Historical settlements as a category of heritage: the problem of identifying and preserving value in the context of urban development

The article examines the axiological aspect of the legal concept of «historical settlement» and its role in preserving historical and urban heritage based on a comprehensive analysis of regulatory documentation, methodological developments, scientific materials and socially significant journalism. The impossibility of the applicability of legislative interpretations related to cultural heritage sites to historical settlements is indicated. The absence of a target purpose of the legal concept and normative interpretation of the value of a historical settlement is established; it is shown that this has a negative impact on the effectiveness of various methodological approaches to preserving the valuable historical and urban environment that determines the uniqueness of historical settlements. The tendency to leveling the humanitarian essence in the concept of a historical settlement with simultaneous implantation and strengthening of the economic one is revealed. The necessity of introducing into the legal concept of a historical settlement a definition of the value subject to preservation in the process of urban development activities and classifying historical settlements as objects of cultural heritage is substantiated.