Entertainment forms of thanatourism in Russia: current state and prospects

The article analyzes the entertainment segment of thanatourism in Russia as an emerging direction within the structure of the experience economy. The research focuses on practices in which the themes of death and fear are used not for memorialization or historical reflection, but as a means of creating intense emotional experiences. The formats under consideration include horror quests, fear-based attractions, museum exhibitions, off-site scenario- based events, and immersive shows. The study applies the method of content analysis of open sources, supplemented by the analysis of search engine activity and empirical data from a questionnaire survey. The majority of respondents were young people, which made it possible to identify key consumer attitudes, emotional reactions, and the degree of readiness to perceive the industry of fear as part of the tourism product. The analysis justifies the relevance of incorporating entertainment- emotional formats into the scope of thanatourism, offers an original definition of the concept, and introduces a differentiation by type of emotional impact. The institutionalization barriers of the segment are identified: lack of regulatory framework, low recognition of the term, and weak integration into regional tourism strategies. The study concludes that there is a stable demand and significant potential for these formats to shape a unique tourist experience in Russia.