The disease that has divided the west cultural history in the context of historic and graphical re-thinking of cultural epoch borders

Abstract

© Serials Publications. Relevance of the studied problem is caused by necessity of reconsideration of the existing approaches to a periodization of the history of Western culture. Search of new approaches assumes consideration, the experience of a non-conventional periodization of the cultural past in the Russian and foreign historical and cultural knowledge which is saved up to the moment. The purpose of the article is to reveal the originality of a historiographical image of Plague of the XIV century interpretations that exist at the moment, representing it as one of important borders in cultural history of Western Europe. The leading approach to research this problem is the system and cultural method which allowed interpreting the heritage of the western and Russian medievalists within all complex of historical and cultural knowledge (cultural anthropology, art culture, daily culture). The main results of research include the expansion of ideas of possible cultural history periodization criteria. The existing experience in the West European and Russian historiography in this problem is comprehended in the article. Advantage of the iconographic sources which convincingly show the changes that followed after Plague epidemic in mentality of the Europeans is shown. The cultural phenomenon of "Danse macabre" allows verifying changes in consciousness of Europeans after Plague towards Life and Death concepts. Such approach allows rethinking borders of cultural history. Materials of this article can be useful for teaching history, cultural history of the Middle Ages, cultural anthropology.