“Muzykol” – A Cultural Metaphor of the Polish People’s Republic

Muzykol – kulturowa metafora PRL

Author(s): Piotr Fortuna / Language(s): Polish / Issue: 91/2015

Keywords: Polish People’s Republic; musical

The article is an attempt to use the category of the musical as a tool for describing the society of the Polish People’s Republic (PPR) era. PPR film musical is shown here to be a rare phenomenon, but a symptomatic one. The author reinterprets the theory of Rick Altman in relation to socialist mass culture, ascribing the duality of cultural and counter-cultural on to the conflict between the interests of disliked powers and the unfulfilled expectations of the citizens. He shows how the analysed films differ from the Hollywood model in the attitude towards work and entertainment, and how they fulfil propaganda and compensatory functions. As a result, the communist musical turns out to be something more than an inept imitation – it becomes a “muzykol” [locally made musical like film, that is not up to Western standards], a cultural metaphor for the communist era in Poland.

Film Images of Androgyny – Androgyny of Film Image

Filmowe obrazy androgynii – androgyniczność obrazu filmowego

Author(s): Paulina Kwiatkowska / Language(s): Polish / Issue: 91/2015

Keywords: Androgyny; David Bowie; Todd Haynes; Donald Cammell; Nicolas Roeg; Jim Sharman; British culture

A book review of Karolina Kosińska’s „Androgyn. Tożsamość, tęsknota, pragnienie. Postać androgyniczna w brytyjskiej kulturze popularnej i filmie lat 70.” [„The Androgyne. Identity, Longing and Desire. The androgynous figure in British pop culture and film of the 1970s”] (2014). The book is a fascinating attempt at examining not only a specific phenomenon in the context of history of culture and film, but also misconceptions associated with androgyny. The author of the book focuses on the analysis of four films: „Performance” (1970) by Donald Cammell and Nicolas Roeg, „The Man Who Fell to Earth” (1976) by Nicolas Roeg, Jim Sharman’s „The Rocky Horror Picture Show” (1975) and „Velvet Goldmine” (1998) by Todd Haynes. The insightful analysis, full of references and contexts, is also an excuse for an incredibly inspiring reflection on the ambivalent and unstable ca tegory of androgyny. According to Kosińska androgyne ceases to be just one of many recurring themes in culture over the centuries and becomes a way of challenging the very foundations of Western culture based on the conviction that basic dichotomies female – male, surface – depth, margin – center, are insurmountable.

A Flashlight Pen. Jerzy Płażewski (1924-2015) – Obituary

Długopis z latarką. Jerzy Płażewski (1924-2015)

Author(s): Łukasz Maciejewski / Language(s): Polish / Issue: 91/2015

Archiving in the Digitised World

Archiwizacja w zdigitalizowanym świecie

Author(s): Kamila Żyto / Language(s): Polish / Issue: 91/2015

The article is a report from the international conference "Archives of/for the Future" which took place in Łódź in June 2015 under the patronage of NECS, and which was organised by the Centre of Media Studies and Audiovisual Culture of the Łódź university and the University of Social Sciences and Humanities (SWPS). Its main topic was archives and archiving – issues particularly relevant in the age of digitisation, which radically and irreversibly changed research perspective on these issues. The several days of deliberation of scholars and artists from all over Europe and the world, the discussions, workshops and meetings with invited speakers (such as Olivier Grau or Krzysztof Wodiczko) were a testimony of democratisation of archiving, which is no longer an exclusive process available only to a group of highly specialised professionals, but a phenomenon of global culture.

Six Decades since a Blessed Event in the History of the Relics of Venerable Saint Parascheva – the Generalization of Her Veneration (October 1955-October 2015)

Six Decades since a Blessed Event in the History of the Relics of Venerable Saint Parascheva – the Generalization of Her Veneration (October 1955-October 2015)

Author(s): Ion Vicovan / Language(s): English / Issue: 2/2015

Keywords: Romanian saints; generalization of veneration; St Parascheva; Moldavia;

Although the Romanian nation produced, throughout its history, numerous saints, canonization took place during the noteworthy rule of Patriarch Justinian Marina (1948-1977), in 1950. Together with the introduction into the calendar of Romanian saints, the generalization of venerating the saints whose relics are in our country was decided. Among the saints whose veneration was extended at the time, was Venerable St Parascheva “the housewife-like enlightener of Moldavia”, whose holy relics were brought to Iaşi in 1641, during the reign of the pious Prince Vasile Lupu and the holy Bishop and scholar Varlaam.The proclamation of the generalization of St Parascheva’s veneration was held on October 14th, 1955, six decades ago, during the noteworthy rule of Metropolitan Sebastian Rusan (1950-1956). The dedication day was a day of liturgical and spiritual significance. Both Romanian Hierarchs and those of other Jurisdictions, along with many priests, monks, nuns and many of the faithful attended the event.

