We prepared this issue of the Metamorphosis journal with a special feeling — a feeling of deep gratitude and fond memory. On September 25, 2025, Tatyana Yurievna Sidorina, Doctor of Philosophical Sciences, Ordinary Professor at HSE University, Editor-in-Chief of the Metamorphosis journal, who stood at the origins of the faculties of sociology and philosophy at the Higher School of Economics, passed away. For us, her colleagues and students, this issue became an opportunity not only to honor her memory but also to enter into a dialogue with her thought, which continues to resonate in a variety of research contexts. Tatyana Yurievna belonged to those researchers for whom philosophy was never exclusively "Hercules' labor" in the Kantian sense, but remained a space of living creativity, inspiration, and authentic "Mozartianism." Her intellectual interests ranged from social philosophy and the theory of labor to the philosophy of music and technology, from the critique of labor-centrism to reflections on the crisis of culture in the modern world.

The logic of the issue is structured as a multi-voiced conversation, reflecting the breadth and depth of Tatyana Yurievna's creative interests. Thus, the section "Social and Philosophical Thought" opens with memorial articles  that set the tone for the entire issue. I.I. Pavlov, in his "Memories of the Creative Path of T.Yu. Sidorina", offers not just a chronology of achievements, but an attempt at a holistic view of the Teacher's legacy. The author poses an important question: can one see in the diversity of themes — from the philosophy of technology to economic sociology, from the theory of labor to musical "professorial circles" — a unified system of thought and worldview that Tatyana Yurievna passed on to the next generations?

This topic of wholeness and continuity is developed in I.S. Kurilovich's article "The Freedom of Philosophical Labor as an Unfinished Project: In Dialogue with the Tatyana Sidorina’s Thought". Drawing on the analysis of labor-centrism and the crisis of leisure proposed by Tatyana Yurievna, the author shows that the academic environment is subject to the same imperatives of productivity. The dialogue with the classical tradition allows Kurilovich to justify the understanding of the freedom of philosophical labor as a regulative idea and a practice of constant "assemblage," introducing important criteria for distinguishing authentic freedom from "well-ordered unfreedom."

The question of the boundaries of freedom and obligation is also raised in A.V. Razin's article "Moral Absolutism". Critically analyzing the autonomous (Kantian) and heteronomous (religious-philosophical) forms of absolutism using the concepts of Kant and Vl. Solovyov as examples, the author demonstrates the complexity and contradictory nature of attempts to reduce morality to a single absolute principle. This work echoes Tatyana Yurievna's constant interest in the fundamental foundations of social theory and human existence.

Music occupied a special place in Tatyana Yurievna's work, and this is reflected in the section "Philosophy of Music." In the article "Günther Stern-Anders as a Philosopher of Music..." A.G. Ganzha and M.D. Zhiganov reconstruct a little-known stage of the thinker's biography, connected with his unsuccessful habilitation dissertation on "musical situations." They convincingly show that the fragmentation of Anders's musical legacy is merely a screen behind which hides his consistent commitment to the phenomenological method. The concept of "musical situation" appears as a tool for overcoming the prejudices of listening, which resonates with Tatyana Yurievna's own sensitivity to the living sound of the world.

Continuing the musical theme is the research by I.A. Kuryakov, "The History of Georgy von Meck and His Role in The Development of Peruvian Musical Culture". The article introduces into scholarly circulation unique archival data about the fate of the grandson of the famous patroness, who emigrated to Peru and became one of the founders of the National Symphony Orchestra. This work is about the continuity of cultural memory, about connections between eras and continents, about the rootedness of music in human destinies — themes that were deeply resonant with Tatyana Yurievna, who connected Russia and the rest of the world in her work.

The article by A.O. Belyakova is devoted to understanding the phenomenon of S.P. Diaghilev's "Russian Seasons" and the role of ancient subjects in the formation of neoclassical ballet at the beginning of the 20th century. Drawing on the material of two landmark productions of 1912 — V. Nijinsky's "Afternoon of a Faun" and M. Fokine's "Daphnis and Chloe" — the author identifies the mechanisms of interaction between choreography, music, and scenography as an integral artistic statement. The originality of the research lies in a comprehensive analysis of how the turn to the archaic (ancient Greek vase painting, sculpture) and the classical became not stylization, but a tool for radically renewing academic ballet. The author shows how the dialogue with antiquity made it possible to synthesize "ancient plasticity" with the aesthetics of modernism, turning the "Russian Seasons" into a center of attraction for the innovative artistic interests of the era.

The issue concludes with a block of articles dedicated to the events of the Fifth World Forum of Sociology of the International Sociological Association, held in Rabat in July 2025. This selection is not accidental: Tatyana Yurievna's interest in social theory, in diagnosing the state of modern society and its institutions, finds a living continuation here. The section opens with notes by N.E. Pokrovsky, who shares reflections on the significance of such forums in the current era of geopolitical fragmentation, seeing in them not only an opportunity to become acquainted with new ideas but also a unique chance for "participant observation" of the state of world sociology as a diagnostic discipline.

The work by O.A. Simonova is an expanded version of the report presented at the forum and is devoted to the conceptualization of emotional labor in the context of the problem of alienation. The author convincingly demonstrates the cultural variability of this phenomenon, calling into question the universality of Western models and justifying the need for their revision when analyzing non-Western societies. Thus, the research contributes to the decolonization of sociological knowledge — a problematic undoubtedly close to Tatyana Yurievna's theoretical quests.

The article by A.G. Buchatskii is also prepared based on participation in the Rabat Forum and is programmatic in nature. The author offers an original conceptualization of post-agrarianism as a theoretical optic for researching Russian rural territories. Drawing on the experience of an interdisciplinary project supported by a grant from the Russian Science Foundation, he substantiates the heuristic value of this approach both for fundamental analysis and for the development of social policy measures. The work is distinguished by its reflection on the nature of scientific knowledge and its connection to the potential for social change.

Finally, the research by A.Yu. Makshanchikova, also situated within the context of the contemporary de-urbanist agenda, addresses the phenomenon of the transformation of dacha space. Drawing on material from in-depth interviews, the author reveals the mechanisms of integration of urban and rural practices, demonstrating how new types of social ties and stable forms of lifestyle are being formed, in which digital technologies play a key role, erasing the traditional boundaries between the city and extra-urban territories.

Presenting this issue, the editorial board expresses the hope that it will become not just a collection of articles, but a space of living thought and grateful memory, where the voices of the authors come together in a single polyphony and at the same time each text enters into a dialogue with the ideas and intuitions of Tatyana Yurievna Sidorina — a philosopher, teacher, a person of rare spiritual generosity and intellectual courage.

Executive editor of the issue, Anastasia V. Ugleva