In search of Rostov-on-Don semiotic code

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IN SEARCH OF ROSTOV-ON-DON SEMIOTIC CODE

Introduction
The semiotic space of the city is represented by communicative cultural processes. The city is a significant embodiment of a collective communicative space. The semiotic reading of the city begins with the names that are assigned to the Don capital in the lips of both its inhabitants and guests-“Russian Chicago”, “Azov Liverpool”, “Russian American”, “Little Moscow”, “City merchant”, “Rostov-Papa”. And the Rostovites  like these definitions, causing a kind of pride. Residents of Rostov-on-Don believe that they contain their history and life, their identity. 
Very important for the consideration of the cultural and semiotic code of the city of Rostov-on-Don is the fact that it can be considered as a kind of cultural context. In  semiotics, the term “code” implies the correspondence between the expression plan and the content plan. Culture in scientific semiotic studies is considered as a sign system, a product of “symbolic thinking and behavior that replaces objective reality” [Cassirer, 2001, p. 221]. This means that a person lives not only in physical, but also in a symbolic space, parts of which are represented by language, myths, art, and religion. These are “threads from which a symbolic network is intertwined, the confusing fabric of human experience” [Ibid, p. 223]. The “encoding” tool, therefore, can be some symbolic forms that are not copies of being, but vectors and structural methods that can carry important significant meanings.Modern cities, according to Umberto Eco, are “open works”, whose codes are constantly rewritten under the influence of external and internal factors [Eco, 2016, p. 12]. 
Rostov-on-Don, founded in 1749 as a border fortress, today is not only the administrative center of the south of Russia, but also an original cultural and semiotic object. It should be mentioned  that the space of this unique city was formed at the intersection of many cultures: the Don Cossacks, the Crimean Armenian diaspora, the Russian merchant tradition, Soviet classicism and  modern trends.
The semiotics of urban space, the highlighting of its characteristics and their representation in the form of sign systems are not sufficiently studied. The relevance of the problem is due to the need to comprehend the transformations of urban identity in the conditions of elusive globalization, which, on the one hand, erases local features, and on the other, gives rise to hybrid forms. 
Rostov-on-Don serves as a vivid example of this contradiction: here the Stalin Ampir is adjacent to postmodern skyscrapers, and Cossack myths with digital narratives.
The purpose of the work is to identify the key elements of the city’s semiotic code, following their evolution and interaction with modern challenges. 
The methodology includes:
1. Semiotic analysis of the most significant for the city of architectural objects and visual markers.
2. Study of local history materials of the past.
3. Interpretation of cultural practices (festivals, street art, digital projects).
The theoretical basis of the study is the concept of Yu. Lotman about the city as a text [Lotman, 2000, p. 45] and the theory of “Glocalization” by R. Robertson, emphasizing the synthesis of global and local [Robertson, 2005, p. 28].

The course of the study

The semiotic analysis of the city’s space shows that Rostov-on-Don is a dynamic “palimpsest”. The term “palimpsest” refers to the “multilayer structure, in which all tiers are visible and retain their significance for the common whole” [Danilova, Bakshutova, 2022]. Such layering determines complex structural temporary changes while maintaining traces of the past. Palympsest acts as a kind of alternative not only to Art Nouveau subjects, but also to objects of digital culture, broadcast virtual images into real space.
The city was  formed first of all as a military trade unit. The fortress of St. Dmitry Rostovsky (1761) was not only a defensive structure, but also the symbol of imperial expansion (Kirichik, 2018, p. 34). However, by the 19th century, the city turned into the southern capital thanks to the soft climate, convenient location, trade relations with many parts of Russia and port infrastructure (the city was the port of five seas).
In addition, the analysis showed that the Crimean Armenian diaspora, founding Nakhichevan-on-Don (1779) played a special role. Its influence can be traced in toponymy (Surb-Hach street ) and architecture (Surb-Karapet Church, 1867) [Sidorov, 2005, p. 67]. The archives of the Rostov Museum of Local Lore testify that by the age of 1890, 15 national schools operated in the city, which also laid the foundations of polyculture [Archive of ROMK, 2005].The next step was the study of the architectural space of Rostov-on-Don. In general, it is represented by the so -called "dialogue of eras." Consequently, the architectural code of the city can be formed by a peculiar chronicle of styles:
• Classicism: the building of the City Duma (1899) with columns and pediments reflects the ambition of merchants.
• Modern: Paramonov’s profitable houses (1910s) are decorated with plant ornaments, symbolizing the connection with the nature of the Don.
• Constructivism: Commentary House "New Life" (1930)-the embodiment of collectivism.
• Stalin Empire: M. Gorky Drama theatre (1935), made in an industrial style with equestrian statues, became a symbol of the USSR 's triumph.

