Small town in the context of cultural environment

The article is devoted to the study of approaches to defining a small city, identifying its specificity and identity. A definition of the cultural environment has been developed, examples of small Russian cities with unique traditions, architecture and crafts are given. It is concluded that preserving the unique culture of small towns in Russia is critically important for maintaining the cultural diversity and historical memory of the country; local identity and globalization should complement each other without conflicting.