Media myths about Kalevala and reality: a cultural approach

The article deals with the problem of the truth of modern media myths using specific information materials about Kalevala, the homeland of classical Karelian mythology. The study was conducted in two stages: the empirical stage was carried out during a comprehensive research expedition of the Humanitarian Innovation Park of Petrozavodsk State University to the Kalevala National District of Karelia, while the second stage was implemented during the office processing of the collected data. Sociological survey and in-depth interview, as well as the analysis and comparison of media myths and classical myths were used as research methods. The second stage of the study led to some generalizations and conclusions. As a result of the study, essential functions performed by media myths in modern culture were identified; six media myths about Kalevala were verified; each myth’s content and its reflection in reality were analyzed. Special attention was paid to the transformation of the classical Karelian myth of Sampo into a modern media myth verified in this study. All in all, the article presents conclusions about the conformity of modern media myths with the provisions of Aleksey Losev’s mythological theory and summarizes the cultural and creative function of modern media mythology.