Keyword: «creative minority»

The authors reveal the key points of the cultural theory of A. Toynbee: concept of civilization, concept of civilized growth dynamics, mechanisms of civilization (mimesis, mutation). These concepts, as a kind of “acupuncture” theory, allow to held the scientific and philosophical analysis of the realities of culture, see the occurred changes in the aspect of the Renaissance (height)/degradation (decay). These issues are particu-larly acute on the agenda of the relevant existing Russian Orthodox culture.