In terms of the dissertation, the circus is studied as a cultural phenomenon for the first time in Ukrainian culturology, the comprehension of which is carried out in the dimensions of the process of institutionalization - organizational design of the circus in a multifunctional socio-cultural institute.
It is proved that the circus is relevant as a multifaceted and socially significant phenomenon of culture to the genre potential of mass culture while facing the criteria of elite culture. In a certain sense, the circus is characterized by socio-cultural duality. On the one hand, the mentioned issue is manifested through the focus on mass consciousness, the demands of humans of mass culture, the attempt to satisfy ones' tastes. The circus offers a variant of mass treatment, which varies depending on the stage of its development, and is necessary for a particular society because it is able to meet the needs of its audience from the perspective of the most beneficial prism. On the other hand, elitism as a sign of the circus is associated with the highly professional skills of the circus artist, as well as the specifics of circus performances, which accumulate the latest technological advances in theater, music, choreography, fine arts, embody the original ideas of directing. Therefore, the research proves that the modern circus can meet not only the needs of the audience within the game, entertainment, carnival, entertainment, but also to realize one's desire to touch the beauty, to enjoy the aesthetic world of fairy-tale circus art.
Emphasis is placed on the fact that the circus spectacle is a multifunctional phenomenon, which, being an artistically organized game action, acquires the features of a symbolic, ritual act and appears as a theatrical form of culture. The circus spectacle is distinguished by naturalism, which is manifested through the requirement to demonstrate a living and amazing reality instead of a cleverly arranged illusion; emotion and affectivity are due to the proposal of the incredible, stunning, unusual; the dramatic complexity is related to the essence of the ancient art of the circus, which has always been risky and dangerous; due to the high intensity of experiences, the circus spectacle attracts attention, causes great excitement; mediativity and transmedia are conditioned by the attempt to find a certain absolute model of the dynamic balance between the "semiosphere" and the mediasphere – sign systems and material preservers of signs. The most significant functions of the circus spectacle are: aesthetic, compensatory, communicative, emotional and psychological, recreational, etc.
In the dissertation, the culturological conceptualization of key research ideas is carried out, which significantly expands the sphere of the concept of modern culturological science. The concept of "socio-cultural institution" is defined, which is interpreted as a historically formed result of cultural activities of the society and is based on jointly developed social and cultural norms, values, traditions, and performs integrative, translational, communicative, educational, and recreational functions. The concept of "institutionalization of the circus" is considered as a process of definition and organizational design of the circus in a socio-cultural institution through the formation of one's organizational and managerial, regulatory and educational, as well as professional principles.
The stages of the process of institutionalization of the Ukrainian circus, which covered a long way of its development – from buffoons to a modern stationary circus with a wide range of genres, professional training of artists, formed management principles are described.
It is noted that an integral part of the process of institutionalization of the Ukrainian circus is cultural and artistic education, including specialized education in the field of variety and circus art.
It has been proved that a festival circus movement is an effective tool for raising the artistic level of circus performances. The circus art festival as a form of intercultural communication in the global cultural process is a means of generating innovations in a culture that can meet the challenges of today's reality.
The circus as an important socio-cultural institution performs the function of preserving the heritage of Ukrainian national culture, which requires the expansion of cultural dialogue with the world. In the particular context, the Ukrainian circus becomes an effective tool of cultural diplomacy, which in the modern world is of exceptional importance for creating the image of Ukraine within the world. By popularizing creative achievements on the world stage, the Ukrainian circus demonstrates the heritage of national culture, its high achievements, promotes the goals of cultural policy while achieving fundamental foreign policy goals and creating a favorable image of the country at the international level.
