Structural perception of space: in search of affect (based on surveys of Arkaim visitors)
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.47475/2070-0695-2025-55-1-125-132Keywords:
Arkaim, memory, space, affordances, affects, structure, systemAbstract
This study is devoted to the specifics of the perception of the Arkaim museum complex by visitors. The main focus of the study is to identify the features of visitors’ interaction with Arkaim as a structure of links to the historical context of real space. The theoretical part of the article includes consideration of the problems of media geography (space as media), affordances of space, the philosophical concept of assemblages (a comprehensive understanding of space as a combination of a systemic and structural dyad). The museum complex is considered as a structure of space that spreads specific affordances that make it possible to restructure real space through the imaginary restoration of the once real characteristics of space (the life of ancestors).
The research methodology includes a survey among Arkaim visitors in May-September 2023, a sample of those visitors was selected who noted “the opportunity to be at the excavation site, to visit the museum complex” as an attractive feature of Arkaim (155 people). The data analysis revealed several key trends: 1) the predominance of the temporal aspect in the perception of Arkaim, 2) the significance of the “memory of generations” as an important factor in assessing the value of Arkaim, 3) interest in the energetic impact of the place, although with varying degrees of acceptance of mystical interpretations, 4) preference for emotional (affective) interaction with space over purely cognitive. The conclusion emphasizes the importance of a comprehensive approach to understanding the perception of historical spaces, taking into account the affective aspects of human interaction with cultural heritage. It is assumed that the key factor in interaction with space for respondents remains personal intention for the sake of enriching subjective experience, while the affordances of space (both cultural and natural in nature) are chosen precisely for this purpose.
Acknowledgments: The study was supported by a grant from the Russian Science Foundation (in cooperation with the authorities of the Chelyabinsk region) No 23-18-20098, https://rscf.ru/en/project/23-18-20098/, project «Materialized identity: construction of memory in a socio-economic perspective (on the example of the archaeological site Arkaim)».
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