World War I and Identity Crisis of Russian Germans

The authors consider the position of Russian Germans in the empire, who during World War I became victims of the foreign policy circumstance. There is analyzed the process of the transformation of the state-ethnic identity of the Germans through the identification of factors that had a psychological impact on them and contributed to the formation of a “negative” identity in their environment. The sources for the study are the letters of military doctor F.O. Krause and Russian Germans who served on the Caucasian front, as well as German colonists from various provinces of the Russian Empire; decrees and orders of the military and civil administration, periodical materials; office correspon- dence between ministries and other materials stored in the central and regional archives of the Russian Federation. The study shows that the rise in nationalist sentiments in Russian society and the implementation of anti-German policy in the country exerted significant psychological pressure on Russian Germans. Due to this, during World War I they found themselves in a “new reality.” The authors come to the conclusions that influenced by numerous factors, Russian Germans had to choose various ways to preserve their identity: changing the name, emigrating, completely immersing themselves in their professional activities

Automated digitization of radial charts

Radial charts were commonly used in the industry to allow retrospective assessment of technological parameters. Today it is relevant to digitize the obtained data in order to simplify the automation of technological processes. Digitization of radial charts by means of standard methods is carried out with the help of human labor at significant time costs. The article proposes an automated method for digitizing radial charts using software, developed in the LabVIEW programming environment. The results of processing radial charts are displayed on the screen in numerical and graphical form, and can also be exported to a file (for example, to Notepad or MS Excel). The presented technique can be applied to images obtained on a color or black-and-white scanner, which minimizes geometric distortions, associated with the conversion of a paper document into electronic form, and ensures recognition quality of the clear plot line with an average relative error of up to 3 %. In case of ink fading or perspective photos of the diagram, the value of relative error can reach 8 %, as a result of which additional manual correction of the data will be required

GERMAN INFLUENCE ON CULTURAL AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT OF DON COSSACK HOST IN THE 19TH - EARLY 20TH CENTURY

In the early 19th century, with the arrival of foreigners, there began the development of the Province of the Don Cossack Host. It was provided by favourable factors: vast areas of uninhabited land, low cost of land and low rent. In the second half of the 19th century the colo-nization of the Don Cossack Host became more intensive. It is the Germans, both offi cials and entrepreneurs and ordinary colonists who played an important role in this. In the article the author tries to show the degree of infl uence of the Germans on the socio-economic and cultural development of the Don Cossack Host in the 19th - early 20th century. On the basis of the scientifi c literature and archival materials, there are analyzed the activities of the Germans of different status and class: from the Ataman of the Don Cossack Host to an at-torney at law. The author describes the role played by the offi cials of the German nationality in establishing economic and cultural life in the Don lands. It is found that they were the initiators of the opening of schools, newspapers, parks, as well as educational institutions. In addition, attention is paid to the fact that the area was inhabited by German colonists engaged mainly in the agricultural or industrial entrepreneurship. They were able to develop their activities through the use of modern advanced technology, sound economic policies, the availability of transport infrastructure and sources of raw materials, as well as the initial absence of fi erce competition. The author concludes that despite their German origin, all of them considered themselves Russian subjects and made efforts for the prosperity of the region in which they found themselves due to various circumstances

The organization of labour immigrants from Czechoslovakia in Frolov district of the Lower-Volga region in the 1920 and 1930s

Based on unpublished archival sources, this article considers the history and development of industrial organizations of labour immigrants from Czechoslovakia on the territory of the Lower Volga region in the 1920 and 1930s. The activities of the “Agricultural commune of Czechoslovak emigres” and the handicraft “Association of Czechoslovak Emigrants” illustrate how Soviet legislation was applied to labour immigration, how party authorities and economic bodies related to the two immigrant units, and how foreign workers adapted to the conditions in the USSR. Despite the many difficulties that labour immigrants had to overcome, their activities on the territory of Stalingrad province constitute a successful example of international workers’ cooperation in the USSR. The authors demonstrate that the production associations of labour immigrants from Czechoslovakia made a significant contribution to the strengthening and development of the economic complex of Frolov district in the Lower Volga region during the period under review. Through the efforts of the Czechoslovak citizens, shoe production and tanning were organized for the first time on industrial level. Later a metal plant emerged on the basis of the “Krasny Vagranschik” artel created by immigrants from Czechoslovakia. The experience of state regulation on labour immigration in the USSR can be successfully used in modern Russia’s practice of international cooperation