St Paisius’ Community in Dragomirna: Pastoral Care and Spiritual Beauty

St Paisius’ Community in Dragomirna: Pastoral Care and Spiritual Beauty

Author(s): Daniel Niţă-Danielescu / Language(s): English / Issue: 2/2015

Keywords: Pious Paisius, Dragomirna Monastery; Hesychasm; monasticism;

In 1763 the community led by Pious Paisius, comprising 64 members, received Dragomirna Monastery as their abode for permanent settlement. Under Pious Paisius’ guidance, a way of life took root, gained strength and vigour and began to be increasingly sought after, which those who describe it have termed “Paisian spirit”. It revealed to all the use and beauty of experiencing Christian teaching and pure prayer in communal life and the reward received even in this world for the effort of seeking holiness.

A Biblical Answer to Family Problems

A Biblical Answer to Family Problems

Author(s): Paul-Cezar HÂRLĂOANU / Language(s): English / Issue: 2/2015

Keywords: family; divorce; Song of Songs; love; passion; competition; sacrifice;

The contemporary family faces many challenges. Divorce is one of the most serious problems in our society. It is caused by different stresses with which the family must deal. The “Song of Songs” offers hope in resolving such stresses. It proposes a different way of life as opposed to the trials of modern marriage: love, sacrifice and enduring passion.

The Holy Eucharist Today: Pastoral-Spiritual Prolegomena

The Holy Eucharist Today: Pastoral-Spiritual Prolegomena

Author(s): Adrian-Lucian Dinu / Language(s): English / Issue: 2/2015

Keywords: Eucharist; Holy Fathers; pastoral care; spiritual life

This study includes testimonies concerning the Holy Eucharist by three great Fathers of Romanian Orthodoxy: Fr. Cleopa Ilie, Fr. Prof. Constantin Galeriu and Fr. Prof. Dumitru Stăniloae. All three of them are recognized as being highly proficient in Church teaching, devoutly Orthodox and, consecrated preachers and catechists. This is why I consider that their contribution to the understanding and valorisation of the many aspects related to the Holy Eucharist is essential.

Saint Paisius Velichkovsky and the Hesychast Renewal in Romanian Monasticism of the 18th century

Saint Paisius Velichkovsky and the Hesychast Renewal in Romanian Monasticism of the 18th century

Author(s): Viorel Sava / Language(s): English / Issue: 2/2015

Keywords: St Paisius; monasticism; Philocalia; Hesychast renewal; monastic rules;

The first part of this article answers the question, Who is St Paisius highlighting his birth, family, education, spiritual formation, and monastic life in Ukrainian and Romanian monasteries and on Mount Athos, and his return to Moldova where he lived in Dragomirna, Secu and Neamţ. The second part is dedicated to a short description of the monastic life in Neamţ Monastery. The third part demonstrates the underlying importance of the translation of The Philokalia for Orthodox monastic spirituality. In the fourth part we present some rules of living established by St Paisius as experienced in the monasteries where he lived. Finally, we show how St Paisius is respected and venerated today in the Orthodox Church.

The Application of Oikonomia in the Sacrament of Ordination

The Application of Oikonomia in the Sacrament of Ordination

Author(s): Emilian-Iustinian Roman / Language(s): English / Issue: 2/2015

Keywords: canons; oikonomia; Sacrament of Ordination; divorced and remarried priests; decisions of the Holy Synod

The issue of the status of divorced and remarried priests as well as of widowed and remarried ones is present in the life of the Church today. The post-modern, secularized society in which we live is the auspicious context for discarding a man from the balance between what the Church teaches and lives, that is between orthodoxy and orthopraxis, attempting in every way to sweeten rules and, implicitly, to justify sin. In this study, we shall deal first of all with issues concerning the principle of oikonomia, and secondly with the way this principle is reflected in Decision no.1092 of the Holy Synod of the Romanian Orthodox Church passed on the 24th of February 2010 regarding the status of divorced and remarried priests, and widowed and remarried ones, thus addressing the principle of oikonomia in the Sacrament of Ordination.

