Social changes and forming the new humanitarian space in the XXI-century Ukraine caused the need for understanding the essence of development, interconnection and mutual influence of the spiritual and material culture of civilizations, ethnic groups, and nations during the particular historical period and intensified forming of a special sphere of socio-humanitarian knowledge that is cultural studies. The peculiarity of the new science which consists in its integrative nature, in focusing on the existence and activity of human and society as integral phenomena, actualized the creation of a scientific institution in Ukraine in 2007 within the National Academy of Arts of Ukraine – the Institute for Cultural Research (Order of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine No. 357-r dated May 30, 2007; the Presidium of the National Academy of Arts of Ukraine resolution dated June 14, 2007, Minute No. 6/34 – 09). Prominent scientists B. Paton, M. Popovych, S. Krymsky, I. Dziuba, H. Chmil, V. Sheiko conduced to singling out the problematic research field of the Institute for Cultural Research.

Since the day of its foundation, the Institute for Cultural Research of the National Academy of Arts of Ukraine is headed by the well-known cultural researcher, academician, and vice-president of the National Academy of Arts of Ukraine, Honored Arts Worker of Ukraine, PhD, professor Yurii Bohutskyi.

During the years of its activity, the Institute for Cultural Research of the National Academy of Arts of Ukraine has become a leading research institution in Ukraine carrying out fundamental researches in the field of cultural studies as a system of knowledge on the essence of culture, the regularity and development of the environment of human existence. The scientific staff of the Institute directs their research for the study of culture as an over-complex system that unites many subsystems, as a global phenomenon being originally associated with human development. It guaranteed that achievements of researchers of the Institute for Cultural Research caused the professional interest of the world’s researchers and contributed to the entry of our country into the international scientific and cultural space.

Activities of 45 employees, in particular, of 30 scientists ensure the worthy place of the Institute for Cultural Research in the scientific and creative life of Ukraine. Fundamental scientific researches are successfully carried out by the scientists of the following departments:

• Department of Theory and History of Culture;
• Department of Screen Culture and Informationalism;
• Department of Cultural Anthropology;
• Department of Cultural Heritage & Monument Preservation Affairs;
• Department of Sociology;
• Department of Scientific and Creative Development, Editing and Preparation of Publishing Products;
• Department of Data Resources and Communications.

The high level of research provides the scientific potential of the Institute: three academicians and two corresponding members of the National Academy of Arts of Ukraine, nine doctors of sciences, ten PhDs, seven professors, eleven associate professors and six senior researchers, three Honored Arts Workers of Ukraine, and three Honored Workers of Culture of Ukraine.

The strategy and prospects for the scientific activity development are determined by the collegial governing body of the Institute – the Academic Council, which includes leading scientists and cultural experts of the country.

During its activity, the Institute for Cultural Research of the National Academy of Arts of Ukraine initiated fundamental research on the following topics:

• Forming the artistic culture of Ukraine: history, aesthetics, semiotics, trends, perspectives;
• Self-organization and dynamics of culture and their peculiarities in Ukraine;
• The new socio-cultural reality in Ukraine: methodology and scientific practice of its research;
• Culture of Ukraine: historical and cultural dimensions;
• Ukrainian national culture as integrity: regulation of its regional differences;
• Ukrainian culture and the world: organizational problems of artistic culture;
• Integrative processes as a perspective of Ukraine’s cultural development of: methodological, semiotic, communicative, interactive, regional aspects;
• Categorial and methodological apparatus of cultural anthropology as an instrument for the study of cultural development;
• Visualization of modern cultural space;
• New media in the process of producing and transmitting of the artistic culture of modern society;
• Morphology of culture as an interdisciplinary problem: corpus methods, corporate sociology, communicative technologies;
• Concepts and practices of Ukrainian multiculturalism;
• Unity of the cultural space of Ukraine in the context of socio-cultural transformation;
• Institutional and self-organizing principles of cultural development in Ukraine;
• The artistic culture of Ukraine in the modern market reality: the transformation of material components;
• Traditional children’s subculture of Ukraine: socio-cultural potential;
• Transformation of the culture of memory of modern Ukrainian society;
• Culture cultivating space of the screen: modern interpretations and meanings.

The aforementioned topics developed academicians of the National Academy of Arts of Ukraine Yu. Bohutskyi, O. Bezghin, H. Chmil, V. Sheiko; corresponding member of the National Academy of Arts of Ukraine I. Yudkin; doctors of sciences S. Bezklubenko, O. Berehova, S. Volkov, B. Holovko, N. Zhukova, V. Lobas, O. Onishchenko, N. Otreshko, Ye. Prychepii, V. Sudakova, V. Shcherbyna, and PhDs T. Haievska, I. Hyrych, O. Grytsenko, V. Demeshchenko, S. Ivanenkova, A. Koval, Yu. Koreniuk, V. Kriuchkov, I. Kuznietsova, Ya. Levchuk, M. Mishchenko, O. Oliinyk, S. Olianina, L. Prybieha.

