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

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

Abstract: This article provides a brief history of publications of the treatise of Herbert of Cherbury (1583-1648) “On Truth” (written in 1624); critical response of his contemporaries; as well as comparative analysis of the “symbols of faith” of the English thinker, his contemporary Hugo Grotius (1583-1645), Henry Bolingbroke (1678-1751), Thomas Chubb (1679-1747), and the author of the “Bible of Deism” – “Christianity as Old as the Creation” Matthew Tindal (1657-1733). One may often come across a well-established in the research opinion about the role of Herbert as the “father of Deism”. However, in recent years, this topic remains undisclosed, bringing obscurity whether Herbert of Cherbury should be considered the founder of deistic philosophy. The article also conducts detailed analysis of the criticism of the religious philosophy of deism of the English thinker, and reveals which elements of this doctrine caused a controversial response among his contemporaries. The goal of this work lies in highlighting the most substantial part of the heritage of Herbert of Cherbury, which was subsequently reflected in the religious philosophy of the adherents of deism. The article is of particularly relevance for the Russian audience, as this topic was not sufficiently covered in the Russian language.

Keywords: religious philosophy, history of deism, interpretation of deism, deism, Herbert of Cherbury, English metaphysics, philosophy of the 17th century, philosophy, Christianity, history

Abstract: The subject of this research is the St. Petersburg’s ballet in interpretation of the masters of fashion photography. The goal of this article consists in the analysis of specificity of modern fashion photography, and examination of the phenomenon of reference to the theme of ballet on the example of works of the prominent fashion photographers, such as Richard Avedon, Patrick Demarchelier, Deborah Turbeville, as well as certain Russian photographers. Special attention is given to examination of fashion photography not so much as the genre of photographic art, but as an important advertising tool. The relevance of fashion photography is associated with the increasing importance of visualization in life of a modern person; it plays a significant role in the social, cultural, and mythological life of the society. The article outlines the aspects of reference of fashion photographers to the theme of ballet; analyzes the peculiarities of using ballet images in photography; determines their role as a visual component of advertising campaigns in fashion industry; describes the advantages and effectiveness of their use in advertising and presentation of products. The author notes the frequency of referring to the theme of ballet in fashion photography, which leads to the increase of its artistic and cultural significance.

Keywords: art photography, representation, visual image, fashion industry, ballet image, St. Petersburg ballet, fashion photography, advertising, myth design, costume design

Abstract: This article reviews a new model of repertory opera theater of production type, which has emerged at the intersection of traditional repertoire and project, or production theaters: it represents a special channel of intercultural communication. Opera performance creates a space simultaneously in several dimensions – musical, verbal, and visual; it resembles a form of polylogue of the authors and stage directors of the performance, becomes a realization of the dialogue of cultures, and turns into a unique form of art involving the representatives of different cultural systems. This is proven by particular artistic experiences of the dialogue of cultures in modern opera on the example of Ural Opera Ballet Theater in Yekaterinburg and its projects “Satyagraha”, “The Passenger”, “The Greek Passion”, and “Three Sisters”. A number of important ideas of theoretical and historical culturology find practical substantiation: the paramount prerequisite for the effectiveness of any activity – the unity of theory and practice is realizes in the sphere of artistic culture. It is determined that within the framework of repertory theatre, production direction must take consider the time requirements that are solved in the field of the dialogue of cultures. The article demonstrates that the dialogue of cultures manifests as the dominant trend in the development of theatrical culture, allowing a more effective response of the creative process to the demands of time. It is proven that the work created in the process of the dialogue of cultures, which contains polyphony of voices, requires peculiar work with the audience, who is also engaged in dialogue with the performance.

