This article analyzes the associative fields of the stimulus words DYOL and SCHASTYE, which are central to the linguistic consciousness of Yakut and Russian speakers. Investigating the underlying processes within language enables us to uncover the ethnocultural specificity of a community’s linguistic consciousness — a snapshot of the real-world image at a particular period in the life of an ethnic group. The focus is on identifying both commonalities and distinctions in the perception of happiness among speakers of the two languages, as well as the ethnocultural nuances in their worldviews. A comparative analysis of the associative fields of the stimulus words DYOL — SCHASTYE is conducted using Y.N. Karaulov’s “semantic gestalt” methodology, which includes delineating semantic zones, determining types of connections between stimuli and responses, and employing a quantitative assessment method to measure the overlap of associative fields. The analysis reveals significant shifts in the value priorities of Yakut speakers in recent years. While happiness was previously associated with family, children, and material wealth, con-temporary perspectives increasingly emphasize aspects such as fulfilling work, travel, career advancement, and self-care. This reflects modern social trends where happiness is linked not only to material factors but also to personal growth and self-actualization.

This study explores the semantics of the temporal mitigation indicator, specifically the adjective ‘sudden,’ as a form of litotes in English-language fantasy prose from the 20th to 21st centuries. The aim of this research is to identify English phrases containing the adjective ‘sudden’ that serve as litotes in the representation of time, which are frequently employed in the specified texts. The methods utilized include semantic analysis, contextual analysis, and comparative analysis. The findings reveal a list of phrases actively used by various authors within the realm of 20th and 21st-century English-language fantasy prose that reflect a high degree of temporal mitigation within this genre. An analysis of selected fantasy texts indicates the presence of collocations featuring ‘sudden’ that are not documented in collocation dictionaries. A ranked list of these phrases, along with their respective authors, has been compiled. The examination of collocations expressing temporal mitigation shows that some are utilized by multiple authors, such as “the sudden darkness,” “sudden anxiety,” and “a sudden thought.” This suggests their stability, indicating that they could enhance existing collocation dictionaries of the English language. The practical significance of this study lies in its potential application in teaching courses on lexicology and lexicography of the English language at the university level.

This article is dedicated to linguistic means that denote implicit similarity between one object and another. The author aims to identify common patterns in constructing contexts that describe situations of implicit similarity. The study focuses on the specific usage of the adjectives ‘otdalyonnyy’ [distant], ‘priblizitelnyy’ [approximate], and ‘neulovimyy’ [elusive], along with their derived adverbs, as tools for expressing implicit similarity. The research employs definitional, componential, distributional, and contextual analysis methods, utilizing data from linguistic dictionaries and the Russian National Corpus. The analysis of corpus data reveals that situations of implicit similarity can be characterized by four criteria: “semantic class,” “basis for comparison,” “degree of similarity,” and “presence of explanations.” It is demonstrated that the contextual synonyms ‘otdalyonnyy (-o)’  [distant (-ly)], ‘priblizitelnyy (-o)’ [approximate (-ly)], and ‘neulovimyy (-o)’ [elusive (-ly)] exhibit several distinctions in their functioning across various criteria: frequency of use, collocational compatibility, semantic class of the compared objects, basis for comparison, and degree of expressed implicit similarity. In most cases, implicit similarity between objects is not thoroughly motivated but is presented as a ready result of perception, comparison, and interpretation carried out by the speaker.

This article focuses on certain word formation processes observed within the lexical-semantic group “Food” in Arkhangelsk dialects. The study presents dialectal material collected during numerous dialectological expeditions and preserved in the archive of the Department of Russian Language and Speech Culture at the Northern (Arctic) Federal University. The research demonstrates that in the vocabulary of Arkhangelsk dialects related to food, the substantivation of adjectives is not widely prevalent and is primarily represented in the thematic group “Baking.” However, the examples of substantivation discussed are characterized by the completion of the process, with the resulting substantives firmly established in the dialects. Additionally, numerous instances of derivational synonymy are found within the lexical-semantic group “Food.” The article examines two such examples: synonymic series of nouns denoting small dried fish and a dish made from cottage cheese with flour. It is revealed that Arkhangelsk dialects reflect characteristic phenomena of Russian dialects, such as developed suffixation, gender and number parallelism, and the formation of nouns with collective meanings. These processes contribute to a rich derivational synonymy that is absent in the standard Russian.

