Vol 23, No 3 (2023)
Articles
Integration of information as a factor of generating semantically complicated sentences in colloquial speech
Abstract
The article conducts a multidimensional study of two semantically condensed evaluation sentences specifi c for everyday colloquial speech: N1 – (это) Adv-o and Adv – (не) значит Adv. In colloquial speech, the subject of the conversation is most often not described, but evaluated by the participants of the social interaction, and this assessment, as a rule, does not need motivation. Statements constructed according to the models N1 – (это) Adv-o and Adv – (не) значит Adv are necessary and possible precisely in colloquial speech due to the speaker’s lack of striving for the accuracy of the expression of thought. In everyday communication, there is a tendency to implicit meanings due to the conceptual integration of information. The generation of these axiological statements turns out to be a socially signifi cant speech fact, since it refl ects the desire of the members of the speech community to express folk wisdom. This phenomenon is dualistic: on the one hand, it refl ects the speaker’s unconscious desire to compress information, on the other, it is associated with the creative transformation of the reality surrounding the addressee, the identifi cation of connections and relationships between fragments of reality. During this complex mental process, the speaker identifi es and evaluates the most important fragments of reality and synthesizes the results of these mental operations in the form of a semantically complex structure. The sentences we study arise as a result of the integration of information, occupy strong positions in everyday discourse and hlp the addressee formulate generalizing conclusions and maxims. The integration of thoughts, in turn, contributes to the development of the language, since it increases the amount of transmitted information per unit of time.
News of Saratov University. Ser. Philology. 2023;23(3):200-206
200-206
About the semantics of the word “cowardly” in the Russian language of the 18th–19th centuries and the meaning of the moral of Sumarokov’s fable The Hare and the Frogs
Abstract
The article discusses the problem of studying the semantics of the word “cowardly” in the Russian language of the 18th and 19th centuries. The meaning of this lexeme has radically changed over time – this is evidenced by contexts from various sources (both documentary, scientific, and artistic). At the beginning of the 18th century, the word “sneaky/cowardly” was fixed in the General Regulations and Regulations of the Chief Magistrate, developed by Peter I; it was used there as a social term denoting certain social classes. Since the 1730s the lexeme “cowardly” is also used in a stylistic sense – now it is a characteristic of the speech features of those “ignoble” social strata that were mentioned in Peter’s Regulations (the speech of the people is cowardly speech). In this sense, the word appears in the works of Lomonosov, Trediakovsky, Kantemir, etc. However, after the publication of Catherine II’s Mandate (1767), which strictly regulated the social structure of society, established clear boundaries of classes and their names, the generalizing concept of “cowardly” turned out to be no longer necessary. But the lexical item itself has not disappeared from the language – it has developed a new meaning. Since the end of the 18th century “cowardly” is a moral characteristic of a person, as well as of an unworthy act, an ignoble manner of behavior (this, apparently, was typical, first of all, for the representatives of those “ignoble” social classes). This new semantic meaning of “cowardly” gradually took root in the language and displaced the previous meaning. In the Dictionary of the Russian Academy (1789–1794) the first meaning recorded is still the social meaning of the word “cowardly”, the second – a new, moral one. In the Dictionary of Church Slavonic and Russian (1847), the priority of meanings has been changed: now the moral and ethical semantics of the word is given as the main one. In the lexicographical works of the twentieth century, “cowardly/sneaky” in the meaning of the social term is even marked as obsolete. The theoretical provisions in the article are substantiated by examples of this word’s functioning in dif- ferent periods in different meanings.
