Formation and development of the socialist heritage concept: a chronological and thematic theoretical review

Socialist heritage (SH) is the tangible product of socialist construction in socialist countries and constitutes a distinctive part of 20th-century heritage. Nevertheless, due to its politically controversial nature and relatively short history, this type of heritage has not yet been fully recognized and systematically studied. This study aims to systematically review the formation and development of the SH concept, thereby clarifying its basic connotation and consolidating its theoretical foundation. Following the PRISMA framework and the snowballing principle, 29 official documents and 137 multilingual literature sources were retrieved. Through manual review and collation, the origin, development, and research status of the SH concept were comprehensively sorted out from the dual chronological and thematic perspectives, identifying both achievements and limitations. The findings indicate that: (1) The conceptual development of SH has progressed through three distinct stages: field survey and value exploration (early 1990s–early 2010s), conceptualization and identification initiative (early–mid 2010s), and practical methodology exploration (late 2010s–present). Throughout this process, the SH concept has been grdually formalized, legally recognized, and implemented with initial achievements. Central and Eastern Europe is the dominant region for the dissemination and development of the SH concept. (2) Previous theoretical research has focused on four themes: status investigation and value analysis, multidimensional characteristics, conservation initiatives and conceptual discussion, and conservation policy and strategy exploration. Overall, the research demonstrates a chronological progression that aligns with the conceptual initiative stages. (3) Several challenges remain, such as poor reality conservation, significant geographical barriers, and conflicting political positions. Furthermore, potential directions requiring deeper exploration include conceptual connotations, foundational research, the development of general national frameworks, and comparative studies. By elucidating the SH concept and its formation, these findings reveal current research trends and future directions within the international academic community, providing theoretical guidance for the scientific conservation of SH.