Keywords: Three Sisters, The Greek Passion, The Passenger, Satyagraha, Opera, Management, Repertory theatre, The dialogue of cultures, Director-producer, Ural Opera Ballet

Abstract: This article discusses the concept of foreign-language education of E. Passov. The author divides this concept into two parts: the first represents a general new concept of education with culturological and personalistic orientation; while the second represents concretization of this concept in relation to teaching foreign languages. Analysis is conducted on the definitions of communication and situation introduced by E. Passov, which mediate V. S. Bibler’s concept of the “dialogue of cultures” and the new semiotically communicative practice of teaching foreign language. The author demonstrates that E. Passov offers fundamental restructuring of the paradigm foundations of education, orienting it towards the dialogue of cultures, individualization, communication, equal horizontal relations teacher – student relations. Instead of cognition and digestion of normative contents, the puts the desire and motivation to learning alongside spiritual becoming and competence of creative activity to the forefront of the educational process. The author analyzes the method and means of specification of the general foreign-language concept of education offered by E. Passov – modeling of culture, classification of communication situations and language meanings, techniques and technologies used in foreign-language education. Attention is given to the fact that E. Passov has a nontraditional perspective upon techniques and technology – as the competencies and abilities developed by a young person in the course of education.

Keywords: spirituality, individuality, activity, creativity, personality, communication, language, culture, education, content

Abstract: This article offers a nontraditional approach towards studying the poetics of literary work, which considers personality of the reader and analysis of the reality that he reconstructs and experiences. The empirical material is comprised on the authorial analysis of the poetics of Meir Shalev's novel “Fontanelle”. This literary work features the four major themes: love of the protagonist Michael, creation of the new world from its inception, the characteristic of life values of a person, and discussion of the peculiarities of reality that Meir Shalev builds as an artist. In the first theme, the author reveals several images of love, reflecting on the mystical love of the protagonist for the young woman Ana, love in the family and marriage, love for children. At the same time, the author discusses not only the way that Meir Shalev understands and describes love in “Fontanelle”, but also talks about the own interpretation of love. In the plotline of the second theme, the author also distinguishes two lines: the story the protagonist’s grandfather Apupa, who carries his beloved Amuma on his shoulders across the country, seeking a place where they could create a home and family; and the story of gradual development of a small settlement into a city, created by Apupa and Amuma on the mountain, and several Jewish families at the lower valley. Discussing in the third topic the anchors of human life, the author emphasizes such values as effort, love, family and family line, creativity, indicating that Michael is not alone, he is loved, he gets involved in family history, as well as the history of Israel and Jewish culture, drawing strength in the heroes of this story. The last part of the article gives characteristic to the reality of “Fontanelle” and explains why the author liked it.

Keywords: family, experience, event, author, hero, art, work, poetics, reality, genus

Abstract: The subject of this research is the image of the USSR/Russia resembles in the popular animated TV series “The Simpsons” throughout the past 30 years, considering the method of translating information inserted in the media text, as well as the complexity/simplicity of decoding this information by the viewer, ambiguity/unambiguity of interpretations, etc. The TB series touched upon the following topics related to the USSR/Russia: immigration to the United States and life of the immigrants in the new homeland, the Cold War, Communism and anti-Communism, Russian culture, Russia as a rival of the United States. The author traces the dynamics, diversity, and specificity of covering Soviet/Russian theme for over 30 years in the context of the dynamics of relations between the Soviet Union/Russia and the West, including political, social, cultural, and other nuances. The author carries out a cross-disciplinary dedicated to the work of popular culture in the context of political history of the XX – early XX centuries. The novelty consists in revealing the main themes of the “Russian presence” in the TV series (based on the analysis of almost 700 episodes), and the way they are conveyed (leveling the established stereotypes or their debunking for the sake of countering manipulations with public sentiment). Impugning the statement that ideology of “The Simpsons” is purely neoliberal, the author draws a more complex and critical worldview of “The Simpsons” in with regards to American society. Russia holds a special place in this world due to complicated bilateral relations since the Cold War, which consequences are yet to be fully overcome. An ineradicable remnant of the Cold War is the link between Russia and Communism, in which “Communism” is a synonym of any dissenting view. Russia is also associated with a rich, although highbrow culture, unattractive to most of the ordinary citizens. The main satirical idea of “The Simpsons” is to emphasize the cultural dissonance, which intensifies the difficulties of mutual understanding based on political confrontation and remaining ideological prejudices.

