cause for the revolutionary avant-garde trends in art and the reason for the end of the revolutionary era. It presents a view based on art’s relations with life in competition with science and technology that had different effects on art, ranging from influentially adaptive to revolutionary rebellious. The scientific significance of this study is its innovative approach to the consideration of factors of the emergence and development of avant-garde trends in the art of the 19th and 20th centuries. The rational study and comparable analyses of events in science/ technology and art in relation to life (reality) offers an inventive and coherent reason for the appearance and disappearance of avant-guard art. Conclusions. This article identifies the cause for the revolutionary avant-garde trends in art and the reason for the end of the revolutionary era. It presents a unique view based on art’s relations with life in competition with science and technology and shows how an inadvertent battle of art for life (reality) with photography, film and television triumphed in the twentieth century and broke the very possibility of further revolutionary changes.

Promoting, Developing, and Preserving: Using Performance Award Graded Examinations to Encourage the Performance of Welsh Traditional Music on the 16-String Small Harp

June Elizabeth Fileti — Fri, 22 Sep 2023 00:00:00 +0300

The aim of this article as a research paper is to present the initial approach of an action research project undertaken digitally between the International School of Musicians and Derwent Harp School, a collaboration between two neighbouring countries, England and Wales. The ongoing project aims to develop and promote the use of Welsh traditional music through the International School of Musicians graded examination syllabus for the small 16-string Harp in C major. Derwent Harp School, a Welsh Music School, has compiled the music for the syllabus from their extensive knowledge of both small harp and Welsh traditional music. The harps are hand-made from wood in Wales by Derwent Harps. The action research methodology details the first cycle of research results and recommendations for further research cycles to be conducted. The research involved two specialised harp teachers, five examination candidates and one examiner. Data was collected through semi-structured interviews, which were analysed using thematic and narrative analysis. The initial results show a positive outcome in the uptake of Welsh traditional music, with candidates expressing a keenness to learn additional Welsh traditional music and seeking opportunities to explore the range of music available. The practical significance of the action research stems from the decline in instrumental tuition in Wales, specifically that of Welsh traditional music. Furthermore, the research makes a beginning contribution to science by investigating current practices in teaching instrumental music tuition in Wales, which is currently an under-researched area. Initial Conclusions suggest the use of the graded music exam as a means to promote Welsh traditional music is well placed to make an impact on improving uptake by promoting, developing and maintaining this genre for future generations.

“Gender Portrait” of the Composer Mykola Lysenko

Oksana Frait — Fri, 22 Sep 2023 00:00:00 +0300

The aim of the article is to analyse the manifestations and features of the gender component in compositional, pedagogical, cultural and social activities, folklore studies, and performance, as well as in Mykola Lysenko’s private life. Results. It is revealed that womanhood was a significant factor in shaping the psychology, worldview, and artistic universe of M. Lysenko. He, in turn, influenced/captivated women with musical talent and wholehearted dedication to the national cause. The article highlights the nature of the artist’s relationship with his female family circle, acquaintances, female colleagues, co-authors, and performers, on the basis of which the following, thoroughly positive, gender paradigms are defined: filial and parental (more broadly — family) love, responsibility for female students and choristers, collegial and professional respect, appreciation of women’s views, actions, and creative achievements, representation of the latter in his work, and respect for women’s social and pedagogical efforts. The scientific novelty of the article lies in the first-ever research on musical and anthropological issues, dedicated to reconstructing the comprehensive gender portrait of a prominent cultural and historical figure who, along with national beliefs and artistic priorities, influenced society with his own example of cultural relations between genders. Conclusions. The gender discourse of Mykola Lysenko’s life and work showed his exceptionally positive attitude towards the opposite sex, which manifested itself, on the one hand, in the absence of gender stereotypes, pejorative interpretation, or levelling, and on the other hand, in respect for women of different ages, social and professional status. This was facilitated by his thorough upbringing, European education, and the artist’s individual psychological and mental qualities such as communication skills, friendliness, empathy, humanity, decency, nobility, and others.

