The article considers history as a space of socio-cultural meanings in which there is a person and a society; value and place of historical memory for the self-identification of the people. It is shown that historical memory serves as a foundation for the preservation and development of the people and individual social groups; the functions of this phenomenon in society are revealed. In connection with the actualization of problems in the socio-cultural and political aspects, particular attention is paid to the methodological guidelines of the historian-researcher.