Concerning Matila C. Ghyka and Visual Beauty (IV)

Concerning Matila C. Ghyka and Visual Beauty (IV)

Author(s): Georgeta Merişor Dominte / Language(s): English / Issue: 2/2015

Keywords: Matila C. Ghyka; aesthetics

Selected from a more extensive research paper (“Matila C. Ghyka and Visual Beauty”), this study includes a few details about Matila C. Ghyka (b.13.09.1881, Jassy – d. 14.07.1965, London) and visual beauty, considered as a whole as an expression of the golden number (phi=1,618...) and of harmonious characteristics, both in his aesthetic vision and in general. This section contains a series of references to conceptual antecedents and enduring significances of compositional harmony that converge when considering beauty from a mathematical perspective. By its very abstract system, the scientific approach certifies for Matila C. Ghyka the permanence and the plurality of harmony in the visual medium, within which the golden number has an essential and invariable function as a constitutive factor, both for natural and artistic beauty.

The Influence of the Essential Oils on the Pests in the Old Book Collections

The Influence of the Essential Oils on the Pests in the Old Book Collections

Author(s): Mina Adriana Moşneagu,Elena Ardelean / Language(s): English / Issue: 2/2015

Keywords: essential oils; biodeterioration; old books

The use of essential oils for disinfection and pest control of old book collections can be a non-residual, ecological and economical alternative to chemical treatments, being safe both for the objects and for the staff. The repellant and biocidal activity of some volatile oils has been proven effective against a variety of microorganisms and insects.

“Suppositio ‘universalia realia sunt ponenda’ est admittenda”. Nominalism and Realism at the Prague University in Late Middle Ages in the Light of an Anonymous Tract on Logic Written in 1394–1397

„Suppositio ‚universalia realia sunt ponenda‘ est admittenda“. Nominalismus a realismus na pražské univerzitě v pozdním středověku ve světle jednoho anonymního logického traktátu z let 1394–1397

Author(s): Martin Dekarli / Language(s): Czech / Issue: 2/2014

Keywords: Prague University; realism; nominalism; universals; logic; semantics; Richard Billingham; Richard Brinkley; John Wyclif; Stanislaus de Znoyma; Stephanus de Palecz; Jan Hus

This paper provides a summary of the current knowledge about the development of nominalism and realism at the Prague University in Late Middle Ages with the special emphasis on the anonymous ‘sophistria’ treatise on logic. The author reconstructs the institutional and doctrinal context of the logic’s teaching at the Prague Faculty of Arts and draws attention to the importance of the nominalist tradition. Finally, the article revises known facts about John Wyclif’s influence within the Prague intellectual milieu.

Value System in the Teaching at the Normal School in Prague in Late 18th and Early 19th Century. Contribution to History of the State

Hodnotový systém ve výuce Normální školy v Praze na přelomu 18. a 19. století. Příspěvek k dějinám státu

Author(s): Jakub Raška / Language(s): Czech / Issue: 2/2014

Keywords: Normal school in Prague; Bohemian Enlightenment; origins of modern state; étatisation; value system; Aleš Pařízek; Ferdinand Kindermann; Maria Theresa; Joseph II

This article focuses on the Normal School in Prague, which after the introduction of the Theresian General School Ordinance (1774) became a model institution for lower education in Habsburg Bohemia. For this reason, its teaching methods and the specific value system it transmitted to its students can be seen as a norm for other lower schools in the hereditary Lands of the Bohemian Crown. The author’s main aim is to describe the values which the school instilled in its students. It seems that these values originated in the Austrian state. It is shown how school discourse of ‘enlightened absolutism’ emphasised the connection between the state and the schools. Finally, based on contemporary theoretical texts about education, school textbooks, and sources created by the action of the school, the author describes a school (and state) vision of a perfect person and his or her education.

