DOI: 10.25136/2409-7144.2018.9.23664

Abstract: The subject of this article is the impact of urban toponymy upon the identity of Irkutsk residents. The goal is to study the specificity of formation and development, impact on peoples’ identity, and the prospects of transformation of street names in the city of Irkutsk. The author also explores the legislative contradictions and mechanisms for their solution with regards to the names of streets and squares, which form the common sociocultural space of the urban landscape. The work considers the symbolic impact of toponymic heritage upon the urban space and atmosphere, as well as the citizens themselves. The scientific novelty is defined by the fact that the names of urban toponymies in Irkutsk neither culturally, nor even historically, correspond with its established historical image. The author underlines the disruption of the “urban culture myth” (unity of name and space of the city), which ultimately affects the perception of city by its residents, as well the tourists, who make a material contribution to its development. Therefore, there is a need for toponymic restoration in Irkutsk. The main conclusion lies in the fact that the great majority of Irkutsk toponymies do not have a response from text images in the cultural and historical context of the city. However, as demonstrated by the analysis of historical center of the city, the “Soviet” names are still attenuated with the harmonious symbolic images, which carry positive information about the history of Irkutsk, emphasizing its historical status and forming a distinct sociocultural identity of the residents.

DOI: 10.7256/2310-8673.2017.3.23665

Abstract: This article demonstrates that Irkutsk, being a historical city of the Russian Federation and oriented towards the development of tourism, has a number of unresolved issues associated with typonymy. Such questions are often discussed at different levels – from the local mass media to city administration. Toponyms in the city of Irkutsk can be generally characterized as the reflection of a strong print of the previous government regime, whether or not it corresponds with the historical image and preserved historical heritage. The described situation creates problems on the path of establishment of the historically factored image of a city, necessary for the harmonious comprehension of city and in the context of plans for the advancement of tourism. The work carries an interdisciplinary character, and is depicted through socio-political and historical-cultural approach within the framework of the problem of typonymy and city image. The socio-political approach is reflected in examination of the problem through the prism of influence of political views of the citizens alongside the political situation in a particular case of study; while the historical-cultural approach implies a complex examination of such historical segment, which significantly affected the cultural development of symbols of the city of Irkutsk. At the same time, takes place the symbolic construction of territorial identity of Irkutsk residents through the previous, current, and future names of the streets and squares of Irkutsk. Despite the opinion of the supporters of typonomic restoration, the primary task in popularization of such idea among the city residents must consist not in the explanatory work about the value and following advantages, but rather debunking of myths and delusions pertaining to the expenses that are the main stumbling block in this question. However, the author underlines that at the present time, mass media covers the information on toponymic restoration of the cults quite inappropriately, which escalates the associated with it deceptions in the society. Due to this fact, the initiators of toponymic restoration must provide adequate information to the population, as well as mass media; otherwise, the process of information distribution to population can receive a low level of trust.