Perestroika and the collapse of the USSR are global changes in the political situation which, in turn, led to the changes in the sociocultural environment and were reflected in scientists’ approaches to the main problems of history. One of them is the problem of Princess Olga’s christening. Despite being well-studied this problem continues causing discussions among historians. The article studies the modern domestic historiography on the problem, and gives the assessment of the methods applied by historians in their research.

The article reveals the content and possibilities of using notarial books as a source of studying social and economic life of pre-reform Kolomna (1820s). According to the author of the article this source is one of the most informative documents for studying the condition of trade, industry, and the social relations in the Russian provincial town of the first half of the XIX century. The author pays attention to the fact that there is a variety of data in notarial books that allows to reconstruct daily activity of economically active population of Kolomna.

Based on Ugaritic and Egyptian written sources and archaeological data from Palestine and Cyprus, the author examines the social and political system of the Sea Peoples. He shows that most of the migrants were the people of developed urban culture at the time of their arrival in Palestine and to Cyprus. On the other hand, some of them did not have any social and political structures as it is mentioned in written sources. In author’s opinion, the Sea Peoples never were a single unit in social sense, but an amalgam of tribes with different level of development of social and political institutions.

For the first time in Russian historiography this article examines the practice of naming of Christians in Muslim Cordoba in mid-ninth century. The author studies the names of Christians to present the conditions of their co-existence with Muslims in a new powerful state of the Umayyads. The author has come to conclusion that part of Christians in Cordoba used their names in the struggle for the preservation of cultural identity as a mark of their otherness

The article considers the questions of appearance and development of views on the problem of European safety in the Middle Ages. The author investigates the genesis and features of formation of concepts of safety in Europe. The main threats for safety on the European continent during various periods of the Middle Ages are shown. The author discloses the main contents of philosophers’ treatises and projects which were to prevent wars and provide peace, as well as the practical steps taken in this direction. On the basis of the analysis performed the author comes to the conclusion that the problem of the European safety in the Middle Ages was supposed to be solved by joining the states of the continent into an empire or federation on a secular or Christian basis, in the framework of a centripetal and universal tendency.

The article is devoted to William Donovan (1883-1959), the major figure of the U.S. intelligence community during the World War II and the chief of the Office of Strategic Services. The author studies Donovan’s contribution to the formation and development of the structure and the specific work of the U.S. strategic intelligence. The author shows special interest to Donovan's principles and ideas that became the main principles of the U.S. intelligence. The author uses the publications of Donovan's colleagues, as well as the studies of leading contemporary historians. On this basis the author makes conclusions about the value of W. Donovan's ideas which were implemented, especially in connection of the U.S. participation in World War II, and for the American intelligence in the whole.

The article examines the historical development of the major milestones of the Albanian and Serbian peoples which played a certain role in provoking the Kosovo conflict. Particular attention is given to the alteration of the quantity of Albanian and Serbian population in the region. On the basis of the considered material the author identifies the reasons for the Kosovo crisis caused by the historical destiny of the two peoples. The author also gives grounds and supports the view according to which the territory of Kosovo is a part of Serbia.

In this article one studies the development of the humanitarian cooperation between Germany and Sri Lanka at the beginning of the 21st century. The author examines the range of mutual bilateral humanitarian projects and programmes, aimed at improving political, economic, social living conditions of the citizens from Sri Lanka. For around 30 years Sri Lanka has been beset by the civil war that caused many human victims and sufferings, ruined also the state institutions, infrastructure and democratic values. Mutual humanitarian programmes and projects between Germany and Sri Lanka are directed to the development of small and mediumsized enterprises, help of refugees, fight against starvation and calamities, defense of human rights and freedoms of the citizens from Sri Lanka.

The renewal of diplomatic relations between Russia and the Holy Roman Empire of the German nation in 1654 is reconstructed in the article. The author gives an overview of the prerevolutionary, Soviet and contemporary studies of the resumption of relations between Russia and the Holy Roman Empire. The biography of Russian envoys I.I. Baklanovsky and I. Mikhailov is also given. The author distinguishes between the officially declared goals and the real ones of Russia and the Holy Roman Empire of the German nation in the second half of 17th century, when both countries were establishing closer relations.

