ARCHAIC SYMBOLISM OF AMULETS IN THE CONTEMPORARY CULTURAL SPACE: TRANSFORMATION OF MEANINGS AND FUNCTIONS

Abstract

The article explores the functioning of archaic protective symbolism within Ukraine’s contemporary socio-cultural landscape. The author analyzes the transformation of traditional protective codes in the context of postmodern challenges, globalization, and digital reality. Based on the examination of the “Kyiv Amulet” exhibition project, it is argued that the appeal to archaism is not merely aesthetic retrospectivism, but a strategy for cultural survival and a search for a “value anchor” amid an identity crisis. The study distinguishes between the concepts of “archaic symbolism” and “amulet” (obereh), with the latter interpreted as a dynamic semiotic code adapting to the demands of visual culture. The author introduces and substantiates the term “neo-archaic innovations” (or “reactivated apotropaia”) – contemporary objects of design, art, and daily life that retain primary archaic meanings despite their modern form. Particular attention is paid to the transformation of the amulet’s meanings and functions: from magical protection to cultural navigation, which helps individuals overcome contemporary depersonalization. The mechanisms of “soft adaptation” of ancient symbols within the digital environment are revealed, where geometric codes integrate into the pixel structure, forming the phenomenon of “digital magism”. Using iconic artifacts of contemporary warfare (the Borodyanka rooster, bullet-pierced shields), the article demonstrates the birth of “secular identity amulets” and their role as “places of memory” (as defined by P. Nora). It is proven that neoarchaism successfully refutes the metaphor of the “disposable person”, ensuring the continuity of historical time and strengthening national resilience.