Alpine Shrubification: Juniper Encroachment into Tundra in the Ural Mountains

Snow cover is one of the most important factors affecting the regeneration and growth of shrubs in cold arctic and alpine ecosystems. In many of these cold regions, climate change in the last century is manifested not only in a rapid rise of temperature, but also in an increase in winter precipitation. For instance, in the Ural Mountains, winter turned warmer and more humid during the past century, leading to higher snow accumulation. We investigated how the change trends in the cold season (November to March) climate conditions affected the recruitment of the shrub Juniperus sibirica Burgsd., the most widespread shrub conifer in mountains of this region where it is dominant in treeless areas. Specifically, we considered seven sites located in the Southern and Northern Urals that are subjected to lower and higher continentality, respectively. We assessed how juniper recruitment changed along altitudinal gradients going from the open forest to the alpine tundra and passing by the transition zone. We found that juniper shrubs recruited at higher elevations during the 20th century in most sites, with a rapid shrub encroachment into alpine tundra (shrubification) after the 1990s. This process was especially intensive in the last decades at the uppermost parts of convex slopes where the snowpack is shallow. We found positive associations between juniper recruitment and cold-season precipitation or temperature in the Northern and Southern Urals, respectively. Shrubification is following upward treeline shifts in the Southern Urals. Our findings indicate that juniper shrubs will tend to colonize sites with low snowpack depth if winter conditions keep warm and wet enough and the snowpack allows the effective protection of shrubs

Alpine Shrubification: Juniper Encroachment into Tundra in the Ural Mountains

Snow cover is one of the most important factors affecting the regeneration and growth of shrubs in cold arctic and alpine ecosystems. In many of these cold regions, climate change in the last century is manifested not only in a rapid rise of temperature, but also in an increase in winter precipitation. For instance, in the Ural Mountains, winter turned warmer and more humid during the past century, leading to higher snow accumulation. We investigated how the change trends in the cold season (November to March) climate conditions affected the recruitment of the shrub Juniperus sibirica Burgsd., the most widespread shrub conifer in mountains of this region where it is dominant in treeless areas. Specifically, we considered seven sites located in the Southern and Northern Urals that are subjected to lower and higher continentality, respectively. We assessed how juniper recruitment changed along altitudinal gradients going from the open forest to the alpine tundra and passing by the transition zone. We found that juniper shrubs recruited at higher elevations during the 20th century in most sites, with a rapid shrub encroachment into alpine tundra (shrubification) after the 1990s. This process was especially intensive in the last decades at the uppermost parts of convex slopes where the snowpack is shallow. We found positive associations between juniper recruitment and cold-season precipitation or temperature in the Northern and Southern Urals, respectively. Shrubification is following upward treeline shifts in the Southern Urals. Our findings indicate that juniper shrubs will tend to colonize sites with low snowpack depth if winter conditions keep warm and wet enough and the snowpack allows the effective protection of shrubs

The Advance of Woody and Shrub Vegetation to the Mountains and Changes in the Composition of Tundra Communities (Poperechnaya Mountain, the Zigalga Mountain Range in the Southern Urals)

Выявление особенностей динамики растительных сообществ горных и зональных тундр крайне актуально в современных условиях климатических изменений. Нами проведена оценка продвижения древесно-кустарниковой растительности выше в горы на Южном Урале на хр. Зигальга с помощью комплекса методов: сравнения разновременных аэрофото- и спутниковых изображений, повторных ландшафтных фотоснимков и изучения возрастной структуры можжевельника сибирского (Juniperus sibirica Burgsd.) на различных высотах над ур. м. Продвижению древесно-кустарниковой растительности на Южном Урале благоприятствовало повышение температуры и количества осадков в зимнее время. Показаны вертикальные и горизонтальные сдвиги верхней сплошной границы редколесий за период с 1958 по 2012 г. Вертикальный сдвиг сплошной границы редколесий составил 0,74 м/год, горизонтальное продвижение сплошной границы редколесий – 0,20 м/год. На основе изучения возрастной структуры J. sibirica установлен факт его продвижения выше в горы в течение последних двух столетий. Изучен флористический состав горно-тундровых сообществ с разной долей участия J. sibirica. Коэффициенты сходства видового состава сосудистых растений горных тундр (0,53-0,88) свидетельствуют об их типологическом сходстве. Вселение J. sibirica приводит к структурным перестройкам. Наблюдаемые тенденции для сообществ сосудистых растений не связаны с высотной приуроченностью. Состав лихеносинузий не зависит от доли участия J. sibirica в составе горно-тундровых сообществ, при этом демонстрирует зависимость от высоты над ур. м. В сообществах нижней высотной группы видовое богатство лишайников и их обилие снижаетсяEstimation of the dynamics of zonal and mountain tundra plant communities is extremely relevant in modern conditions of climate change. This article demonstrates the results of the estimation of woody and shrub vegetation progression to higher mountains at the Zigalga mountain range (the Southern Urals) using various methods: the comparison of aerial and satellite images, the repeated landscape photographs made at different times and also the examination of Juniperus sibirica Burgsd. age structure at different altitudes. The upward shift of woody and shrub vegetation is caused by the air temperature rise and increased precipitation during the winter periods in the Southern Urals. Vertical and horizontal upper limit shifts of open woodland from 1958 to 2012 are demonstrated. The vertical shift was determined to be 0.74 m/year and the horizontal one is 0.20 m/year. Based on the study of J. sibirica age structure, the fact of its advancement to the mountains during the last two centuries has been established. The research has been focused on the floristic composition of the mountain tundra communities with different J. sibirica cover. The floristic composition of the mountain tundra communities demonstrates their typological similarity. Introduction of J. sibirica leads to structural reorganization. The observed trends for vascular plants do not have any correlation with the height above sea level. Species composition of lichen synusia does not depend on J. sibirica cover, but it correlates with the altitude. Species richness and abundance of terrestrial lichens decrease in plant communities located lower on the mountain slop