News of Saratov University. Ser. Philology. 2023;23(3):207-211
207-211
Signs of time and representation of actual events in texts of modern wishes
Abstract
Such a speech genre as wishing, which functions both in real communication and in the Internet environment, has considerable flexibility in terms of content, despite the rather stereotypical forms of expression. The content of wishes is traditionally influenced by the personality factor of the addressee, their gender, age, social and professional affiliation, hobbies. In addition, the wish genre actively responds to changes taking place in the social sphere. Themes, vocabulary and intertextuality of wishes reflect various processes that occur in the modern culture. The purpose of this study was to identify markers, or signs of time, that label the text as belonging to a specific historical period. The material of the study was mainly the friendly wishes of young people, recorded in speech and Internet communication, as well as the wishes of older people. The article analyzes the linguistic and content signs of time. Various types of precedent phenomena that are often found in wishes are considered, such as: song lyrics and advertising texts, names of musicians, media personalities, movie characters, names of social networks, popular public places. Precedents, firstly, give wishes an individual creative character, and secondly, serve as features of the 21stcentury. They can be said to be establishing the dates of the texts of wishes. Particular attention is paid to how global extralinguistic events that concern all age groups of people (such as the coronavirus pandemic, a special operation in Ukraine) affect the content plan of wishes, generate new thematic components in their texts, or update and fi ll traditional desiderata (meaningful wish components) with new connotations. The conclusion is made about the dependence of human values, actualized in the texts of wishes, on the social processes of the given period.
News of Saratov University. Ser. Philology. 2023;23(3):212-218
212-218
Peculiar features of the representation of separate components of the star (celebrity) image frame structure in the Russian language (based on the mass media texts of the pre-war, post-war and modern periods)
Abstract
The article presents a general characteristic of the “star (celebrity)” frame in the Russian linguoculture based on the material of three chronological periods. The author substantiates the relevance and practicability of studying the star (celebrity) image from the standpoint of the frame approach. It is established that the structure of the “star (celebrity)” frame is determined by the actual nature of the stardom phenomenon, as well as the factual research material. Based on the material of the Russian-language newspapers and magazines of the Soviet pre-war and post-war periods, as well as the media texts of the modern period, the structure of the “star (celebrity)” frame is modelled, which contains a number of slots and terminals. The author remarks that this frame structure is not constant in all three periods and it is represented by some variations. Using the example of the leading slot “wide popularity”, which includes such terminals as “a high degree of popularity”, “a medium degree of popularity” and “the number of fans”, the article discovers the similarities and differences in the objectifi cation of the separate structural components of the “star (celebrity)” frame in the mass media texts of the above-noted periods. It has been established that the terminal “a medium degree of popularity” is eliminated from the texts of the pre-war and post-war periods. In the factual material of all three periods the clichéd expressions, as well as the linguistic units with the root мир- (world) were identifi ed as the leading representatives; the frequent language units in the texts of the Soviet pre-war and post-war periods are a group of impassioned vocabulary, as well as nominations of creative work artifacts. Within the framework of the above-mentioned slot, the linguistic and cultural characteristics of the stardom phenomenon are defi ned as follows: “glory”, “popularity” and “attention”. Modelling of the invariant structure of the “star (celebrity)” frame in the Russian linguoculture is indicated as one of the prospects for further research.
News of Saratov University. Ser. Philology. 2023;23(3):219-224
219-224
Mixed martial arts discourse as a variety of sports martial and interactive discourses
Abstract
The article dwells on the English language mixed martial arts (MMA) discourse which is interpreted as a variety of sports martial and interactive discourses. The main concepts that represent the entertaining aspect of MMA discourse are singled out. Among them are the following notions: “game”, “fun”, “entertainment”, “show”, “performance”, “pleasure”, etc. All of them have direct lexical representation and correspond with the relevant lexical units. At the same time, they can be indicated through synonymous words and phrases. All in all, MMA discourse has not been studied in detail and as such, it presents the linguist with an opportunity to consider it from different perspectives. In particular, from the standpoint of stylistics, one can determine some features of how different rhetorical devices are used in order to actualize the linguistic and pragmatic intentions of the speaker. In this regard, the article analyzes such a trope as the metaphor. Defining the metaphor as a trope shaping the world, the article differentiates several metaphorical models which are actualized in MMA discourse. It is found out that within the framework of martial sports communication, the military metaphorical model is most often used. This can be explained by conceptual and cognitive proximity of MMA and military discourses. It is not a coincidence that the notions like “battle”, “war”, “fight” are equally important for both communicative spheres. In the process of the analysis, zoomorphic, hunting, criminal, etc. metaphors have also been considered. The use of these metaphors corresponds to the fact that aggression is the key notion of MMA discourse but aggression, as it is known, is also inherent in nature and social relationships. This provides basis for metaphorical transfers and analogies.
