The axiological component of the concept “den’gi” (“money”) in Russian proverbs

The article is devoted to the analysis of the axiologically heterogeneous concept “Den’gi” (“Money”) in Russian proverbs. The research was carried out on the material of more than 700 Russian (including dialectal) proverbs with the components: den’gi , rubl’ , kopejka , etc. The analysis of proverbs allowed the author to identify a number of value-and-semantic dominants in this concept: frugality, censure of stinginess, the need to keep strict records of finances, a philosophical attitude to spending money, the high value of moneyearned in contrast to money received accidentallyor bydishonest means. The research results indicate that in Russian proverbs, a high axiological status is assigned to money as the most important force that regulates the life of a person and society. In general, money is assessed positively in the picture of the world represented in Russian proverbs, which contradicts the Orthodox and Soviet cultural and historical traditions. This discrepancy gives rise to the axiological and semantic ambivalence characteristic of this concept, which is especiallyclearly seen in the opposition of money as a pragmatic dominant in human life and such culturally significant concepts as truth, conscience, love, friendship, mind. In the context of such comparisons, money does not acquire a properly negative connotation in its meaning, but acts as a marker of the honesty of friendship, love, since true spiritual values cannot be measured by money.