SPATIAL DIFFERENCES IN THE FORMATION OF LOCAL INITIATIVES FOR THE PRESERVATION OF CULTURAL HERITAGE SITES IN RURAL AREAS AND SMALL TOWNS OF THE KALININGRAD REGION

THE 5TH CONGRESS OF SLAVIC GEOGRAPHERS AND ETHNOGRAPHERS (2024) (стр. 387-402)
 

АУТОР / AUTHOR(S): Oleg D. Krutov, Natalia K. Grelya

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DOI: 10.46793/CSGE5.387OK

САЖЕТАК / ABSTRACT:

Kaliningrad region is a unique region of the Russian Federation. For Russians, it is mainly known as the “gateway to Europe,” and for Europeans, the territory of former Eastern Prussia is the most culturally close part of Russia. Nowadays, the region’s rural eastern municipalities face typical challenges in the central part of Russia’s processes, such as depopulation, decaying infrastructure, and job losses. This part of the region also suffered from becoming a borderland after 1991. Nevertheless, these territories have a diverse architectural heritage of the German period, which can be a resource for economic development, but this heritage has been actively destroyed in recent decades. Modern studies show that emerging tourist destinations can boost peripheral rural areas. And cultural heritage plays a key role in it. In the Kaliningrad region, Russians’ complex relationship with the “alien” German heritage became more complicated because of the use of historical buildings. However, the interest in such heritage has grown in recent years, and restoration projects have increased. New owners of restored sites now interact with nearby villages and towns, providing new income sources for residents. This research examines the territorial differentiation of heritage restoration and reuse. It is based on interviews carried out in five rural municipalities and the database from the Ministry of Culture of the Russian Federation, supplemented by open sources. It analyzes spatial patterns, profiles local restoration actors, factors influencing differentiation (location, institutions, protected status of buildings), and similar features of successful practices in the field of functional use of historical buildings. Findings reveal the idea that restoration undergoes the following cycles: state participation rises during crises with the traditional forms of usage of historical buildings; during periods of economic growth, the diversity of residents and uses increases. Restoration geography depends mainly on the availability of financial support and training opportunities for potential residents, less on location (except peripheries). The presence of a protected status significantly reduces the attractiveness of the object’s further use. The most successful examples are the area communities of restoration actors. Interacting with each other and forming a common policy makes the territory more attractive. Their actions can also help to increase the tourist flow and stimulate the restoration of new buildings in neighboring territories.

КЉУЧНЕ РЕЧИ / KEYWORDS:

cultural heritage sites; rural tourism; local initiatives; rural community development

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