Representation of Urban Myth-Making in Social Media

Abstract

The article is devoted to the problems of representation of urban myth-making in social networks. The purpose of the study is to identify the specifics of the representation of urban myth-making in social networks on the example of myth-making activity in the cities of the Volga region. As part of the research, materials published in groups of the VKontakte social network over the past 10 years were studied. In the article, urban myth-making is understood as the process of creating legends reflecting the historical and cultural peculiarity of a particular city. As a result of this research, common characteristic features and distinctive qualities of the myth-making of the cities of the Volga region were identified, directly related to their history, the contingent of the population and the type of its activity. When analyzing the material of the social network, it was revealed that the development of urban myth-making bears the imprint of the peculiarities of the perception of historical events, urban objects, and specific personalities by the population, which are reflected in the images of local legends created. The article is addressed to researchers of the humanitarian field of myth-making activity, as well as to a wide audience of readers interested in this topic.

Keywords

• provincial city
• historical and cultural features
• urban myth-making
• urban legend
• rumors
• representation
• images
• motives
• impression
• specifics