This article reveals the diplomatic aspect of Peter I’s trip to France in 1717. The author studies the features of Russian tsar’s stay in France, international situation that developed at that stage and preceded the emergence of diplomatic relations with the country. This study is based on the analysis of the two countries’ relationships during the Great Northern war, as well as of finding ways of resolve this problem. After performing a comparative analysis of the historical sources about that trip, the author came to the conclusion that the Russian-French relations were mainly economic, but the diplomatic tandem at this stage did not work.

The article is devoted to a little-known problem in Russian historiography. This is the question of a diplomatic and a military history of The War of the Austrian Succession (17401748). In view of the extensiveness of that subject the author elected one of the most important periods of the War (1742-1743). The author set the following problem: to systematize the extensive historical material relating to this period as well as to draw the conclusions concerning the further diplomatic and military prospects of the War. The main conclusion of article is as follows. Opposition of Great Britain and France was the main feature of all-European diplomatic relations during the period under consideration. This confrontation turned the fight for the Austrian possessions in Germany, the struggle for "the Austrian Succession" into the direction of the level of the all-European war.

The article studies the problem of the number of the Greeks in the Moscow merchant class in 1782-1811 in 1782-1811 (from the fourth to the sixth revision). On the basis of the information about the Greeks’ guarantors when they entered the merchant class, as well as on the onomastic information, the author draws a conclusion about how well the Greek merchants in Moscow could save their ethnicity.

This article is devoted to the topical issue of the study of the idea of convocation of the Constituent Assembly in the views of prominent members of the revolutionary organization «Narodnaya volya» in the 70-80s of the XIX century and is a continuation of M.D. Trukhin’s previous publication «The idea of Constituent Assembly in the views of leaders of the revolutionary organization «Narodnaya volya». The main topic of the publication is a review of L.A. Tikhomirov and N.A. Morozov’s positions on the issue of the Constituent Assembly, as well as their confederates.

In this article emergence and program installations of the chernostenny press in Russia are investigated. In article views of publicists of leading periodicals of such political parties as the Union of the Russian people and the Russian national union of a name of Mikhail Arkhangel, and also other large editions supporting their views of the state and social system of the Russian Empire are analysed. Also attempts of consolidation of the right press at the beginning of the XX century, and the reasons of failure of the actions directed on combination of the right editions are investigated.

One of the most popular Russian social movements at the turn of XIX - XX centuries was “Tolstoyan Movement”, which promoted the ideas of peaceful Christian anarchism. In their social and political activity Tolstoyans paid great attention to cooperation with Russian sectarianism. This article discusses the problem of Tolstoyan representatives’ participating in aiding Russian Doukhobors who were in misery. The main directions of this aid and its results are determined

The article is devoted to the problem of reforming the system of elementary education in Russia at the turn of the XIXth-XXth centuries. The author analyses the main projects of introducing universal primary education through the conflict of civil and religious ideas in social consciousness. The evolution of power elite’s views in the sphere of the structure and organizational subordination of the primary education system is followed. The attitude of the Orthodox Church is also described. The reasons which didn’t allow to implement the project of introducing universal elementary education in pre-revolutionary Russia are analyzed.

This article is about the theory of modernization, criteria of modernization and the quantity of modernization attempts in the history of Russia. The author makes an attempt to give his own definition and criteria of modernization and, consequently, find out the date of the first attempt of modernization in Russia. The article analyses whether the reforms of Izbrannaya Rada (or “Chosen Council”), Boris Godunov, Aleksey Mikhailovich corresponded with the ideas of modernization in Russia. On the basis of this analysis the conclusion about the date of the first known modernization in Russia is made.

The article shows the role and place of economical apartments in house-building in the USSR. The author analyzes the changing lifestyle of the Soviet people in connection with the transition to the occupancy principle of one flat for one family. Based on the historical experience of the USSR the article discloses the topical issues of house-building as a means of forming the humanitarian space and development of social, cultural and spiritual identity. The author interprets both the contradictions in house-building and historic experience in attempt to resolve them.

The article studies the importance and place of historical anniversaries in the political life of the USSR during the periods of post-war Stalinism and Khruschev's "thaw". On the basis of the analysis of various archival and published sources the author comes to the conclusion: gradual withdrawal from the model of historical anniversary of the Stalin post-war period, aspiring to the synthesis of pre-revolutionary, Soviet, national, and imperial patriotism and internationalism was the main tendency in the change of the role and place of historical anniversaries in the USSR’s political life in 1953-1964. However, the synthesis of a new holistic model during the era of "thaw" wasn't performed.