The Stone Master by Lesya Ukrainka: The Imagology of Don Juan’s Image in the Context of Ukrainian Gender Issues of the Early 20th Century

Maryna Grynyshyna — Fri, 22 Sep 2023 00:00:00 +0300

The aim of the article is to analyse the genesis of Don Juan’s image and substantiate the imagology of the legendary character in the context of Ukrainian gender issues at the time Lesya Ukrainka wrote The Stone Master. Results. The article presents the basic principles of imagology as a comprehensive direction of cultural research and defines the meaning of using its tools in contemporary theatre studies. Attention is also paid to the gender studies of Ukrainian scholars, which are at the intersection with imagological issues. The study focuses on the image of Don Juan from the dramatic poem The Stone Master. The genesis of the character is traced from the 17th to the 19th century in order to demonstrate that his imagology is studied at the intersection of the stereotype concept and cultural iconography provisions. The Ukrainian poetess deliberately did not violate the canonical image of the seducer of Seville that was formed over three centuries. However, the obvious Byronic inspirations of the artistic ideology of the dramatic poem and the polemic with Hoffmannism and Nietzscheism, as well as gender issues, caused the transformation of the image, influenced the formation of the literary model, in a certain sense alien to the entire world context of the legend of Don Juan. Scientific novelty. For the first time in Ukrainian theatre studies, an attempt has been made to analyse the imagology of the legendary image created by Lesya Ukrainka in the context of Ukrainian gender issues at the beginning of the last century. Conclusions. The Stone Master, as well as a number of other dramatic poems by Lesya Ukrainka, provides rich factual material for research in the categories of imagology. They are facilitated by the transitive nature of the Ukrainian poetess’s dramatic works. Therefore, we consider the study of the images of foreign countries and peoples in a broad historical and cultural context based on Lesya Ukrainka’s dramatic poems to be one of the most promising directions of contemporary interdisciplinary research at the intersection of historical literature and theatre studies.

The Compositional and Dramaturgical Logic and Musical Expressive Means in the Performance Interpretation of Marian Stârcea’s Variations in G Major for Piano

Inna Hatipova — Fri, 22 Sep 2023 00:00:00 +0300

The aim of the article is to reveal the compositional and dramaturgical logic, as well as the features of the expressive musical means used in the Variations for Piano by Moldovan composer Marian Stârcea in relation to their performance interpretation. The research results are based on the presentation of Stârcea's Variations as a composition that exemplifies the Moldovan compositional tradition, created at the beginning of the author’s creative work and reflecting the characteristic features of his individual style. M. Stârcea turned to the genre of piano variations along with other young composers of the Republic of Moldova, such as T. Chiriac, V. Cholac, V. Beliaev, and many others. Each composer demonstrated a desire to find an individual interpretation of this genre form. M. Stârcea's Variations are characterised by an organic synthesis of the compositional logic of the classical and romantic variation cycle, jazz stylistics, and folklore elements of the musical language. The scientific novelty of the article lies in its comprehensive examination of M. Stârcea's Variations for Piano, which is done for the first time. The practical significance of the work is determined by the possibility of using its materials by performing pianists and teachers of musical educational institutions in their work on the piece. The conclusions summarise the main ideas arising from the compositional and dramaturgical features of M. Stârcea's Variations, as well as their interpretation by students and performing pianists. Understanding the logic of the continuous development of the variation form, enriched with jazz techniques and folk elements, is the optimal way to an adequate comprehension and individual performance vision of this piece. The subsequent comparison of M. Stârcea's Variations for Piano with other works by this author, as well as with examples of variations by other composers, will allow us to develop and enrich the results obtained, which will contribute to the further development of a research approach to the issues of performing interpretation.

