ARCHAEOLOGICAL SITES IN THE MOSCOW REGION AS A FACTOR IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF CULTURAL TOURISM

This article discusses the prospects and challenges of developing cultural and educational tourism in the Moscow region. Currently, there are over 6,400 historical and cultural heritage sites in the Moscow region. The region also has a significant number of archaeological sites that date back to the earliest periods of civilization. These sites provide insights into the earliest stages of human history, which are not documented in written records. They shed light on various aspects of culture, daily life, economy, technology, and the relationships of our distant ancestors with their neighbors. The article describes in detail the following interesting historical heritage sites of the region: the Lyalovskaya and Biserovskaya Neolithic sites, the Fatyanovskoye burial grounds of ancient people, the Dyakovskoye hillforts, the burials of representatives of the Vyatichi and Krivichi Slavic tribes, the feudal city of Perevitsk, mentioned in the ancient chronicles of 1389 as part of the Ryazan Principality, and other monuments. The article identifies the reasons why the acquaintance of tourists with the archaeological monuments of the Moscow region is not fully developed. Among the main reasons, the authors of the article mention: poor transport accessibility of the places where the archaeological monuments described in the article are located, insufficient development of tourist infrastructure (information and hotel) in such places, insufficient promotion of the tourist opportunities of the Moscow region in the Russian and international tourist markets, according to the authors of the article, many archaeological monuments, as well as historical and cultural heritage sites: churches, estates, are in poor condition and require serious restoration work. This material can be useful for employees in the tourism and excursion industries, as well as for anyone interested in the history of the Moscow region.