Vol 8, No 4 (2019)

The relevance of the paper is motivated by the importance and necessity of updating the educational paradigm on the basis of an axiological approach that fundamentally changes the style of communication between a teacher and a student as well as other participants of the educational process. The paper identifies the problems that scientists pose and solve while studying communication, i.e. highlight aspects of studying communication, conceptualize correlation between social relations and communication, communication and activity. The authors reveal that axiological communication is a form of values exchange. The values, which a teacher introduces to students, determine the content of such communication where the values are related and the meaning of one value is associated with the meaning of another one. The paper reveals that the product of axiological communication is the value relationship between a teacher and students, that while exchanging values in the course of such communication they are chosen. The authors specify a scientific concept of isolation of a personality in communication. The ideas of scientists on relationship between communication and activity (communication as a type of activity or a component, a part, a condition of another activity; communication as part of a single process of a human life; communication as part of activity) are revealed. The authors prove that a teacher’s axiological communication is a part of his/her ethical and pedagogical activity as a value-oriented type activity.

The paper traces the historical and pedagogical outlines of promoting ethnic tolerance in military pedagogy. The philosophical and socio-political prerequisites for developing the attitudes on ethnic tolerance are revealed. The views of national teachers and the periodization of the development of attitudes on ethnic conflict and tolerance of military personnel in national military pedagogy are systematized. The study of the process of promoting and developing tolerance of Russian military personnel of the XVIII – beginning of the XXI centuries was carried out from the standpoint of extending the worldview principles to the spiritual activities and practices of all participants in the pedagogical process. At the same time, historical and pedagogical conditions and factors that influenced the process under the study and the degree of its development in the corresponding period were taken into account. The study has showed that the idea of the conditioning ethnic tolerance in Russian military pedagogy, its implementation in theoretical thought and practical activities underwent a certain evolution. The study of historical and pedagogical experience has made it possible to formulate the main trends in the emergence and development of the process of conditioning ethnic tolerance among military personnel at various historical stages in order to take into account the positive and negative experience of promoting ethnic tolerance. The experience of educating military personnel in various historical periods is undoubtedly useful for conditioning and promoting ethnic tolerance among cadets. At present, the development of ethnic tolerance among military personnel is no less relevant than in the considered historical periods.

The paper discusses the importance of using extracurricular forms of education-Biology olympiads for the development of students’ creative potential, their professional development and quality improvement of the educational process. The tasks of the subject olympiad are grouped into three blocks depending on the degree of complexity, allowing to assess the level of intellectual capacity and creative thinking. The number of correctly completed tasks with a choice of one answer is more than 52%, it indicates the students’ ability to apply basic knowledge in the field of Biology for the solution of the standard problems. 86,06% of students are able to use critical thinking by performing tasks of increased complexity with a multiple choice of answers, to solve standard professional tasks in accordance with the algorithm. 56,74% of students have a high level of intellectual activity, creative approach for solving practice-oriented problems with a free answer. The tasks in the field of molecular Biology of cells, regardless of their type, caused students’ difficulties. A low average score is typical for practice-oriented tasks associated with the assessment of the organism response to environmental factors and patterns of several traits inheritance with different types of inheritance (0,72 and 0,39, respectively, with a maximum score of 5). The results of the olympiad indicate that the competence approach should be used in Biology teaching for education quality.

The professional training of specialists in the field of the digital economy is a promising direction in the development of economic education. The transition to digital technologies in management, banking, manufacturing, commerce, communications determines the emergence of new requirements for the professional and general competencies of university graduates. It is necessary to create an innovative vocational training system based on the use of electronic teaching aids and digital technologies. The implementation of this task should begin with the development of scientifically determined approaches to the creation of teaching aids that take into account all kinds of efficiency factors. This determines the importance of the task of scientific and methodological substantiation of the technology for creating electronic educational resources for the training of specialists in a new format. The paper proposes an analytical approach to determining the content and structure of the basic component of the methodological system – an electronic textbook. The expediency of its use in order to develop necessary competencies of the individual and group levels is substantiated. It is proposed to use a matrix form of information representation and elements of matrix and vector analysis to structure the material. A mathematical model has been developed that describes structural relationships between the concepts of the thesaurus. The structural elements in this model are the glossary concepts of an academic discipline. The possibilities of using the model for unification and automation of information processing during the selection of textbook content in various educational fields are discussed. Examples of using the proposed model in various subject areas are given. The authors describe how to represent a model based on graph theory and methods for solving the problem of the presence of cycles in this semantic structure. The main conclusions and results of the study can be used for the practical development of electronic learning tools, automating the process of structuring their content and methods of use in the educational process.

