Краеведческие зины как визуальный инструмент репрезентации городской идентичности

Фольклор и антропология города. 2025. Т. 7. № 3. С. 96–122.

Kuziner E.

Local history zines (self-published, primarily print-based publications focused on
local history and culture) are a unique medium for the visual representation of local
identity. They enable residents to research, document, and share materials about their
city, contributing to the formation.
The central thesis of this article is that contemporary local history zines function
as a hybrid method within visual anthropology, merging subjective experience with
visual strategies to explore urban identity and selfhood in the city through highly per-
sonalized forms of creativity.
The article examines how zines operate as a visual medium that shapes citizens’
perceptions of urban space. Particular attention is given to the role of zines in foster-
ing connections between residents and their urban surroundings, and in articulating
microhistories and marginal narratives often absent from official urban accounts.
The methodological approach includes visual and textual analysis of zines, field
observations, and interviews with their creators. The author analyzes how visual ele-
ments (illustrations, photographs, collages) interact with textual components (short
essays, poems, personal stories) to convey urban experience and contribute to the con-
struction of the city’s image.

Keywords: город, city, samizdat, visual studies, визуальные исследования, самиздат, zine, зин