Multidimensional model describing the cosmological evolution of n Einstein
spaces in the theory with l scalar fields and forms is considered. When
electro-magnetic composite p-brane ansatz is adopted, and certain restrictions
on the parameters of the model are imposed, the dynamics of the model near the
singularity is reduced to a billiard on the (N-1)-dimensional Lobachevsky
space, N = n+l. The geometrical criterion for the finiteness of the billiard
volume and its compactness is used. This criterion reduces the problem to the
problem of illumination of (N-2)-dimensional sphere by point-like sources. Some
examples with billiards of finite volume and hence oscillating behaviour near
the singularity are considered. Among them examples with square and triangle
2-dimensional billiards (e.g. that of the Bianchi-IX model) and a 4-dimensional
billiard in ``truncated'' D = 11 supergravity model (without the Chern-Simons
term) are considered. It is shown that the inclusion of the Chern-Simons term
destroys the confining of a billiard.Comment: 27 pages Latex, 3 figs., submit. to Class. Quantum Gra