Abstract. The subject of the study is the theoretical representation of the category “genre” in Russian musical regional studies, represented by scientific publications included in the Bibliographic Database of the Russian Science Citation Index since 2005. The method of culturological attribution of the category “genre” in two systems of cultural orders that form different ontologies of the musical genre is used: on the one hand – in the artistic space of a musical work, and on the other – in the historical eventfulness. The principles of systematization of specialized literature are proposed. Heuristic prospects for differentiation and dialectical synthesis of various theoretical approaches to the definition and use of the concept of musical genre in the study of regional musical culture are established.