• Postmodern: The Rostov City Business Center (2010s) with glass facades reflects integration into the global economy [Petrov, 2020, p. 112].
According to Roland Bart, architectural styles serve as a “frozen speech” of the era [Bart, 1986, p. 102], and their mixture in Rostov-on-Don creates the effect of urban palimpsest.
The city’s semiotic code, of course, consists not only of architectural symbols. The analysis of mythology and literature allows you to recreate important elements of topography. The next step in the study is the analysis of the city mythology of Rostov-on-Don, which includes:
• Legends about underground passages under the old bazaar, where, according to rumors, the treasures of merchants are hidden [Tkachenko, 2008, p. 56].
• Images from literature: in the novel by M.A. Sholokhov “And Quiet Flows the Don” The city becomes a metaphor for the conflict between the traditional way of life and modernization.

• Modern myths: stories about the “ghost of Rostselmash” - the spirit of a worker wandering around the former plant [Dubrovsky, 2021].
These and other narratives, according to A.V. Ivanova, form an “alternative card” of memory, competing with official history [Ivanov, 2015, p. 89].

The analysis also shows that urbanization can be associated with fragmentation and conflicts. The expansion of the city (microdistricts “Leventsovsky”, “Suvorovsky”) led to semiotic fragmentation. Typical high -rise buildings of the periphery, devoid of historical references, contrast with the center where pre -revolutionary mansions are preserved. According to Manuel Castels, this gives rise to a “schizophrenic topography” that breaks the connection between the past and the present [Castells, 1996, p. 203]. 
Exploring the moments of elusive globalization, it should be mentioned that the objects of the urban environment are in a spatial position between unification and hybridization. Consider some examples:
• Unification: Horizon SEC, Starbucks networks and billboards with global advertising create a neo -modern landscape.
• Hybridization: Street art on Pushkinskaya (for example, mural “Cossack with iPhone”) combines local symbols with pop culture [Art group “Evil Cities”, 2021, p. 33].
New semantic layers are created by digitalization: 
• Social networks form alternative representations through the hashtags [ #Rostovbeautiful, #Donhundred].
• AR guides (“Historical Rostov in 3D”) allow you to apply the digital images of the past on modern streets [Historical Rostov AR, 2023].
• Project “The Digital Archive of Rostov” (2023): 5000 documents are digitized, available through QR codes on historical buildings [Rostov digital archive, 2023].
The study also shows that in the focus of the ecology, the Semiotics of Resistance are planned: Eco Don activists use graffiti with the image of sturgeon fish, the populations of which are reduced due to the pollution of the Don river.These visual narratives turn environmental problems into part of public discourse [Kolesnikov, 2023]. Disputes around the development of the Friendship Park (2023) have become a symbolic conflict between urbanization and preservation of nature [Gurov, 2023, p. 89].
In search of the seven-year-like city of Rostov-on-Don, symbols such as the monuments of the Great Patriotic War (Narimer, the stele “Rostov liberators”) were also noted. This memorial is adjacent to the monuments to the participants of his own, creating the imposition of military narratives. 
Rostov-on-Don chooses a synthesis strategy that finds expression in glocalization (from the words “globalization” and “localization”). We give examples of successful balance:
• Festival "Bridge": musical groups perform Cossack songs in an arrangement of electronic music.
• Restaurant “Tachanka”: Dishes such as “Truffle borscht” combine the traditions of Don cuisine with fusion aesthetics [Gastronomic guide “Rostov to taste”, 2023, p. 90].
• Creative clusters: the project “House of Prototypes” in the building of the former Rostselmash plant turned the industrial facility into a digital art center [Novikov, 2022, p. 105].
The results and conclusions obtained

