CITY EXISTENCE: MENTAL DRIFT AND GENIUS LOCI

Abstract

The article considers such phenomena of man’s rethinking of the city as mental maps and creation of locations genius loci. It is suggested that modern citizens usually make mental maps based on emotional and topological associations according to life experiences, but avoid personalized signs. This fact indicates insufficient development of the genius loci phenomenon, particularly in Kyiv. Examples of such effective phenomena in Western cities have been given. Author’s poetry is presented as art-presentations of urgency of the theme.