The protection of cultural heritage objects. Intangible aspects

Mikhailov Aleksei ORCID: 0000-0001-7540-8017 PhD in Architecture First Deputy Chairman, KGIOP 190000, Russia, Saint Petersburg, Lomonosov str., 1 kgiop501@yandex.ru

Introduction. In 2022, 20 years have passed since the principles of preservation of cultural heritage objects appeared in the legislation of the Russian Federation through the mandatory identification and preservation of elements and features that are the subject of protection. They were put into practice by Federal Law No. 73-FZ of 25.06.2002 "On Objects of Cultural Heritage (Historical and Cultural Monuments) of the Peoples of the Russian Federation" (hereinafter – Federal Law No. 73-FZ). The normative document reflected the existing domestic and partly international developments in the field of protection of cultural heritage objects, introduced a number of new concepts, and also clarified the mechanisms for preserving the historical environment. Currently, various material characteristics are distinguished as the subject of protection in most cases. It is extremely rare for a function and even rarer for other intangible components.

However, in the long term, an extremely important aspect is the preservation of objects of their historical purpose and intangible content. Their loss leads to a distortion of the history of the object, a change in the perception of its meaning and, as a result, a change in its material features (redevelopment of internal volumes, especially halls and two-light spaces, significant repurposing and changing of purpose). From generation to generation, such an object retains its original historical appearance less and less, and as a result, the question arises about the need to preserve it in principle.

The pioneering work introducing the concept of the subject of protection into the domestic sphere of protection of cultural heritage and operating it is the scientific work of the collective of the Association of Researchers of St. Petersburg, performed with the participation of T. A. Slavina, S. V. Sementsov and V. V. Antonov ^[9]. The problems were considered in a number of specialized works: dissertations, monographs and scientific articles by such authors as T. A. Slavina ^[13], S. V. Sementsov ^{[10, 10]}, L. R. Klebanov, V. R. Krogius ^[1], B. M. Kirikov, V. G. Lisovsky ^[3], A. L. Punin, Yu. A. Vedenin, A. A. Nikiforov, E. P. Shchukina ^{[15, 16]}, A. N. Panfilova, E. N. Pronina, A.V. Vakhitov, S.B. Pomorov, A.V. Slabukha ^[12], etc. However, attention was not paid in detail to the aspects of the intangible component of the subject of protection.

The subject of the study is conceptual and methodological principles and organizational approaches to the definition of the subject of protection; features, completeness and practical applicability of intangible aspects of the subject of protection of the object of cultural heritage.

Materials and methods. As the main methods of research, we can distinguish: the historical method, which includes the study, analysis and, if necessary, modeling of various periods of the history of the studied object, taking into account the peculiarities of the development of the historical environment, including graphic materials (plans showing the stages of development of the settlement and (or) the adjacent territory, architectural design and fixing drawings, etc. P.); testimonies of contemporaries, references in fiction and scientific literature.

The main part

Intangible heritage is a difficult topic to discuss - it is quite problematic to formalize something that cannot be touched with your hands. There is also a question of the need to regulate this process. Is it necessary to introduce restrictive instruments into legislation to preserve the "spirit of the place"? The discussion on this issue has been going on for many years. Different understanding of intangible heritage adds to the uncertainty.

In order to systematize the concept of "intangible heritage", I have identified two main areas:

1. Intangible heritage in the context of the Convention on the Protection of Intangible Cultural Heritage, adopted on October 17, 2003 by the General Conference of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (not ratified in the Russian Federation) (hereinafter – the Convention) [Convention on the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict. Moscow: Logos, 1993. P. 258-281];

2. "Intangible heritage" as a component of the object of cultural heritage (OKN) ^[6].

The Convention provides for the preservation of the following intangible cultural heritage:

- Oral traditions and forms of expression, including language as a carrier of intangible cultural heritage;

- Performing arts;

- Customs, rituals, festivals;

- Knowledge and customs related to nature and the universe;

- Knowledge and skills related to traditional crafts.

Intangible heritage in the understanding of the Convention develops as an independent direction, and is the basis for the preservation of many intangible components, including the way of life in historical settlements.

Separately, there is a concept of the subject of protection of an object of cultural heritage (ACCORDING to OKN), and the subject of protection of a historical settlement (ACCORDING to IP) – this is a description of the features of an object, a settlement that is the basis for its inclusion in the register and subject to mandatory preservation (Article 18, Article 59 of the Federal Law "On Objects of Cultural Heritage (Monuments of History and Culture) of peoples Of the Russian Federation" dated 25.06.2002 No. 73-FZ) (hereinafter – Law No. 73) [Federal Law No. 73-FZ dated 25.06.2002 (ed. dated 07.05.2013) "On Objects of Cultural Heritage (historical and cultural monuments) of the Peoples of the Russian Federation"]. The Convention on the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage, adopted on November 16, 1972 by the General Conference of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, spelled out the concept of outstanding universal value (WUC) – which preserves the features of the World Heritage Site [Convention on the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage. Moscow: Logos, 1993. P. 290-302].

PO and VUC are identical in the way of application of the concept. The software is divided into material attributes (urban planning, compositional, architectural, constructive, technological), traditionally identified as part of the windows, and intangible attributes (functional, historical, memorial).

