On January 18, a cross-platform roundtable discussion entitled «Arkaim, the territory of understanding: on formation of historical foundation of regional ideology of cultural, national and religious unity” was held at South Ural State University. The event featured administrative staff and scientists of SUSU, CSU, Chelyabinsk State Institute of Culture and Arts, administrative staff of National Park Arkaim and Centre of Tourism Development for the Chelyabinsk region, representatives of the Public Chamber and entrepreneurs.
The purpose of the event was to discuss historical and ideological basis of the considered period in order to create its popularised version in the format of an interactive exhibition intended for broadcasting in tourism-related projects and excursion programmes.
Director of the SUSU Institute of Social Sciences and Humanities, Elena Ponomareva, addressed the guests and participants of the event with a welcoming speech.
“It is very often that we regard important things one-time-only. Today, we need to not just preserve the intensity of scientific discussion but also find common positions which will allow for living and maintaining the comfort. It is important for us to get united, find the common ground and realize that we are all on the same side.”
Vice-Rector for Student Affairs, Vyacheslav Burmatov, also offered a welcoming speech.
“Today’s event is important and relevant. The issues of searching and formulating the regional ideology of cultural, national and religious unity are topical no matter the time. It is gratifying that the meeting is held at SUSU. I hope that by the end of the event we will substantiate some concept and will be able to move further according to it.”
According to the event programme, two reports and two abstracts were proposed and discussed within the roundtable discussion.
A report by member of the Public Chamber of the Chelyabinsk region, Chairman of the Public Chamber Committee on ecology and environment protection, expert in the sphere of investment-driven development, Chairman of the Committee of the South Ural Chamber of Commerce and Industry for Ecology and Resource Saving, Andrey Minchenko, entitled “On social and economic challenges of modernity in the context of monuments of Arkaim and the Land of Cities” was presented within a section entitled “Cultural, historical and social premises of the Arkaim project: Arkaim, the Land of Cities, as a historical background of regional ideology and regional patriotism”.
“If we want to somehow improve the situation, the first thing that we need to do is come to a common opinion in the main aspects of the history of this culture, even if in order to do this we need to step away from the strong scientific criticism,” says Andrey Minchenko.
“Scientific premises of the project: history and geography of Arkaim as the basis of regional ideology of a unity of nations that reconciles contradictions” were covered in a report by specialist of the CSU Education and Research Centre for the study of nature and humans, research fellow of the Arkaim historical and cultural conservation area, Candidate of Sciences (History), Dmitry Zdanovich.
The following are other reports presented for discussion: “Digital stage of project implementation: creation of an interactive historical park entitled ‘South Ural is My History’ in the region and its initial exhibition dedicated to the Eneolithic Age and the Bronze Age (Arkaim, the Land of Cities)” (A.H. Nurkenov, Deputy Head of the Research and Innovation Services, Candidate of Sciences (Engineerig)) and “Prospective stage of project implementation: creation of an equipped archaeological park of the federal scale within facilities of the Land of Cities as the centre of incoming tourism in the region” (I.A. Semyan, Head of the Archeos Centre of Historical Projects, research fellow of the SUSU Research and Education Centre for Eurasian Studies).
“I think the discussion was useful for participants because the presented reports concerned innovative forms of exhibiting the historical heritage, and the discussion featured a limited range of people who are interested in such projects. We got the opportunity of mutually fruitful cooperation,” says Ivan Semyan.
The agreement of participants for cooperation, reached in the course of heated discussions, can be considered a result of the meeting. They also agreed on assigning a united working group which will include representatives of all organisations interested in improvement of the situation in Arkaim as well as its promotion as a historical and cultural brand of the region. The Department of Philosophy of the SUSU Institute of Social Sciences and Humanities represented by the Department’s Head Elena Grednovskaya will act as coordinator of the process of unification and cooperation of the working group within the frameworks of an implemented transdisciplinary .project entitled “Ecology of Consciousness”.