The article is devoted to describing the essence of Chinese cultural discourse analysis, expanding its methodology and thus including a new systematic knowledge of the development of discursive linguistics in China in the scientific discussion space of Russian linguistics. The author's model of parameterization of the Chinese discursive space is proposed as an interpretive basis for various types of Chinese personality oriented and institutional communication.

The article examines the linguistic personality of the author of popular science articles through analysis of his use of argumentative means. Three articles of the journalist R. Fishman were selected as material. The distribution of argumentative schemes (types of arguments) is considered in comparison with the average distribution in journalistic texts; some specific features of argumentative structures (ways of organizing argumentation in the text) are shown. It was found that the author often prefers to use logical and pseudological arguments, as well as arguments demonstrating ways of obtaining knowledge, and less often - to references to an authoritative opinion. The complicated argumentative structures used by R. Fishman demonstrate the multifaceted nature of the scientific phenomena referred to in the texts; conflict, or attacking (containing counterarguments) schemes used by the author perform two functions: attracting attention and demonstrating the complexity and ambiguity of scientific phenomena. On the whole, the argumentation observed in the texts of R. Fishman indicates that the author tries to comprehend scientific knowledge for its appropriate transfer to a non-specialist reader, and does not use simpler strategies to popularize scientific knowledge.

The purpose of the article is to identify traces of Turkic-Mongolian language contacts in the structural and taxonomic organization of consonant systems in the South Siberian Turkic languages and the Mongolian languages of Russia and the Mongolian People’s Republic. The work is based on the generalization of the results of long-term experimental phonetic studies obtained by Siberian linguists using a complex methodology that includes both linguistic methods of phonological analysis and objective methods of articulatory and acoustic phonetics. Instrumental data indicate significant structural and typological differences in the organization of Mongolian consonant systems, determined both by the processes of historical contact with the Turkic, Tungus-Manchu, and Ugro-Samoyed languages, and by the laws of immanent development. Khalkha-Mongolian and Kalmyk consonantism, which is based on a trichotomic opposition in articulatory tension (strong / weak / super-weak phonemes), is closer to the Tuva and Tofa languages - the South Siberian Turkic languages of the Sayan-Baikal branch of the Circum-Baikal language Union. This specificity can be considered as a result of the assimilating influence of the Mongolian ethnic groups on the previous Turkic-speaking population: by switching to the Mongolian language, the native Turks preserved their articulatory-acoustic base in it, focused on the relevance of the 3-step gradation of units according to the degree of tension. Another niche in the typological classification is occupied by the Hori-Buryat consonant system, structured by the binary opposition of weak and super-weak consonant phonemes. The unacceptability of highly stressed settings for the articulatory base of native speakers includes the Khori-Buryat language in one cluster with the Turkic languages of the Altai-Sayan branch of the Circum-Baikal language Union (Altai, Khakass) formed on the Ugro-Samoyed substrate. The Yakut language, which was heavily Mongolized during the ethnic fusion of the ancient Turks and Khidans, has a consonantal system with a basic orientation to the opposition on the additional vocal cords work (voiceless / voiced / sonorous), developed under the influence of active contacts with the Tungus-Manchu tribes and under the pressure of the Russian phonological system. Instrumental data show that the Turkic-Mongolian language community is heterogeneous in its composition and structure, and the obvious material and structural-typological proximity of the consonant systems of the Altaic group languages is the result of convergence, rather than divergence from a common root.

In various classifications, the relations between Siberian Turkic languages are defined in different ways: according to some researchers, these relations are a result of convergence of Turkic groups of varying genesis on Sayan-Altai. Other view the development of Siberian Turkic languages as a ‘tree’; this concept is found in comparative Turkic grammars. On the basis of this concept, we analyze the relations between the Yakut, Tuvan, and Tof languages, which are viewed as a branch of the Siberian Turkic tree in the Historical and Comparative Grammar of Turkic Languages. In this article, we study the formation of the opposition of voiced consonants. We believe that in Tuvan, and especially in Tof, the ancient triple opposition of voiced consonants is preserved. The system of correlations between the qualities of vowels and consonants in Tuvan and Yakut suggests that in Yakut, there used to be a broader system of voiced consonants. The qualities of preceding vowels depended on consonant qualities (strong / weak), and in Yakut, they became stable (as long / short vowels). In Yakut, short vowels correspond to Tuvan pharyngealized vowels, and the presence or absence of pharyngealization depends on the qualities of consonants. In Yakut, consonant qualities were transferred to vowel qualities, and at a certain point, the system of consonants became more simplified, but the ancient triple opposition of consonants may be reconstructed for the Yakut language on the basis of Tuvan and Tof. We also analyze the system of participles and finite forms based on them. In Yakut, the ancient participle forms are mostly preserved, while in Tuvan, they exist at the periphery of the verb system. In Tuvan, there are strong traces of Kipchak languages; for example, the most typical Kipchak affix = ган is completely absent in Yakut. Therefore, we may see that different language levels (phonetic and morphological) develop with varying speed. In Yakut, the phonetic system evolved rapidly, while the morphological system preserved the most important Ancient Turkic forms; in Tuvan, some aspects of the ancient consonat system were preserved, while the system of participles changed in significant ways, absorbing the = ган form.

