Diplomatic Ceremonial as the Basis of the Culture of International Relations

Currently, there is an increased interest in the ceremonial culture in general, and in etiquette as a component of the ceremonial, in particular. This phenomenon is largely explained by their special role in the processes of communication in society, as well as a new understanding of the processes of communication and behaviour themselves. A ceremonial is a kind of cultural message from one social group of people to another. The basic idea of behaviour, the inner meaning of secular ceremonial is laid down in church rituals, and external forms of behaviour can be borrowed from the traditions of everyday secular life. The relevance of the study is determined by insufficient knowledge of diplomatic ceremonies of The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, and the fact that knowledge of the laws of their functioning expands the understanding of domestic politics and international relations of the era, the cultural component of the life of Soviet society. The socio-cultural aspect of the topic is also relevant in scientific terms. This research can contribute to the study of the history of the organisational culture of Soviet society. Taking into account the absence of a special study devoted to the problem in historiography, the purpose of the article is to conduct a comprehensive study of the communicative functions of diplomatic ceremonial in international communication based on the analysis and generalisation of new facts with the involvement of archival materials and other sources introduced into scientific circulation for the first time. In this study, art is considered for the first time from the point of view of the communicative factor of diplomatic ceremonial. For the first time, such a term as "diplomatic counterculture" is introduced into circulation.