2026 Issue №1

The article addresses the issue of collective reflection on various manifestations of reality. The aim of the study is to confirm the existence of cultural modality as a linguocultural category. This objective was achieved through the methods of description, componential and pragmatic analysis, and linguocultural interpretation. Using L. N. Tolstoy’s story “Polikushka” as material, the study examines the reactions of representatives of the 19th-century peasant world to different aspects of reality. The hypothesis of Y. M. Lotman regarding the cultural significance of the emotions of shame and fear is confirmed. The concept of cultural modality is introduced, defined as a semantic-pragmatic category determined by cultural factors and manifested in typical collective responses to reality. The semantic-cognitive core of this category consists of cultural norms, which serve as the basis for reflection of a particular type. These norms are expressed through cognitive operators such as “must” vs. “must not,” “may” vs. “may not,” and “necessary” vs. “unnecessary.” Norms vary in their degree of obligatoriness and are adjus­ted by cultural attitudes and ideas about social life. It is established that cultural modality has a collective character, which underscores its objectivity. A cultural norm manifests itself in behavioral standards within its relevant environment, thereby objectifying the actional nature of cultural modality. The study demonstrates that cultural modality is formed at an archetypal level. Analysis reveals that a text, as a model of reality, reflects numerous specific cultural modalities generated by its characters. Plot development is determined by the challenges of reality, to which the hero responds either by following or rejecting the norms. The study shows that cultural modality employs both verbal and nonverbal means of expression, whose consideration on a single analytical plane is made possible by a semiotic approach.

This article provides a brief overview of key aspects of discourse studies, addressing the definition and typology of discourse, as well as the difference between the terms “text” and “discourse.” The historical background and contemporary approaches to the study of ecological discourse were examined, and its place within general discourse theory was determined. A qualitative-quantitative content analysis of texts within the media ecological discourse was carried out, using articles from the authoritative online news outlet The Ecologist as empirical material. Six key content analysis categories for media ecological discourse were formulated: “Environmental Initiatives,” “Global Environmental Issues,” “Politics,” “Consequences of the Ecological Crisis for Humans,” “Reviews of Books, Films, and Podcasts on Environmental Topics,” and “Investments.” Subcategories corresponding to the themes of the articles were identified for each of the main categories. Conclusions were drawn regarding the intentional attitudes of the authors of the analyzed texts, highlighting the primary role of calls and motivation for readers to engage in active nature conservation. The study also assessed the feasibility of applying content analysis methods within linguo-pragmatic research.

The phenomenon of verbal charms in Russian linguoculture is examined through the lens of speech act theory, one of the key directions of contemporary pragmalinguistics. The relevance of the study is determined by the need for an in-depth investigation of culturally conditioned speech genres functioning within sacred discourse, as well as their role in shaping the linguistic worldview. The aim of the research is to identify the pragmatic characteristics of verbal charms as a distinct class of performative utterances in the context of speech act theory and to determine their place within the system of speech genres in Russian linguoculture. The methodological framework of the study is based on an integrative approach combining speech act theory, linguocultural analysis, structural-semantic and pragmatic interpretation of texts, as well as elements of typological and contextual analysis. The contextual approach allows for consideration of extralinguistic parameters influencing the interpretation and functioning of sacred texts. The analysis revealed key pragmatic characteristics of verbal charms: ontological duality (simultaneous presence in both profane and sacred dimensions), ritual conditioning, imperative form, presence of an indirect addressee, syncretism of illocutionary forces, and a unique form of performativity oriented toward sacred influence. A typology of charms based on dominant illocutionary force is proposed, including directive-, declarative-, commissive-, expressive-, and assertive-dominant types. The results demonstrate that verbal charms are complex linguocultural mechanisms that provide not only protection but also psychological stability in traditional society. The developed approach can be productively applied to further study the functional mechanisms of sacred texts and verbal protective strategies in different cultures, as well as to analyze other linguistic phenomena representing sacred experience in folklore.