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The article analyzes the sensory aspects of urban life in one of the districts in the outskirts of Moscow. Revising the concepts of sensory ordering of space, I analyze the ways how urban dwellers in this district order the space by smell perception. I define three components of sensory ordering: i) the language of sensory experience, ii) ascription of meanings to space and smells localization, iii) actions aimed at supporting the desirable olfactory landscape. The process of creating this language and negotiations about the desirable olfactory landscape are based on adopting the special terms and visualizing the smells. This language allows to interact with the various agents on different levels of power, to transform and control the space. The production of meanings, based on smells, influences the district identity. Both positive and negative smell perception produce the value of the district, while the negative smells acts differently and devalues the other city territories. Citizens actions support the sensory normativity: through sensory patrolling (different ways of detecting the smells) and microordering (creating the cleanliness and freshness within neighborhoods). These ways of ordering sensory experience and creating olfactory landscape help to explain the interaction between district dwellers, the principles of how their agency is formed, and the principles of being responsible for the space.

The article considers the correspondence of the famous writer Ivan Shmelev (1873–1950) with Olga Bredius-Subbotina (1904–1959). Their acquaintance took place in the emigration in a “reader-admirer” format. It was a difficult period in Shmelev’s life due to the execution of his single son, the force to emigrate, the death of his wife. The writer’s state evoked sensation of parting with the world. Unexpected correspondence with Bredius-Subbotina, her admiration for the creative work of a talented master of literature revived the desire to live and create. This time it was correspondence, which over time gained special significance for Shmelev, gave him the opportunity to be heard in his stories about the tragic feelings with which he had lived for years. Among the most painful one was the theme of Crimea, which broke out in correspondence with the deeply stored state – the memory of the Crimean smells, as it turned out, was more stable, strong and therefore dear to the writer’s heart. This implied a corresponding reaction of the addressee. But Bredius-Subbotina remained somewhat indifferent to the topic of Crimea, nevertheless she was able to offer a new format of correspondence on the wave of Crimean smells favourite by Shmelev. In the letters by Bredius-Subbotina the accents were shifted to the experience of pleasure of flower aromas and smells. Shmelev accepted this proposal without giving up on the Crimean oxymoronic meanings, multiplying them by the smell of grapes and roses, as a challenge to the abnormal world. Bredius-Subbotina was no less persistent in her desires, so with special force turned “scents of life” into correspondence, i.e. scents of favourite flowers, thereby arousing Shmelev’s impression through his sense of smell, helping him to return to his youth, to boyishness, to a seemingly forgotten state. Thus, in 1941, in the midst of the tragic events of the World War II the traditional theme of world literature love and war revived in correspondence between Shmelev and Bredius-Subbotina. The moment came when Shmelev realized that Olga Aleksandrovna was his last love, and his correspondence with her was a “romance in letters”; he, as a writer, created his last work of art, which would be read by descendants. Therefore, Shmelev not only restored the traditions of world and Russian love epistolarians, but also brought his experience back to his youth. He was fascinated by the possibility of exchanging flowers and floral aromas, which contributed to the intensive work of the imagination. In his letters, the writer created floral sketches of his beloved one, and then wrote an etude “Girl with Flowers”, which he managed to convey. Hyacinths, bells, lilies, peas, lilacs were transferred from Paris to Holland and became symbols of passionate love. Shmelev and Bredius-Subbotina turned to another cultural tradition, and therefore received letters with the smell of French perfume, which created a sense of bodily intimacy, a special state of love. Flowers, floral fragrances, French spirits mixed in love correspondence determined its style and presented a unique image of love for the twentieth century.

In order to attract the attention of customers and build their loyalty the trade enterprise should stand out at the background of others. One factor promoting attainment of this goal is the shop atmosphere. This category is essential for the service sector. The idea of atmosphere is also topical for medical institutions as enterprises of the service sector. What are its components in the field of public health and how can they be used? Can the atmosphere of the medical institution influence patients’ mood? You can find answers to these questions in this article. Analysis of the degree of this problem development in Russian and overseas publications allow us to speak about insufficient attention to its marketing component. In overseas literature the atmosphere of medical institutions is discussed only from the point of view of its therapeutic effect for patients and medical personnel, while Russian publications have not considered this issue. The list of atmosphere parameters consists of well-known elements. Traditionally it is investigated in the field of retail trade, as it makes possible to create and strengthen communication with clients in places of goods selling, to increase sales of the product range and profit. Is the list of parameters the same in medical institution? This question is still topical. The authors identify important parameters of the atmosphere in the medical institution influencing the younger generation – customers of medical services.

The article discusses the world of smells, as it is created in the text of Gorky’s trilogy. The presence of smell becomes an important narrative device within these autobiographical novels. While all smells that the young protagonist is experiencing seem to be unpleasant for him, they still create a complicated olfactory space within the novel that is marked by the definite binary nature: the unpleasant smells of alien and hostile environment are opposed by the smells of nature and smells of people close to little Aleksei. Olfactory space constitutes an important element of the novel’s world and serves as a decisive factor in the creation of Gorky’s childhood mythology.

The article suggests the first discussion of the issues of interaction between the art world of A.T. Twardowski and that of the Oryol region writers. Closeness to the world view of I.A. Bunin, creativity I.S. Turgenev allows to talk about the depth of creative ties between A.T. Twardowski and the Orel region writers in understanding the meaning of life, the feeling of nature, love to the small native land and its nature.