This paper discusses the main scientific results of the study associated with the introduction of a new understanding of higher education quality management in pedagogical science related to the digitalization of the educational process at the university. The point is that when a student interacts with other subjects of the educational process, conditions are provided in which the student can realize his or her importance as a subject of the educational process, as a person who models the process of knowing his or her future professional activity, as a future member of the professional community. This allows the student to see the paths of his or her development, to identify key areas in self-organization of activities, in self-development of individual characteristics and personality traits. The implementation of the «manage-help» scheme, coming to replace the «influencing» scheme, ensures the participation of the student in building an individual learning path, in the choice of «customized» forms, methods and technologies of professional training in accordance with individual capabilities, needs and abilities. The research result is the development and scientific justification of the digital quality management system of higher education in the interactive intellectual environment developed by the author. The developed system allows the student to «move away» from the existing templates and stamps of professional activity, expands his or her opportunities in development (and self-development) and creativity at university.

This paper discusses one of the urgent problems of prospective IT teachers’ training – the development of a special competence: the ability to use the programming methodology for solving tasks of the school «Computer Science» course. In contrast to the classical approach in teaching methods, when each topic under the section «Programming» is fixed by the solution of a number of simple tasks, we propose to solve problems with spirally increasing complexity (such tasks will be understood as large projects, the implementation of which can be improved throughout the study of the programming course, while at each stage the result of the work will be a full-fledged workable program). Any «round» of the solution, except for the first one, can be omitted without loss of functionality, and each block of the task can be independently evaluated by students. The paper provides an example of such a problem, describes in detail the stages of its solution, as well as the evaluation system. This technique has been tested at Samara State University of Social Sciences and Education with the students majoring in 44.03.01 Pedagogical Education («Computer Science»). The proposed method has shown good results both in the field of motivation and in terms of learning.

The paper poses and solves the problem of the technological organization of extracurricular individual activities of foreign undergraduates. The technological effectiveness of the individualized educational process during graduate studies, developing on the basis of the implementation of the capabilities of information and telecommunication technologies, provides faster and better mastery of knowledge, skills and abilities by foreign undergraduates. Information library resources play a significant role in their development, offer great didactic opportunities for individualized training of foreign Masters in education management who do not speak Russian well and, as a result, need tutorial support outside the classroom to process professionally significant scientific information. The authors present a theoretical and methodological substantiation and the results of modeling and testing the technology of extracurricular individualization of foreign Masters training in education management under the guidance of a librarian using a set of information library resources. This technology provides for the interconnected educational and research activities of a foreign undergraduate and the advisory activities of a librarian, implemented during extracurricular times and aimed at the individual processing of professionally significant scientific information in professionally defined situations using a set of information library resources used as means of pedagogical communication to achieve professional goals. The complex of information library resources includes: print collections, electronic catalogs, search platforms and electronic databases and takes into account the direction of training of foreign undergraduates. The technological process of extracurricular individualization provides an algorithm for the interrelated actions of a librarian and a foreign undergraduate in the design, organization, implementation, monitoring, evaluation and diagnosis of educational results and difficulties of extracurricular individual scientific activity. The organizational and pedagogical conditions for the effective implementation of the authors’ technology are determined and diagnostic tools are developed, including tests and diagnostic criteria for the level of mastery of complex of information library resources. The simulated technology provides individual informational, methodological support to each foreign undergraduate and improves the quality of their research activities, implemented in the virtual educational space of libraries.