News of Saratov University. Ser. Philology. 2023;23(3):225-232
225-232
Stereotyping of the image of Gerhard Schröder in the German political discourse
Abstract
The article studies the language representation of stereotypes on the material of statements about the political views and actions of the ex-Chancellor of Germany Gerhard Schröder concerning the Russia-Ukraine conflict published in Spiegel Online (the first half of 2022). The significance of this work is determined by the relevance of research of stereotypes as a tool for designing and transferring opinions that helps the politicians to form the public attitude to people and events of importance. Studying how the stereotypes are used in the political discourse allows us to comprehend the linguistic mechanism of stereotyping and its evaluating potential. The methodology of this research is based on the theory of stereotypes as cognitive units and their modeling as a structure built of certain features. The methods of component, contextual and stylistic analysis are used. The analysis of the factual material allowed us to single out a number of stereotypes which characterize the person of Gerhard Schröder by active German politicians, as well as a number of features inherent in the stereotypes. The image of the ex-Chancellor is contrasted with the paragon of a ‘good politician’. Although a range of characteristics attributed to this paragon (high moral ground, advantage for the country, dedication to one’s beliefs) is discovered in the politicians’ speeches about Schröder, he is denied to possess such characteristicss as honor, dignity and responsibility. The research singles out such sterotypes as ‘a business person’, ‘an old man’, ‘an outcast’ and ‘a ghost’. Only negative characteristics of the above-mentioned stereotypes are emphasized by the speakers. This gives us ground to state that the use of stereotypes in the texts under consideration is aimed at forming an unfavorable opinion of the described person.
News of Saratov University. Ser. Philology. 2023;23(3):233-239
233-239
On the polyfunctionality of punctuation marks in modern German (on the example of the dash)
Abstract
The article analyzes the functions of the dash in literary German-language texts. The purpose of the study is to clarify and describe the various functions of the dash, to determine its role in the transmission of the communicative intention of the author of the written text. It is established that the dash is a multifunctional punctuation mark which complicates and specifies its functions depending on the contextual conditions of its use and the communicative situation. Two main groups of functions were identified and described: structural-semantic and expressive. Within the framework of structural and semantic functions, the dash is an indicator of logical relations in an utterance – causal and contrast ones. Being a means of a written text division, the dash performs compositional functions: it signals the transition from one type of speech transmission to another, to a new microtheme, a change of the addressee-addresser of speech. The dash is a graphic means of creating expressiveness, marking expressive syntactic constructions (inserts, separations, introductory structures, attachments, parentheses), pauses in a character’s speech, contributing to the compression of the utterance, the effect of emotional tension, the incompleteness of the utterance. The dash is one of those punctuation marks that have a vivid stylistic potential and are widely used by the authors in order to create a special artistic effect. This applies both to cases where the current punctuation rules allow one to choose between a dash and another character, and when the rules do not require any character at all. The choice of the dash depends on the author’s communicative intention and can be explained based on the context, or by the predominant use of the dash, which is one of the elements of the author’s style.
