Professional identity of directors and the founders of motor transport museums as a key to the preservation of the industrial heritage of the Ural

The article examines the features of the professional identity of the founders and directors of motor transport museums in the Urals, identified based on in-depth interviews. The managers of motor transport museums are divided into three types depending on their vision of the museum’s activities. The managers differ in the presence of specialized knowledge of automotive industrial technologies, the integration of this knowledge into their biographical situation and their interest in the development of the automotive enterprises and their territory. The need to preserve the motor transport heritage is determined by the museum managers’ personal experience and interests, social capital, time of museum’s foundation, features of the museum exhibitions and specialization of the Ural regions of the Russian Federation, etc., which in turn influences the choice of various strategies for the operation of museums. The results can be used in developing cultural (museum) policy and preserving technical heritage of Russia.

Keywords: automobile museum; sociology of culture; professional identity; industrial heritage; Russia; Ural