Genre Classification and the Current State of Turkmen Musical Folklore

Djamilya Kurbanova — Fri, 22 Sep 2023 00:00:00 +0300

The aim of the article is to characterise the existing classification systems of Turkmen musical folklore, as well as to outline new ways of studying folklore genres to determine their typological characteristics. Results. Turkmen music is part of a single common Turkic culture, and its musical folklore is distinguished by a variety of genres and forms. Having studied the currently available systems for classifying the musical folklore genres, the author suggests classifying Turkmen folk songs not only based on their functional features but also by grouping them by timbre and methods of sound production. Scientific novelty. The study of folklore heritage allows us to penetrate into the deep layers of the artistic consciousness of the people and identify the features of their spiritual life. The issues of studying the musical heritage of the Turkic peoples are the focus of attention of many researchers, who agree that the formation of folk genres of Turkmen music, as well as the entire Turkic culture, is based on the life cycle, with its gradation by age (children, adolescents, adults), whose attitude reflects the corresponding genres of musical folklore. Conclusions. In the modern space, it is almost impossible to find examples of genuine folklore in its purest form. The change in the forms of human life, social formations, the development of professional arts, the departure from applied functions, and the oral method of transmitting traditions — all this led to the inevitable modification and disappearance of many genres of folklore. In such a situation, the study of folklore and the search for its origins become an important task for contemporary folklore studies. The multi-layered expressive means of folklore heritage requires an integrated approach to its study, taking into account the analysis of timbre and intonation, words and rhythm, melody and general compositional structure, as well as the technique of performing folk art samples.

The Traditional Winter Repertoire of Rivne Polissia in Viktor Kovalchuk’s Recordings: Genre and Typological Characteristics

Larysa Lukashenko — Fri, 22 Sep 2023 00:00:00 +0300

The aim of the article is to provide an ethnomusicological characteristic of the mostly unpublished part of Viktor Kovalchuk's collecting work, namely, the winter ritual repertoire of songs recorded on the territory of Rivne Polissia. The aim of the study is a genre and typological analysis of V. Kovalchuk's winter collection, which is based on structural and typological, as well as statistical, analytical, and comparative methods. Results. The article provides a brief general description of the collection, paying special attention to the geography and frequency, recording circumstances, and so on. A detailed genre and typological characterisation of the most represented melotypes is carried out, in particular, songs are systematised by origin and formal features, the main compositional, rhythmic, and tonal-melodic features within the selected typological groups are analysed, the main functional and plot-thematic components of the most common melodic forms are indicated, and the performance textural, variational and improvisational aspects of the collection are reviewed. Scientific novelty. The article systematises and analyses 223 recordings of winter ritual compositions of Rivne Polissia (mostly unpublished), which is a significant scientific contribution to the study of Ukrainian traditional ritual music in general and the winter ritual repertoire of Rivne Polissia in particular. Conclusions. Through the analysis of the recordings by Victor Kovalchuk, the most common melodic forms of Rivne Polissia are identified, and their main local stylistic characteristics are determined. Based on the analysis, the cultural and scientific value of the collection is substantiated, which preserves and represents the music of the Christmas and New Year celebrations of Rivne Polissia, contributes to the revival of ancient songs in their contemporary sound, and continues the oral folk song tradition.

Viktor Kaminskyi’s Musical Universe

Tetiana Molchanova — Fri, 22 Sep 2023 00:00:00 +0300

The aim of the article is to analyse V. Kaminskyi’s work, which, despite all the uniqueness of his personality, has not yet been clarified in Ukrainian musicology, and to chronologise his compositional heritage. Results. Thanks to the systematic analysis, the composer’s creative work was comprehended holistically in the context of national and world music, taking into account the value of each work as an artistic and cultural phenomenon. The composer’s work is defined as a complete style system that represents a significant creative heritage in various genres and builds its own, unique paradigm, which constitutes the modern layer of musical culture in Ukraine. The research results can be used in lecture courses on the history of Ukrainian musical culture, in various areas of musical and educational activities, as well as a base for further research developments. The key to a thorough study of the artist’s achievements should be the focus on the implementation of a comprehensive analysis of all components of his work, which is an effective tool for the deep understanding of his talent, going beyond the applied approach to highlighting all aspects of the master's activities in a multidimensional scientific and historical space. All this determines the scientific novelty of the study as the first experience of a special analysis of Kaminskyi’s compositional practice in Ukrainian musicology. Conclusions. Viktor Kaminskyi’s multifaceted creative heritage testifies to his artistic universalism as a phenomenon of Ukrainian musical culture of the late 20th – early 21st centuries. His music is perceived as a spiritual creed of the artist, which is distinguished by a special national dimension that radiates different facets of an original artistic view of the contemporary world.

