VISUAL SIGNS OF ARMENIA IN SIBERIA: CITY AUTOBIOGRAPHY
DOI: 10.23951/2312-7899-2019-2-81-92
In this article the principles of approach to the history of a city as its biography and autobiography are justified. Autobiography is an active creative reflexive process in which the author coincides with the hero. The city can be described both as a place of creation of the autobiography, and as its most important context. Moreover, the city itself in its historical dimension can be read as a visual autobiography, sponsored by all its inhabitants – past, present and future. Every citizen, actively forming the cultural environment of the city, is the author of his own and urban biography. In an era of strong intercultural exchange and influence the city grows in time and space as a dynamic multicultural spatial structure. Using the example of Tomsk, I show how Armenian culture takes part in shaping the appearance and image of the Siberian city. The bearers of the Armenian cultural tradition mark their presence in Siberia with the help of visual signs, which are grouped into two semantic headings: faith and cuisine. Each of these headings is represented by its own set of signs, symbolizing the connection of a certain local space, group or activity with Armenia. In addition, a new theme for urban visualization appears: commemorative signs in honor of the existing friendship and cooperation between the peoples of Russia and Armenia.
Keywords: urban space, visual environment, signs of identity, Tomsk, Siberia, Armenia
References:
Lavrov 1978 – Lavrov S. B. A city in the modern world. Man and the urban environment. Moscow, 1982. P. 3–7. In Russian.
Lotman 1993 – Lotman Yu. M. City and time: Interview. Metaphysics of St. Petersburg. Part 1. St. Petersburg, 1993. P. 84–92. In Russian.
Polyakova 2011 – Polyakova I. A. Biography of the city: life, history, fate. Interdisciplinaryresearches of culture. 2011. 8. P. 24–28. In Russian.
Smirnov 2019 – Smirnov S. A. Urban anthropology: between urbanism and everyday life. ΠΡΑΞΗΜΑ. Journal of Visual Semiotics. 2019. 1 (19). P. 13–31. In Russian.
Vagin 2000 – Vagin V. V. Russian Cities: new approaches to the urban study. Russian urban space: an attempt to comprehend. Moscow, 2000. P. 4–12. In Russian.
( 3.54 MB ) 
( 3.53 MB )
Issue: 2, 2019
Series of issue: Issue 2
Rubric: ARTICLES
Pages: 81 — 92
Downloads: 737