Aesthetics in the National Curricula Set by the Imperial Court in Vienna and in Lecture Lists from Universities in Vienna, Prague, Lemberg, Graz, Innsbruck, and Olmütz, 1805–1848

Estetika podle studijních plánů vídeňského dvora a seznamů přednášek rakouských univerzit a lyceí v letech 1805 až 1848 (Vídeň, Praha, Lvov, Štýrský Hradec, Innsbruck, Olomouc)

Author(s): Tomáš Hlobil / Language(s): Czech / Issue: 2/2014

Keywords: Aesthetics; university; Austrian Monarchy; first half of the 19th century

This article describes the place of aesthetics in philosophy courses at Austrian universities from 1805 to 1848. It is based on an analysis both of national curricula set by the imperial court in Vienna and of lecture lists published by universities in Vienna, Prague, Lemberg (Lvov), Graz, Innsbruck, and Olmütz (Olomouc).

The Restless Dandies: Arab Students in Prague in 1950s and 1960s

Problémoví elegáni. Arabští studenti v Praze v 50. a 60. letech 20. století

Author(s): Daniela Hannová / Language(s): Czech / Issue: 2/2014

Keywords: Students; Czechoslovakia after 1948; Communism; Arabs; identity; everyday life; cultural history

This article focuses on the phenomenon of students from the so-called less developed countries in communist Czechoslovakia, specifically Arab students in the 50s and 60s of the twentieth century. After a brief introduction highlighting the possible methodological approaches the attention is shifted towards cultural agreements and forms of studies in Czechoslovakia. The aspects of arriving abroad, preparatory language courses, accommodation in Prague, studying, everyday life of Arab students in Czechoslovakia and the conflicts they had faced are analyzed in the following part. The problem of Arab student adaptation to the new environment and troubles caused by cultural differences are illuminated in the framework of these thematic sections.

Some Additions to the Biography of the Czech Physicist August Žáček

Několik dodatků k životopisu českého fyzika Augusta Žáčka

Author(s): Emilie Těšínská / Language(s): Czech / Issue: 2/2014

Keywords: August Žáček (1886–1961); history of physics; Charles University

In the broader context of and connection with earlier published articles about August Žáček (1886–1961), Czech physicist and professor of Charles University, the author adds and corrects information pertaining to his native town and family (parents and siblings), his studies (elementary and secondary school, university and study in Germany and Sweden), his career (development of his scientific interests, publications, habilitation and professorship, rise to the leading position in the Institute for Physics of Charles University, membership in professional associations and science academies), but also various details of his private life (marriage, material situation, and activities in the last years of his life after a forced departure from the university in February 1948).

Festival of Memory in Prague

Festival paměti v Praze

Author(s): Václav Sixta / Language(s): Czech / Issue: 2/2014

Jiří Levý’s contribution to translation studies as represented in the de Gruyter Encyclopedia Übersetzung, Translation, Traduction

Jiří Levý’s contribution to translation studies as represented in the de Gruyter Encyclopedia Übersetzung, Translation, Traduction

Author(s): Brigitte Schultze / Language(s): English / Issue: 3/2015

Keywords: Levý as pioneering translation scholar; the de Gruyter “International Encyclopedia of Translation Studies”; presentation of Czech structuralism in the “Encyclopedia”; Roman Jakobson

About fifty entries in the Index of Names (HSK. 26.3: 2728) assign Levý to a relatively small number (little more than a dozen) of most frequently quoted and discussed translation scholars. It is important to note that, out of Levý’s works, only two titles are referred to – “The Art of Translation” and “Translation as a decision process” . Both titles are exclusively quoted either in German (1969) or in Russian (1974), in English (1967) or in German (1981), respectively. The total absence of contributions written in Czech is due to the fact that the editors of the encyclopaedia did not succeed in acquiring Czech and/or Slovak contributors to the handbook. In some entries, Levý is seen as a forerunner within the history of translation studies. In most entries, however, he is seen as an integral part of the discipline and actual discussions. Sometimes, it is regretted that his contributions to the field are not looked into well enough. While the methodological (structuralist) and ideological context of his works is only mentioned, a host of concrete linguistic and literary problems (the idea of decision making, ways of handling proper names, aspects of drama translation) are referred to or discussed at some length. The paper presents the results of an evaluation and looks more thoroughly into some especially relevant questions raised.