Museums, local history, and preservation of historical memory: the municipal level(on the example of Petushinsky district of Vladimir oblast)

The aim of the article was to analyze the activities that cultural institutions (mainly museums and libraries) of Petushinsky District, Vladimir Oblast, Russian Federation, carry out in order to preserve historical memory and develop local history. The materials for the study were regulatory legal acts adopted and in force at various levels (federal, regional and municipal), media reports, analytical and statistical materials, research by Russian scholars, as well as the results of an expedition to Petushinsky District the authors undertook on 23-25 May 2022. The methodology is based on a systems approach and is represented by a comparative method, quantitative methods, as well as field sociological and political research methods based on interaction with respondents (survey, conversation, interview, etc.). The authors analyze laws on cultural policy issues, normative acts of the municipal level, and statistical data reflecting the activities of regional cultural institutions and the volume of their budgetary financing, and characterize media reports about events aimed at supporting local history and preserving historical memory held in the region. In the field, the authors interviewed the leaders of the municipal level, employees of cultural institutions, and identified a number of problems (including household- and economy-related ones) associated with the activities of these institutions. The authors study the features of the work of municipal museums, libraries, the House of Culture, and the cultural and leisure center, and determine the range of activities carried out by regional cultural institutions to preserve historical memory and support local history initiatives. The authors establish that the studied municipal district has a large number of advantages for development in the field of culture compared to many other municipalities: initiative workers with wages comparable in the region; the interest of local governments; contact with visitors; the opportunity to receive regional and federal grants; favorable proximity to Moscow, which attracts tourists and maintains interest in highlighting the identity of the territory. The authors draw conclusions about the local population’s weak interest in attending ongoing events, which are held for the most part to meet planned targets and on the initiative of cultural workers. The authors formulate brief recommendations to increase residents’ involvement in the cultural and educational activities of museums and libraries.