Spectacles

SPECTACLES represent a special type of perception specifically designed to evoke corresponding emotional experiences. Spectacles have been known to humanity since the earliest periods of its historical development, being essentially at first the result of a series of unconditioned reflexes, and then later acquiring conditional significance. Depending on the cultural level of a particular people, its socio-economic and ethnographic characteristics, spectacles stand at a corresponding level. At times they played a prominent role in political life; thus, the famous demand of the Roman crowd—'bread and spectacles!'—shows that the ruling classes, in order to keep in submission the huge masses of unemployed people, not only issued them provisions from state granaries but also sought to maintain their mood by organizing public spectacles. To spectacles should be attributed not only perceptions caused by visual sensations, but also auditory perceptions, since they accompany or cause visual ones. Thus, here belong various types of theaters (comedy, drama, opera, operetta, music hall), circus, cinema, concerts, etc. Thanks to the various emotional experiences caused by spectacles, the latter have great psychological significance and can be factors of political and aesthetic education, agents that excite, depress, or calm the human psyche. Parades, demonstrations, mass physical exercises, various types of public games, as well as funeral processions and natural disasters (fires, floods, etc.) can also serve as examples of episodic spectacles. As examples of a negative nature, one can point to bullfights, cockfights; in addition, boxing and various types of wrestling often produce a heavy impression that arouses unhealthy instincts. From the point of view of neuropsychic hygiene, spectacles are used as moments of distraction for fixed moods, depressive states, oppression, etc., and in this case the choice of spectacle is of great importance, since with an unsuccessful choice a reaction may occur that further aggravates the initial state. Personal satisfaction from these spectacles is already a favorable effect for the psyche. Spectacles acquire special significance in terms of their influence on the growing organism. Taking into account the greater impressibility and lability of children's psychology, spectacles can have a traumatizing effect on children of various age groups. Therefore, a careful choice of one or another type of spectacle, rational dosage, and pedagogical use of what is perceived should become a prerequisite for the use of spectacles in the education of children. Spectacles are contraindicated for persons with acute reactive states or in other individual cases—according to the conclusions of specialist doctors. With respect to children, especially of lower age groups, the contraindication is broader and especially depends on the degree of impressibility and accounting for subsequent reactions in connection with spectacles (See also Cinematography in Medicine). L. bpj si lovsky- Premises for spectacles. The arrangement and equipment of premises for spectacles must satisfy certain sanitary requirements. Here we should consider three types of spectacle enterprises—theater, cinema, and circus—the requirements for which can be combined. All sanitary requirements for spectacle enterprises must be coordinated not only with technical requirements and standards, but also with fire safety requirements, which are perhaps the main ones in the construction and operation of spectacle enterprises and non-compliance with which can lead to serious disasters with a large number of victims due to the panic that usually arises. A significant part of the existing spectacle enterprises at present, especially those occupying not specially built but only adapted buildings, do not satisfy fire safety, technical and sanitary improvement requirements. This is explained by the following: 1) most spectacle structures were built before 1917, and they were built by private individuals who had in mind primarily the extraction of profit; 2) the backwardness of construction technology in this matter, which is far behind the technology of theatrical art itself, although it has caused a whole revolution in theatrical affairs, but is reflected almost exclusively in the change of stage equipment (revolving stage, platforms, constructive scenery, mechanization); 3) the lack of firmly established norms, both technical and sanitary. After the October Revolution, the demand for all kinds of spectacles sharply increased from the broad masses of the population, while the number of special spectacle premises is still increasing insufficiently. The lack of norms and legislative instructions in this area is still felt, and filling this gap constitutes one of the current tasks of sanitary-technical thought. Spectacle enterprises should be arranged mainly in stone buildings. Wooden buildings are permitted only one-story. Basements and semi-basements for spectacle enterprises should not be permitted both for sanitary and fire safety reasons. In the case of arranging a spectacle enterprise in a part of a stone house, it must be separated from the rest of the building by firewalls and non-combustible ceilings. The connection of spectacle enterprises with other premises in wooden structures should not be permitted. Spectacle enterprises must be built with observance of gaps with neighboring buildings from all sides, sufficient for the rapid release of the public and for the work of firefighters. The gaps are determined by the height of the buildings, but should not be less than 11 m. The vestibule, entrances and exits. The vestibule should be sufficiently spacious. In the vestibule, ticket offices are usually located, which must be provided with ventilation and, if possible, daylight illumination. The number of exits and their size must correspond to the number of seats, with for cinemas double the number of spectators (those present at the session and those waiting in the foyer) is taken into account. It is considered that for every 100 people there should be at least 1 m of width of stairs and exits, however stairs and exits should not be narrower than 1.5 m. All exits should open freely outward. Emergency exits should have illuminated signs and should not be locked during the presence of the public. The lighting of exits should have a different source of energy than the general lighting network. In extreme cases, lanterns with candles are permitted for this purpose. Stairs should not contain more than 16 steps in a flight. Steps should not run, the flights themselves