Abstract: The article is devoted to the phenomenon of Russian hip-hop culture. The author analyzes theoretical concepts of subcultures in foreign and Russian humanities and reviews postsubculture researches in terms of Post-Modern culture. Hip-hop is analyzed as a subcultural society and a form of culture which arose as the result of cross-cultural interaction and acquired specify c features associated with the Russian socio-cultural reality.

Keywords: cultural studies, subculture, hybridism, glocali zation, authenticity, youth, discourse, style, post-subculture, culture.

Abstract: According to the author of the article, Silver Age showed that by restoring mythological pagan meanings culture could actually destroy civilization which has been slowly and heavily built by advanced force of people. That artistic epoch was the resonse to introduction of huge massses into the historical field of freedom. Old systems of hominization, humaniziation and civilization failed – and the artistic system stepped in taking people back to a pre-civilized stage with real mysteries and human sacrifices in an effort to help masses deal with all the freedom that came upon them. It was as if humankind went through its spiritual development again and came to prevenative mechanisms of civilization again, but this time masses could deal with it. At the end of the article the author concludes that after cataclysms in the 20th century all Europe including Russia are coming back to the renaissance paragirm of history (i.e. paradigm that is based on persoality).

Keywords: cultural studies, history, culture, civiliza tion, cultural renaissance, spiritial elite, Silver Age, historical field of freedom, aristic epoch, the masses.

Abstract: Synergetic method defines a new position in researches of formation and dynamics of systems (compared to a typical modern position in science). Combined with other Post-Modern concepts, this method provides wide opportunities for studying socio-cultural processes including implementation of a new mathematical tool. The author of the article considers methodological opportunities of using synergetics when studying socio-cultural micro-dynamics. The author describes similar concepts allowing to draw analogies between problems arising in both approaches and their possible solutions as well as between key concepts. Special attention is paid at the research methods used in studying processes of creation of socio-cultural integrations and transitions from one phase to another.

Keywords: determinism, interaction, non-linear dynamics, uncertainty, Post-Modern, process, synergetics, sociocultural reality, socio-cultural formations, chaos.

Abstract: The article provides a description of several bright Russian philosophers of the modern times who can be also called modern Westerners. It is shown that in their creative work the above mentioned philsophers manage to combine Western philosophical concepts with the traditional ideas of Russian philosophy. One of the brightest philosophers of the late Soviet era was Merab Mamardashvili. The most important Mamardashvili’s concept was the close connection betwee personality and the world: on one hand, world depends on personality and this is why classical rationality cannot be applied to it. On the other hand, personality must admit its dependence on the ‘divine dimension’ of the world. Vladimir Bibikhin proved that the main quality of personality is not isolation but opennness for the world. Based on that concept, Bibikin critisized Western civilization. Developing Friedrich Nietzsche’s and Oswald Spengler’s ideas, Karen Swassjan aso talked about incovertible crisis of Western culture. Just like Bibikhin he insisted that the crisis was caused by distortion of the Christian outlook which had happened in the history of church. The author also described creative development of another modern philospher and writer – Vladimir Kantor. Kantor viewed Russian history as the opposition between environmental powers and civilization. In his opinion, progressive development of Russia depends on gradual introduction of the concept of right into social life which would tame the power of people’s life and despotism of government.

Keywords: cultural studies, tradition, Westernism, Russian Philsophy, Merab Mamardashvili, Vladimir Bibikhin, Karen Swassjan, V. Kantor, Russia, Western Europe.

Abstract: Among topics studied by sociology of culture there are also concepts of happiness and love operating in culture and society. The author of the article analyzes representative opinion surveys of ideas existing in Polish society. It is shown that despite liberalization of customs, Polish people still believe in happy love based upon trust and mutual understanding. The author also draws attention at the topic of female happiness in literature and analyzes the results of the survey conducted among students at teachers’ training and technical universities in Warsaw. The author underlines how illusive the ideal of happy love is in terms of the consumer society. Based on the author, it is more possible to achieve a happy loving relationship as a part of everyday life.

Keywords: cultural studies, happiness, love, Poland, opinion surveys, values, female happiness, students, associations, society.

