The development of the people and the state of Abkhazia in antiquity and the middle ages is analyzed in the article. The evolution of the history of the country and its relations is reconstructed. The examples of the interaction of Abkhazia with other countries in the given period in different spheres are studied. Based on the conducted research the author proves the significance of the role that Abkhazia played as the center of economic, trade, and political life in the Caucasus in the anient and medieval times.

This article reviews the causes of occurrence on the Middle East map of an artificial form of a state - the Emirate of Transjordan. The analisis of practical steps made by Great Britain in Transjordan region is performed in a wider context of the British policy in the Middle East. The milestone episodes of Anglo-French competition for the Middle East repartition are covered in the article. Based on British foreign policy documents, the author concludes that excluding some of Palestine territories in order to form Transjordan region and establish an Arab state there turned out to be very important for the British colonial policy. Besides, it was expedient due to the situation in the region at that time.

Coal played an important role in the economy of socialist Poland, being one of the main export commodities. After World War II, significant amounts of Polish coal were supplied to the USSR at reduced prices. It was perceived very negatively by the Poles. In the autumn of 1956 one of the main requirements during the crisis of the Soviet-Polish relations was to solve the „coal problem”. The analysis of statistical data and texts of international agreements shows that from 1956 to 1975 the price of coal was set on the basis of market prices, both parties interests taken into account. This fact generally reflects the change in the Soviet-Polish relations.

On the basis of a wide range of historical sources including those introduced into scientific circulation for the first time the author of the article analyzes the projects of conservative members of Zemstvo which were meant to organize the rural credit cooperation in the second half of XIX - early XX centuries. In the course of the research it was established that rural credit cooperation had become widespread long before of P.A. Stolypin’s agrarian reforms and had become the economic basis for performing the reforms. This fact contradicts the generally accepted historiographic position.

The article discusses the 1880 and 1881 political crisis in the Russian Empire reflected in the publications of Ivan Sergeevich Aksakov, the editor of "Rus" newspaper. It is noted that being a Slavophile, Aksakov saw the main cause of the crisis in the split of the country into a folk, traditional and indigenous Russia, and the Europeanized Empire. The only salvation he saw in the union of the autocratic power with the people, and called to it on the pages of his newspaper. Great attention was paid to the problem of moral education of youth. Aksakov’s attitude to the policy of “heart dictatorship” was rather wary, as he was afraid of rampant nihilism. But many Loris-Melikov’ reform initiatives found support on the pages of "Rus".

The Russian National Committee (RNC) was created in Paris by a group of emigrants. Among them was Vladimir Lvovich Burtsev, one of central figures in the Russian political emigration, the public and revolutionary figure, the publisher of several newspapers and magazines in Russia and abroad. The RNC’s goal was to combine efforts of various political parties in fighingt against Bolshevism, aiming at chanching the power in Russia. Their idea was to bring into power the political forces which could reflect interests of the Russian society in general.

In article the problems connected with formation of the Soviet educational policy on the example of chemical faculties and chairs of universities are considered. A research objective - to study processes of reorganization of old chemical chairs (divisions) of imperial higher education institutions and creation of chemical divisions (faculties) at new Soviet universities. The author of article sees the task in an assessment of influence of policy of “military communism” on training of specialists chemists in 1918-1921. The results of the conducted research presented in article are based on the published and archival documents, on memoirs of large scientists-chemists, on practical results of activity of chemical faculties and chairs of universities in the first years of the Soviet power. The researcher comes to a conclusion that in the years of Civil war and foreign military intervention the Soviet educational policy provided reorganization old and creation of new higher education institutions. Requirements of Red army and fleet need of restoration of a national economy stimulated development of chemical faculties of universities of RSFSR.

The article is dedicated to the practical solution of the major economic task - the creation of the canal connecting the Moskva River and the Volga River. The history of this idea, which arose in the 17th century, is considered. The author studies the reasons of canal construction, the Soviet government’s actions aimed at its fast construction, as well as the heaviest living conditions for canal builders, and great importance of this unique hydraulic engineering construction for Moscow and the whole Soviet state.

Any power is anxious to put under control the use of new forms of communication in both state and regional governance, as well as in different policies performed in their own purposes. The authors of this paper conclude that the ruling elites’ indifference in this regard may result in the fact that the increasingly popular cloud technology can be used against the government interested parties, creating fertile ground for the destruction of the legitimacy of the existing political regime -the underground network as well as techniques of "controlled chaos" and "color revolutions". The article also analyzes the benefits of cloud technology on the example of Russia and the United States.

The article is devoted to the issues related to the “Homo Economicus” as a phenomenon. Some specific features of the Russian “Homo Economicus” are revealed. The reasons which make this phenomenon different in Russia (including the dealers of the Soviet “shadow” economy) and in the West are defined. The conclusions about the relationship of the Russian “Homo Economicus” and political processes at the turn of the 1980 - 1990s are made. Specific features of interrelation between the Russian “Homo Economicus” and “Homo Politicus” in the Russian reality are revealed, including those of the past

The article deals with the relations of Russia and Georgia in the context of contemporary situation and in the context of the prospects of their development. The author of the article also provides the retrospective analysis of the two countries’ relations since the moment of the USSR’s collapse till nowadays. The author also considers all existing obstacles to the normalization of relations between Russia and Georgia in the short-and-mid-run term. The article is also concerns the trade and economic relations between the two countries, which are at the stage of dynamic development. Special attention is paid to the role of Georgian expat community in Russia and to the role of the Russian language as a link in improving the relations between Russia and Georgia.

The article deals with sources, methodology and the research findings of N.V. Ustjugov’s scientific works on Russian Orders (Prikazes) in the 17th œntury. The article demonstrates the history of Ustjugov’s study of this theme. It is stated that his interest to the research of Orders’ (Prikazes’) history was typical of Soviet historians in 1930 - 1950s, starting the study of new themes in the process of summarizing works preparation. Ustjugov’s works on the history of Orders (Prikazes) became the example of internalistic variant of Soviet historical science development due to this theme not to be under the influence of ideology. The main feature of such development is the dominance of internal-scientific factors in problem definitions and conclusions formulation.

The article describes different approaches to understanding the problems of the "cold war" results described in the scientific literature and social thought. The author examines particular features of domestic and foreign authors’ approaches to the issue, including political and public figures. The study is based on the analysis of domestic and foreign authors’ works on "cold war". Attention is given to the direct participants of the events, their view on what happened. Having performed the deep analysis of the works and sources, the author comes to the understanding of differences in approaches among scientists on the question of winners and losers. Some certain trends in the development of the historiographical problems are revealed.