The image of the foreign: interpretations, approaches, and historical examples of its perception

The study reviews several approaches to dealing with the image of the foreign treated differently by Russian scientists. The author examines the theories of L.N. Gumilev, Yu.M. Lotman, V.I. Markov, and A.V. Pavlovskaya and presents the historical examples of perception of the foreign. The subject matter is of a debatable nature because of its multiple interpretations. The analysis of ethnological, semiotic, system-based, historical and gastronomic approaches allows one to reveal that researchers use different markers of the foreign: common language, culture, religion, behavioral pattern, value system, food tradition. The image of the foreign can be found in any culture. The conceptualization of this category makes it possible to analyze the challenges of intercultural communication. This is particularly important in the context of globalization that necessitates preserving the cultural identity.