Abstract. An interdisciplinary monograph ‘Sociocultural Analysis and Regional Development in Russia: Problems and Solutions’ edited by Olga Sevan was published in 2012 and presented results of research undertaken in various fields including architectural and cultural studies, philosophy, sociology, history, and arts history.
  
The authors have made the challenges and prospects of regional development a focus of attention using diverse methodologies, research approaches, and professional languages. They address historical foundations of social development, urban life, and rural settlements including a role of religious organisations, reveal contemporary problems of regional administration and local self-government, examine current issues of urban planning and legal aspects of urban heritage preservation and new constructions in historic settlements etc. The book also discusses contemporary situation in cultural institutions and historical monument all over the country.
  
The question about and modern approaches towards the development of Russian society, towns and rural settlements is raised on various levels of the research. Detection of actual problems in management and of territories and settlements, role of religious organizations are introduced together with urban planning issues and legislative aspects of preservation and engineering in historical towns and villages.
  
Issues of the monographic research touch upon the state of cultural institutions and monuments, located in different regions of the country. But first of all the authors of the presented texts draw attention to the deplorable state and decay of the settlements, their manufacturing and agricultural enterprises, outflow of population, particularly of the youth, out of the villages, desolation of the territories, poverty etc. The main focus of the experts in the field of culture is therefore the issues of revival of villages and small towns, as centers of rural districts, cultural institutions as points of increase of the territories. Underestimation specifics of popular way of life in this type of settlements and their neglect in the domain of managerial decisions up to now are leading to their erosion with no follow-up replacement by new cultural elements.

The world experience indicates the impossibility to be focused only on the solution of the economic issues and technological change in the process of modernization. That process also has to do with the sociocultural change in regions, including activities of the population, the preservation and development of the territories and significant elements of the heritage gaining urgency in the post-perestroika period. Raising and investing money into gas, oil and other sectors of the national economy are essential, but the cultural heritage definitely is no less important a national structural resource of the progress of Russia. Unique monuments, historical towns and rural settlements are symbols of our country becoming items of tourist industry, which are highly instrumental in the progress towards the well-being in all advanced countries of the world.