«Modern replica» in practice of conservation of cultural heritage: limits of use

The article is devoted to the consideration of various aspects of the practices of creating «modern replica» in the field of preservation and use of cultural heritage. Consideration of this problem is carried out taking into account a complex range of factors, both fully justifying these practices, and making them fundamentally undesirable. The analysis of the application of the «modern replica» is produced by taking into account the historical variability of this problem in Russia and Europe, as well as taking into account its variations in the cultures of the East. The text contains a number of concrete examples illustrating the practice of applying the «modern replica», both in the positive and in the negative sense. Attention is paid to certain projects and the prospects for using the «modern replica» in modern culture. The problem of fragmentary restoration of artifacts of cultural heritage, caused by the influence of stereotypes of mass culture, is indicated.