The translation of A.A. Shtukin’s poem “The Song of the Bride”, which is part of the collection of ancient Chinese hymns and songs “Shijing”, is being considered. The relevance of the study is determined by the interest of Chinese researchers in the quality of translations of Chinese poetry into European languages, particularly Russian. There is noted interest from both Chinese and Russian researchers in the translation of the book “Shijing”, as it varies depending on the perception of foreign cultures. The features of A.A. Shtukin’s translation of the poem “The Song of the Bride” are highlighted in terms of the images he created and the linguistic specifics. It is pointed out that Shtukin’s translation of the poems from “Shijing” is recognized as one of the best. The analysis of the translation revealed the following characteristics: the preservation of the original work’s color through botanical metaphors, sound, and structural organization of the text. Some shortcomings in conveying the atmosphere of ancient Chinese lyricism from the perspective of native Chinese speakers who also speak Russian were also identified; the translation differs from the original in that it insufficiently conveys the atmosphere of ancient Chinese lyricism, which can be easily explained by the differences in worldviews among speakers of different languages.

This article explores sources of communicative difficulties such as inter-variant polysemy and inter-variant homonymy, focusing on lexemes from the Spanish thesaurus FOOD that denote liquid food products. The relevance of this study is grounded in the necessity for a comprehensive analysis of alimentary semantics within the national variants of the Spanish language in the context of cultural dialogue. The novelty of the research lies in identifying challenges in intercultural communication through semantic, etymological, and linguocultural analyses of the meanings of the examined lexemes and their stable combinations across different Spanish-speaking countries. Particular attention is given to the influence of extralinguistic factors on communicative difficulties within a multi-national language. The findings suggest that the development of semantics for inter-variant homonyms primarily depends on historical factors, and understanding the differences in meanings of core components within semantic fields related to food in various national variants of Spanish can help alleviate communicative barriers and prevent misunderstandings. Future research perspectives include pragmasemantic structuring of the inter-variant alimentary thesaurus in the target language and applying the results to language teaching.

This article explores the connection between two literary works: Alexander Pushkin’s “Eugene Onegin” and Vikram Seth’s verse novel “The Golden Gate,” written more than 150 years after Pushkin’s text and referred to by critics as the “Eugene Onegin of San Francisco.” The aim of this study is a comparative analysis of the two novels, high-lighting Pushkin’s influence on the Anglophone text by the Indian author. Through the analysis, it is concluded that there are numerous borrowings present in Seth’s novel, including the Onegin stanza, the formula for introducing the main character, and various allusions and direct references to Pushkin’s text. The research material also encompasses the English translation of “Eugene Onegin” by Charles Johnston, which influenced Seth. The novelty of this research lies in the consideration of “The Golden Gate” as a form of double translation: both interlingual and intercultural. It is demonstrated that Seth’s work emerged as a result of the English translation of Pushkin’s verse novel, which served as a pretext that he reinterpreted within the context of twentieth-century American culture. This double translation unites two authors, two cultures, and two epochs.

This study explores the mechanisms of manipulative influence within German-language economic discourse. The empirical material consists of articles from the Köln Institute for Economic Research, detailing external trade cooperation between Germany and China during the years 2020 to 2023. It has been found that metaphors, borrowings, idiomatic expressions, expressive language, and emotives — comprising combinations of evaluative connotations — exert a covert manipulative effect on communication participants. At the grammatical level, the use of adverbs in the superlative degree and modal verbs in the preterite subjunctive form enables the construction of narratives that downplay the significance of China’s successes as an economic competitor. The analysis reveals that manipulation within economic discourse is intentionally obscured, possessing an implicit nature. It has been determined that portraying the Chinese economy in an unequivocally negative light is impractical; however, there are noticeable trends towards diminishing the significance of its successes, negatively evaluating business activity, and exaggerating the perceived threats posed by China to its business partners. The novelty and relevance of this research lie in addressing the techniques of manipulative influence in shaping the linguistic worldview within economic discourse — a perspective that has not yet been explored, as such texts are often considered objective documents grounded in scientific statistical data.

