FROM DEPERSONALIZATION TO NATIONAL IDENTIFICATION: CULTURAL AND VALUE TRANSFORMATION IN THE DESIGN OF PUBLIC SACRED ENVIRONMENTS (CASE STUDY OF THE MEMORIAL COMPLEX IN KELEBERDA, POLTAVA REGION)

Abstract

The article explores the cultural and value transformation of the public sacred environment in the village of Keleberda, Poltava region, tracing its transition from a state of depersonalization to conscious nationalization as a form of artistic self-identification of the nation. The object of the study is the memorial complex “Cossack Outpost on the Dnieper”, while the subject encompasses architectural and design tools and the mechanisms of their interaction in forming the national image of the space. Purpose. The aim of the research is to identify and analyze architectural and design tools, along with the mechanisms of their interaction, during the cultural-value transformation of the rural public sacred environment. The study focuses on the transition from an indifferent space to a nationalized one that reflects and reinforces the restored self-identity of the nation. Methodology. A comprehensive approach was applied to define the research strategy. The historical-genetic analysis revealed the stages of environmental destruction; field architectural surveys provided an analysis of the spatial structure and its connection with the landscape. Semiotic analysis was used to interpret the symbolic structure of the space, while contextual modeling enabled the determination of the interaction system between the anthropogenic and natural components of the complex. Results. The analytical summary reveals the stages and content of the transformation of Keleberda’s sacred environment. It was determined that a long period of imperial unification and Soviet destruction caused desacralization and visual depersonalization of the space. The transition to Soviet military commemoration of World War II events using plastic minimalism was analyzed. The beginning of resacralization was recorded through the restoration of the Transfiguration Church as an architectural and spiritual dominant, representing a modern interpretation of Ukrainian sacred architecture traditions. The mechanism of military memory transformation was identified: the conversion of a depersonalized Soviet monument into a symbolic cross shifted the emphasis from ideological steadfastness to the Christian sacrifice of compatriots. The saturation of the environment with identity markers is reflected in the anthropomorphic and symbolic images of the sculptural group of the Taras Bulba monument. The latest development stage is marked by the installation of a military high-relief honoring modern defenders of Ukraine. The role of landscape integration in forming the holistic image of the «Cossack Outpost on the Dnieper» was defined. Scientific novelty. The study focuses on the village of Keleberda as a unique site where a public sacred environment has been created and continues to develop, oriented toward reproducing national cultural values and forming continuity with modern practices of military commemoration. For the first time, architectural and design tools are analyzed in synergy with the landscape as instruments for preserving identity and its meaningful complementation through interaction with the modern socio-cultural context. Practical relevance. The experience of Keleberda serves as a representative model for the regeneration of depersonalized or depressed landscapes in historic small settlements of Ukraine. The implemented system of tools and principles for the semantic filling of the environment can be applied in the practical design of local memorial complexes with distinct identity. Special significance lies in highlighting the successful experience of the national-oriented philanthropic initiative of the founder, O. Moroz, which can serve as a tool for implementing cultural projects at the local community level. The application of this visual-informative model on indifferent territories will contribute to the formation of cultural and value clusters in the regions of Ukraine