The paper is devoted to the problem of professional and psychological training of employees of the penal system at university. The authors have developed a technology of teaching negotiations to students on the basis of competence-based approach while studying psychological disciplines. The authors define the concept of «a negotiation competence of the penal system employee», which is understood as a professional and personal readiness to negotiate with convicts in emergency conditions. The negotiation competence is considered in the context of conflicts resolution in case of group disobedience and mass riots at institutions of the penal system. The structure of the negotiation competence: motivational value, cognitive, efficient, practical and reflective components, reflecting the nature of the negotiation activity. The technology of negotiation competence development consists of the target, substantive, procedural, criterial and assessment units. The paper describes the content of training on the basis of organizational, communicative, ethical, technological, information components of the competence. The list of the planned educational results is given. The authors consider a procedural part of negotiation skills development, reflecting the content and sequence of stages. Methodical techniques used for training are described, examples of tasks are given. A business game is presented as an interactive form of training at the practical stage. The ways of checking if the educational results are developed with the help of the current and final control are discussed.

This paper deals with the study of the steppe eagle (Aquila nipalensis Hodgson, 1833) and the Eastern imperial eagle (Aquila heliaca Savigny, 1809). The authors consider the research periods of these bird species: the beginning of the XX century to the 60^th, 60–80^th, 80–90^th, and 90^th of the XXI century and 2000. The authors use the materials of the researches and expeditions made in the XX–XXI centuries on the territory of Central Siberia. They also analyze the borders change of the steppe eagle and the Eastern imperial eagle habitat. The authors carried out a detailed analysis of these types study – they created an interactive map of the steppe eagle and the Eastern imperial eagle places of nesting and revealed an approximate border of their habitat. The study was carried out in four hollows: Uvs Lake Basin; Uregnursk Hollow; Tuva Depression; Minusinsk Hollow, located in Krasnoyarsk Krai, Tuva and Khakassia, the part of the territory of Southern and Central Altai. These eagles habitat border changes are a consequence of deep changes in activity of these types that undoubtedly will lead to a deeper study of this subject.

The paper discusses the growth dynamics of Dicranum polysetum Sw. in artificial pine communities of the Krasnosamarsky Forest (Samara Region) and the National Park «Buzuluksky Bor» (Samara and Orenburg Regions). These species are most commonly found in these types of communities. The authors note the vitality of Dicranum polysetum Sw. and its relation to the size of the moss curtain. The studies were conducted in the summers of 2015, 2016 and 2017. The moss was studied at 12 sites of the artificial pine forests of the Krasnosamarsky forest and the National Park «Buzuluksky Bor». Three individuals were selected at each site, the growth and vitality of them were noted during the study period. It was revealed that the smallest growth was on the sites of the smallest moss curtain in both study areas. It was also found that the microrelief and grassy layer can significantly affect moss growth. It was noted that the vitality score was higher in large clumps in the absence of any mechanical damage to the curtain, and that the shoots form twigs, on average, every two years, thereby increasing their biomass, because the area of curtains did not significantly change during the study period.

The paper presents the results of a statistical analysis of the data on the accumulation and distribution of a number of heavy metals (Cr, Ni, Cu, Pb, Cd, Zn) in the soils of the cities of Samara and Syzran in the Samara Region, carried out using the Spearman’s rank correlation coefficient, the Kruskal-Wallis one-way analysis of variance and principal component analysis. The authors show that the soils of Samara are more susceptible to the accumulation of Cr, Ni, Cu and Cd than the soils of Syzran. Higher gross concentrations of metals are observed in the functional zones of the cities characterized by increased technogenic load – near industrial enterprises and along railways. The fixation of metals in the upper humus horizon is facilitated by the organic matter of the soil. The exception is Pb, whose total concentration does not depend on the type of functional zone and the content of organic carbon. The Kruskal-Wallis one-way analysis of variance made it possible to establish the presence of a statistically significant relationship between the mechanical composition of the soil and the gross concentrations of Cr and Ni, the content of which increases in soils of heavier texture. According to the principal component analysis, natural and technogenic sources of metals have a decisive influence on the content and distribution of heavy metals in the soil cover of the cities; soil characteristics (mechanical composition, actual acidity of the soil solution, organic carbon content) and the intensity of exposure to sources of heavy metals play a less significant role.

