The review paper aims to summarize scientific theoretical knowledge on the problem of codes presented in its humanitarian aspect. The paper provides various points of view on the essence, composition, structure and functioning of codes in general, culture and linguoculture codes in particular. The interaction of verbal and non-verbal codes is discussed. Special attention is paid to such a variety of linguoculture codes as figurative codes. The scientific novelty lies in the fact that the authors of this review paper attempt to provide insight into the concept of culture and linguoculture codes, to demonstrate scholars’ diverse opinions, coinciding views and their disagreements on this issue, which gives a detailed idea of the current state of the issue. As a result of studying various points of view of Russian linguists, semiologists and scholars in culture studies on the essence, composition, structure and functioning of codes, the review demonstrates the high importance attached to the notion of code within the entire spectrum of the humanities and the great effectiveness of the theory of codes, which acts as a general scientific epistemology that makes it possible to consider society, culture and language in a single system of categories. In addition, by extracting and bringing together the disparate features presented in the works on the subject under consideration, the review paper presented a list of essential (categorical) features collectively forming the notion of ‘culture code’.