The "Invisible" Event: The Solstice at Arkaim
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.47475/2070-0695-2025-57-3-158-168Keywords:
Arkaim, solstice, media trail, memorial landscape, video narrativeAbstract
The article is dedicated to the analysis of the current state of the summer solstice phenomenon at Arkaim. The author emphasizes the significance of event tourism for the development of the region, while highlighting the lack of involvement of the official agenda of the museum-reserve regarding the summer solstice – the most widely attended event in the studied area. The event takes place without official support, is not announced in public sources, and does not enter the media agenda. Based on participant observation and survey data analysis, the motivations of participants and their forms of interaction with the space are examined.
An expansion of the format of official events at Arkaim during the summer solstice of 2025 is noted. For the first time, the date was included in the museum’s program, featuring lectures, tours, and a sunrise gathering. This approach allowed for the integration of the date into the cultural calendar without esoteric connotations.
Due to controversial interpretations of the solstice at Arkaim, a survey of residents of nearby settlements was conducted, revealing the predominant perception of Arkaim as an archaeological monument. At the same time, the media narrative surrounding the solstice is shaped primarily through user-generated content outside official channels and reflects the current state of the event.
The analysis shows that, due to the spontaneous nature of the phenomenon, its local character, and the absence of official media coverage, the summer solstice remains an unaccounted element of Arkaim’s cultural life, not fitting into the frameworks of event tourism and the official event calendar. It is difficult to predict, measure its mass appeal, or incorporate it into institutional formats, rendering it “invisible” to the organized tourist agenda, despite sustained interest from certain participant groups.
Acknowledgments: The study was Supported by the Russian Science Foundation and Chelyabinsk region, № 23-18-20098, https://rscf.ru/en/project/23-18-20098/References
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