Abstract. The article is devoted to the role of cultural heritage and memory in the processes of preservation of historical memory and civilization identity of Russia. The cultural heritage of various historical epochs is given contradictory interpretation and is used in the design of the future of peoples and States. The cultural and historical heritage in the de facto state (DNR and LNR) has recently acquired special civilizational significance. The «border» state of these territories contributes to the most effective answer to the most complex philosophical questions on memory research, exacerbating all possible meanings.

Key words: cultural heritage, historical memory, de-facto states, civilizational approach.