Did Chekhov write about the image phenomenon: on the exploiting of the classical literary texts for cultural reconstructions

Contemporary culture-anthropological discourse is concerned with the search of instruments and methods which make it possible to reconstruct the cultural space of historical epochs, to reveal the cultural-historical component in the individual, to unite the macro-and micro-levels of human existence. Having too little empirical material, one is not capable to realize how a person of a different historical epoch existed in their socio-cultural reality. The phenomena that have always been present in the daily life and have never been recognized because of their "triviality" are brought in the focus of contemporary culture discourse more and more frequently. We call them "disappearing phenomena". The phenomenon of image is one of them. The phenomenon of the construction of image has a universal anthropological nature and can be represented as a social reflex. The process of image construction can be described as an expression of general cultural senses by means of body-signs. This image (typical model) can be considered as an expression of the mentality of a concrete historical epoch. It is known that most of the documents and materials we usually use for the cultural reconstruction of the past are themselves a product of interpretation, so they reflect cultural processes and phenomena schematically. At the same time many ideas important for understanding of the nature of the so called "disappearing phenomena" can be found in the texts of the authors who never intended to investigate them. Still it is more common that some important ideas appeared in literary texts which are the finest and most precise reflection of everyday life and mentality. They make it possible to restore the living tissue of the culture of the bygone epochs. The literary text as a photo camera fixes and preserves some moments of life for us and gives an opportunity of many following cultural interpretations which reveal cultural senses of the past for us. In the article, some examples from the classical literature of the 19th century are represented. These examples reveal the ideas about the methods and the importance of the construction of the individual image for effective communication. Contemporary people are absolutely unrestricted in the process of creating their image, but man of the previous centuries was under total cultural pressure. S/he felt as an actor on the stage and was to subject their behavior to constant control, comparing it with the adopted standards and models. Their image was subjected to the cultural obligations, connected with the conventional clothing, hairstyle, etiquette. The contemporary science states that we exist in the mind of another person in the form of color spots, sounds, silhouettes, movements. These visual signs are assembled into a united emotional image. However, this image is not only received, but also transformed and in such a modified condition participates in social contacts, determines their quality and nature. The same ideas are found in the literature of the 19th century. Although authors did not use the term "image" and did not investigate the process of image construction particularly, it is absolutely clear that their literary texts reflect the notions of this phenomenon. This gives us confidence in the fact that literary texts are invaluable sources for cultural and historical reconstructions.

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