The paper analyzes the features of seasonal development of Tulipa tschimganica Botschantz. in the conditions of the recipient region. Comparative morphometric characteristics of ex situ and in situ are given. Representatives of the species T. tschimganica growing in high mountains are successfully acclimatized in the Novosibirsk Region. Late flowering and resistance to viral disease variegation adds value to this species in floriculture and gardening in the spring. The temperature characteristics of the initial stages of phenophases are established. The beginning of flowering in six of ten years of observations occurred in the second decade of May. By duration, flowering can be characterized as short – 7–8 days, with an average duration of 10–12 days and a long one – 13–15 days, respectively. It was found that, despite the high rates of maximum and average daily temperatures, lower temperatures increase the flowering period of T. tschimganica. The flowering period in the recipient region, compared with the city of Tashkent, shifts by two months and starts from the second decade of May. The range of experimental plants morphometric parameters, such as plant height, leaf width, length and width of the ovary, and fruit width, increases. The rest of the studied parameters remained in situ. The study of the ontogeny of individuals grown from seeds collected from introduced plants is being carried out. To date, the plants are going through a long pregenerative period of ontogenesis. Successful completion of the full cycle of annual shoots development and the formation of high-grade mature seeds characterize this species as successful for introduction and use in gardening in Novosibirsk.

This paper discusses the two estuaries of the large flat river Razdolnaya and the mountain river Sukhodol (the Sea of Japan). The data of hydrological surveys on these estuaries are presented and the distribution zones of waters of different salinity are shown. The graphs of changes in the biomass of some hydrobionts along the river are given. The studies have shown that water with a salinity of >5% penetrates the Razdolnaya River up to the main channel for 15 km. In the Sukhodol River, it happens that almost the entire estuary is occupied by salt water, and fresh water is traced in a layer of water no more than 0,5 m thick, no closer than 500 m to the mouth of the river. In the Razdolnaya River, there is a tendency for the growth of hydrobiont catches from the outer estuary to the inner one (from the sea to the river) to maximum values at a distance of 5 km from the mouth, followed by a gradual descent upstream. In the Sukhodol River, the specific biomass gradually decreases from the top of the river to a minimum of 0,4 km from the mouth with a sharp increase in the area of the mouth itself (the mouth of the lagoon and the sea coast) and the subsequent smooth decrease. The specific biomass of hydrobionts in the inner estuaries of the Razdolnaya and Sukhodol rivers was 6,7 and 4,0 g/m² respectively.

During 1974–2016, the protective behavior of 14 background species of leaf beetles (Coleoptera, Chrysomelidae) was studied within the Central and North-Eastern areas of the Samara Region: 7 – inhabitants of open areas and 7 – dendrobionts. During the 40-year period of the research, fine measurements of the microclimate of the grassland of steppes, meadows, ruderal vegetation and agrocoenoses, as well as forest stands, stakes and forest belts on 18 similar parameters were carried out. The qualitative microclimatic components of the boundaries of motor activity of insects in the environment of their typical habitats are determined; the rhythm and dependence of leaf eaters on the weather conditions of the natural environment are estimated; the types of protective adaptations, series of behavioral manifestations under the action of abiotic and biotic (mainly predators) agents of the environment are elucidated. The modes of the dominant effects on the body – the level of illumination, humidity regime, the strength of wind flows are revealed. Adaptations, passive and active motor protective reactions of leaf beetles in response to the action of 3 types of influences are considered. It has been found that for species existing in a certain climatic continuum there is a significant degree of tolerance to environmental factors prevailing in this biotope. In addition to the real protective motor reactions in the active phases of leaf beetles there is a whole system of congenital morphological and physiological adaptations that allow insects to experience many negative environmental influences.