This study aims to identify the predominant cognitive mechanisms underlying graffiti. The analysis is based on photographs of over 2000 instances of urban graphic defacement (i.e., graffiti) documented in major cities across Russia, including Yekaterinburg, Moscow, Saint Petersburg, and Nizhny Novgorod. Utilizing content analysis and expert evaluation methods, the research delineates three key cognitive mechanisms that contribute to the semantic unity of graffiti. The first mechanism, compression, manifests in graphic defacements through linguistic play or the transmission of discursive texts. The second mechanism, defocusing, is linguistically actualized through the technique of absurdity (everyday anchors of illogicality) and the activation of the emotion of surprise. It is noted that surprise elicits various reactions from the audience — such as loss of control, bewilderment, and uncertainty — which subsequently leads to prolonged retention in memory of the meanings embedded in the respective graffiti against a backdrop of vivid and atypical psycho-emotional states. The third mechanism, focusing, is linguistically embodied in philosophical texts.

This article focuses on identifying the distinctive characteristics of discourse within the "Club of the Funny and Inventive" (Russ. KVN). The primary material for this study consists of team performances from the KVN television show. Attention is given to the challenge of defining the concept of discourse, along with a review of major approaches to its interpretation. It is demonstrated that humorous performances in KVN can be analyzed within the existing scientific paradigm as a communicative figure comprising three components: "reality – text – discourse," as well as being viewed as a specific communicative event. The authors examine the ontological characteristics of humor, highlighting its basis in contradiction and its sociocultural nature. Functions such as communication, socialization, identification, and differentiation facilitated by humor are described. The relevance of this research is underscored by the significance of KVN as a cultural phenomenon in shaping and developing humorous discourse as a whole. The article posits that KVN can be regarded as a distinct variety of humorous discourse due to its thematic and stylistic coherence. It is suggested that the specific characteristics and conditions governing KVN lead to the emergence of traits similar to those found in institutional discourse. The novelty of this study lies in articulating the antinomic characteristics of KVN discourse, concluding that their existence is intrinsically linked to the foundational contrast inherent in humor itself.

This comparative study examines the role of conceptual metaphorization as a means of shaping the image of Iraq in regional and federal media in Germany from 2019 to 2024. The analysis focuses on the frequency of metaphors, the magnitude and dominant features of the nominative field of metaphors, semantic and part-of-speech properties of metaphor representatives, and the salient characteristics of the country as components of its image, along with paradigmatic and syntagmatic relationships. It identifies both stable and variable patterns of metaphorization across the two groups of media. The study highlights recurring metaphors such as “Iraq as a Living Being,” “Iraq as an Incomplete Whole,” “Iraq as a Place of Uncontrolled Power,” “Iraq as a Warrior,” “Iraq as a Theater,” “Iraq as a Toy,” and “Iraq as a Refuge.” The findings conclude the effectiveness of conceptual metaphor as a tool for stereotyping; similarities in the composition of metaphors despite differences in their frequency and density across various German media; a predominance of complex, structural, and ontological metaphors; and the presence of compatible and coherent metaphors. Notably, there is an interdependence between the frequency and density of the nominative field of metaphors, with higher density observed in federal media; stability in terms of the part-of-speech affiliation of representatives and dominance of noun representatives; predominant overlap in the dominant features of nominative fields across different media groups; and the existence of metaphors with varying degrees of conventionality.

This study presents an analysis of the evolution of traditional and the emergence of new artistic movements in East Asian (China and Japan) and Southeast Asian (Thailand) countries at the turn of the Modern and Contemporary eras. The research identifies common typological features in the development of literature across these nations. It is confirmed that accelerated development — a term coined by G. Gachev — was characteristic of all three countries. The findings demonstrate that the chronological boundaries for transitioning to a new historical formation did not align. In Japan, the feudal system was abolished by the 1870s, while Thailand began its active westernization around the same period. In China, the first calls for a new literature emerged in the second decade of the 20th century. The study emphasizes that Western literature played a crucial role in revitalizing the literatures of Japan, China, and Thailand, significantly contributing to the creation of a new literary language that, in turn, initiated the birth of contemporary literature. It is noted that translations of European, Russian, and American authors served as intermediaries between Western and Eastern literatures, introducing new artistic techniques. The conclusion drawn is that the interaction between Eastern and Western literature fostered a generation of writers who embraced artistic ideas, techniques, and styles from foreign cultures (sentimentalism, romanticism, and realism), facilitating a shift from traditionalist to authorial-individual perspectives at the turn of the 19th to 20th centuries.