The results of the research of the Institute for Cultural Research of the National Academy of Arts of Ukraine were presented to a wide scientific community in more than 50 periodicals: in monographs – Self-organization of culture: ontology, dynamics, prospects (Yu. Bohutskyi), Formation of the determinants of Ukrainian culture: cultural studios (I. Yudkin), Culture and civilization in the historical and cultural thought of Ukraine in the age of globalization (V. Sheiko), Culture and communication: discourses of cultural development in the XXI-century Ukraine (O. Berehova), Institutionalized socio-cultural systems: regional specificity and dynamics (S. Volkov), Material support of cultural projects: world experience and opportunities in Ukraine (O. Bezghin, I. Kocharian, O. Uspenska), Culture of Ukraine in the globalization-civilization dimension (historical and methodological aspects) (V. Sheiko), Traditional Ukrainian children’s subculture in the sphere of cognitive culturology (Ya. Levchuk), Traditional custom of the Ukrainians of the late XIX – early XX centuries (T. Haievska), Integrative processes in the Ukrainian musical culture of the XX-XXI centuries (O. Berehova), Visualization of the real in the modern cultural space (H. Chmil), Architectural heritage of Ukraine: monument protection aspect (L. Prybieha), New cultural reality as socio-dynamic process of forming the human through roles (Yu. Bohutskyi, H. Chmil); collections of scientific works – Ukrainian artistic culture: moniment preservation issues (S. Olianina, L. Prybieha, Yu. Koreniuk, O. Oliinyk), Aspects of the morphology of Ukrainian culture: genesis, typology (I. Yudkin, S. Bezklubenko, O. Berehova, S. Volkov, Ye. Prychepii), Ukrainian artistic culture: history and modern issues (O. Bezghin, S. Olianina, Yu. Koreniuk, I. Kocharian), Interdisciplinary cognition of the laws of contemporary screen discourse (H. Chmil, I. Zubavina); encyclopedic edition in two volumes Art: terms and concepts (S. Bezklubenko); unique encyclopedic multimedia edition in five volumes Golden pages of Ukrainian culture on DVDs.

Actualizing the progressive development of Ukrainian cultural studies and art studies, the Institute for Cultural Research deals with the publication of professional scientific periodicals – the yearbook of scientific works The Culturology Ideas (14 volumes published as of 2018) and the scientific collection Ukrainian culture: past, modern, ways of development (jointly with Rivne State University of Humanities since 2016).

Scientific achievements of the Institute for Cultural Research of the National Academy of Arts of Ukraine are actively being implemented in scientific, artistic, and educational practices. Scientists of the Institute prepare analytical materials and expert assessments on request of the administration of the President of Ukraine, the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, the Ministry of Culture of Ukraine and other state bodies. The researches of the scientists of the Institute are beneficial for the scientist – cultural experts, philosophers, art critics; artists; specialists in cultural and artistic activities; teachers of higher educational establishments, doctoral students, postgraduate students.

The staff of the Institute take part in the scientific staff training in cooperation with the Department of Postgraduate and Doctoral Studies of the National University of “Kyiv-Mohyla Academy” and act as opponents for dissertation/thesis defense in the specialized academic councils of Ukraine.

In order to join efforts in implementing results of scientific research of primary importance in the field of cultural studies into the latest continuous educational process, as well as to involve young researchers in conducting cultural research scientists of the Institute combine academic researching with pedagogical activity fruitfully cooperating with higher educational establishments of Ukraine, in particular, those of culture and art.

The Institute’s employees conduct active socially significant public activities as leaders and members of national creative unions and public organizations of Ukraine; perform on radio, television, are published in socio-political, cultural and educational periodicals.

International relations of the Institute for Cultural Research of the National Academy of Arts of Ukraine serve the entering of Ukrainian cultural ideas into the European and world scientific and cultural space, in particular, scientists’ participation in international cultural congresses, scientific meetings and symposiums; internship of scientists, reading lectures and publishing scientific works in foreign countries, presentations of foreign researchers to the Institute’s staff. The Institute for Cultural Research of the National Academy of Arts of Ukraine seeks to expand fruitful scientific ties, to exchange specialists and theoretical experience, to initiate collaborative research projects and joint publications with scientific and educational institutions in Ukraine and in the world.