The paper contains the vegetation study results of the valuable botanical object «Chalk slopes to the Proval river». The stow is located in the vicinities of the village Beketovka (Veshkaymsky District of Ulyanovsk Region) and is proposed for inclusion in the regional network of protected areas. The data of floral and phytocenotic studies are presented. The flora of the stow «Chalk slopes to the Proval river» contains 287 species of vascular plants including 8 species listed in Red data book of the Russian Federation: Hedysarum gmelinii, Iris aphylla, Koeleria sclerophylla, Matthiola fragrans, Pinus cretacea [P. sylvestris var. cretacea], Stipa pennata, S. pulcherrima, Thymus dubjanskyi [Th. cimicinus auct. p. max. p.]. The regional rare and requiring protection plants are Adonanthe vernalis, Anemone sylvestris, Asperula exasperata, Aster alpinus, Betula krylovii, Bupleurum falcatum, Carex pediformis, Centaurea ruthenica, Crepis pannonica, Delphinium cuneatum, Galatella linosyris, Galium hexanarium, Gentiana cruciata, Gentianella amarella, Helianthemum canum, H. nummularium, Helictotrichon desertorum, Herminium monorchis, Jurinea ledebourii, Linum flavum, L. uralense, Onosma simplisissima s. str., O. volgensis, Otites baschkirorum, Parnassia palustris, Polygala cretacea, P. sibirica, Pulsatilla patens, Scabiosa isetensis, Schoenus ferrugineus. Calcephitic florocoenotic complex of the stow «Chalk slopes to the Proval river» (Ulyanovsk Region) is characterized by a mosaic of vegetation. Here, in a relatively small area, meadow, petrophytic and grass-mixed steppes, forest edges communities are presented. The floristic composition of these communities is peculiar and characterized by the presence of a large number of rare species including relict and endemic elements. In addition, in the central part of the Volga Upland, only a small amount of erosion-chalk landscapes with a high degree of preservation is known. The studied stow is recommended for inclusion in the system of protected areas of the Ulyanovsk Region.

In connection with the anthropogenic load on the natural habitats of many medicinal plant species, it is relevant to assess the ecological conditions of growth in order to study the relationships between species and plant communities. The paper presents the analysis of ecological features of some species of the Lily of the valley family (Convallariaceae) in the Kirov Region. To identify the ecological-phytocoenotic association of the studied species in forest communities of the Kirov Region, 45 coenotic populations (CP) of Convallaria majalis, 10 CP of Polygonatum odoratum and 20 CP of Majanthemum bifolium were studied. When analyzing the ecological conditions of the species habitats, H. Ellenberg ecological scales were used. Geobotanical descriptions of plant communities were carried out according to generally accepted methods. It has been established that the amplitudes of the ecological spaces of the studied species in the Kirov Region practically do not fit into most ranges of ecological niches calculated on the basis of H. Ellenberg scales. The species have a wide range of adaptability to the studied environmental factors. All studied species are distributed on medium-moist soils (5^th level of H. Ellenberg scale). The authors have shown that the studied species are similar in environmental factors such as moisture and soil richness with nitrogen. Convallaria majalis and Polygonatum odoratum – photophilous species, Majanthemum bifolium – shade-tolerant species are distinguished with respect to illumination. In the grass-shrub layer of the studied habitats of the species, 7 rare, small, narrowly araic species are listed in the Red Book of the Kirov Region (Pulsatilia flavescens (Zuccar.) Juz., Potentilla humifusa Willd. ex Schlecht., Centaurea sumensis Kalen., Koeleria glauca (Spreng.) DC., Eryngium planum L., Geranium sanguineum L., Carex bohemica Schreb.). And 4 species that need constant monitoring and observation in the region (Annex 2) – Campanula perscifolia L., Pulsatilia patens (L.) Mill., Platanthera bifolia (L.) Rich., Iris sibirica L.).

A geobotanic survey was carried out and the diversity of weed communities of the steppe zone of the Orenburg and Ilek administrative Districts of the Orenburg Region was revealed. As a result of the synthaxonomic analysis, the studied communities are assigned to the new association Amarantho blitoidis-Lactucetum tataricae ass. nov. hoc loco in the system of units of ecological-floristic classification of Eurasia vegetation. The association united weed communities of spring wheat, sunflower, less often – rye, barley, corn and sorghum, emerging mainly on well-drained swollen soils in the flood of the Ural River. The cenophlora is characterized by the presence of bondate and optional psammophytes – Chondrilla brevirostris, Helichrysum arenarium, Ceratocarpus arenarius, etc. The communities of the association occupy an extreme position on gradients of aridity and moisturization factors among other weed vegetation communities of the Southern Ural. The North American alien species Euphorbia glyptosperma Engelm has been discovered for the first time in the Orenburg Region (subgenus Chamaesyce Raf., section Anisophyllum Roep.). Currently this species is expanding its range from the south of the Russian Federation. Other alien plants have been noted as part of the communities: Amaranthus blitoides S. Wats., A. retroflexus L., Conyza canadensis (L.) Cronq., Xanthium album (Widder) Scholz et Sucopp.

