Monument in the Era of the “Narrative Crisis”

A monument is one of the most stable cultural forms, it shows resistance to historical changes and preserves a unique complex of cultural and anthropological functions throughout its long existence. However, today the position of a monument and memorial zones is becoming a subject of discussions about the future of these objects in the urban environment. These discussions arise on the wave of modernization, which characterizes modern urbanism. In the article, the author examines a number of arguments that are used in the critical assessment of traditional forms of memorial culture. Some of these arguments are aimed, among other things, at justifying the reasons for the oblivion of memorial sites. These are such arguments as the “outdated aesthetics” of monumental works, the ordinariness of their perception, the remoteness of memorials from people’s daily routes, etc. The author also provides counterarguments that confirm that the problem of the unpopularity of monuments among the general public has a deeper level. The author puts forward and substantiates the hypothesis that the loss of the skill of narrative perception (contemplation) by the modern viewer is the reason for the indifferent attitude towards the monument. A monument is always a symbol that points to a meaning that has supreme value for the cultural community. Contemplation of a monument is a condition for experiencing aesthetic experience as a transcendental experience, because contemplation is an extrasensory, intuitive perception. Such perception involves peering, listening, immersion in the narrative. Without contemplation, the monument-symbol is “closed” to a person, consciousness simply does not grasp its highest meaning and value. German philosopher Byung-Chul Han writes about the “narrative crisis” in an essay of the same name. Han found a successful metaphor that characterizes the state of a significant part of today’s society. Today, information replaces narration, the absence of distance replaces remoteness, and quick switching of attention becomes more important than concentration. All this leaves no opportunity for a person to develop the skill of contemplation. In the article, the author places the monument in the context of a narrative crisis in order to consider the problem of the lack of demand for monumental symbols from an anthropological perspective. From an anthropological perspective, the interaction of a person with a monument acquires the meaning of a transcendental and sacred experience.