In the following article, we analyze the forms of the optative in the Altai language. The modal meaning of volition in the Altai language is expressed by various means: lexical, grammatical, analytical means, and idiomatic constructions. In the article, we offer a brief overview of the means of expression of volition. The primary focus of our study is the desiderative form with =(Ы)ксА=, along with 5 synthetic forms of optative mood: =ГАй, =СА, =(А)йын, =СЫн, =БАзЫн. We show that in the modern Altai language, the finite form with =(Ы)ксА= is widely used in spoken language, with limited compatibility. The form with =(Ы)ксА= is used with the lexical-semantic group of verbs denoting physiological, psychological, or social needs of the subject, for example: јаныкса ʻto want to go homeʼ from the verb јан= ʻto go homeʼ, кӧрӱксе= ʻto want to seeʼ from the verb кӧр= ʻto look’, etc. This form denotes the subject’s strong desire to do something related to their inner feelings and emotions experienced currently and at the moment of speech, or in the past, a desire aimed towards the future which the subject is confident about. Because this form’s semantic compatibility is limited, and the modal meaning of volition expressed by this form is defined as ‘non-locutive’ modality, we believe that it should not, at this stage of the language’s development, be viewed as optative mood, but rather as a non-productive word-forming affix.

The article attempts to summarize materials on the study of Russian sign language: as a result of analysis of materials from scientific and lexicographic sources, the main problems of studying and describing the main means of communication for deaf and hard of hearing citizens of the Russian Federation are formulated, the degree of research of Russian sign language is analyzed, and the prospects for this current area of modern linguistics are determined.

The following article presents a linguistic and stylistic analysis of A. S. Pushkin’s poem The hermit Fathers and the immaculate wives... in comparison with the Greek text of the prayer of St. Ephrem the Syrian and its Church Slavonic translation, which was the source of the Poet’s poem. The similarities of the text content and the existing differences are shown. The outstanding role of Pushkin’s text, which essentially performs the ‘transliterating’ function of transmitting Church Slavonic literature to the system of Russian verbal culture, is acknowledged. For Alexander Pushkin, the Church Slavonic language was very important as a source (or one of the sources) of formation of the Russian literary language. The poet introduced many Church Slavonic words into Russian literary speech, for which he was often criticized. Indeed, from the point of view of a native speaker of an exquisite literary language, many lexical introductions of Church Slavonisms to the text of Eugene Onegin were a stylistic challenge. Russian lexical field was regularly expanded by the poet by the means of the Church Slavonic dictionary. This is clearly confirmed by works where the Church Slavonic words fit the theme logically, without causing complaints from adherents of literary norms, but also serve the purpose of lexical enrichment of the Russian language. The analyzed poem is among such works. A comparison of the two texts (the Church Slavonic translation of the prayer of St. Ephrem the Syrian and the poem of Alexander Pushkin) shows a very important difference between them. There is humility as the highest Christian virtue and Evangelical hope in Ephrem the Syrian’s work. And there is Evangelical love as a goal and the most cherished, necessary value for a person who has fallen, but lives in hope, in A. S. Pushkin. Each of these ascetics (St. Ephrem the Syrian and Alexander Pushkin) has his own vision of the outcome of earthly life. For all its signs of Lenten prayer, the poet’s requests have a different sound. More general, more generalized. The text goes beyond the category of calendar-timed (within the Church year) prayers, it pushes the boundaries of its use. This is its further development, its further life. And this is quite natural. Having left the liturgical, prayerful, more secluded and more strict sphere for the sphere of literature (resp. in the sphere of public perception and worldview, addressed to contemporaries who are not always aware of the significance of the presence of God in their lives), the text has already changed, it has spread out. A shift in internal emphasis changes its content. It is a fundamentally independent work.