Historical Types of Folklore Thinking in the Lyrical Songs of Sloboda Ukraine

Vira Osadcha — Fri, 22 Sep 2023 00:00:00 +0300

The aim of the article is to identify historical types of folklore thinking: the modal-tune and integration-melodic types in song lyrics based on the folk song tradition of Sloboda Ukraine. Results. The figurative content of archetypes of folklore thinking is expressed by rhythmic and melodic codes as a sound embodiment of symbolic and logical figures of thinking. In the process of development, they were assigned to certain song forms and acquired features of functional differentiation into ritual, epic, and lyrical with a predominance of a certain modality: exclamatory, persuasive, and later narrative. On the basis of the narrative modality, which prevails in the genre of lyrical songs and ballads, the lyrical mode of thinking emerges within the local folklore environment. Song examples representing the drawling type of chanting of lyrical songs can be attributed to the modal-tune type of folklore thinking. The integration-melodic type of folklore thinking is characterised by fundamental changes in the process of musical development based on logical figures of grouping and classification. The transfer of the main function to the highest solo voice, the concentration of the intonation content in it, affected the creation of melody. The scientific novelty consists in substantiating the modal-tune and integration-melodic types of folklore thinking on the material of the song lyrics of Sloboda Ukraine. Conclusions. Lyrical songs of modal-tune type create the song stanza by alternating autonomous song segments caesurated according to the logic of musical development. In the chants of integration-melodic types, the highest voice of sub-chant polyphonic structure acquires the properties of a melody thanks to the concentration of the intonation content and the character of the caesura. The structure of the chant becomes more symmetrical, with the features of a responsive stanza.

Sociocultural Functions of Choral Art in Subcarpathian Ruthenia in the 1920s–1930s

Tetiana Rosul — Fri, 22 Sep 2023 00:00:00 +0300

The aim of the article is to identify the institutionalisation level of the musical culture of Subcarpathian Ruthenia during the interwar period, to reveal the sociocultural functions of choral music in the region, and to determine the index of society's involvement in choral singing. Research results indicate an increase in the institutionalisation level of the region’s musical culture in the 1920s–1930s, involving broad segments of the population in choral performance. Active amateur and professional choral activities became indicators of growing national self-awareness and self-affirmation through various forms of civic and creative activities. Choral music became an effective means of patriotic education for the youth, the basis for the development of the region’s musical education, and a polylogue of ethnic musical traditions. The scientific novelty lies in defining the basic sociocultural functions of the choral art of Subcarpathian Ruthenia during the interwar period. The criteria for systematisation are the social and aesthetic needs of the region’s residents, the features of their national self-awareness, creative, and economic resources. Choral art is considered as an element of the general cultural process determined by social and historical events. Conclusions. The cultural life of Subcarpathian Ruthenia in the 1920s–1930s proves the multifunctionality of choral art. However, the sociocultural functions of choral music varied in intensity. The choir became a kind of sociocultural environment that served as a factor in attracting the population to spiritual and aesthetic values, fostering the creative realisation of individual moral potential, and representing the entire set of cultural activities of ethnic groups. Choral art emerged as a powerful ethno-creative force that used various forms of representing ethnic identity, demonstrating social aspirations, and preserving traditions.

Traditional Non-Human Identity in Historical and Cultural Dynamics

Liudmyla Hots — Fri, 22 Sep 2023 00:00:00 +0300

The aim of the article is to conceptualise the self-definition type of “traditional other-than-human identities: mythological creatures” based on the material of elven identity. The research methodology within cultural studies is based on the principles of posthuman anthropology and studies of non-human identities in foreign humanities. Results. The transformation of perceptions about elves is considered and an analysis of elven identity among homo sapiens in the diachrony of culture is carried out. The features of its existence in premodern, modern, post-, and metamodern contexts are determined. The essence and reasons for the popularity of elven identity are revealed. The article’s hypothesis is confirmed, suggesting that other-than-human identities among biological people manifest themselves throughout human history. A comprehensive solution to these issues constitutes the scientific novelty of the work. Conclusions. The conceptualisation of the notion of “traditional other-than-human identities: mythological creatures” in a wide diachronic dimension of cultural dynamics made it possible to take a holistic view of the phenomenon of non-human identity among people. The author of the article argues that non-human identities are often transgressive in nature and belong to cultural universals of humanity. Mythological identities are represented in traditional representations of archaic and premodern. In the era of modernity, non-human identities are somewhat marginalised within the culture. Post- and metamodern actualises premodern beliefs. Mythological non-human identities among people, along with traditional interpretations, acquire new interpretations. In particular, they begin to be interpreted as parts of an individual’s psyche or as a result of a transhumanist transition to an alternative transhuman ideal.

