Abstract: The subject of the research is the bone carving as a folk artistic tradition. The rationale of the research is caused by the fact that the author analyzes the role of the bone carving tradition in the artistic activity of human. According to the author, this is the artwork that demonstrates human's ability to challenge the world seeking for beauty and harmony. Korolkov pays special attention to the definition of 'folk artistic tradition' because this is what creates traditions as a universal means of preservation of ethnic messages, values and identity. Moreover, folk artistic tradition has become the mechanism of preservation and trans-generation transfer of a combination of expressive means (word, colour, material, etc.) and aesthetic views and values of Northern nations. The author analyzes such aspects of the topic as the function of bone carving as to develop the surroundings. Based on the example of archeological excavations, the author demonstrates that bone carving is one of the oldest arts of the Russian North people. The author also describes the succession of bone carving masters in Northern bone-carving schools and institutional forms of culture. Thus, bone carving is becoming one of the factors of involvement into folk artistic traditions through generations and creates artistic aesthetic and moral ideas of the surroundings of Northern peoples. 

Keywords: phenomenon of national traditions, bone carving art, the peoples of the north, bone carving, carving, folk art tradition, culture, cultural heritage, art, craft

Abstract: Tsam is a unique Buryat theatre performance. In this article Zhigmitova pays attention to the funny (intermedia) component of the Tsam Mysteria that takes place outside the temple and meant for the wide audience. Based on the analysis of the researches published by historians, theatre theorists, ethnographers and the author's notes, Zhigmitova makes conclusions about the comic component of the dance, mostly presented through the role of Sagann Ubgun (White Elder). Tsam implies not only ritual actions but also folk elements which creates comism in a serious play. In her research the author has used such methods as the integral approach, field research method and descriptive method, direct observation, and interviewing. The scientific novelty of the research is caused by the fact that the author studies the mystery play from the ethnotheatrical point of view. This article presents only one of the lines of research of Tsam as a ritual popular in Tibet, India, Nepal and Buddhist communities of Russia. 

Keywords: Dancing of the gods, Dances in masks, Buddhist dances, White Elder, Interludes, Comic component, Masks, Tsam, Lamaism, Buddhism

Abstract: The subject of the research is the role of art in the life of people, actual trends and patterns of communication between human and art as well as processes of changes of artistic needs of a modern society. The aim of the research is to evaluate actual consequences of changes in artistic needs of a modern society that make cultural experts to speak of the crisis of artistic culture. Summing up the results of recent researches that involved surveys of population and art audience for a long period of time and continuing their interpretation, the author evalutes actual changes in the leisure role of art, patterns of communication of art and audience, and actual risks of objective social processes. The methodological basis of the research is the priniple of sociological substantiation of cultural constructs with facts obtained in the course of empirical social measurements. Traditional descriptive methods do not bring us close to understanding the origin and patterns of consumer behavior in art. The author of the article bases the research on the results of empirical research and methods of mathematical statistics based on computer technologies. The novelty of the research is caused by the targets and results of the research. It is the first time in the academic literature that the author raises the problem of defining changes in artistic needs and leisure role of art in a long-term perspective. Determination of consumer behavior patterns in art is a new task as well. As a result of the research, the author discovers and describes some fundamental patterns of introducing arts to human, cultural evolution of consumer, and reproduction of art audience. 

Keywords: functions of art, consumer behavior, artistic needs, art consumption, art culture, leisure role of art, audience, arts, patterns of cultural behavior, sociological polls of the public

Abstract: In Saint Augustine's 'Confessions' Rozin discovers two kinds of questions, questions asked to God and questions asked to oneself. To analyze these questions, Rozin reconstructs, on the one hand, the sphere of questioning (experience of Christian salvation and sharing this story with others) and communication of questioning, on the other hand. The latter implies the position of Augustine in the past and present, of Augustine when he only started his path to faith and when he already adopted the confession, Augustine when he was writing his 'Confessions' and asking questions. In addition, the author demonstrates that in 'Confessions' Augustine does not only share his own experience of becoming Christian but also presents the image of a Medieval personality. The author offers his own interpretation of Augustine's questions. In his research Rozin has used the special research methods including situation analysis, comparison, problem statement and discussion, culture-historical reconstruction of personality development, construction of new schemes, and typological constructs. As a result of the research, the author makes a statement that in his 'Confessions' Augustine asks his questions as an individual with a developing Medieval personality appealing to those who want to become Christian, including himself when he vacilated and seeked his own path to salvation. Augustine answers his own questions as an individual but counts on God's help, too. 

Keywords: thinking, discourse, communication, questioning, questions, experience, faith, salvation, man, God

Abstract: The object of the research is the Museum of Sun as a monument of Inca culture located in Ibarra, Ecuador. The subject of the research is the influence of the museum brand on the development and popularization of Inca culture. The aim of the research is to analyze and develop a new museum space design concept for the purpose of giving recommendations on how to promote the brand and make it attractive for tourists as well as to enrich its contribution of the local economy. The research is devoted to the development of the museum space design concept in relation to Inca culture as presented by the Museum of Sun (Museo del Sol) located in Ibarra, Ecuador. The author of the article describes peculiar features of developing the museum space and design concept and describes modern trends in organisation of history museums in Latin America. The researcher gives a review of graphic tools used by Latin American museums of culture, archeology and history. The author also provides an insight into the historical grounds of the Inca culture museum and analyzes iconography of Inca civilization at different periods. The researcher describes the current state of the Museum, history of its formation, and grounds for creating a new brand. The author also describes an association series of graphic tools for creating a new logo of the Museum, describes the basic colours that should be used, presents the main parts of the brand, advertising and graphic tools, and offers a concept of the museum space organisation. The results of the research should be used to enrich the brand of the Museum of Sun, raise  its social importance for popularization of Inca culture and promotion of the monument. 

Keywords: corporate colors, booklet, logo, museum brand, Inca iconography, Inca mythology, Inca culture, museum space, design concept, advertising and graphic complex

Abstract: The subject of this research is the Five Songs to Peter Altenberg's Picture Postcard. The Songs were written using the technique of free hemitonics (twelve-tone row), thus demanded new means of harmonic centralization. The object of the research is the pitch rows and motive-quotes that act as the central elements of the musical language. In her research the author traces back the succession of Berg's composition and its relation to Mahler's thoughts about the artist and the world around him. Skosyreva pays attention to performance difficulties and carries out a detailed analysis of pitch rows used in the series as well as motive-quotes that compose the meaningful tissue of the songs. The sequence of important motives is reflected in special 'semantic rows'. The novelty of the research is caused by the fact that the author carries out a detailed analysis of the core element that was used by Alban Berg to compose his Altenberg Lieder. As a result of the research, the author concludes that the fourth opus of Berg is filled with multidimensional meanings, references and allusions. For a performer it is important to know these meanings and to feel their presence. This allows to better understand a composition. Quartal and tertian motives, small second intonations and allusions to Bach's, Debussy's and Mahler's music compose the unique tissue of meanings and music.  

Keywords: motive-quote, twelve-tone row, semantic row, atonality, central element, orchestral songs, intonation, Peter Altenberg, Alban Berg, vocal performance