The article is dedicated to the study of the most significant and popular Old Russian scribe - “Alphabetical”, written in the late 16th - early 17th century according to researchers. The assumption is made that it was replenished and adjusted over several decades, quickly responding to the demands of the times and reflecting the main processes that took place in Russian literature of the 16th and especially the 17th century. The scribe reflected the central feature of this period: the interaction of the traditional and the new, with an emphasis on the new. It demonstrates such new aspects of Russian literature of the 17th century as secularization, democratization, fiction, and individualization. It is rather telling that the vast majority of sample messages are private letters written for relatives and friends. Particularly noteworthy are the samples of ‘anti-friendly’ letters, some of which are parodies of friendly letters. They make up an organic part of the 17th century parodies, namely such satirical texts as Kalyazinsky Petition, The Dowry Document, The Tale of Ersh Ershovich, The Service of the Tavern. As it is known, parodies play a crucial role in the turning periods of literary development, which was the 17th century. In this era, first of all, the most stable and therefore most recognizable genres were parodied: business (petitions, dowry, court documents, etc.) and church (hagiographies, prayers, akathists, church services, etc.) writing. Quite noteworthy is the appearance along with these parodies of the parody of the epistolary genre, indicating that it had fully developed, and occupied a proper place in the system of literature genres, and was unmistakably recognized by authors and readers. Moreover, a new, ‘secular’ version had developed and was recognized: friendly letters, which were by no means educational, unlike those popular in Ancient Russian literature of previous centuries.

Purpose. The article examines the topos of HOME and following motifs A. P. Chekhov’s late prose. Results. The 1st story, A Woman’s Kingdom , portrays a rich young woman who is bored with her eventless everyday life. Being clever and open-hearted, Anna Akimovna searches for human values, such as empathetic communication, loving family, etc. The fictive time is Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, so genre tradition of Christmas narratives involves miracles connected with status changes (marriage, family reunification, poor relative gets award or gift from their rich uncle, an orphan finds their parents, and so on). Ritual temporality suggests some fate changes, and it makes Anna Akimovna dream about her matrimony matters with the worker Pimenov. At last she realizes that Pimenov is below her socially, and social instinct leads her closer to vapid and stupid such as Lysevich or important administrative official Krylin. Dull days she spends at home compel her to leave her dreams for humility. Thus, home-associated motifs in the story are boredom, weariness, and humility. The second narrative, At Home, is based on a return plot. Vera Kardina, who has received her education courses in Moscow, suffers from primitive customs of her home estate. Eventually, she realizes that she is becoming as rude and narrow-minded as the others inhabitants. Therefore, she decides to escape into an unhappy marriage. Corresponding motifs are the same: boredom and weariness, but the main character’s escape reveals the higher degree of disagreement with her current lifestyle. In the third short story, A Doctor’s Visit, the female character’s disease is explained by her inner anxiety related to her social role. Liza Lyalikova is the heir of a huge factory, but she worries that it makes her unhappy and lonely. Doctor Korolev is sure that the best way for Liza’s recovery is to quit the business. When the characters meet next morning, doctor believes that Liza would leave home. Both characters compare the factory with the devil, the absolute evil force, that forms the main motif of the short story. Here, the HOME topos is reconstructed in symbolic way. Conclusion. We conclude that the topos of home in Chekhov’s late works produces destructive emotions. Main characters of narratives don’t feel safe and calm in their homes. Motif dynamics show the development of characters’ positions from humility to deliverance.

