ABSTRACT
The article is devoted to the updating of the historical and architectural heritage of St. Petersburg with the help of creative spaces. On the example of several iconic art clusters for St. Petersburg, the mechanism and essence of the transformative strategy are revealed: it consists in the functional “reconfiguration” of entire fragments of the degraded urban environment while preserving their architectural shell. A comparative analysis of these fragments proves that the flexible functional framework of clusters can fit into any strata of the urban fabric and form open spaces of culture and communication in its lacunae. As a result, the pulse of the living space of communication returns to St. Petersburg. As research shows, creative spaces serve as triggers in the regeneration of adjacent depressive territories. As a result, it is concluded that art clusters serve as a tool for updating the architectural heritage of St. Petersburg due to the coincidence of their functions with the structure of the historical space they develop, and their mission-with the scenic nature of the museum city itself.
