Historical and Cultural Space of Steppe Eurasia: Concepts and Images of Vitality from Antiquity to Modernity

The research is devoted to the topic of vitality in the formation of artistic expression and ideological systems of the peoples of Eurasia. Relying on the structural-semiotic approach in considering the archaic and traditional cultures of the Eurasian historical and cultural space, the authors proceed from the position of basic syncretism. The main hypothesis of the study is the assertion of the relation between the natural and social spheres of the mythological macrocosm, the figurative expression of which was “natural creativity,” combining anthropomorphizing and animalism. The author’s analysis focuses on anthropomorphic images created on the basis of modified animal bones (astragalus), which were known in the cultural space of Eurasia from the Paleolithic era to the present. A comparative analysis of archaeological artifacts and myth-ritual traditions of the Turkic-Mongolian peoples of the steppe belt of Eurasia allowed the authors to substantiate a stable vitality concept through the physical dimension of the worldview, where parts of the skeleton (bones) are signs and elements of the micro- and macrocosm in their interrelation. The conducted research not only reveals the foundations of the oldest forms of artistic creativity in the cultural space of Eurasia but also allows us to trace the tendencies of its development in modern times. Based on the results obtained, we can talk about universals and specifics in the interpretation of the vitality of various peoples throughout the historical and cultural development of Eurasia.