The article is about the emergence of autofiction (pseudo-autobiography) as a new genre in modern Russian literature on the example of the works by Andrei Astvatsaturov, Sergei Dovlatov, Roman Senchin, Eduard Limonov, Zakhar Prilepin, Dmitry Danilov, Alexander Khristoforov, as well as the works by Sylvia Plath, Janet Winterson and Carl Ove Knausgor as modern foreign literature representatives of the autofiction genre in the Russian book market. The article discusses the history of the autofiction emergence from the point of view of the genre origin abroad, and from the standpoint of home literary criticism. It describes the representatives of modern Russian literature whose works are in the autofiction genre analyzes the specifics and unique features of autofiction like stylistic, contextual and other typical characteristics that make it possible to single out this genre as an independent one, are analyzed in the article. The author presents results of a comparative analysis of diaries and autobiographies as literary genres according to the criteria of completeness, usage purpose, attitude to publications, dating and facts reliability, and identifies the elements that determine autofiction specifics. Particular attention is paid to Andrey Astvatsaturov’ literature as he analytically proves his autofiction genre choice to create his works.

The article deals with the limestone dedicatory relief which was found in Gorgippia. It has the form of a naisk and depicts Cybele on the throne, Hermes with oinochoe and Hecate with two torches. On the cornice of the pediment there is a partially preserved inscription ΑΡTEΜΙ [---], apparently containing the name of the dedicator. As for the dating of the layer from which the reused relief comes, it was probably made in the early 3rd century BC. This allows us to reconsider the dating of other reliefs on the same subject from the Northern Black Sea Coast. Hitherto many researchers have suggested that these reliefs can be dated between the 1st century BC and the 1st century AD. But analogies from the territory of Attica confirm the point of view proposed here.

In 2020, during excavations of the ancient polis of Gorgippia (Anapa), a pottery kiln (from the middle of the 3d century BC) was discovered, with the remains of a batch of terracotta baked in it, including two half-figures of Kore-Persephone and a protoma-mask of Demeter. It is noteworthy that such products were already familiar to researchers at Gorgippia, where a statuette of Kore was found in the necropolis (1954), and the protomas of Demeter were found in the alleged “dump” of temple offerings (1965). Analysis of the new finds and materials of the Anapa Museum revealed the peculiarities of the work of coroplasts in Gorgippia, and identified the problems of the circulation of individual elements and the transformation of the image of a female deity. It has been established that the basis for postulating four variants of Gorgippian protomas was the expression on the face of a figurine of the classical period. On the basis of this “primary element”, supplemented by free modeling, three variants of the protoma Demeter were distinguished, a modest provision of a basis for the discussion of differing forms, in addition to a more complex half-figure of Kore. Their production coincided with the destruction of the furnace, but was not limited to that time. In any case, the genealogy of the variant of the protoma of Demeter from the furnace covers three generations of terracotta: both the one preceding and the one following it.

This article is based upon terracotta figurines that have been discovered during the excavations of the necropolis of Kytaia, one of the smaller Bosphoran towns, which had existed on the South-Eastern littoral of the contemporary Kerch peninsula, from the 6th – to the 5th centuries BC, till c. 525–550 AD. In the South-Western section of the site, located in a zone of intense coastal abrasion, burials of the 4th century BC, and of the extended period 350–500 AD, accompanied with ritual complexes and traces of funeral meals, were discovered. In addition to numerous other finds, of offerings associated with rites customary in Late Antiquity, 14 fragmented terracotta figurines were discovered. Compared to examples from the earlier Hellenistic period these from the late antique, which are contemporaneous with the most recent ritual practices, appear to be of smaller quantity. The preference which was given to female rather than to male images, as well as to upper and lower parts of terracotta figurines, is perhaps not accidental but awaits explanation. Interpretation of the revealed patterns depends upon the ethnic and cultural affiliation of the Kytaia inhabitants during the Great Migration Period and needs clarification.

The present contribution is focused on analysis of the mosaic decoration in the chapel of St Venatius (San Venanzio), adjacent to the Lateran Baptistery in Rome. The rich cycle unfolding on the walls of the chapel combines several visual motifs. Particularly noteworthy is the representation in the apse that brings together the image of the orant Virgin and a group of saints, who form a row of figures. This row continues on the outer walls of the altar niche, with four saints on each side. The choice of these saints along with the general iconography of the chapel do not find direct parallels in other early medieval monuments. Therefore, it can be argued that the Roman decoration under discussion was inspired primarily by the wishes and personal agenda of Pope John IV (640–642), who commissioned this program and was depicted in the apse offering the building of the chapel. Besides studying the rendering of saints in this mosaic, the paper offers an insight into the visual trends and artistic expertise of craftsmen working at Rome in the first half of the seventh century.

This study attempts to reconstruct the composition of the plot in the cycle of apostolic suffering, located on the northern wall of the upper southern chapel of the Church of St. Sophia in Ohrid. This fragment of the mural has been little studied, as has the iconography of the apostolic passions in general. To date, there were two interpretations of partially or completely destroyed scenes in the chapel, proposed by P. Milkovich-Pepek and G. Babich. This study proposes an alternative reconstruction of the composition of the cycle, offers an additional series of analogies, and puts forward a hypothesis concerning the example, under the influence of which the author of the chapel painting program might have worked.

The article summarizes opinions and hypotheses put forward in the research literature regarding the activities of Thessalonian workshops in the time of the Latin kingdom of Thessaloniki (1204–1224). The material under consideration covers works of enamel art, eulogies associated with the veneration of the city’s patron, St. Demetrius, and icons and fragments of monumental paintings preserved in the city and its environs. These works of art, which are remarkable for their stylistic diversity and have not been assigned firm dates, hardly allow us to reconstruct the artistic life of this period in clear outlines. Nevertheless, they provide rich material for further discussion of the interactions of Thessalonian artists with artisans from other regions (both of the Byzantine world and of the West), as well as of their participation in the development of a new pictorial language in Byzantine art.

The Chapel of Sixtus IV (also known as the Chapel of the Choir, and the Chapel of the Immaculate Conception) was not only the last addition to the old Basilica of San Pietro, but also one of its the longest-preserved parts (it was destroyed only in 1609). Only a few studies by foreign authors are devoted to this highly valued monument of the late Quattrocento in Rome. The main attention is paid to the tombstone of the pontiff, that fortunately has survived until now. For the first time, the present paper is focused on analysis of the position of the Chapel of Sixtus IV within the general complex of Vatican buildings and offers a reading of the spatial ensemble of the chapel, taking into account all its components, as well as the perspectives both of the world of people and of the sphere of the sacred. As a result, it is shown how an organic synthesis of not only different arts, but also of ancient and Christian cultures was achieved in this unique monument, and the versatility of the personality of Sixtus IV himself was vividly embodied.

The article links the drawing of Martin de Vos (inv. R-7200), in the Pushkin State Museum of Fine Arts, with the engraving for which it was a modello. This allows us to identify the hermit as St. Bavo and to date the drawing 1593–1594, thus correcting the previous proposals of 1585/86 or about 1600. The Moscow sheet is one of about 120 drawings created by M. de Vos for five series of engravings depicting pious hermits, which indicates a great interest in this topic at that time Consideration of these series and their further functions reveals their connection with the world of Catholic Europe, the ideas of the Counter-Reformation and the teachings of Ignatius Loyola, which revived the cult of the holy hermits and preached solitude, for reflection and prayer, as a way towards spiritual improvement in accordance with Christian values.