SOCIOCULTURAL ORIGINS AND MEANING OF THE “REGULATIONS ON PUBLIC MASQUERADES, BALLS AND OTHER ENTERTAINMENTS IN THE CAPITALS” (1851)

Molina Ljubov' V., Okeanskaya Zhanna’ L.

The article examines the social origins of the formation of cultural policy in Russia in the 19th-century. The full text of the archival document “Regulations on public masquerades, balls and other entertainments in the capitals” (1851) is introduced into scientific circulation. It determined the dynamics of the development of cultural and theatrical life of that time, as well as the regulations for holding public events, including concerts, in St. Petersburg and Moscow. Overall, the document reflected the complex sociocultural balance between state control, social norms, security issues, economic interests, and the cultural traditions of the 19th-century Russian Empire, making power strategies, social hierarchies, and cultural values of the era the subject of legal regulation.

Keywords:cultural policy, musical culture, concert activity, secular music, sacred music, spiritual values, cultural traditions, legislation.