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Mass peasant icon in Russia. The history of criticism and semiotic ideologies
https://doi.org/10.28995/2686-7249-2024-2-35-60
Abstract
The paper is about the history of public criticism of the craft of so-called raskhozhaya (i. e. mass peasant) craft icons in the 16th – 20th centuries. Such icons produced most often by “lay icon painters” (that is, secular craftsmen from the peasants), were intended for the common people, and therefore were inexpensive, bright and quick to manufacture. The focus of attention is on the large craft center of the mass peasant icon – the so-called Suzdalshchina (Suzdal region), located in the east of the Vladimir province (Kholui, Palekh, Mstera and the surrounding villages). Already at the dawn of crafting the mass peasant icon such a craft had many opponents, primarily among manufacturers and consumers of expensive icons of the “high style” in icon painting. The production of mass artisanal icons as a socio-cultural phenomenon, was largely associated with Modern Times, was aimed at material and technological innovations (printed icons on paper, conveyor principle, the use of new cheap materials, capitalization of production, etc.). Therefore, public controversy was directed not only against the poor quality of the mass product or elements of Old Believer iconography, but also against the use of Western European innovations. Consistently, starting with the articles of the “Hundred–Domed Cathedral” and other texts of the 16th century, the author considers the history of criticism of craft icons, identifies several types of semiotic ideologies – primarily the protective (positive) and the critical (negative).
Keywords
About the Author
D. Yu. DoroninRussian Federation
Dmitrii Yu. Doronin
6, Miusskaya Sq., Moscow, 125047
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Supplementary files
For citation: Doronin D.Y. Mass peasant icon in Russia. The history of criticism and semiotic ideologies. RSUH/RGGU Bulletin: “Literary Teory. Linguistics. Cultural Studies”, Series. 2024;(2):35-60. https://doi.org/10.28995/2686-7249-2024-2-35-60
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