“Examination of Memory” and the Formation of Modern Socio-Cultural Space

This article analyses the contemporary Russian sociocultural space, exploring the degree of influence of memories of the past on modern society, the use of images of the past in the formation of actual culture. Cultural memory is a major factor in modern socio-cultural space: it contributes to the way people experience their surroundings and their identity through chosen images and artefacts of the past. Professional assessment by the experts is an important tool in understanding how cultural memory works and how it is utilized in socio-cultural experience. This article presents an attempt to reveal the mechanisms of interpretation of the content of cultural memory and the representation of its meanings by means of culture. The article discusses such problems as the process of preserving, transforming and transmitting cultural memory, as well as the possibility of humanistic knowledge in matters of ”memory examination”, analysis and forecasting of the development of the socio-cultural sphere. Keywords: culture, cultural memory, collective memory, commemorative practices, cultural assessment