This article is devoted to the peculiarities of the Soviet public opinion in regard of R. Nixon’s first visit to the USSR and signing SALT I. On the assumption of the archive documents and newspaper articles three opinion groups have been identified: approval, disapproval and intermediate compromise position. In each group there are several sub-groups of responses having motives in common. The obtained data confirm the complicated structure of the Soviet public opinion concerning the USA President’s first visit to the USSR and reflect the complexity and divergence in relations between the two great countries.

The article deals with the traditions of Scientific Contests for schoolchildren in Russia which formed within the long history of intellectual competitions. The author shows the features of such contests in the Soviet Union and Modern Russia, as well as the directions of state policy in this sphere. Special attention is given to the legislative basis of this movement. The main conclusion of the article is as follows: unlike Soviet times, when the traditions of Scientific Contests for children were accumulated and carefully guarded by their organizers and participants, in modern Russia this kind of work with talented children failed to continue due to numerous objective and subjective circumstances, mainly, due to a large-scale political crisis after the collapse of the USSR. Despite the organizers’ efforts Scientific Contests were rapidly losing the role of a social lift for gifted children and adolescents who had abilities to develop science and create advanced technologies and innovations.

The author speaks about the importance of considering all geostrategic directions in the formation of Russia’s foreign policy. The article analyzes the situation in the post-Soviet space (Baltic, Trans-Dniester region, Belarus, Ukraine, Kazakhstan and the republics of Central Asia), considering the attitude of new states to the history of Russia (Soviet State). It also describes the policy of the Ukrainian authorities, presents the evaluation of the referendum in the Crimea and its annexation to Russia, as well as of referendums in Donetsk and Lugansk regions. The article evaluates Kiev's actions, which, according to the author, lead to the breakup of the country. The tasks of Russia’s authorities on the territory of post-Soviet Russia are formulated.

The article contains a critical analysis of the concept of sustainable development, its role and place in the current global processes. Official original sources are used to prove that this process has a consecutive and guided character. Some mechanisms of sustainable interaction of the institutes of “sustainable development” are demonstrated by the author. Special attention is paid to the technologies and instruments of disruption of state sovereignty, to the globalization of control over natural resources and to the ways public conscience can adapt to them.

This article discusses the integration and immigration policies in Germany and France, partly built on the basis of a multicultural model. It is concluded that no matter what the political rhetoric was, neither France nor Germany pursued a full-fledged, institutionalized and constructive policy of multiculturalism. Contemporary sociopolitical reality that is developing at the moment in these countries is the result of untimely response of the state on the fast-growing ethnic and religious diversity.

The authors focus their attention on the practice of organizing a process of competitive selection for vacancies in public service and for personnel reserve in government structures. The authors of the article have conducted a sociological survey of two categories of respondents: organizers and participants of competitive selection process in 31 bodies of state authority in Sverdlovsk region. It has allowed to reveal the problems in the methods of evaluating candidates. The results of the sociological analysis show the dissonance between the expected and diagnosable competencies of candidates, as well as the contradiction between the traditional and effective methods of assessing the candidate’s competencies while conducting the competitive selection. The areas of HR work in improving transparency and objectivity of management technologies for the process of competitive selection for vacancies in public service.

The article discusses the current challenges in the development of the political system of the Russian Federation. Particular attention is paid to the reformatting of the legislative power as the foundation of the system of state management of a modern democratic state. According to the author, the main focus should be made on the improvement of the procedure of acquisition of legislative bodies. The paper presents practical suggestions for the development of new qualification requirements for candidates that will involve the introduction of the procedure of taking a comprehensive exam which would confirm the deputy’s educational minimum.

The article presents an analysis of modern Russian patriotism which is interpreted as a marker (indicator) of civil identity development. This process is understood as a person’s awareness of being a part of civil community and a state; besides, it is treated as a phenomenon of above-individual consciousness. According to such interpretation of civil identity, there are two components in modern Russian patriotism: a person’s identification with his native land and the country citizens’ communality. Giving grounds for his position, the author resorts to the results of empirical researches performed in 2000 - 2014.