The paper is focused on the impact of the public architectural excursions in the discourse of marginal modernist heritage of Soviet residential districts. It is argued that architectural public tours are one of the most acceptable tools for both professional experts (creating a platform for knowledge of status quo at a scale of 1:1 – the real basis for further research and for the start of the rethought modernisation) and wider audience, especially residents of the districts (re-appreciating the local identity, increasing the added value of the districts, provoking to take the initiative to improve the habitat).