IDENTITY POLICY AT LOCAL LEVEL (THE CITY OF YEYSK CASE)
Territorial identities occupy a special place among a wide range of social identities. The global transformations of political and cultural landscapes of our time give rise to the need for a deeper study of regional and local projections of territorial identity. Local identity of local community members becomes an important criterion for assessing the development of a territory. The agencies of identity policy interested in such a development, first of all, local self-government bodies often become the main actors in the process of local identity building in communities. That is why the problems of local identity and identity policy at the local level today are moving from the periphery of research interests in the field of social and humanitarian knowledge to the epicenter. The objective of this study is to identify and characterize the structure of identity policy in the city of Yeysk. The criterion for choosing an object of study was a unique combination of tradition and innovation in modern life of the city, as well as its significant role in economic and socio-cultural life of Krasnodar Territory. The empirical basis of the study has been formed of transcripts of 40 expert interviews, as well as analysis of local media materials and Internet resources. The authors singled out the markers of local identity, considered symbolic politics and politics of memory in Yeysk, as well as the problems of territory branding. Among the agencies of identity policy the authors singled out local government bodies, business community, cultural, educational, religious and public organizations. A conclusion is made about a proactive type of identity policy, that is characterized by a set of measures, which are often segmental, that contribute to the actualization of local identity and are based on involvement of a number of agencies and institutional mechanisms, but they lack a defined common strategy and inclusion in city development projects.