Reconstruction of cultural codes of the head and face of a person in the fine art of soviet pre-war Russia

The aim of the research presented in the article is to identify and describe the cultural codes of somatic concepts of the “head” and “face” of a person in the structure of mentality of Soviet society in pre-war Russia. The methodological basis of the study is the consideration of the cultural code as a dialectical unity of essence and phenomenon, where the cultural code as an essence is a set of basic concepts, attitudes, values and norms containing information about the signs and symbols of a given culture and necessary for reading its texts, and as a phenomenon it there is an objectification of this essence in the activities of the people and its results. Cultural codes as mental structures that allow us to move from the meaning (universally recognized designation of an object or phenomenon) to meaning (an element of the language of a particular culture), are analyzed by the author on the basis of works of fine art, which, by virtue of their visual representation, are an informative and reliable source studies of human corporeality as a materialized category. Paintings and sculptures of Soviet pre-war Russia reveal cultural codes such as - perception of a new hero of the epoch as a person of proletarian, worker-peasant origin; a laborer capable of defeating class enemies in the struggle for a brighter future; the builder of the new world, the new socialist reality; - the perception of a woman as a full member of society - the builder of a new life, whose ideal image was associated with ideas of freshness, natural health, a strong body, natural, simple (sometimes coarse) beauty, which metaphorically characterized the essence of the young Soviet state; - idea of V.I. Lenin as a “superman”, “the God-man”, who laid his life on the altar of salvation and the welfare of a simple working man; as the undisputed leader of the oppressed proletariat, with an unshakable will, outstanding intelligence, tremendous efficiency and passionate faith in the cause of the world revolution; - perception of new criteria in the assessment of a person as a hero of the era, associated with the adoption of a sense of personal responsibility for the fate and future of the young Soviet state; with the ability to self-sacrifice in the name of the ideals and achievements of the socialist revolution; with ideas of civil, patriotic devotion to the precepts and aspirations of the communist party of new Russia; - perception of children as the future builders of communism and faithful defenders of the ideas and achievements of the revolution; as a happy rising generation of soviet citizens, whose well-being and dignified existence were a priori determined by their birth in Soviet Russia, ensured by the care and attention of state authorities and the communist party; - the idea of the soviet people as a new historical multinational community of people who, with undoubtedly ethnocultural originality, have a common world view, a common goal - the building of communism, a common socialist homeland - the USSR; - understanding of the soviet intelligentsia as a stratum of knowledge workers forming in a socially homogeneous space of workers and peasants who make their creative contribution both to material production and to the spiritual and artistic spheres of public life, being deeply educated, developed individuals capable of to serious, hard work of the mind and spirit for the good of their country and people; - the idea of soviet reality as a new amazing world, inspiring bold hopes and deeds, opening up broad opportunities for everyone on the general path of building a socialist state.

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