History and culture of the south of Russia in the publications of the Southern Branch of the Heritage Institute

The article dedicated to the ninetieth anniversary of the Russian Research Institute for Cultural and Natural Heritage named after D.S. Likhachev and the tenth anniversary of its Southern Branch discusses the publications of this organization for the period from 2012 to 2022. The content of monographs and collections of articles reflecting the history and culture of the South of Russia is analyzed. The source base for writing the article was the works published under the imprint of the Southern Branch and under the authorship of its employees, materials of the journal Heritage of Centuries, and reviews. The typological, comparative, narrative research methods were used. The main thematic blocks are identified and characterized. Among them are the history and current state of the cultural policy and cultural life of the region, its ethno-cultural diversity, material heritage, scientific and educational space, book culture, the development of cultural and educational tourism (history, current state and prospects). The literary texts and memoirs written by the employees of the Southern Branch are characterized, including the memoirs of Fedor Shcherbina, a prominent scientist, the founder of budget statistics, the author of works on the history of the Cossacks; collections dedicated to the stay in the region of outstanding figures of national culture (Mikhail Lermontov, Maxim Gorky). It is noted that the publishing activity of the Southern Branch is largely determined by the state assignments of the Ministry of Culture of the Russian Federation and state orders within the framework of the federal target program Culture of Russia (2012-2018). An important part of the book repertoire are proceedings of conferences held by the Southern Branch, including the annual International Forum “Cultural Heritage of the North Caucasus as a Resource for Interethnic Accord” it organizes. Some books were initiated by employees of the Southern Branch and published with the financial support of Russian scientific foundations, by order and at the expense of other institutions. Most publications have both theoretical and practical implications. The conclusions and recommendations of the authors relate to the optimization of the cultural policy and the activities of institutions of culture, science, education; the development of national cultures in the South of Russia; intercultural interaction and mutual influence; the protection of cultural heritage; and the increasing of the tourist attractiveness of the region.