Public Holiday as a Formation Factor of State Cultural Policy

Abstract

The purpose of the article is to analyse the public holiday as a formation factor of the state cultural policy, as well as to conceptually comprehend the transformation of a modern public holiday calendar and its valuable ideological potential under the current conditions of Russian military aggression. Research methodology is based on the use of both general and special scientific methods of cognition, including methods of generalisation, synthesis and analysis, the toolkit of which is optimised for the study of public holiday phenomena as an important factor of the state cultural policy. Scientific novelty. There is a scientific gap regarding the key role of festive practices in the general scheme of building independent Ukraine. The scientific novelty of this paper lies in the theoretical generalisation of the problem and defining categorical statements related to the research topic. Conclusions. The conducted research enabled proving the need for the formation of a new state cultural policy, in the strategy of which the modern Ukrainian holidays should play an important role. Furthermore, such holidays should be significantly different comparing with the festive practices of the aggressor country and its regressive narratives. Currently, specialists in the field of culture are facing the challenges of bold experiments and the search of new forms, which should bring European value orientations and, at the same time, preserve traditional, national features. The modern public holidays should represent a more complex, highly organised level of synthesised propaganda of Ukrainian values by means of modern and conventional art. The organisation of public holidays should be undertaken by artistic intellectuals who strive to find new forms and genres of art, as well as determine the ways of the most emotional and effective forms of building state cultural policy. Significant changes can be taken under the condition of effective interaction between authorised state bodies that contribute to both cultural and artistic processes and creative energy of conscious Ukrainians. The Ukrainian society is in urgent need of high-quality cultural promotion which can be implemented by introducing new public holiday practices.

Key words: holiday, cultural expansion, public holiday, festive practices.