Cult of war: The Main Cathedral of the Russian Armed Forces

The Main Cathedral of the Russian Armed Forces in Kubinka near Moscow is a quintessential example of the post-Soviet populist ideology, representating a mixture of ostensibly religious values with multiple secular cult objects

Distribution of Polychaeta Communities in the Western and Northern Part of the Barents Sea

Species composition and quantitative characteristics of polychaetes in the western and northern parts of the Barents Sea were analyzed on the basis of the material collected in July and November 2017 on MMBI expeditions aboard the RV “Dalniye Zelentsy”. Three faunistic polychaete complexes were revealed, depending on environmental conditions in the study area. A change in species composition and structure of communities from the bottom topography, structure of bottom sediments and bottom hydrodynamics were noted. An increase in biomass and density of polychaetes settlement was revealed in deep-water areas of the Barents Sea, on soft silty-clay soils, where the dominant species is Spiochaetopterus typicus. A decrease in quantitative characteristics of polychaetes was observed in shallow areas, on hard soils, in the zone of intensive erosion of bottom sediments as a result of warm and cold currents interaction, where the polychaete Nothria hyperborea dominated

The Foundations of Human Pro-Social Behaviour: Some Economic Aspects

Pro-social behaviour has an economic foundation. Income rate, social discount rates, incentives and welfare motives force agents to act pro-socially. Pro-social behaviour is realized through the institution of social responsibility, which includes non-market coordination mechanism, altruism, social capital and trust. The nature of the institute of social responsibility and its components are described in the first part of the paper. The second part describes the conditions that promote pro-social behaviour and reflect the main features of the institute of social responsibility. In the third part we tested the hypothesis of the second part on the basis of a comparative analysis of pro-social behaviour in Russia and OECD countries. In the fourth part we summed up the conclusions of the study. The study found a direct connection between the pro-social behaviour, the level of trust, volunteer and charitable activities. For empirical testing of theoretical hypotheses we use sociological surveys data of WVS (2010-2014), ESS (2012). In this paper we evaluated the pro-social behaviour in Russia in comparison with OECD countries. We used the following indicators: positive expectations for the future, trust, participation in volunteer activities and charity. We found that pro-social activity is poorly implemented in Russia. The low level of per capita income, low level of interpersonal trust, weak development of volunteer and charitable activities and pessimistic expectations of the future - these are the key factors that reduce pro-social activity in Russia

From ‘candidates’ to ‘grandmasters’: internationalization strategies of universities

Relevance. Higher education is one of the main areas for the development of national and world economy. To remain competitive on the national and international markets of higher education, universities need to invest considerable financial, human and other resources into internationalization. There is, however, no ‘one-size-fits-all’ solution and universities may choose from an array of strategies to become more visible on the international arena and to move up the global rankings.Research objective. The purpose of this article is to clarify the concept of internationalization in the field of higher education, to identify the key factors that influence universities’ success in internationalization and to explore the strategies and activities used by universities from different countries to internationalize.Materials and Methods. Methodologically, this study relies on the methods of directed content analysis, cluster analysis with SPSS statistics, case studies and interviews. The sample included 32 universities from Western Europe, China and Japan, Russia and the USA – participants of international programs of competitiveness enhancement.Results. 7 key factors that determine the success of a university’s internationalization efforts were identified, the most important of which are financial resources and international interaction. The study also proposes a methodology based on calculation of the internationalization index, which can be applied to determine this or that university’s type and choose the optimal activities to enhance its internationalization.Conclusions. Relocation of the university to a type (cluster) of a higher level through the implementation of the proposed activities can be considered as a modern way of their internationalization

Dynamics of Reading Culture in the Global Information Society

The article raises the issue of reading culture dynamics in the global information society. The tendency of the development of the modern information society is the change in the axiological status of practices that previously had a marker of elitist, high-status intellectual participants (reading fiction, hearing and understanding classical art, conscious perception of modern art, etc.). Reading is connected with the definition of the status of information as a socio-cultural phenomenon and carriers of information, which are basic for modern man. Fiction acquires the importance of a marker of the relationship of the individual with the extra-utilitarian practices of modern society. Reading is still the practice of elite, despite the declared availability of knowledge in the post-industrial era. A new kind of reading culture is being born, which is presented by "texts about texts" since in the modern world, it is not the phenomenon which is important but its presentation. New network media begin to be experts which define the borders and the orientation of reading. They emphasize novelty and a broad thematic scope of literary texts, which reviews will become basic for the world view of a modern person

