The main inquiry of the article is the question of cultural status of ruins nowadays, especially modern and postmodern abandoned and decayed places. Referring to the well-known and often discussed concept of vanitas, the author tries to use it in a different way and pays particular attention to the following main topics: 1) ruinophilia – a phenomenon in late modern culture; 2) ruin as a parergon and (un)limited space; 3) abandoned buildings as places of contemplation in secularised culture; 4) questionable issue of a “death of a place”.
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