A practical example of the lack of understanding and fixation of the intangible component of the window, which led to the physical loss of one of the characteristics of the object, is Elagin Island in St. Petersburg. The secular youth of the XIX century for two decades had a stable tradition of an evening trip to the western arrow of the island in order to admire the sunset. The construction of the Western High-speed Diameter blocked this wonderful view. Due to the fact that non-material visualized characteristics were not highlighted as WINDOWS, we have lost such an important component of the magnificent ensemble of K.I. Rossi.

In order to systematize, the following semantic characteristics of the intangible components of the window can be distinguished:

- The basis for the formation of a system of value orientations in humans;

- Providing a person with a sense of belonging to eternal values;

- Promoting the level of tolerance and mutual understanding;

- Creation of a basis for sustainable development of society;

- The basis of conscious, correct perception of material elements (including the "animation" of material elements by including them in a single information space);

- Ensuring the continuity of the transmission of information, including about the material heritage;

- The basis for identifying the uniqueness of the object as a whole, its components and elements in relation to other similar objects;

- Positioning of a resident through the formation of identity with his environment, including the formation of a careful attitude to heritage;

- Contributing to the social and economic development of society (including through the involvement of windows in the use of;

- Stimulating the development of tourism.

The intangible attributes of a WINDOW include:

- Functional use (features of traditional historical functional use);

- Key historical events (the history of the creation and transformation of the object);

- Socio-cultural use;

- Spiritual use;

The simplest thing in a WINDOW is its function. On the one hand, it is immaterial, and on the other hand, it is quite substantial. Do I need to save the function everywhere? The question is individual for each window, but some subjects of the Russian Federation include the WINDOW function in the software. This is one of the directions in which it is necessary to work, and in order to work in this direction, its regulation is necessary.

The data concerning historical and memorial events related to the window are noted in the certificates and passport of the window. The question arises how we can protect this data from distortion. We often encounter a large number of interpretations and manipulations with history, including due to the fact that we do not pay enough attention to this issue.

In order to streamline, I have compiled a classification of intangible aspects, which is theoretical and methodological in nature (Table 1).

Table 1 Classification of intangible aspects of objects of protection of the object of cultural heritage (developed by A.V. Mikhailov)

Intangible aspects are difficult to identify systematically, it is necessary to determine the methods of forming their lists. These methods include the following:

- Study of archival and historical design drawings and statements, fixation measurements, historical photo fixation, descriptions of the object (documentary and artistic);

- The study of artistic, historical, political and other events, images and myths associated with the object in scientific and fiction literature, painting, theater and film productions;

- Analysis of the historical period of creation and the main periods of operation of the object, including political, cultural, artistic trends and trends that could affect its creation and use;

- Full-scale examination (inspection, measurements);

- Archaeological research;

- Study of analog objects and interpolation of results.

Also in the work an attempt was made to formulate separate ways of preserving intangible aspects:

- Through the transfer of information about related material objects by forming a single information space or a system of information spaces;

- Revival and formation, as well as maintenance of traditional historical, systemic cultural and spiritual events of festive, professional and household orientation;

- Creation of new systems of existence based on cultural values (cultural routes, cultural settlements, etc.);

- Formation and balanced maintenance of a system of cultural myths (aimed at preserving these attributes);

- Formation of an understanding in the professional environment and at the state level of the need to systematize intangible components and the formation of legal and financial mechanisms for their preservation and support;

- Conducting thematic professional discussions on the issues of preservation of intangible heritage due to the unconditional importance of its contribution to the WUC OKN.

Fig. 1 Forms of fixation of non-material aspects (developed by A.V. Mikhailov)

It is also possible to distinguish certain forms of direct fixation of intangible aspects, for example: textual description and graphics, historical use, artistic representation, modern media technologies, myths and legends, historical existence (Fig. 1).

A separate direction for the study of intangible components is the disclosure of the symbolism of the window. The idea required reflection when work was underway on a project to recreate the Monumental Triumphal Arch of Palmyra. A search was undertaken for new ideological approaches to the restoration of destroyed objects in Syria (Fig. 2). The traditional concept that destroyed objects do not need to be restored does not work with respect to those objects that have a much deeper meaning and is a symbol of preserving the cultural identity of the people. Through the symbolism of the WINDOW, the need to recreate a number of Palmyra objects, including the Monumental Triumphal Arch, was justified.

Fig. 2 Attributes of the monument-symbol. (developed by A.V. Mikhailov)

The topic of intangible heritage is not just a topic for reflection. This is a set of practical proposals for making amendments to Law No. 73, including in the part on the window, on the historical settlement and, possibly, taking into account data in the preparation of the window protection zones. Law No. 73 can and should be filled with new components, expanding the understanding of the meaning and tasks of preserving cultural heritage objects.

Conclusions

1. The need for legislative consideration of intangible components, despite the remaining individual concerns, is obvious. At the same time, not only intangible heritage within the meaning of the 2003 Convention, but also intangible components of individual monuments and ensembles are subject to accounting and regulation for conservation purposes. Such regulation will not only protect against distortion of knowledge and history, but can also ensure that the associated material components are taken into account and preserved.

2. Most of the concerns about the abstractness of the intangible characteristics of the window is not justified. Of course, any systematization has its own errors, however, the presented structure of the intangible aspects of the OCN has its own clearly formalized attributes and components systematized in the study. The non-material aspects of the window are not limited to the function, but also include other listed characteristics that affect the holistic perception of the window and, as a result, are subject to consideration in the current use of the WINDOW or its adaptation for modern use.

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