The paper reveals a rare component of stony steppes of the South and Central Ural Mountains of the rare and needing protection species to their different types. The authors establish that 154 rare and needing protection species, relicts and endemics grow on the stony steppes of the region. That makes 20,8% of all coenoflora. Among them 18 species are included in the Red List of the Russian Federation, 98 species are included in the regional Red Lists. The authors also revealed 34 endemic species relating, mainly to group of rocky and steppes endemics. The relic flora contains 42 species. The most part of them (25 species) belongs to the Holocene, the group of the pleystocene relicts is presented by 13 species. The analysis of coenoflora allowed to reveal features of rare species dividing into the communities that characterize different types of habitats. The greatest share of rare species is noted in communities of the South forest-steppe zone on calcareous substrates (more than 30% – 81 species). The obtained data confirm a high nature protection importance of the petrophytic steppes of the Southern and Central Urals and can form a basis for the complex strategy of protection of these communities.

The paper presents the results of a techno-morphological analysis of items made of antler obtained as a result of the collections from the 1960s–1990s from the site near the village of Michnievičy Smorgon District of the Grodno Region (north-western Belarus). Currently, more than 100 artifacts are known from this site, as well as a large number of fauna residues with no visible traces of processing. Radiocarbon dating was obtained for some categories of products, which link them to 9–2 thousand BC. The largest part of the collection refers to the period of the Mesolithic – Neolithic. At the first stage of work, the most expressive and numerous group of artifacts made of horn (24 exemplars), stored in the fonds of the Institute of History of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus, was selected for a techno-morphological analysis. The degree of preservation of the external surface of objects is relatively good, which made it possible to analyze macro-traces related to the technology of manufacturing various categories of products, on the basis of which a process flow was proposed – from the selection of raw materials to the finished product. The analysis of the technological traces recorded on the products allowed us to highlight the differences in the manufacturing processes of the oldest tools. In addition, on the basis of the macro signs of utilitarian wear, preliminary observations on the functional using of objects were obtained. According to technological and morphological features, the whole of the analyzed material was divided into conditional categories of instruments with a selected «heel» and without it. The presence or absence of this element, apparently, influenced the method of using objects in various household situations.

In this paper the authors study the issues of the cultural and chronological attribution of the Salekhard-4 settlement, the historic site, which was studied during the field works in 2017 for the first time. The site is located within the Salekhard city territory. Considering the vast historical and landscape context it should be noted that the territory of the Lower Ob River region (within the area of the modern Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug) includes several natural ranges: Northern taiga, forest tundra and tundra, and geographically spreads up to the Arctic coast. Moreover, it should be outlined that the historical retrospective displays multiple shifts of borders of the abovesaid nature and climatic ranges both, south and the northward, and such shifts affected migration of the ancient population considerably, which is clearly reflected on the archaeological remains. For instance the lower cultural layers of the Salekhard-4 settlement should be referred to the Chalcolithic Period (end of the 4^th – beginning of the 3^rd thousand years AD); this can be confirmed by the found ceramics referred to the Gorny Samotnel settlement. The cultural layers discovered above and containing the settlement and the burial complexes can be attributed to the Heyakh culture of the Late Bronze age (approx. 13^th century AD). One of the tombs partially containing relics and remains is the subject of special interest as it contains the unviolated funeral accessories. The unique nature of this finding is that for today it is the only Late Bronze age burial located in the region under study. Undamaged condition of the antropological material made it possible to establish the sex and the race of the buried, as well as to determine the approximate age at death. The upper cultural layers of the site under study can be referred to the culture of the Lower Ob River region of the early Middle Ages (1^st–4^th centuries DC), they contain residuals of a wooden flooring, a fire-forge, and some amount of ceramics.