News of Saratov University. Ser. Philology. 2023;23(3):240-246
240-246
The semantics and contextualized use of the Present Perfect in modern American English: A corpus-driven study
Abstract
The article identifies the main ways in which the Present Perfect meanings are expressed in the oral speech of the US citizens speaking American English. The necessity to study in detail how the Present Perfect functions in modern American English is attributed to the emerging reports emphasizing the existing functional instability of these forms in the speech of Americans. This tendency shows that the Present Perfect loses its ability to express traditional perfect meanings. Therefore, the aim of the study is twofold: to apply the methods of corpus linguistics in order to confirm that the semantics of the perfect and preterite forms tend to merge in modern American English, as well as to collect and describe the contexts in which the preterite substitutes the Present Perfect forms in their traditional meanings. We created a corpus of oral texts and collected the data reflecting the frequency of the perfect and preterite forms found in the speech of the respondents. Based on the comparative analysis, we carried out the research determining the percentage ratio of the perfect meanings expressed by the preterite forms. It was found that today in the oral speech of the US women aged 18–25 the preterite verb forms substitute the perfect verb forms in their traditional meanings in almost a third of the contexts. At the same time, the preterite replaces the perfect only in its ‘stative’ and ‘existential’ meanings. The findings confirm the hypothesis that the Present Perfect evolves in American English in accordance with the scenario of “arrested” grammaticalization where the semantics of the perfect and the preterite merge.
News of Saratov University. Ser. Philology. 2023;23(3):247-253
247-253
Two alphabets for one minority language as a threat to its existence (a case study of Lezgian)
Abstract
The paper deals with the failed attempt of the Republic of Azerbaijan to introduce an additional Latin-based alphabet for the Lezgian language, which has been using the Cyrillic script since the late 30s of the 20th century to the present day. It provides a brief history of Lezgian script from ancient times to the present day, analyzes the current state and condition of Lezgian being spoken on the territory corresponding to its historical base – the Republic of Dagestan (Russia) and the Republic of Azerbaijan – and establishes its status as a minority and vulnerable language. With reference to the Latin-based alphabet of Lezgian which was in use from 1928 to 1938 and apparently has been offered as such in the Republic of Azerbaijan, linguistic disadvantages of the possible transition of Lezgian alphabet to the Latin script are revealed. The example of Lezgian suggests that an attempt by the state to provide a language which is recognized as a minority and, to some extent, even minorized language in it with an extra alphabet, as well as the lack of it at all, can be regarded as a real threat to the very existence of the language. The author concludes that despite the fact that there are a few other examples of biscriptalism represented by majority and official languages, to the development and existence of which the simultaneous use of another script in another country poses no threat, in case of Lezgian the biscriptalism could have a destructive impact on its development and cause social risks such as the loss of ethnic and cultural identity of Lezgian speakers, the division of the Lezgi people into two separate groups totally devoid of ethnic consciousness and their subsequent irreversible assimilation.
News of Saratov University. Ser. Philology. 2023;23(3):254-261
254-261
A foreign proper name in Spanish idioms and proverbs
Abstract
The article deals with Spanish set expressions that include a foreign proper name. The study overviews phraseological units, as well as proverbs and sayings included in the most important Spanish lexicographical works. Dealing with an onomastic (onymic) component requires the description of idioms, their origin, meaning and the degree of linguistic actuality. The study of the selected number of set expressions and proverbs has revealed that some proper names may be considered as international precedent onyms (anthroponyms, mythonyms, poetonyms, etc.) This type of proper names may be interpreted as part of the world cultural legacy, since they are present in the onomastic fund of many languages and are considered a sort of linguistic constant formed throughout human history. Spanish national and cultural identity may be illustrated by idioms with a foreign toponym or anthroponym. Generally, those are set expressions and idioms that allude to some historical events and reflect Spanish military and political activities in the world arena, Spanish cultural and linguistic contacts in different periods. The study of idiomatic phrases, their origin and motivation has revealed the key sources to replenish the Spanish phraseological fund, which are world literature, cinema, classical mythology, the Bible, military and political activities. Chronologically, the majority of the analyzed idioms was created in the Middle Ages and the Modern period, however, foreign proper names continue to replenish the Spanish lexis, since there are many expressions and proverbs with a foreign onym that have been created in the recent centuries.
