Tyumen Embankment: Urban Hubris as a Trigger for the Transformation of Urban Identity

DOI: https://doi.org/10.15826/csp.2022.6.2.178

Abstract

The article discusses the problem of place affecting urban identity formation. The granite-lined embankment of the Tura River becomes a factor in reassembling urban identity and forming new urban sensuousness for the residents of Tyumen. The identity of Tyumen has long oscillated between the provinciality of the “village capital” and the nomadism of the “hub city”, serving as a transit point to service the oil and gas industry. Nowadays, city residents perceive the embankment not only as a sign of Tyumen’s integration into a modern urban context, but also as a metaphor for the escape from the boggy swamp of uncertainty to the terra firma of solid granite. The technological characteristics of the four-tier embankment (its height and length) mark it as an outstanding engineering structure. The visual excessiveness of the embankment, framing the banks of a small river, makes it a source of pride for the citizens. To clarify the process of urban identity formation, the authors introduce the term “urban hubris”. There are multiple connotations of the hubris concept, ranging from “pride” to “transgression of one’s own destiny”. In this article, urban hubris refers not only to specific traits of people initiating megaprojects but to transgressive change in urban identity. This change can be triggered by fundamentally new strategies in city design or, as in this case, by a large-scale urban development project, conveying new city images, creating new public spaces, changing citizens’ daily practices, and, ultimately, transforming their urban identity.

Author Biographies

Vladimir G. Bogomyakov, University of Tyumen, Tyumen, Russia

Vladimir G. Bogomyakov is Doctor of Philosophy, Professor, Department of History and World Politics at the Institute of Social Sciences and Humanities, Tyumen State University. He is the author of about 50 articles, book chapters, and books. His main research interests are contemporary art, urban studies, modern social practices, identity issues. His latest research project is dedicated to the creative practices of Tyumen and the study of urban identity.

Marina G. Chistyakova, University of Tyumen, Tyumen, Russia

Marina G. Chistyakova is Doctor of Philosophy, Professor, Department of Philosophy at the Institute of Social Sciences and Humanities, Tyumen State University. She is the author of more than 50  articles, book chapters, and books. Her main research interests are contemporary art; art in an urban environment. Her latest research project is dedicated to the creative practices of Tyumen and the study of urban identity.

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Published
2022-07-11
How to Cite
Bogomyakov, V., & Chistyakova, M. (2022). Tyumen Embankment: Urban Hubris as a Trigger for the Transformation of Urban Identity. Changing Societies & Personalities, 6(2), 334–349. doi:10.15826/csp.2022.6.2.178
Citation Formats
Issue
Vol. 6, No. 2 (2022)
Section
Articles