Branding of Cultural Tourism Objects of the United Territorial Communities of the Southern Megaregion of Ukraine

The process of decentralization of power and governance, which takes place in Ukraine through the voluntary unification of territorial communities, has laid the foundations for reforming the administrative territorial structure and territorial organization of power. Taking into account the state making nature of these transformations in the context of Ukraine’s European integration efforts, the article substantiates theoretical and applied fundamentals of branding of cultural tourism objects of the united territorial communities (UTC), reveals his role in constructing local identity of these social and spatial formations. The methodology of the study covers three main thematic blocks: legal and political foundations of the creation of a UTC; features of UTC branding; conceptualization and classification of brand projects of cultural tourism objects of the UTC. The factors that inhibit the branding process of cultural tourism objects of these communities were identified, conclusions were drawn, and perspective directions for further scientific exploration were outlined.