Russian Town Museums and Cultures of Memory

Abstract

This article is devoted to the theoretical and methodological problematisation of the role played by museums in the formation of memory cultures in small towns. The authors refer to materials from field expeditions (2021–2022) in ten Russian towns selected based on their geographical location, origin, age, and other parameters. The museum network is usually analysed regarding larger cultural centres but this concept applies to smaller towns, where, in addition to local history museums, there are museums of educational organisations and enterprises, art, memorial, and thematic museums. The article proposes a definition of the concept of a culture of memory and develops and describes a typology that includes scientific, memorial, and folklore types of “museum” culture, which realise various approaches to the preservation and formation of the memory of the past. The authors employ various research techniques to study memorisation practices. They use the database on museums of small towns created as part of the project for structural and functional analysis, which makes it possible to present a picture of the country as a whole. Stationary and mobile interviews with town residents clarify the description of museum practices.