Abstract: The activity of modern art associations, creative unions and art groups of professional artists of St. Petersburg is currently a little-studied and debatable issue. The specifics of St. Petersburg communities of this kind are closely connected with the traditions of the local art school and at the same time innovative, and sometimes are radical creative searches of their representatives. Such a combination leads to the formation of a diverse, but heterogeneous and mobile cultural space of the city on St. Petersburg. To understand its specifics, it is necessary to analyze the structure, composition and content of the work of the artistic associations of St. Petersburg, relevant for the beginning of the XXI century. In modern St. Petersburg, the process of forming art associations of various formations continues, which contributes to the development of fine art and the approval of its main forms, themes and genres. The main contribution of this research is to identify the main reasons for the creation of "young" creative associations whose activities are not related to the work of the Union of Artists of Russia, as well as to highlight the processes of their involvement in the cultural life of the city. It has been established that the "young" creative associations are characterized by unity of ideological and stylistic views and concepts, as well as a very flexible nature that allows them to be actively involved in the artistic life of St. Petersburg and the whole of Russia, to participate in the most diverse projects.