Abstract: The subject of the study is a set of approaches and paradigms chosen by the authors to study the cultural environment of the city. The purpose of the work: a theoretical analysis of the variety of approaches to the definition of "cultural environment" in relation to the original category "culture." The object of the study is the definition of "culture" and "cultural environment" as part of the methodology for researching the cultural environment. The author considers in detail such aspects of the topic as general ideas about the cultural space, association with the category "culture" and features of the new, and integrative approach, according to which the cultural environment appears as a really perceived physical space, the area of implementation of cultural activities within the framework of socio-cultural communities, individual persons, axiological component of the cultural environment in the system of value coordinates, motivations and meanings, combination of axiological, information-semiotic and perceptual-aesthetic approaches to the study of the cultural environment. The relevance of the study consists in the need to understand the variety of research approaches to the study of the cultural environment, aimed at developing models of cultural policy at the regional and municipal levels. The scientific novelty of the study lies in understanding the essence of methodological paradigms emanating from the integrative definition of the cultural environment of the city. Another conclusion is related to the fact that culture in general, and the cultural environment in particular, determines axiological parameters, sets a system of value coordinates, motivations and meanings for man and humanity. The results of the work consist in understanding the existing methodological approaches to the study of the cultural environment of the city, determined by its integrative definition. The scope of the results: the scope of regional and municipal cultural policy.

Abstract: The subject of this article is the analysis of methodological aspects of the study of images of architectural heritage in the cultural space of the city. The object of the study is the architectural environment of the city as part of the architectural heritage. The author examines in detail such aspects of the topic as the influence of heritage on the positive image of the territory, the essence of the image and figurative characteristics of the city, factors of perception of urban space, directions of development of the architectural environment of the city, analysis of the figurative characteristics of the city, the state of architectural heritage. Special attention is paid to the methodology of analyzing images of cultural heritage, classification of figurative characteristics, substantiation of a new approach to the analysis of the architectural environment of the city.
A special contribution of the authors to the study of the topic is the substantiation of a new methodological construct in the study of the subject field of the influence of figurative characteristics of the architectural environment of the city on the preservation of its cultural heritage. The novelty of the research is the new application of the figurative-symbolic approach to the study of cultural heritage in the images of architecture. The main conclusions of the study are: the need for the formation of an architectural environment, as well as significant activities to actualize and popularize cultural heritage, the active inclusion of images of architectural heritage in the semiotic field of the cultural space of the city, increasing awareness of the value of the architectural environment on the part of citizens.