The paper analyses problems of disciplinary definition of heritage protection. It searches for theoretical interfaces with other social–humanitarian sciences. Eloquent parallels are observed in them that allow to show similarities in the development of such disciplines as history, archeology, museology, heritage protection and the like. Much attention is paid to the analysis of changes in heritage protection conceptions within the socio–cultural context.
In addition, the paper discusses the question of professional historian’s participation in the process of heritage protection. Three main theoretical–methodological perspectives of such historian’s connection with the field are identified: 1) historian–auxiliary worker, who is useful in heritage research as gatherer of data on specific heritage valuables but stays poorly integrated in the heritage protection process; 2) historian of ideas, who analyses history of the heritage protection idea; 3) historian–interpreter, who actively participates in the heritage protection process, seeks to influence or mould society’s historical culture via interpretation of specific objects. Considering the latter – the newest – historian’s function, the paper devotes much attention to the problem of heritage interpretations.
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