Book Museums of the Kingdom of Belgium as a Space of Socio-Cultural Communication

Olena Hryhorevska — Fri, 22 Sep 2023 00:00:00 +0300

The aim of the article is to analyse the features of the development of socio-cultural space of two well-known book museums in the Kingdom of Belgium: the Royal Library of Belgium and the Wittockiana Museum; to focus on the methods of promoting the collections that form the basis of the museum holdings, information services, and educational programmes. Results. The Royal Library of Belgium is defined as a unique high-tech socio-cultural space where the cultural life of medieval Europe is explored through images, histories, and characters from the Library of the Dukes of Burgundy. The analysis of the museum’s website and blog materials leads to the conclusion that the national library takes its communication with user audiences very seriously. The Wittockiana is a museum of book art and bookbinding and an organiser of projects. The museum engages in diverse exhibitions, research, and educational activities. An interesting component of the museum’s socio-cultural space is the bookbinding workshop, which serves as a basis for educational projects. The scientific novelty of the study is that for the first time in the Ukrainian scientific discourse, the development of the socio-cultural space of contemporary European museums is considered using the example of the book museums of the Kingdom of Belgium. Conclusions. The successful formation and development of the socio-cultural space of contemporary European book museums is largely the result of persistent and multifaceted research activities of such institutions. The Royal Library of Belgium is a vivid example of the development of the “media” concept of a museum as a socio-cultural institution. The museum’s socio-communication space is developing in many areas, including the expert environment and public relations. The educational services of the Wittockiana Museum and the partner book workshop of the Royal Museum of Mariemont are considered as an experience worthy of in-depth study and implementation in Ukraine.

Anglo-American Fan Studies and Their Impact on the Development of Popular Culture in the Twenty-First Century

Inna Hurova — Fri, 22 Sep 2023 00:00:00 +0300

The aim of the article is to reveal the main stages of the research of fans in fan studies discourse and analyse the evolution of fan culture development that took place in the 21st century. Results. The article demonstrates that a separate scientific direction is dedicated to the study of fan communities in the Anglo-American academic environment — fan studies, which went through three distinct periods in their development: deviation, resistance (20th century), and mainstream (21st century). In the cultural aspect, the concepts of “fanatic/fanaticism” and “fan/ fandom” are distinguished. It is shown that Anglo-American fan studies define fan culture as an expressive lifestyle of fans of a certain cultural phenomenon or of a bearer of a certain cultural tradition, and in the last two decades, the fan studies direction, where fan culture is connected with fandom, has been intensively developing. It is stated that fandom is a self-organised community built around shared pleasure from a certain product of cultural industries in the digital media environment, and a fan is considered as a person who invests his time, energy, and money in interaction with a media product that is the object of his interests. The scientific novelty consists in determining the methodological status of the concept of “fan culture”, revealing the role of fan communities in the creation of popular culture in the 21st century. Conclusions. Fans began to play an active role in the processes of cultural creation, thanks to their creative work, there was a transition from passive consumption of mass culture products to active production of works of popular culture. Fan culture as a special community and environment of joint creative work among fans of literary works, television series, comics, and computer games, blurs the difference between consumption and production, becoming a vivid phenomenon of popular culture.

