Legal culture: concept and functions in the context of socio-cultural approach

The subject of the study is the regularities of the formation of legal culture in the modern Russian state. The object of the study is legal culture as a socio-cultural phenomenon. The article presents the main approaches to the consideration of the category of legal culture. Attention is focused on the relationship of legal culture with other social forms that act as social regulators of behavior (morality, religion). Some historically developed cultural and national features of the Russian mentality affecting the formation and development of legal culture are considered. The socio-cultural approachin the understanding of legal culture is substantiated. The content characteristics of the main functions of legal culture are revealed: regulatory, educational, communicative, protective, prognostic. It is concluded that the development of a democratic state and civil society directly depends on the level of legal awareness of citizens, where legal culture acts as their integral characteristic.