News of Saratov University. Ser. Philology. 2023;23(3):262-268
262-268
A “new woman” or a “superwoman”? A Silver Age project
Abstract
The article analyzes literary texts and critical speeches of women and men-writers of the turn of the 19th – early 20th centuries, where the gender role models of the “new woman” and “superwoman” received the most vivid and original embodiment. Both models of femininity reflected the breaking of the usual gender order and the formation of a new system of values, in literature itself as well. The complex of feminist ideas associated with these types of models interested not only representatives of “high” literature. The creators of products for the mass reader, which absorbed both realistic traditions and the discoveries of modernism, also responded to the problem of women’s emancipation. N. M. Minsky in the play Alma and V. Bryusov in The Last Pages from the Diary of a Woman tried to present the model of the “superwoman” based on the Nietzschean vision. The field of activity for the “new woman” was outlined by E. A. Nagrodskaya and A. A. Verbitskaya in the novels The Wrath of Dionysus and The Keys of Happiness. Nevertheless, in all these works, the heroines failed, because they either became criminals, or faced an insuperable problem: actualizing the reproductive function or creative self-realization. Alma lost strength in the struggle for personal freedom, Bryusov’s Natalie became a murderer, Nagrodskaya’s Tatiana returned to the family shelter, Verbitskaya’s Manya, having achieved success in the art of ballet, committed suicide. And only M. Gorky in the novel Mother offered a solution: he put his Nilovna past the childbearing age and made her a freedom fighter for others. Thus, he managed to outline ways to rescue women from the snares of gender inequality. Nilovna can really be considered a “new woman”. And this utopian project turned out to be possible to implement in Soviet times by ignoring the real issues of gender controversies.
News of Saratov University. Ser. Philology. 2023;23(3):269-277
269-277
“A strange mystical village” in Bunin’s short novel Dry Valley: To the problem of sources
Abstract
The subject of research in the article is the image of the Dry Valley in Bunin’s short novel and its possible sources. The author believes that the main precedent texts for Bunin’s short novel and the concept of national life and national character embodied in it, are the novels by Fyodor Dostoevsky The Brothers Karamazov (as the researchers have already noted) and The Silver Dove by Andrey Bely. Bunin both argues with the writers and develops their ideas about the essence of the Russian character and the Russian life. The signs pointing at the ‘presence’ of Dostoevsky’s novel, as well as the facts of the writer’s biography, are the main plot collisions, special features of the psychology of the Dry Valley dwellers (their strangeness, warm-heartedness, posing etc.) and place-names. The novel by A. Bely is referred to by key antinomies in understanding the fate of the Russian person (West – East, civilization – primitive world, sacred – demonic, heaven – hell), loci (manor and village), material details and the names of the heroes. At the same time, in the Dry Valley life one can also see the manifestation of universal laws, the idea of which Bunin develops under the influence of the artistic discoveries of Edgar Alan Poe, the author of the short story The Fall of the House of Usher. This is evidenced by the idea, fundamental for the poetics of the two works, about the connection of the external world, including the inorganic one, with the soul and the fate of a person, and the form of its representation (common reference motifs and color dominants in the description of the estate, the nature, the appearance of the characters and their inner worlds, etc.), as well as the system of images.
