IJASOS- International E-journal of Advances in Social Sciences

Abstract

Imperial culture is a difficult ethnosociocultural
phenomenon. Imperial culture exists in the multi-ethnic
character of the states when one ethnos assumes the right for domination
over other ethnoses and implementation of
administrative and managerial functions at all levels of the organization of
the state institutional and investment and communication system. Imperial
ambitions of such states surely lead to the fact that the dominating social
subjects use culture as a way of legitimization and glorification of the
imperial power.

One of the most important elements of imperial culture is art. Imperial
culture used to exploiting art in two of his functions: designing and
representation of social reality. Daniela Bleichmar has offered a concept of
"a visual epistemology" for the description of the functioning of
visual arts in the system of the imperial culture. It is "the way of the
knowledge based on visuality, affecting observation and representation".
Visual epistemology acts as a part and a prerequisite of imperial system which
has a long history of representation in graphic forms of communication for the
solution of the administrative purposes. "The visual empire" by
Daniela Bleichmar connects natural history, visual culture, and management of
the empire. An important element of a visual epistemology is the cultural
geography and cultural anthropology which are also created by graphics and
picturesque means.

In my opinion, visual practices of the Russian Empire gives for as a lot
of striking examples of an imperial images construction. Visual images of the
Empire were created by means of engravings, arts, and crafts, theatrical
sceneries, posters, sculptures, architectural complexes. By means of these
artifacts, residents of the empire could gain an impression about imperial
norms, values, characters, ruling elite, about the remote regions of the
country. By means of images of region’s nature landscapes and home portraits of
the empire’s residents, the ruling Centre extended the influence on the
periphery and consolidated the people of the empire.

In contemporary culture, imperial visuality develops using traditional arts
and new media means. Traditional means include sculptural monuments to the most
important figures of imperial history - Ivan the Terrible (Moscow), Vladimir
the Great (Moscow), Alexander III (Yalta, Crimea) and others. The media for
creating an imperial visual anthropology include movies and television series,
animated films on subjects from the history of the empire. They give a modern
idea of the history of the formation of the empire, its founders, heroes, major
historical events and significant dates. Values and norms that regulate the
daily life of imperial life are shown on the examples from the life of the
heroes of films. In this way, cinematic visuals carry an imperial myth and contribute
to its consolidation in the minds of the audience.

On numerous examples in monumental sculpture works, we research how
imperial culture designs an imperial image, forms imperial consciousness and
then represents them on other territories as within the country, and beyond her
limits