Abstract. The preservation of immovable cultural heritage is commonly discussed in terms of the physical condition of a monument and compliance with its statutory protection regime. In practice, however, legal designation alone does not ensure proper maintenance, continued use, or the object’s place in the life of a territory and its communities. This article examines the relationships through which an immovable property continues to function and be recognised as socially significant herit-age. Its historic fabric is considered in connection with conservation authorities, owners and users, professional knowledge, memory practices, and established patterns of economic use. The study draws on systems and cultural approaches, collective-memory research, critical heritage studies, and values-based conservation. Five dimensions are distinguished within the proposed model: material-spatial, normative-institutional, cognitive-expert, social-practical, and economic-managerial. Qualitative indicators are suggested for each dimension in order to identify both existing losses and conditions that may lead to the weakening of systemic relationships. Comparison of the five dimensions shows that their conditions cannot be reduced to a single measure. Intensive use may coexist with the loss of historic fabric, whereas a legally established protection regime may leave a property without regular care and detached from community life. The proposed framework is intended for the early stages of work with a property: it helps structure a research programme, identify problematic relationships, and support subsequent conservation and management decisions.

Key words: immovable tangible heritage, historic monument, sociocultural relationships, cultural significance, authenticity, collective memory, values-based approach, heritage communities, use and maintenance of historic properties, sustainable management.