Art in the process of integrating the don cossack host to the russian state

Introduction. Studying culture and art in the formation of the Cossacks, designing its estate status is carried out in the perspective of current ideas about cultural policy contributing to more complete systemic reconstruction of the process. The novelty consists in showing the interaction of artistic and traditional household culture, the transformation of the latter. The purpose and objectives were analyzing the role of art in integrating the Cossacks into the Russian state, identifying the direction of changes in the culture; historical periodization of perception and adaptation of new art forms; establishing the specificity of the selected periods and the results achieved. Methods and materials. Research methods include the historical one, which allows considering changes in culture based on facts of social history, and cultural one, which gives approaches to studying regulation of the integration process in accordance with the principles of cultural policy. The source base consists of published official documents (letters, laws, decrees) containing reliable information, and art criticism, historical and ethnographic literature, which describes specific phenomena of culture and art. Analysis. The supreme power used effective and relevant for a particular historical period institutions and resources: religion and church (17th c.); service in the army and military education system (18th c.); reforming of social organization (incorporation into the estate structure of the state) and the control system of the Army (separation of the military and civilian system of administration) (19th c.). Results. By creating infrastructure, developing church and secular education, the government promoted systemic renewal of culture and Cossacks’ digestion of its forms that were perceived in Russia and Europe as close, identical and related (architecture, painting, choral singing and orchestra music, drama and musical theater). At the early stage of integration into the Russian state, contact forms and democratic nature of the cultural interaction process prevailed. Cultural expansion of the 18th - 19th centuries had a systemic nature and was determined by purposeful influence of the institutions (church, army, school and social elite) that contributed to renewal of culture according to the Western European model.