The search for the Semiotic code of the city of Rostov-on-Don, the analysis of some of the essential points of reflection of objects, monuments, communicative phenomena, allow us to conclude that they are included in the seven-buildings of the city:
1. Historical memory remains the core of the semiotics, but its representations are transformed under the influence of new ideologies and technologies.
2. Glocalization allows the city to maintain uniqueness, integrating global trends into a local context.
3. Conflicts (environmental, ideological, urban) become part of the semiotic code, reflecting social stresses.
In every culture, there is a strict hierarchy of codes, which represents an open, universal, self -sufficient, but at the same time constantly changing, which does not have hard boundaries, a system of modeling the picture of the world. Openness allows discussions to improve the filling of code. Consider a number of examples:
• Implementation of Participatory Design (personal design projects of objects) - involving citizens in the design of public spaces.
• Digital archiving of cultural heritage through AR gids and open databases.
• Support for hybrid cultural projects, such as festivals, uniting traditions and innovations.
Features of the outgoing globalization in Rostov-on-Don are similar to the fact that they are observed throughout the world where visual images and the language “inscribed in the space” reflect sociolinguistic, sociocultural and political realities ”[Dikinson, 1997, p. 27]. Signs and slogans in foreign languages ​​attract not so much foreign buyers as local residents.This is manifested by the ambiguous attitude of the Russians to the West. On the one hand, hostility is noted in connection with political conflicts, and on the other, some admiration for the way of life abroad. This shade of foreignity forms a positive perception of the object itself. 
In Rostov-on-Don, these manifestations can be observed in various language forms:
• use of foreign words: IMAX, Hostel, Hotel;
• English words written by Latin: barber, shopping, sail;
• Russian words written by Cyrillic: TEPLO, ROST, VSTRECHA;
• VARID TYPES OF HYBRIDS: Don-Hall, Don-Travel, caffeine, and others.
A special distinguishing feature of the Semiotic landscape of the city of Rostov-on-Don is the attitude to Russian culture as a value category, its identity [Jones, 2017, p. 7]. This attitude is manifested in the images of folk choral ensembles, in songs and dances, in works of art and culture. 
The emergence of new forms of interaction, partly due to globalization and multilingualism, leads to changes in discourse models and vocabulary, for example:
1) the assimilation of foreign words nominating new communication formats, such as a flash mob, a PIPL Fest;
2) the formation of hybrids denoting these formats and their participants: Pasta Hata;
3) the creation of new-fangled events and trends: events, illusions using computer technology and sound, such as Summer Event Forum, Event-Extension;
A promising area of ​​research may be an analysis of the influence of artificial intelligence on the semiotics of the city, for example, the use of neural networks for the reconstruction of lost historical objects.
Conclusion

Considering the history of understanding the concept of “semiotic code”, we come to  conclusion that there is no unambiguous understanding of this term, as there is no strict definition. One thing is clear: the code is the basis of communication, the method of transmitting any type of message, this is the key to understanding cultural phenomena and values ​​that determine the culture of the ethnic group. 
The semiotic code of Rostov-on-Don city appears as a dynamic system in which historical, cultural and social layers continuously interact. Modern challenges (glocalization, urbanization, digitalization) do not erase local identity, but complicate it, adding new levels of interpretation.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

About the authors

Nadezhda P. Revyakina

Don State Technical University

Author for correspondence.
Email: nadinrev@ya.ru
ORCID iD: 0000-0001-5158-6118
SPIN-code: 6282-8266
Scopus Author ID: 57221192932
ResearcherId: GPG-1909-2022

Candidate of Philology, Associate Professor of the Department of Integrative and Digital Linguistics

Russian Federation, 1, Gagarina Str., Rostov-on-Don, 344000, Russian Federation

References

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