The Political-Military Ontology of the City:the City as an «Architectural Enemy»

The study of the city and urban phenomena is one of the interdisciplinary areas of scientific research for modern science. It is clear that when studying the city and its manifestations, scholars draw on their own scientific interests and affiliation with a particular field of knowledge. At the same time, research into the political-military ontology of the city and its specific phenomenon of the «architectural enemy» offers a new perspective on the city itself and its genesis.
The evolution of human society is closely linked to the development of urbanization. Urban manifestations can be traced from antiquity throughout the subsequent course of human history. Cities have witnessed the emergence and development of not only commercial, economic, legal, and fiscal functions, but also political and military ones. All this was reflected in the ability of cities to pursue their own policies, aimed not only at the city’s own benefit but also at imposing such policies externally.
The city is not only an arena of political confrontation but also a field of specific military confrontation. The diversity of urban landscapes creates complex and often contradictory opportunities for the opposing sides. The capture and retention of cities, especially the capital, largely determine not only military and symbolic success, but also political success. Possession of a city creates the conditions for the formation of a locus of collective memory as a sociocultural construct.

1. Anarbaev A. Improvement of the Medieval City of Central Asia (5th – early 13th century)]. Tashkent: Fan [Fan]., 1981. 120 p. [In Russian].

2. Animitsa E., Dvoryadkina E., Silin Ya. Budget of a Big City. Moscow: Moskovskaya shkola politicheskikh issledovaniy [Moscow School of Political Studies], 2002. 264 p. [In Russian].

3. Weber M. The City. [ Original work published 1921]. Moscow: StrelkaPress, 2017. 252 p. [In Russian].

4. Barabanov M.S., Velimamedov M.S., Denisentsev S.A., et al. War Among the Walls. Ed. by A.V.Lavrenov and R.N.Pukhov. Moscow: TsAST [CAPT], 2023. 320 p. [In Russian].

5. Gorbunov O.V. Tactics of Assault Formations in Conducting Combat Operations Using Underground Space during the Great Patriotic War. Voenno-istoricheskiy zhurnal [Military History Magazine]. 2010; 9:3–8 [In Russian].

6. Ilina I.N., Kono M. Transformation of approaches to the development of a «smart city». Moscow: Izd. dom Vysshey shkoly ekonomiki [Publishing House of the Higher School of Economics], 2023. 248 p. [In Russian].

7. Karlov V.V. On the Factors of Economic and Political Development of the Russian City in the Middle Ages (Towards the Formulation of the Question). In Russian City (historical and methodological collection). Moscow: Izd-tvo Moskovskogo un-ta [Publishing house of Moscow University], 1976:32–70 [In Russian].

8. Koshman L.V. The City and Urban Life in Russia in the 19th Century: Social and Cultural Aspects. Moscow: ROSSPEN [ROSSPAN], 2008. 448 p. [In Russian].

9. Krasilnikov S.N. Combat Actions and Military Art of the Paris Commune of 1871. Moscow: Krasnoznam. voen. akad. RKKA im. M.V.Frunze [Red Banner Military Academy of the Red Army named after M.V.Frunze], 1934. 138 p. [In Russian].

10. Kropotkin P.A. Mutual Aid as a Factor of Evolution. St.Petersburg: Znaniye [Knowledge], 1907. 364 p. [In Russian].

11. Kurganov N. Book on Military Science]. St.Petersburg, 1777. 408 p. [In Russian].

12. Okunev I.Yu. Capital and Capitalness: Institution and Symbolic Capital. Filosofskiye nauki [Philosophical sciences]. 2016; 1:80–87 [In Russian].

13. Olesik N.S. [Military Geourbanistics]. Armeyskiy sbornik [Army Collection]. 2014. 2):31–36 [In Russian].

14. Pirenne H. Medieval Cities of Belgium. [Original work published 1948]. Transl. from French by E.A.Kosminskiy. St. Petersburg: Evraziya [Eurasia], 2001. 512 p. [In Russian].

15. Pospelov B.M. Names of Moscow Region Cities, Villages, and Rivers. Moscow: Muravey [Ant], 1999. 208 p. [In Russian].

16. Rossi A. The Architecture of the City. [Original work published 1966]. Moscow: Institut media, arhitektury i dizajna «Strelka» [Strelka Institute of Media, Architecture and Design], 2015. 151 p. [In Russian].

17. Sadovskaya E.Yu. Migration in Kazakhstan at the Turn of the 21st Century: Main Trends and Prospects. Almaty: FALYM [FALYM], 2001. 260 p. [In Russian].

18. Sachkova V.A. Urbanization as a Social Process: a Philosophical Analysis: Abstract of Theses. ... CandSc. (Philosoph.), Moscow, 2013. 24 p. [In Russian].

19. Svechin A.A. Strategy. Moscow: Voenniy vestnik [Military Bulletin], 1927. 256 p. [In Russian].

20. de Certeau M. The Invention of the Everyday. 1. The Art of Doing. [Original work published 1980]. Transl. by D.Kalugin, N.Movnina. St.Petersburg: Izdatel’stvo Evropeyskogo universiteta v Sankt-Peterburge [Publishing House of the European University in St.Petersburg], 2013. 330 p. [In Russian].

21. Thatcher M. The Art of Statecraft: Strategies for a Changing World. Moscow: Al’pina Publisher [Alpina Publisher], 2003. 504 p. [In Russian].

22. Florida R. How Our Cities are Increasing Inequality. Deepening Segregation, and Failing the Middle Class and what We Can Do about It. Moscow: Tochka [Point], 2018. 368 p. [In Russian].

23. Frolova E.V., Rogach O.V. Study of Urban Management Systems. Moscow: Prospekt [Avenue], 2022. 160 p. [In Russian].

24. Yani, V.L., Aleshkovskiy M.Kh. The Origin of Novgorod (Towards the Problem Statement)] Istoriya SSSR [History of the USSR]. 1971; 2:32–61 [In Russian].