The paper is devoted to the analysis of anthropological skeletal materials related to the Srubnaya culture and excavated in 2010 and 2018 in the mounds near the village of Krasnosamarskoye, Kinelsky District of the Samara Region. One hundred and three skeletal remains were studied. In the course of the examination, a standard program for fixing pathological conditions on human bones was applied. As a result of the work, it was possible to establish that the population of the Late Bronze Age buried in the mounds near the village of Krasnosamarskoe had a high infant mortality rate and a relatively short men’s life expectancy. In the studied skeletal series, a specific pathological complex in the dental system is found. It indicates that the diet consisted mainly of meat and dairy. Widespread markers of micronutrient deficiencies in the body were observed on the children bones which is also an indicator of negative environmental and social factors such as famines or parasitic infestations. High frequency of discrete-varying characters on the bones of the postcranial skeleton indicates that a closely related population is buried in the mounds of the Krasnosamarsky IV burial ground. Specific traumatic injuries presence in buried skeletal remains as well as their positive correlation with diseases of the joints and spine allows us to assume its association with domestic or professional economic activity.

The paper deals with problems of the development of the Episcopate under one of the greatest person of the Alexandrian Church – Cyril of Alexandria. The paper analyzes the Historia Ecclesiastica by Socrates Scholasticus, the works of Eusebius Caesarea and John of Nikiu, that outlines the key issues of the establishment of power relations in the Alexandrian Episcopate in IV–V centuries. The research has shown that the Cyril’s inauguration was prompted by the practice of continuity, which was developed in the Church Hierarchy, beginning with Athanasius of Alexandria, when power was handed down from uncle to nephew. After following his uncle Theophilus of Alexandria in a position by descent Cyril of Alexandria faced a number of important issues that needed quick response and significant resources: a power struggle with his rival Archdeacon Timotheus, continuing the practice of getting rid of heresy in the Nicene Christianity, and a need to establish a unified intellectual Christian environment. To solve these tasks was possible by a mass of public support as well as by using military force of the commander of the Emperor’s troops. The paper also emphasizes an escalating confrontation between the Alexandrian Bishop, followers of Novatian and a large Jewish community.

The paper discusses the features of the Volga city fortresses (Samara, Saratov and Tsaritsyn) development at its initial stage in the second half of the 1580s by knyaz G.O. Zasekin. The task is to consider the process of their urban planning appearance and defensive structures development as well as the composition of the inhabitants at the end of the XVI – beginning of the XVII centuries. The source base of the study is archival and published narrative, acts and other sources. A wide range of studies have been used, mainly in recent decades. It is concluded that until the end of the Time of Troubles, the population of the Volga fortress cities consisted of service people and members of their families. The settlements performed both military and commercial functions on the Volga route, but in fact, all of them were fortresses. Their garrisons were mainly supplied by the sovereign «bread and money salary» and were not able to provide themselves through fishing and other activities. The events of the Time of Troubles contributed to a deep crisis in the life of the Volga cities, the death of Saratov and Tsaritsyn. It was only after the end of the Time of Troubles when their restoration took place and a new system of fortifications was created.

Discussions on the situation of Finland as a part of the Russian state have been particularly acute since the end of the 19^th century, when the autocracy began to take measures to limit the privileges of the outskirts of the empire. One of the factors that put this problem to the forefront was also the development of the revolutionary movement in Russia at the beginning of the 20^th century. The tsarist government needed to organize the control over the activities of revolutionary organizations in Finland as well as to solve the problem of the import of weapons across the Finnish border into the Russian territory. Thus, a special meeting on question of the Grand Duchy of Finland was created. Representatives of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs were also invited to discuss this problem. The paper analyzes the memorandum by the Doctor of International Law and the Vice-Director of the Second Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs M.A. Taube, in which he investigates in detail possible consequences of revolutionary events development in Finland. The memorandum expresses a position of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which, in case of rebellion, considered that it was necessary and most beneficial for Russia to recognize the Grand Duchy of Finland as «a belligerent». This option did not receive approval from the emperor and the Council of Ministers, for whom the measures in regard to Finland were considered exclusively as a domestic question.

