The Art Magazine as a Reception of Synthetic Explorations in the Culture and Arts of Early 20th-century Russia

The article examines synthetic phenomena and processes in the culture of the Silver Age. The central issue of the study is the conceptualization of the art magazine as a genre within the broader cultural trend toward the interaction (synthesis) of all its spheres. The article analyzes the following range of topics: sociocultural changes in Russia at the beginning of the 20th century; syncretism and aestheticism as innovations in the realm of spiritual-intellectual and artistic pursuits; the emergence of magazines dedicated to art and literature; the multidisciplinary nature of art magazines (by art forms); the thematic expansion of art magazines; and various internal synthetic processes. The main outcome of the study is a new understanding of the art magazine as a systemic phenomenon, through which the synthesis of different art forms (the magazine’s content) is realized, the unity of all participants in the artistic process (author – critic – audience) is demonstrated, and the highest harmony between content and form is achieved, with all parts of the whole directed toward revealing the magazine’s conceptual vision.