The article is devoted to the concepts of ‘historical reality’ and ‘historical opportunity’. Various types of historical opportunities are studied. The interconnection of what is possible and what is valid is shown. Besides, the implementation of this interconnection, the dialectical unity and reciprocal transitions of these notions are described. The conditions necessary for the realization of historical opportunity are named. Special attention is given to the importance of studying the phenomena of possible and valid in history for its further research. Methodological opportunities of the cognition methods formed on the base of the categories “historical reality” and “historical opportunity” are shown.

The article considers the history of emergence and evolution of educational institutions badges in the USSR. Using material and written sources of legislative character, the author studies the iconography and sociocultural functions of badges and brings to light the reasons of their emergence. While performing the research the author came to the conclusion that the variety of civil educational institutions badges is caused by their identification function, as they could identify an individual with a professional group and were the consequence of reforms in the USSR system of education during the post-war period.

The article is devoted to the Izhevsk-Votkinsk workers’ revolt, which was the most powerful unrest against the Bolsheviks in the Russian Civil war. The Soviet historians of the 20-30s and their followers’ opinion that the rebels’ armed forces were defeated by the Red Army which was far less numerous is unanimous. In the end of the 50s an attempt was made to actually study the history of the revolt. This approach is more realistic while studying the problem in whole and the armed forces of the revolt in particular. The article is aimed to describe this stage in the historiography of the Izhevsk-Votkinsk workers’ revolt which lasted till early 90s, as well as to disclose the main conclusions and their validity.

The article gives a review of scientific innovations of sociologists, political scientists, historians and other scientists interested in the issues of information policy concerning young people. It is shown that methodological grounds for this kind of information policy should result from methodological interpretations of youth as a social and cultural phenomenon. The article considers the conceptions of the policy concerning young people, as well its information component in the state and in the civil society.

The article attempts to analyze political management as a new kind of management. Particular attention is given to the concept of political networks. Various patterns of political management are also studied. The author makes an important observation that the «iron triangle» network is strengthening its positions in the Russian political management, but the positions of political and expert «issue networks» are suffering.

The paper presents the essential characteristics of the image of a politician, reveals the basic approaches to its definition in various subject areas. Particular attention is paid to the features of image formation in modern conditions, its perception by mass public consciousness are given. The author emphasizes the dual nature of the image, which is due to the correlation between the image represented by the image-makers and the stereotype of its perception by mass consciousness. It is stated that such stereotypic attitude is based on the audience’s individual experience and the rumors spread. The image of a politician is presented by the author as a phenomenon of intersubjective interaction, since public consciousness not only reflects, but also constructs it.

This scientific article enriches the existing political and legal researches of presidential Messages to the Federal Assembly. The author’s contribution lies in the definition of the basic features and functions of the Messages of President of Russia in the context of determining the political course of development of the country. Among the essential features of the presidential messages are the following: they have a binding character for the executive authority and advisory for the legislature; they are personified; they play a key role in public policy; have a high level of conceptualization among other political documents. Among the functions of presidential messages are named the following: arbitration-integrating, strategically-directing, controlling, communicative, value-oriented.

The article studies the policy-making principles and the activities of the three liberal parties of modern Russia (“Grazhdanskaya Platforma”(or Civic Platform), “Republican Party of Russia - Party of People’s Freedom” and “People’s Alliance” (or “Party of Progress”since February, 2014)). Basing on the outstanding Russian politicians’ opinion as well as on his own, the author assesses the perspectives of liberal opposition development in Russia. Besides, the Russian business’s strategy in party-making, party and political activities is formulated.

The article deals with the analysis of the theoretic and methodological basis of the research of the Ombudsman institution. The concepts of «the advocacy and protection of citizens’ rights and freedoms» is discussed in the article. The works of foreign and domestic scientists who have made a great contribution to the study of the history of establishment and development of the Ombudsman institution are highlighted. The place and role of the Ombudsman institution in the system of separation of powers is determined. The research methodology of the Ombudsman institution is also considered in the article.