News of Saratov University. Ser. Philology. 2023;23(3):278-284
278-284
“Left Skaftymov’s ‘nest’ too early”: V. A. Bochkarev about A. P. Skaftymov
Abstract
The article discusses the relationship of V. A. Bochkarev, a graduate of Saratov University in 1930, the first postgraduate student of A. P. Skaftymov in 1930–1933, subsequently Doctor of Philology, professor, the head of the department of the Russian and Foreign literature of Kuybyshev (Samara) Pedagogical Institute (University) for many years, the author of the fundamental works on the Russian historical drama, and A. P. Skaftymov, the founder and the creator of Saratov School of Philology, a scientist of world renown. A. P. Skaftymov left philological legacy exclusively valuable in its scientific magnitude and he educated many students, the nestlings of Skavtymov’s “nest”, as they were called afterwards, some of them, including V. A. Bochkarev, have taken the rightful place in the literature science. The article covers the important role that A. P. Skaftymov played in the personal and scientific life of V. A. Bochkarev in his formation as a scientist and a teacher, who retained a grateful memory of his tutor. Some important memoir evidence by V. A. Bochkarev is presented, in which he dwells on the content and structure of the lecture courses given by A. P. Skaftymov, that V. A. Bochkarev chanced to attend as a student and a postgraduate, on the topics of the special seminars that A. P. Saftymov used to teach, on the reports that were prepared under his supervision, on the require- ments of the scientific supervisor to the students’ and postgraduates’ papers, on the methods of scientific counselling, on A. P. Skaftymov’s inherent feeling of democracy, that was revealed in his behavior as the head of the department and the faculty. The article considers how V. A. Bochkarev perceived and evaluated the scientific, moral and educational lessons of A. P. Skaftymov, which he appropriated for his life and reflected in his memories and letters to his colleagues in Saratov.
News of Saratov University. Ser. Philology. 2023;23(3):285-289
285-289
Germany’s image formed by magazine headlines (on the materials of the youth magazine vitamin de)
Abstract
This article analyzes the headlines of vitamin de magazine as an image forming tool, which contributes to the formation of the idea of Germany as one of the best educational centres in Europe, for foreign students as well. A headline, as the substantive and intentional core of the whole magazine article, is able to convey the image of the country and its values relevant to the 12+ readership. The study showed that the features of the magazine such as Another View, Country Studies, Life, Vitamin de in Regions, Dialogue, Profession, German Inventors, Tradition, Psychological Test, Recipe, (Professional) Training generate the image characteristics of the country of the target language. The headlines of the articles in these features create an image of Germany as a country with an advantageous geographical position, a country with rich cultural traditions and values accepted by the Russian audience. Headlines about joint German-Russian educational, creative and environmental activities, accessible to all age groups of Russian youth, contribute significantly to the image of Germany as a country with a high research potential, where theory and practice are inextricably linked. The image properties of Germany, practically ideological paradigms “outwardly” directed, are critically reinterpreted in the headlines of those articles in which students with the experience of living in the country share their impressions. Thus, a more realistic view of the destination country with educational objectives is created. Another View feature, as the results of the study show, is designed to balance the ideal and the realistic picture of the country of the target language.
News of Saratov University. Ser. Philology. 2023;23(3):290-298
290-298
Scientific ideas of Olga B. Sirotinina and Saratov linguistic school of researching real communication units. On the occasion of the centenary of birth of the scientist and teacher
Abstract
The article is dedicated to the 100th anniversary of the outstanding Russian linguist, professor of Saratov State University Olga B. Sirotinina (born in 1923). The article presents and analyzes a number of scientific ideas of the scholar: the necessity to work out new approaches to syntactic units; the interaction of primary (factual) and secondary (organizational) levels of communication; attention of the author to the addressee as a leading principle of linguistic ecology; semantic diffusion as a dynamic process in the Russian discourse. In the late 20th century Olga B. Sirotinina in her research of the colloquial speech determined new approaches to communicative units: alongside the syntax of predicative units she developed the syntax of non-predicative ones. Her works prove that while studying real discourse a special focus should be put on the role of functional words as the effectiveness of communication is directly determined by the interaction of factual and organizational communication units. The author’s concern about the addressee is one of the main principles of linguistic ecology. It is the author who is primarily responsible for the success of communication, so they are supposed to make a number of reasonable efforts to facilitate for the addressee the perception of their message. The process of semantic diffusion is often connected nowadays with the violation of linguo-ecological principles. This problem is one of the main concerns of Olga B. Sirotinina: de to weakened and broadened meaning some words start to mean almost anything, are used widely and turn into fashionable words. Excessive use of diffused lexis leads to the language system impoverishment as well as to numerous social and professional risks. The ideas of Olga B. Sirotinina under discussion have organized the research of real communication units and determined the directions of the development of Saratov linguistic school in the late 20th – early 21st centuries. The article focuses on the tendencies in the development of these ideas by Saratov linguists.
