Commemorative events in the symbolic space of modern Russia: state strategies and cultural practices

The purpose of the article was to analyze public holidays, their structural and functional characteristics in modern Russian society. The authors noted that for any state the transformation of memorial culture is inherent. This is manifested both in a change in the system of memorable dates and in the symbolic recoding of their content. The research methodology was a synthesis of the actor-network, praxeological and systemic approaches. The actor-network approach focuses on the holiday as a set of actions and interests of various actors, which allows us to raise the question of a unique set of factors leading to the emergence and consolidation of a memorable date. The praxeological approach has introduced an aspect of dynamism into the consideration of public holidays, examining their relationship with everyday cultural practices, also revealing the inverse effect of practices on the transformation of symbolic meanings. The systematic approach allowed for a comprehensive perception of the various elements of commemorative practices with a view to their social and philosophical reflection. Based on three public holidays the authors have analyzed the structural-functional and cultural-semiotic aspects of the inclusion of these memorable dates in the symbolic landscape of modern Russian society. The author's contribution is seen in the formation of a methodology for the study of holidays and symbolic dates based on an analysis of political relevance, public perception and the praxeological component. From this point of view, one can state the inconsistency of the system of public holidays in modern Russia, which is due to the following reasons: the transformation of the symbolic meaning of memorable dates in the context of changing relationships of political actors, the situational nature of holidays as elements of the state memory policy, and the lack of elaboration of praxeological grounds.