Suščestvujut li Sireny? Mif meždu čudom i stradaniem

The essay analyses the iconography of the siren in the fine art based on the premise that it is the most illustrious and the most widespread representation among hybrids. Hybrid is a concept which is closely linked to that of a monster, the most suitable image to explain the idea of limit and norm. After a brief survey on the history of the imagery and the myth of siren, it deals with the divergences connected to the figure of Sirin in Russian folk tradition. The image of siren was significant in antiquity as well as it is now in contemporary art, where it sometimes brings unexpected outcomes, as it is described in the main body of the paper with the help of different examples. The last part reflects on possible connections of this iconography with a rare condition known as Mermaid Syndrome called that way due to the similarities the defect has with sea creatures shapes, being another element that brings us “out of the norm”.