This article is a detailed review of N. Nikolaeva’s book The Japanese, published in 2016 in Ogre. The Japanese are memoirs of a Harbin Russian, the daughter of a Russian officer who found himself in China after retreat and defeat of Kolchak’s army. The article gives an overview of the images of a ‘vanishing nature’, which the memoirist managed to capture in her works, shows how deeply she understood the fate of the eastern emigrants, how precisely the topography of Harbin is reflected in the text. Special attention is paid in the article to a variety of narrative texture of N. Nikolaeva’s memoirs and thoughtful composition of her work. The plot focuses mainly on the memories of Nikolaeva’s childhood, which coincided with the years of Japanese dictatorship in North-Eastern China, the first part is devoted to her childhood memories. The second part contains biographies of parents and relatives of N. Nikolaeva, as well as a story about the return of her family from Harbin to their homeland in 1954. N. Nikolaeva’s documentary book is considered in the article in the context of artistic memories of Harbin (in particular, compared to Katya Kitayskaya by D. A. Prigov, a novel based on the memories of the writer's wife, a Harbin Russian, N. Burova), as well compared to the poetry by A. Nesmelov, whose poems are full of quotes from the book by N. Nikolaeva. The parallels between Russian and Harbin life outlined by the author of the memoirs are exceptionally interesting and represent the parallels between the old, noble (the ambient of pre-revolutionary Russia remained in Harbin until the mid-twentieth century), and the new, Soviet Russia.

Purpose. The purpose of the article is to analyze the motive of mastery in modern artistic traditionalism. Results. The works of F. Abramov, V. Shukshin, and V. Rasputin as representatives of the socio-moral, existential, and ‘mystical’ lines of development of this movement were chosen for our research. We separate the motif of craft and the the actual creative act, and analyze the effect of luminophany typical to the latter. In Shukshin’s work, the motive of skill correlates with the plot of civilization, the characters leave the countryside in search of wisdom. In the early texts, the city is presented as a promising space for the formation of personality, in the later ones, on the contrary, the image of the city gets a tragic resolution, the master chooses the path of a hired craftsman who repeats other people's patterns. The real hero here is ‘strange’, ‘foolish’, who does not know how to make practical use of the skill. He creates his world as a miracle, a refuge where you can escape from the cruel present. In Abramov’s work, the themes of labor and skill are key, the social efforts of masters are important, they strive to transform the house, the countryside, and Russia here and now. There is an ethicization of labor, labor becomes a commandment, a prayer, the masters themselves belong to the fabulous chronotope, perform the functions of demiurges, opening up to the profane crafts, culture, and the vertical. Women often show skill in men's professions, which is due to the unique traits of the post-war period. The motif of skill in Rasputin's later texts correlates with the motif of death. The theme of the master and his fate unfolds in the story Izba, where the question arises about a new hero who can lead the nation out of the spiritual impasse. Rasputin, disappointed in the possibilities of a patriarchal man, leaves the chance for the renewal of the universe to a woman whose feat is set off by the presence of the master Savelii, whose image is enhanced by the figure of Orpheus. When the masters no longer have a place, in reality, they establish personal contact with time, and Eternity resonates with the question of man. Conclusion. Over the centuries, the experience of searching for ‘secret freedom’, the creation of the master of light, accumulates, is transmitted from generation to generation, which determines the existence of culture.

Purpose. This article highlights the main trends in the analysis and evaluation of village prose by critics of the journal October, which occupies one of the leading places in the series of journalism criticism of the liberal camp. The material for the study was articles published from 1980s to the present, which also allows us to consider the analysis of modern traditionalist prose by criticizing the October in the diachronic aspect. Results. The characteristic features of the liberal criticism are its non-ideological character, analyticity, universality and text centricity. In interpreting “village” prose, the focus of liberal critics shifts from the system of value guidelines and ideas broadcast by this group of writers to the peculiarities of its poetics and cultural context. In the 1980s the place of “village” prose in a number of works of modernity is being actively investigated. It was perceived as literature focused on a “simple” person, to his personality and his soul, focused on the moral issues of life and showing some ideals, role models in the era of the crisis of the spiritual principle in literature. Its philosophical and moral character, the ability to pose the most important issues of our time, to rethink historical events, in particular the events of collectivization, are noted and appreciated. Interest in it fades away with the beginning of the 1900s, when “village” prose begins to be associated with the era of stagnation, and the writers themselves are accused of excessive conservatism and extreme nationalism. In the 2000s, appeals to “village” prose were single and related to the development of the “new realism” trend, which reveals common ground with the artistic phenomenon that we are considering. Conclusion. In the 1980s, the status of “village” prose is rated quite high. It is considered in a number of contemporary artistic trends, such as confession, ontology, appeal to people. Her journalism and topicality are highly appreciated. In the 1990s the situation is changing: for the criticism of the October “village” prose becomes irrelevant. This trend holds true today.