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

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

Abstract: The article provides an analysis of the fundamental research project as it was depictured in a final document of the first stage of the project, i.e. published as the opening volume of ‘Outlines of History of the Russian Culture. Late XIX – early ÕÕ âåêà (published in Moscow in 2011). The author of the article describes the strengths of the project and their relevance for the modern society and culture. The project is being realized by the laboratory of history of culture of the History Faculty at Lomonosov Moscow State University with the support of the Russian Foundation for Humanities.

Keywords: cultural studies, history of culture, Russian culture, socio-cultural processes, periods of historical optimism, comparative analysis of real and past times, traditional methodology, cultural artifact, succession of cultural and historical paradigms, problematic

Abstract: Longing fo the Golden Age is becoming one of the most important elements of cultural reß ection at the turn of centuries. A bright example is a novel written by an English and Irish author George Moor (1852–1933) called ‘Confessions of a Young Man’ (written in 1888). Describing the years spent by the author in Paris, this novel raises a unique cultural issue depicted by Moor as longing for the lost harmony of abundant life free of the tyrany of time and morals.Being compared with the modern age, the Golden Age image acualizes the motive of ‘cultural unsatisfaction’ which allows to view ‘Confesssions of a Young Man’ in terms of Modern mythopoetics.

Keywords: cultural studies, George Moor, culture, literature, symbolism, naturalism, decadance, modern, novel.

Abstract: Hong Kong cinematograph is one of the least studied phenomena in Russian cultural studies. Its history is closely connected both with a Chinese traditional culture and the newest achievements of mass media during ÕÕ–ÕÕI centuries. Popular genre of police movie can be studied with the use of the method of typological analysis. The author of the article comes to a conclusion that the structure and artistic language of such movies have formulaicity that complies with a certain genre canon. The canon combines both the best achievements in Hong Kong cinematograph and new successful elements. This very important genre of Hong Kong cinematograph well reß ects Hong Kong modern society.

Keywords: cultural studies, foreign cinematograph, Hong Kong art, Chinese cinematograph, history of foreign cinematograph, genre movie, mass culture, canon, tradition.

Abstract: The article is devoted to the analysis of the main philosophical concepts lying in the basis of artwork by a famous Russian artist Nicholas Roerich. The article contains a comparative analysis of Roerich art and teachings of Agni Yoga or so called Living Ethics created by Roerich family in cooperation with an Indian philosopher Morya in 1924–1938. Based on that comparison, the author makes a conclusion that the topics of the artist’s works are very close to Agna Yoga philosophical concepts and philosophical symbolism of his fiction is closely connected with the main provisions of this teaching. As a method of research, the author used the method of methodological reß ection. The results of the research can be used in further researches in the sphere of history of art and cultural studies of Roerich art and literature as well as in the sphere of Agni Yoga’s philosophy.

Keywords: history of art, artwork, Nikolas Roerich, symbolism, philosophy, teaching, the East, apocalypse, spiritual, evolution.

Abstract: In 2012 it is going to turn 100 years since simulateniusm was founded. Simultaneism is one of the avantgarde movements in art of ÕÕ century, one of the founders of which was Robert Delaunay. Being born at the junction of art and science and being based on the theory of light and color by French chemist Michel Eugène Chevreul, simultaneism armed people of art with completely new expressive methods of artistic language and inß uencing the audience. Expirements with simultaneous contrasts and forms allowed to depict the illusion of movement in art. Figurative art was changed into transformative art. Leger’s film ‘Mechanic Ballet’ clearly proved that the principles of simultaneism could be used in the black-in-white cinematograph. He used a certain form of film editing built on quick connection of fixed fragments (which was called ‘simaltenous editing’ in cinematograph). This particular article is aimed at clarying the definition of simultaneism and showing certain aspects of its implementation in art.

Keywords: history of art, simultaneism, movement, film editing, fine arts, cinematograph, illusion, color, Robert Delaunay, Fernand Leger.