Cyberpunk as a Metacultural Movement: Philosophical-Cultural Analysis

Valerii Kushnarov — Fri, 22 Sep 2023 00:00:00 +0300

The aim of the article is to analyse the phenomenon of modern mass culture and during this analysis find out its ontological status including scientism-technological imperatives of cyberculture and ideas of transhumanism. Results. Cyberpunk is an interesting, functional and new (in comparison with classical examples) form of mass culture, cultural-ideological movement, and sphere of translation and the intersection of protest ideas and meanings, due to its genre and sectoral pluralism (science fiction, film industry, music, design, video games, fashion, ideology, etc.), and also logics of technodeterminism, is still an important factor of transformation cultural-art space in the 21st century. Scientific novelty. In the article, for the first time, realised the philosophical-cultural analysis of cyberpunk including its peculiarities as a literary genre, phenomenon of mass culture and aesthetics. Conclusions. It is proved that cyberpunk appeared as a genre of science fiction literature in the 1960s-1970s and then later through conceptualisation of ideas in the 80s and agreeing of transcendental impulses counterculture of the 60s with computerisation and the specifics of technological evolution in the 90s, has evolved to the level of a metacultural movement. As the latter, it encompasses the literary genre, the film and fashion industry, architecture and graphic design (with a special aesthetic), technoanthropology, futurology and identity theory, and ideological discourse. It is confirmed that thanks to protest as a manifestation of freedom, the actualisation of the problem of corporeality, and dystopian high-tech projections, with the help of postmodern relativism and poststructuralist rhizomorphism, cyberpunk annihilates modern cultural narratives, thus creating many risks, including the potential formation of pathological forms of identification, declarative asociality, and cyber-prosthetics, which often develop into horrific manifestations of dehumanisation.

Ancient Egypt Hieroglyphs — Contemporary Reading for Fresh Ideas in Art

Wiesna Mond-Kozlowska — Fri, 22 Sep 2023 00:00:00 +0300

The aim of this article is to rationalise emotional, intellectual and aesthetic impact of Egyptian hieroglyphs through their examination with the research tools of the aesthetics as an academic discipline and its related sciences. Their evocative power made them possess the property of life, resulting in attributing the ancient Egyptian writing with the power of storing a universal sagacity. The latter is suggested as both a rationale and an outcome of every creative process to which the art of hieroglyphs seems to invite. Results. Nevertheless, through taking a down-to-earth stand for a methodological choice we aim to be reconnected with techniques of making a single hieroglyph and getting insight into conceptual principles of tying them in rows of a text that generate intentional ancient meaning to be decoded and delighted through present day lens. Scientific novelty. The study tries to establish a new both bond and relationship between the signifier and the signified to allow contemporary reading of the ancient signs that could bridge modern man with their Ancient Egypt ancestors. Following Ferdinand de Saussure’s exposition of the semiotic nature of the symbolisation process it opens an investigation into ways the modern mind can bear new meaning that will substitute the extinct signified in relation to the compelling ancient signifier a single hieroglyph is. Conclusions. Adhering to a formal scrutiny of the outer form of an ideogram in the first place, we intend to both challenge and inform contemporary art with strongly symbolic nature of ancient Egypt thought and spirituality that yielded those polysemous signs created with extremely sublime logic of artistic wisdom and craft. A nonrandom and revealing interchange between logics and aesthetics suggests the given art form can bring to light some strict and invariant rational laws that constituted it.

Ukrainian Organisations and Associations That Shape the Image of the Ukrainian Minority in Poland

Zanna Osikowicz — Fri, 22 Sep 2023 00:00:00 +0300

The aim of the article is to analyse Ukrainian organisations, associations, and festivals that shape the image of the Ukrainian minority in Poland. Results. Consideration of the topic of the article, and specifically the research process requires reference to a number of basic assumptions, the basis of which is certainly the conviction that every person, regardless of his nationality, is a social being who, assigned to a particular group, functions as a community, forming more or less permanent ties with it. Various theories and methodological assumptions are used to properly present the issues contained in the article, including the normative approach, the discourse around the functioning of national minorities, the historical approach, as well as the functional approach, especially concerning the subject of assimilation of cultures and the mutual interpenetration of what is Ukrainian and Polish, come to the fore. The scientific novelty of the article is a comprehensive study of Ukrainian organisations and associations in Poland, shaping the image of the Ukrainian minority in Poland (on the example of 1991–2019), both in terms of successful cooperation and existing problems. Conclusions. The construction of good-neighbourly relations between nations rests on two pillars: the activities of state institutions and direct relations between citizens of neighbouring states. Negligence in either of these spheres is reflected on the nature of such relations. Lack of action on the part of the authorities in this regard can negatively affect the activity of citizens, in turn, stopping only at the declarations of politicians, in the absence of grassroots initiatives makes such relations, only an empty form without substance. One of the most important examples of grassroots initiatives are various types of organisations, associations, which are created, among other things, to work for the preservation of the cultural identity of the Ukrainian community in Poland and the development of cooperation between Poland and Ukraine.