Social and Economic Activity of the Elder Generation in Tomsk Region

Social and economic activity of the Russian elder generation has a contradictory nature. On the one hand, Russian pensioners often continue working beyond the existing comparatively low retirement age, on the other hand, in terms of involvement in volunteering, political activities, and even in care for children and grandchildren they lag significantly behind the average European level. Explaining it only by the lack of time does not seem plausible, since in many European countries, the employment rates, involvement in unpaid work and caring for other family members are all higher than in Russia. In our study we attempt to identify reasons for lower social and economic activity of older adults in Russia as compared with European countries. We use data of Tomsk regional survey (2015, N=400) for accessing older adults' social activity. Data analysis on Tomsk region suggests that employment (as an activity) and education (as a prerequisite) contribute to higher involvement in social interactions in later life

Economic and social aspects in the Republic of Tatarstan

The urgency of the problem under study is conditioned by the need to study the state of interethnic and interreligious relations in polyethnic and poly-confessional regions of Russian Federation. The aim of the article is to analyze the situation in the sphere of interethnic and interreligious relations in the Republic of Tatarstan in 2016. The leading approach to the study of this problem is the poly-paradigm methodology. The article gives the description of interethnic and interconfessional relations in the Republic of Tatarstan in 2014-2016, the comparative data on the largest cities of the republic are given. A particular attention is paid to the analysis of migrant perception peculiarities by the local population. The materials of the article can be useful for ethnologists, social and cultural anthropologists, political scientists, as well as for the representatives of the bodies and structures responsible for the issues of interethnic interaction.peer-reviewe

CONFESSIONAL GROUPS IN THE REPUBLIC OF TATARSTAN: IDENTITY AND FEATURES OF ITS DESIGN

Purpose: The relevance of the problem is caused by the need for a comprehensive study of interfaith group attitudes in multiethnic and polyconfessional regions of the Russian Federation. The purpose of this article is to analyze the strategies of constructing identity in the environment of religious groups in the Republic of Tatarstan in 2017 - 2018. Methodology: The Leading approach to the study of this problem is a multi-paradigm methodology. The article gives a comparative description of the world outlook of the three studied groups -Muslims, Orthodox, and Atheists. Special attention is paid to the analysis of mechanisms of religious socialization and transmission of religious values. Result: It is concluded that Muslims attach more importance to the implementation of religious rites and practices; the family is considered the main agent of religious socialization, they are more characterized by the position of "religion is not chosen." The materials of the article can be useful for ethnologists, social and cultural anthropologists, political scientists, as well as representatives of bodies and structures in charge of interethnic and interreligious interaction. Applications: This research can be used for universities, teachers, and students. Novelty/Originality: In this research, the model of Confessional groups in the Republic of Tatarstan: identity and features of its design are presented in a comprehensive and complete manner

FORMATION OF MUNICIPAL SERVICE HUMAN RESOURCE POTENTIAL AS A STRATEGIC FACTOR FOR RUSSIAN TERRITORY SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

Purpose: The development of municipal service professional staff units is one of the most significant factors for Russian territory's sustainable development. Methodology: The information base of the research includes the results of sociological studies conducted by the All-Russia Council of Local Self-Government (ARCLSG) through the sending of questionnaires via the Internet: "Human Resources of Municipalities" (June-July 2013, N = 915); "Human Resources of Local Self-Government" (March-April 2016, N = 582). Result: The results of the expert survey showed that the leaders of local authorities are not fully satisfied with the level of municipal employee professional training. Evaluating the effectiveness of training programs implemented in recent years, most experts chose the following answer: "not all of the required issues have been covered, only a few things can be useful in practical activities". In modern conditions, it is necessary to specify the content of education, taking into account the specifics of the territory, its social and economic problems, the overcoming of a narrow theoretical orientation of the courses. Applications: This research can be used for the universities, teachers and education students. Novelty/Originality: In this research, the model of formation of municipal service human resource potential as a strategic factor for Russian territory sustainable development is presented in a comprehensive and complete manner