News of Saratov University. Ser. Philology. 2023;23(3):299-307
299-307
Science as a vocation. On the occation of the 85th anniversary of birth of Professor M. A. Kormilitsyna
Abstract
The article discusses the 85th anniversary of the Doctor of Philology, Professor of Saratov State University, M. A. Kormilitsyna. A well- known scientist in Russia and abroad, Margarita Anatolyevna has devoted her whole life to scientific activity. Together with her teacher and friend, O. B. Sirotinina, M. A. Kormilitsyna was at the origin of Saratov Linguistic School of the functioning of the Russian language. The article highlights the main stages of the scientist’s scientific activity, presents the areas of scientific interests: syntax, stylistics and culture of the speech of the Russian language, colloquial speech, the language of the media, etc. All scientific and educational activities of Margarita Anatolyevna are based on the principles of Saratov Linguistic School, the main methodological principles of which are attentive and unbiased attitude to language, its facts, accuracy in their analysis, striving not for superficial, but for a deep understanding of the essence of linguistic phenomena. The article reveals the significance of the works of M. A. Kormilitsyna for modern linguistics: her works on colloquial speech, the language of the media, the effectiveness of communication, overcoming communicative risks, cause numerous responses in the scientific community. M. A. Kormilitsyna pays a lot of attention in her work to editorial activities (work on the interuniversity collection of scientific papers Problems of speech communication, participation in the editorial board of the journal Media Linguistics, etc.). The article reveals not only the scientific, but also the pedagogical activity of the scientist: students and teachers know Margarita Anatolyevna as a highly erudite, creatively working teacher. M. A. Kormilitsyna has been the head of the Department of the Russian Language, Speech Communication and Russian as a Foreign Language (the new name of the department) for 25 years. Colleagues respect Margarita Anatolyevna for her honesty, integrity, and friendly attitude towards people.
News of Saratov University. Ser. Philology. 2023;23(3):308-312
308-312
Museum metaphysics
Abstract
This review deals with the book by S. V. Klimenko, a well-known philologist, a staff member of the N. G. Chernyshevskiy Estate Museum. It shows the academic character of the book under review. The book is timed according to the periods of the author’s creative life, but at the same time the identified periods appear to be crucial for the history of the museum as they were linked to anniversaries of N. G. Chernyshevskiy or memorable dates in the history of the museum itself. The content of the book combines fascinating stories about the creation of new museum “products” and the definition of the essence and purpose of the profession of someone whose life is connected to a literary museum. A literary museum worker is presented in the book as a person for whom the literary studies of sources become not only a process inseparable from the museum work but also an object of academic research and exploration. Considerable attention is paid to the problems of museum work as the most important area of humanitarian knowledge. S. V. Klimenko is also concerned with the issues of personnel training and funding. An important point for the author of the book becomes the question of what materials a separate museum exhibition or a large exposition should be based on. S.V. Klimenko assigns great importance to the development of the concept of an exhibition or exposition in museum work. Discussions that accompany the emergence of any new “product” represent the birth of the concept, i.e. understanding of the principles of material selection, logic of its presentation and scientific commentary. The author of the book advocates the conceptual approach to the presentation of museum exhibits in showcases or on walls in an essentially rigorous way. S. V. Klimenko has succeeded not only in opening the world of the literary museum to the reader, but in showing its heartbeat in several dimensions, projected on the science, source studies, archives, education, working with the visitors, and the work of exhibition designers.
News of Saratov University. Ser. Philology. 2023;23(3):313-317
313-317