and staircases should be of non-combustible material. Passages from one room to another should not have thresholds, steps, which at level differences are replaced by ramps. The cloakroom is an obligatory part of a spectacle enterprise. Its premises should be spacious, light and accessible for ventilation (1 m length of counter and 3.5 m length of hangers for every 20 seats). When calculating the auditorium area, 0.5 m² per person is taken. The height of the hall should not be less than 3.5 m, and when arranging seats in an amphitheater style, the ceiling should not be lower than 8 m from the back row of the amphitheater or the upper tier. The vertical distance (height) between individual tiers should not be less than 2.5 m, counting from the back row. Seats should be securely attached to the floor and arranged according to the following standards: width of seat 0.5 m, distance between rows 0.8 m with folding seats and 0.9 m with fixed seats. Passages leading to exits should have a width of at least 1.5 m, with seats not being removed from the exit further than the 15th seat in wooden buildings and the 20th seat in stone buildings. Each tier of the auditorium should be provided with a foyer, the size of which should equal the area of the part of the auditorium it serves; foyers should be light and accessible for ventilation. Buffets should be arranged in separate rooms if possible. In case of arranging it in a foyer, the installation of tables should not be permitted. Storage of products should satisfy ordinary sanitary requirements. Smoking rooms should be arranged in a place sufficiently isolated from other premises, and equipped with powerful exhaust ventilation. Walls are painted with light-colored paint; soft furniture, curtains should not be permitted. The smoking room should be provided with natural lighting and means for ventilation. Toilets for the public should be arranged in sewered areas in the form of water-closets, and in unsewered areas in the form of earth-closets. The number of fixtures should be at least 1 per 100 people. The stage should be separated by non-combustible walls and ceilings from all sides, including from the auditorium. It is extremely desirable to have a non-combustible curtain (iron, asbestos) or a water curtain for separating the stage during a fire. Passages from the stage to other premises should be equipped with doors with fire insulation (iron on felt). In the roof of the stage there should be exhausts for directing the draft during a fire from the auditorium. The stage, trap room, and all premises for stage workers should be provided with exits.

Artists' dressing rooms should be light and accessible for ventilation. Workshops should satisfy all requirements for workshops of the corresponding type: painting, carpentry, tailoring, and hairdressing, with a reduction in standards in case workers stay in them for shorter periods. In circuses, to the mentioned premises are added stables, the arrangement of which should satisfy ordinary requirements, and the arena, the sand of which should be regularly cleaned and replaced. The lighting of performance premises should be electrical. All performance enterprises should be equipped with artificial forced-exhaust ventilation. The best heating system is central water heating. According to the standards of Pavlovsky, Moreau, Richelieu, and others, ventilation should provide 20-30 m³ of air per person per hour, the temperature should be 15-16°. It should be kept in mind that in auditoriums, as a rule, the temperature by the end of the performance increases very strongly (up to 26°), which sometimes masks other aspects of air contamination. For example, the amount of water vapor in the air increases significantly, while the relative humidity remains almost stable or even decreases. The amount of CO₂ increases very significantly (according to research by the Moscow Erisman Sanitary Institute-up to 2.5-3.0°/₀o). Ventilation should not only provide sufficient exchange in the auditorium, but also maintain the air temperature within normal limits and ensure ventilation of other theater premises. Research on Moscow theaters showed colossal contamination of the air with dust and microorganisms. According to research by the Moscow Erisman Sanitary Institute, the amount of dust in some theater premises (stage, auditorium) by the end of the performance increased to 5.3 mg per 1 m³, and in one case, 120,000 microorganisms were found in the same volume of air on stage and up to 25,000 in the auditorium. These data indicate insufficient cleaning of the premises. In order to combat dust, furniture should be smooth, painted, and covered exclusively with oilcloth; carpets and curtains should be removed from use. Cleaning of premises should be done with a vacuum cleaner if possible, and if not available, by a wet method. Disinfection of auditoriums is highly desirable, but due to the size of the premises, it is extremely difficult and should be compensated for by daily thorough mechanical cleaning. All stage constructions, and especially apparatus in circuses, should be equipped so that any possibility of accidents is excluded. In theaters it is desirable, and in circuses mandatory, to have a doctor on duty for first aid. To protect the health of stage workers, it is recommended to install showers, rest rooms, supply them with work clothes, regulate nutrition, disinfect wigs and costumes, and research makeup and cosmetic products. In cinema, the greatest fire hazard comes from the booths where the apparatus is located. Booths should be outside the auditorium and should be made entirely of non-combustible material. Doors should be covered with iron over felt or asbestos, open freely outward or into rooms where the public is not present. Dimensions of booths: area not less than 4 m² and volume not less than 10 m³. Above the apparatus there should be an exhaust pipe made of non-combustible material. In addition, it is necessary to ensure air intake. There should be no more than two openings into the auditorium, protected by non-combustible shutters. There should be no fire, stoves, or anything else, especially flammable, in the booth except for the film being shown. Lit: Gorbov V. and Kovarsky M., Moscow theaters in a hygienic assessment, Gig. i sanit., 1929, № 2; Technical rules for the arrangement of entertainment enterprises of a cinematographic nature in the city of Moscow and Moscow province, M., 1928; Khrustalev A., On the question of contamination and physical state of air in Moscow public buildings, places of detention and private apartments, Moscow Medical Journal, 1924, № 1.