The Advance of Woody and Shrub Vegetation to the Mountains and Changes in the Composition of Tundra Communities (Poperechnaya Mountain, the Zigalga Mountain Range in the Southern Urals)

Выявление особенностей динамики растительных сообществ горных и зональных тундр крайне актуально в современных условиях климатических изменений. Нами проведена оценка продвижения древесно-кустарниковой растительности выше в горы на Южном Урале на хр. Зигальга с помощью комплекса методов: сравнения разновременных аэрофото- и спутниковых изображений, повторных ландшафтных фотоснимков и изучения возрастной структуры можжевельника сибирского (Juniperus sibirica Burgsd.) на различных высотах над ур. м. Продвижению древесно-кустарниковой растительности на Южном Урале благоприятствовало повышение температуры и количества осадков в зимнее время. Показаны вертикальные и горизонтальные сдвиги верхней сплошной границы редколесий за период с 1958 по 2012 г. Вертикальный сдвиг сплошной границы редколесий составил 0,74 м/год, горизонтальное продвижение сплошной границы редколесий – 0,20 м/год. На основе изучения возрастной структуры J. sibirica установлен факт его продвижения выше в горы в течение последних двух столетий. Изучен флористический состав горно-тундровых сообществ с разной долей участия J. sibirica. Коэффициенты сходства видового состава сосудистых растений горных тундр (0,53-0,88) свидетельствуют об их типологическом сходстве. Вселение J. sibirica приводит к структурным перестройкам. Наблюдаемые тенденции для сообществ сосудистых растений не связаны с высотной приуроченностью. Состав лихеносинузий не зависит от доли участия J. sibirica в составе горно-тундровых сообществ, при этом демонстрирует зависимость от высоты над ур. м. В сообществах нижней высотной группы видовое богатство лишайников и их обилие снижаетсяEstimation of the dynamics of zonal and mountain tundra plant communities is extremely relevant in modern conditions of climate change. This article demonstrates the results of the estimation of woody and shrub vegetation progression to higher mountains at the Zigalga mountain range (the Southern Urals) using various methods: the comparison of aerial and satellite images, the repeated landscape photographs made at different times and also the examination of Juniperus sibirica Burgsd. age structure at different altitudes. The upward shift of woody and shrub vegetation is caused by the air temperature rise and increased precipitation during the winter periods in the Southern Urals. Vertical and horizontal upper limit shifts of open woodland from 1958 to 2012 are demonstrated. The vertical shift was determined to be 0.74 m/year and the horizontal one is 0.20 m/year. Based on the study of J. sibirica age structure, the fact of its advancement to the mountains during the last two centuries has been established. The research has been focused on the floristic composition of the mountain tundra communities with different J. sibirica cover. The floristic composition of the mountain tundra communities demonstrates their typological similarity. Introduction of J. sibirica leads to structural reorganization. The observed trends for vascular plants do not have any correlation with the height above sea level. Species composition of lichen synusia does not depend on J. sibirica cover, but it correlates with the altitude. Species richness and abundance of terrestrial lichens decrease in plant communities located lower on the mountain slop

Economic influences on ideals about future jobs in young adults in formerly socialist countries and the United States

University students today in Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) confront a world in which old ideals learned under state socialism are being questioned. Despite initial difficulties after the end of socialism, most of these countries now have more stable market economies. This article investigates how macroeconomic variables relate to ideals for future work in samples of students from eight CEE countries and the United States. Results indicate there are some significant relationships between macroeconomic factors and job values. Wanting a job that pays well is associated with poorer economic conditions, whereas wanting a career is associated with better economic conditions. Results for wanting a job that allowed time for family are mixed, with higher GDP per capita a positive predictor but economic growth a negative predictor Economic predictors of wanting a job helping others are weak, with a significant effect of growth found only when US. data are addedVytauto Didžiojo universiteta