The article studies the issue of the influence of the Middle Eastern political Islam on Muslim communities in Russia. The reasons of Islamic extremism and Wahhabism development on the territory of the Russian Federation are analyzed. The necessity of cultivating traditional Islam among the Muslims of Russia is given grounds for. The main activities of foreign Islamic funds and organizations are revealed. On the basis of the conducted research necessary conclusions are drawn. The ways of overcoming the problem connected with Islam radicalization in Russia are designated.

The author examines the issues of the national security strategy and public policy in Russia aimed at peace-keeping. The author emphasizes the necessity to address the national security concerns through joint efforts of all levels of government and civil society institutions to strengthen international peace. There is a need in developing of good neighborly relations and strategic partnership with the Commonwealth of Independent States.

The article considers the cooperation between Russia and the CIS countries in the field of transport policy and a mechanism of public railway transport administration in modern Russia and the CIS countries, which is taking place in terms of the industry restructuration, adapted to the needs of the neighboring countries. Particular attention is paid to the railway transport safety. The experience of resolving disputes through arbitration courts is highlighted.

The article deals with the economic aspects of the cross-border cooperation between the Russian Federation and the Republic of Kazakhstan. The author identifies the most significant problems of the development of the socio-economic interactions between the two countries in such areas as: transport, infrastructure, the creation of special economic zones and clusters, funding joint projects. The promising ways of solving these issues in order to optimize cross-border contacts and deepening of the processes of economic integration are proposed.

The article covers the problem of energy safety while taking into consideration the Arctic region’s economic potential and strategic significance for Russia. The author stresses the fact that at the beginning of the 21-st century there is a growing struggle for the access to natural resources when the demand for oil and gas is on the rise. International legal claims among arctic states result in aggravating rivalry for resources. Though Russia has formulated her attitudes to the development of the arctic zone there should be further steps made to secure Russian interests.

The owners of the mines and metallurgical works in the Urals stand apart from the rest of the Russian industrialists. Their history represents a whimsical alloy of a highly productive metallurgy formation with very archaic forms of serfdom. The more interesting are the activities and views of the Prince S.S. Abamelek-Lazarev, a typical representative of the given social strata, who defended the necessity of monopolizing the mining industry. Still, his example can show the objective obstacles that prevented the Russian noblemen- entrepreneurs from changing the “conservative non-bourgeois consciousness”.

The article is aimed to study the problem of external influences on the Emperor Nicholas II in the first decade of his reign (October 20, 1894 - early 1905), describing the influence of his nearest environment - the Grand Dukes. The research is based on the analysis of all possible mechanisms the Grand Dukes could influence the Emperor Nicholas the Second’s policy, taking into consideration the main areas: political influence and impact on the personnel policy of the monarch. Basing on the review of these areas, as well as on the study of various archival documents, sources and literature, it was concluded that in the first decade of the reign the Grand Dukes’ impact on the personnel policy of the monarch predominated over the other direction of influence - the political one.

The article is devoted to the theoretical problems of modernizing domestic cottage industry in the second half of the XIX - early XX centuries. The authors solve the problem of complementary integration of traditional understanding of the cottage industry with modern ideas of the theory of modernization. The basic idea expressed in the article is the provision stating that the constructive potential of modernization is not in a complete denial of traditions but in their development.

The article dwells on the role and place of microdistricts in the USSR’s house-building. The influence of microdistricts on the problems of social and cultural sphere development through improving Soviet citizens’ conditions of life are described. The article also studies the social and cultural aspects of town-planning problems, as well as the transition to the district organization of the urban area. The author highlights the contradictions in municipal services that were not widely studied in the previous time period.

The article is devoted to an interesting and insufficiently studied problem - the peculiarities of the organization and conducting special contests (in Russian - “Olympiads”) for the Russian schoolchildren at the turn of the 20th-21st centuries. The article intentionally avoids discussing both strictly pedagogical issues and the identification of the historical aspects of state policy in the sphere of contests for schoolchildren. The author is interested in the forms and stages of conducting such contests, their personnel and logistics, the intensity of the state policy in this field. Gifted children are considered as an important public resource, able to ensure the country’s competitiveness in the international arena in the future.