Abstract: This article contains an analysis of E. A. Malikov’s book ‘Myth and Dance. Experience of Fun Hermeneutics’ (published in Moscow in 2012). The author decided to analyze that particular work because in her book Malikov created a methodological strategy of studying dance and its esthetics. In his opinion, what a researcher thought about the role of myth, ritual, cult and image was very important for the morphology of choreographic study. Special attention is paid at Malikov’s cultural typology of discourses. The author gives a high evaluation of Malikov’s mechanisms of creating new meanings and forms of dance. These problems are topical for specialists both in the sphere of history of art and cultural studies.

Keywords: history of art, myth, dance, ritual, cult, custom, magic, suggestion, discourse, ballet.

Abstract: This article is an attempt to analyze principles lying in the basis of musical travesty as an artistic device. The author of the article considers general mechanisms of travesty and concrete musical means causing its formation as well as functions of travesty in musical art. The main principle of travesty is the structural and semantic inversion of the initial text. Travesty interpretations of the original is usually performed on the account of parallel actions between intra-and inter textual relations – certain mutual coordination of travesty elements as well as ‘comparison’ of this text with the original. Concrete implementation of inversion can be connected with a certain organization of intonation structures in musical text and its meaning beyond music. Based on concrete examples, the author views the main methods of travesty in music – deformation and agglutination. The author also shows the role and functions of musical travesty in terms of history and culture. In particular, the principle of travesty inversion are compared to the phenomena of idealization and mythologize which accompanies one another in the process of cultural development.

Keywords: history of art, travesty, text, music, culture, semantics, structure, inversion, deformation, agglutination.

Abstract: Intellectual prose by Doctor of Philosophy Vladimir Kantor stands out of modern literature and deserves special attention of literature experts. This article is an attemp to define peculiarities of Vladimir Kantor’s prose. The author of the article analyzes Kantor’s new edition of selecive works called ‘Juicy Apple’. As a result, the author makes a conclusion that oen of the main peculiarities of Kantor’s prose is intertextuality of his works. The article describes stories which hadn’t been published before such as a story ‘Death of a Retired Man’. Special attention is paied at the structure of the book which plays a certain role, too: previously published works are combined with new ones and altogether they acquire a new meaning.

Keywords: cultural studies, history of literature, intertex tuality, narrative, selective works, prose, intelligen tsia, story, philosophy, Vladimir Kantor.

Abstract: The article contains a comparative analysis of the author’s personal impressions of her numerious visits to Armenia since 1963 until September of 2011. The author is a geographer who studies the geography of culture so special attenion is paied at this particular aspect of lfe of the republic and its capital Erevan. Over the past 20 years Armenia has been leading an independent life and overcoming all the difficulties of geopolitical isolation under the conditions of destruction of many traditional bonds. The author describes these changes and recalls peculiarities of everyday and social life of the capital back in old Soviet times. Special attention is paied at impressions of the new architecture of Erevan and new features of everyday life.

Keywords: cultural studies, Armenia, Erevan, Erubini, architecture, Tamanian, Matenadaran, university, Garni, Gerard.

Abstract: The article describes events of the International Forum ‘Traditional Culture as a Strategic Resource of the Society Sustainable Development held on 17–20 of April, 2012 in Mogilev (Republic of Belarus). Experts in traditional culture, leaders and specialists working at cultural institutions in Lithuania, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Ukraine, Russia and Belarus participated in it. There was an International scientific and practical conference ‘Traditional culture: protection, preservation and actualization’ conducted within the framework of the International Forum. Participants of that conference made speeches about various aspects of traditional culture.

Keywords: cultural studies, folklore, traditions, succes sion, society, values, actualization, translation, preservation, rites.

Abstract: The article is based on the speec prepared by the author for International scientific and practical conference ‘Traditional culture: protection, preservation and actualization’. It describes the importance and dominating role of song in Mogilevschina folklore. Some of the songs have roots in pre-national culture and preserves elements of general Slavic songs (which, however, acquired distinguished features with time). Other songs which have been created later are a bright example of master skills, talent and people’s fantasy.

Keywords: cultural studies, folklore, calendar, rite, traditions, culture, song, chorovod (circle dance), stylistics, Dnieper Ukraine.