Abstract: This article examines the phenomenon of collecting from the perspective of its social significance. Manifesting as a form of liberal activity, collecting historically resembled a captivating human activity based on the desire to release creative potential of an individual through collecting items. The author positions collecting as a social activity, the primary cause of which underlies the psychological type of personality. Analysis of these processes in the context of psychology allows explaining the essential aspects of collecting, when the collector is an actor of social creativity; as well as revealing negative moments that define collecting as one of the deviant forms of human behavior. The article compares various theoretical concepts on the topic of social practice of collecting. The author considers the key factors contributing to increase of the role of individual in the society. The novelty of this work consists in the conclusion on the fundamental traits of psychological type of a collector. These traits in a certain way form the inner potential of a collector, which he releases through collecting, as well as the forms of social activity that allow a collector to find self-fulfillment as a liberal creative personality.

Abstract: This article is dedicated to systematization and analysis of the key principles of the social practice of collecting. Analyzing the causes of collecting activity alongside motives and prerequisites for collecting, the author explores the social character of interaction between an object and a human. The article touches upon the phenomenon of personification of things and objectification of people. Significant attention is paid to comprehension of the basic principles of collecting – a thing as such, and the time as the main condition of transformation of that think into a collectable item. The article reviews the integrated processes of cultural interaction in the course of creation and utilization of collection. Giving characteristics to communication space, the author determines and scrutinizes the three fields of communication: “subject – exhibit item” (interaction between the owner of collection and its items); “subject – subject” (the entire range of means of communication interaction, which makes a collection public and information rich; and “collection – audience” (interactive events created for the formation of cross-cultural communication).