DOI: https://doi.org/10.34680/urbis-2026-6(1)-24-40

From Judas to Shrek: An apology for an “Alien” hero (Monumental propaganda as a medium of spatial disruption and reconfiguration of the urban landscape)

Ivan Alexandrovskiy

Russian-Armenian University, Yerevan, Armenia
[email protected]

ORCID: 0009-0002-6779-1372

ABSTRACT

The article presents a comprehensive cultural study of the “alien” hero phenomenon in the context of monumental sculpture and modern urban navigation, which serves as a tool for transforming collective memory. The research is relevant given the crisis in traditional memorial practices and the changing perception of the urban landscape in the context of globalization. The author analyzes the evolution of extraterritorial and fictional characters in urban space, suggesting that the city be viewed as a complex «semiotic mechanism» and a palimpsest in which new layers of meaning overlap with the historical context, engaging in either dialogue or conflict. The research identifies two key stages in the development of this phenomenon. The first stage is linked to the radical ideological internationalism of the early Soviet era, as manifested in Lenin’s 1918 plan for monumental propaganda. During this period, the «alien» hero (from historical figures like Robespierre to the semi-mythical Judas) served as an instrument for the aggressive dismantling of local identity and the assertion of a new, supra-territorial value system. The second stage concerns the current state of «emotional neo-urbanism», in which the monument loses its function of mobilization. Drawing on the theoretical frameworks of P. Nora («sites of memory»), J. Baudrillard («simulacra»), and S. Zukin («Disneyfication of the landscape»), the author argues that the modern city exploits images of mass culture – film icons, fairy-tale characters, and pop-art objects – to achieve an anesthesia of historical consciousness. Devoid of political conflict and historical function, a fictional hero replaces the traditional concept of places of genius. This situation transforms the landscape from an arena of ideological struggle into a space of sterile psychological comfort, ease of navigation, and visual appeal. The paper provides a detailed analysis of diverse cases of monumental presence in Moscow, Yekaterinburg, Odessa, Riga, Yerevan, Dilijan, Vologda, and Reykjavik. It examines examples ranging from the technical mutation of Soviet monuments to nostalgic «cinematic restorations» of urban spirit and the takeover of navigational structures by fictional names. The study concludes that the modern monumental environment reflects the capitulation of historical consciousness to the entertainment industry and the public's need for security and predictability.

KEYWORDS: urban semiotics, collective memory, monumental propaganda, simulacrum, urban studies, Genius Loci, sites of memory, fictional hero, Disneyfication of landscape, cultural anthropology.

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Information about the author

Ivan S. Alexandrovskiy
Cand. Sci. (Cultural Studies),
Senior Lecturer at the Department
of World History and Foreign Regional Studies
Co-editor of the Perspectiva Temporis
scholarly journal
Russian-Armenian University
123, Hovsep Emin St., Yerevan, 0025, Armenia
ORCID: 0009-0002-6779-1372
e-mail: [email protected]

For citation:

Alexandrovskiy, I. S. (2026). From Judas to Shrek: An apology for an “Alien” hero (Monumental propaganda as a medium of spatial disruption and reconfiguration of the urban landscape). Urbis et Orbis. Microhistory and Semiotics of the City, 6(1), 24–40. https://doi.org/10.34680/urbis-2026-6(1)-24-40