Keywords: cultural stereotypes, Cold war, The Simpsons, image of Russia, TV series, animation, television, mass culture, satire, comedy

Abstract: The subject of this research is the modern history of development of Kazan jewelry art. The article explores the development of Kazan jewelry art in the 2000s; the creation of remarkable jewelry artworks as the models of famous architectural monument and their authors. The research material contains the iconographic sources – unique images of the jewelry art patterns, as well as testimonies of the eyewitnesses – the jewelry artists. One of the authors is the direct participant and co-author of the jewelry works under review Thus, the article employs the method of overt observation, interviewing, and source analysis. The scientific novelty is first and foremost defined by the chronological proximity of the studied period. The article introduces the previously unpublished images of the jewelry artworks under consideration, as well as the new facts on the revival of jewelry art in Kazan of post-Soviet period. Analysis is conducted on the sources of the revival of Kazan jewelry art and the peculiarities of jewelry works. The article also unveils the plotlines of the jewelry works and history behind them. The conclusion is made that the revival of jewelry art in Kazan, which was partially lost in the Soviet period, has begun only in the late 1990s – early 2000s. After the removal of a number of legislative restrictions, the jewelers were given the opportunity to experiment and create the true works of art.

Keywords: jeweler, tatar culture, precious metal, modern kazan art, jewelry making, architectural monuments, jewellery models, kazan jewellery art, jewellery art, history of modern art

Abstract: This article analyzes female images in Chinese and Japanese painting (Bijin-ga). The subject of this research is the depiction of Chinese beautiful women on the scrolls of the X – XVII centuries and Japanese woodblock printing of the XVII – XIX centuries. Attention is given to the works of modern artists. It is noted that the aesthetic ideals are oriented towards the perception of beauty in the context of national culture of China and Japan, which undergo changes in each era, nurtured by Buddhism, Shintoism, Taoism and Confucianism, which contributed to the development of female image and symbolic sound. The fact that the worldview orientation towards women and their status in the Far Eastern society faded away defines the relevance of the selected topic. The novelty of lies in the comparative analysis of philosophical-aesthetic traditions of Chinese and Japanese painting, reflected in female images in the historical development, with the emphasis on its modern development. The conclusion is made that the assessment of female image in Chinese and Japanese art requires taking into account the national mentality, spiritual traditions, and interinfluence of cultures. The perception of the changing image of women in society plays a special role. It is determined that the depiction of women in clothes and face paint that conceals their body shape and facial emotions, deprive a woman of her individuality and lower her social status. Such trend remains in the contemporary art of these countries. Up until now, female images resemble the symbolism of depiction, closeness to nature, interweaving of external and internal content substantiated by the aesthetic, ethical and philosophical saturation of painting, indicating the uniqueness of each culture and its national heritage.

Keywords: harmony, face, symbolism, image, beauty, nature, Taoism, buddhism, etiquette, painting

Abstract: This article is dedicated to determination of the system of musical-expressive means used by Alfred Schnittke to symbolically reflect the ethical opposition of good and evil in the “Psalms of Repentance”. The relevance of this research is substantiated from the perspective of heightened attention of the composers of the XX century to the musical symbolism that replaced programmability. The study is based on the method proposed by E. M. Akishina for determining the symbols of good and evil in different layers of timbre and texture arrangement of instrumental compositions of A. Schnittke. Application of this method to “Psalms of Repentance” for a cappella choir allows tracing the manifestation of these symbols on the timbre, phonism, melodic arrangement, musical language, and composition. The novelty of this article consists in the fact that unlike instrumental music of A. Schnittke, his compositions for a cappella choir are viewed from such analytical perspective for the first time. The following conclusions were made: the choral and instrumental compositions of A. Schnittke contain a ramified system of musical-expressive means, which clearly distinguishes the symbols of good and evil;  these symbols outline the logic of dramatic development of each part of the “Psalms of Repentance”; their interaction within the framework of general concept of the cycle contains the ultimate ideological message – human choice, which determines his path along the line of sin as eternal Evil or through repentance – on the way towards God as the highest Good.

Keywords: timbre and texture organization, expressive means, dramaturgy, musical symbolism, Poems of penance, Alfred Schnitke, choral music, good and evil, ethical opposition, a cappella