Museum cluster: to the emergence and understanding of the concept in the context of modern museum terminology development

The article analyzes the formation of the concept “museum cluster”. The authors aim to conceptualize this concept and define it inline with the current level of museum science development. The study is based on normative legal documents, works of foreign authors (M. Porter, M. Enright, and others) and domestic researchers (O.D. Kol, D.A. Yalov, T.V. Tsikhan, and others). The basis of the methodology was the taxonomic approach, which makes it possible to analyze the content of various definitions and build new definitions of the concepts under study on their basis. Structural-functional and descriptive methods were also used, as well as a logical determination procedure. The authors interpret the concept “cluster”, customary in economic theory; consider the features of the production cluster, and analyze the content of the concept “innovation cluster”. Then the authors turn to the study of cluster objects in culture and cultural policy, highlighting the essential general characteristics of the cluster (concentration in one territory, interconnection and competition of all participants, innovation, popularization and economic development of the region). The authors infer that the cluster approach is universal for various types of activities, is flexible and fundamentally applicable in various branches of regional development, including the museum field. Further, the authors consider the essential features of the concept “museum”, focusing on the study of a museum in the aspect of its socio-economic functions. The museum network is analyzed in terms of its importance for the communication process of museums and for the involvement in this process of other interested organizations working in other industries. The authors single out the basic characteristics of all the concepts under study and characterize their correlation. They have established that the museum cluster (unlike the museum network) is characterized by the interaction of various branches of socio-economic activity. The created definition of a museum cluster takes into account not only the geographical localization and interaction of its museums, but also aspects related to increasing the competitiveness of the association and popularizing its area of activity. The authors have established that the introduction of the cluster approach into the museum space is a purposeful process focused on improving the economic and socio-cultural conditions of the region by simplifying the management processes and forms of communication of interacting structures.