This paper presents an attempt to analyze the interrelation between American domestic policy and the Social Darwinist ideology at the turn of the XIX–XX centuries. Soviet and Russian historiography presents a deep analysis of socio-economic and political processes in that period in terms of criticism of liberal ideology and market economics. Significant social stratification was explained by insufficiently developed socially directed normative base, illegal interaction between representatives of large business and politicians, the purpose of which was personal enrichment, etc. In general, the economic and political system of the United States in the late XIX – early XX centuries was criticized from Russian scientists. In Soviet literature the conclusion was made about the insolvency of «bourgeois ideology», with elements of criticism of Social Darwinism as a minor component of this ideology. American historiography considers the subject of our study more wholly. Foreign historiography, basically, analyzes the connection of American domestic policy with the activities of financial magnates, who were becoming a new serious power in American politics. This paper attempts to explain the connection between the American domestic policy and the Social Darwinist discourse, which was an undoubted part of the intellectual and daily life of citizens in that historical period. The author points to the significant influence of the Social Darwinist ideology in the adoption of key inner-political decisions by the government of the United States.

Collectivization in the USSR, without any doubt, became one of the most difficult and tragic pages in the history of our country. Not denying the devastating results of the socialization of agriculture in the 1930s, some positive consequences, nevertheless, should be noted, especially in the public health service. In this paper the authors analyze changes in the public health service for rural residents from the late 19^th century to the end of the 1930s. They use various types of historical sources, such as statistical data, studies of Zemstvo leaders, government officials and memoirs of contemporaries. The state policy in the public health, the availability of medical care and the provision of medical personnel, the attitude of the population towards doctors and official medicine and the sanitary and hygienic living conditions of the rural residents are examined in detail. It is concluded that the depressing situation in the public health service for the rural population in pre-revolutionary Russia, aggravated by ignorance, numerous superstitions and distrust of doctors, changed dramatically only after the establishment of the Soviet government. In the process of collectivization in rural areas, an extensive network of hospitals, medical sites, maternity hospitals and pharmacies appeared. As a result, in spite of numerous problems in rural public health, it can be argued that it was in the 1930s that general medical care became an integral part of rural life.

This paper is devoted to perception of the February Revolution, the October revolution and the Civil War in Russia in Canadian historiography. The paper considers, firstly, works of historians – Canadian citizens, secondly, works of scientists from other countries who have worked in Canada for a long time and, thirdly, works of foreigners, who published in Canadian scientific journals. All of the above works can be divided into three groups. Firstly, these are fundamental works on the history of the Russian Revolution and Civil War. Secondly, these are works devoted to foreign intervention in Russia and Canadian participation of Canada in this intervention. Thirdly, these are works relating to other particular aspects of this subject. The authors of all considered works refer to the February Revolution as an important step for democracy in Russia. Canadian historiography mainly condemns the October Revolution and criticizes Bolsheviks for authoritarianism and radicalism. The attitude of Canadian scientists to the White Guards is ambiguous. On the one hand, there is a certain sympathy for the Whites as allies of the Entente (and Canada). But on the other hand, the Whites are condemned for their ill-conceived domestic policies and for inability to reach a compromise with each other. The Canadian historiography of the 1917–1922 events in Russia is now practically unexplored, and therefore it is of scientific interest.

The paper deals with the results of standardized interviews with representatives of the peoples from Central Asia (Kyrgyz, Tajiks, Uzbeks) currently residing in Samara and the Samara Region. The interviews were conducted in 2018–2019 within the framework of the project supported by the Russian Foundation for Basic Research. It has been established that ethnic culture retains its functionality in a new environment in all groups selected for the study. In particular, national cuisine and ethnic elements for the interior of their houses are widely used. The vast majority know and perform folk songs and music, have their recordings, and many of those people listen to them regularly or from time to time. They keep reading books and periodicals in their native language. Almost all of them keep their language immersion. All groups of respondents noted openness and readiness for friendly contacts regardless of nationality. The overwhelming majority of respondents communicate with their colleagues and neighbors. Communication is predominantly positive. Marital and family behavior reflects a rather positive perception of inter-ethnic marriages. Although the situation in this private sphere is not very clear. Based on the results obtained, the conclusion is that the majority of the representatives of the diaspora communities are successfully integrated.