This article addresses the artistic embodiment of the category of the Other in the works of American journalist and writer Tom Wolfe. The study focuses on Wolfe’s early journalistic essays, compiled in collections published in the early 1960s, as well as his later novel “I Am Charlotte Simmons” (2004). These texts are separated by nearly the entire second half of the 20th century — a period marked by the emergence, flourishing, and decline of postmodernism. The aim of this work is to trace the diachronic evolution of the author’s understanding of the category of the Other, as represented in his early and late texts. The desire for otherness among young people in the first post-war decades signified a fundamental rejection of norms, rules, and laws in the name of rejecting all forms of totalitarianism, which led to the catastrophic destruction of humanity during World War II. As a journalist, Wolfe objectively and empathetically depicts the diverse lifestyles of a new generation. He illustrates the consequences of these emerging trends in his university novel written forty years later. The article demonstrates that this work presents the otherness of various status groups within the university community through a multi-layered conflict. However, these groups remain isolated and hostile towards one another. The abandonment of rational consciousness has led to the primitivization of individuality and the disintegration of education. The novel serves as a vivid illustration of the negative outcomes of postmodernism.

This article examines the role of the visual aspect of the text in the recontextualization of elements from the socialist realist canon. The study focuses on Mikhail Elizarov’s novels “Librarian” and “Cartoons.” It is established that, firstly, Elizarov consciously constructs his works according to the principles of literary cinematicity, with visuality serving as a prominent component. Secondly, visuality facilitates the integration of elements from the Soviet project into the narrative, expressed through spaces and objects. Furthermore, it allows for their recontextualization by embedding them within new contexts. Thirdly, the reactivation of spaces and objects is aided by the figure of the protagonist, who is presented through the technique of traveling. Fourthly, the narrative development of the novels bears similarities to socialist realist plots concerning re-education. Additionally, through the image of the protagonist, the relevance of the opposition between “eye” and “gaze” is emphasized, which in turn contributes to the actualization of ideas related to control and behavior modeling. The gaze of the Other, experienced by the characters, draws them into narrative structures akin to those found in socialist realism, compelling them to adopt specific roles — the role of a character burdened with socialist realist motives. Finally, it is noted that the protagonist’s distinctive position enhances reader identification and alters the very status of the Book.

This article examines the literary connections between Anna Seghers’ “The Dead Stay Young” and Fedor Dostoevsky’s “The Brothers Karamazov.” It is established that Dostoevsky’s works provoke both positive and negative characters in Seghers’ narrative to engage in profound reflections, thereby reshaping their worldview. Similarities are identified between the characters Ernst von Liven and Ivan Karamazov, including their education, disdain for humanity, demonic traits, and the promotion of the idea of moral permissiveness. The evolution of Ivan’s story unfolds within the context of his family’s history, while Liven’s narrative is set against the backdrop of the rise of Nazism in early 20th-century Germany. Whereas the Russian character is marked by constant reflection on fundamental existential questions, the German protagonist exhibits a demeanor of self-satisfaction and a pursuit of personal gain. Ivan is capable of internal moral judgment, while Liven is devoid of remorse. The character from the Russian classic is ambivalent, whereas Seghers’ character is unequivocally negative. Seghers aligns with Dostoevsky’s idea that individuals must face consequences for their wrongdoings. She engages with Dostoevsky’s traditions concerning moral issues, which are reflected on both character and thematic levels in her novel, while simultaneously maintaining her unique artistic approach as a critic of Nazi ideology and its adherents.

This article addresses the influence of Immanuel Kant’s philosophy on the works of Maxim Gorky. The study aims to explore how Kant’s philosophical ideas shaped Gorky’s worldview and contributed to the development of his prose. The primary material for this research is Gorky’s unfinished work “The Peasant,” written between 1899 and the early 1900s. It is demonstrated that the text serves as a unique “epistolary dialogue” between Gorky and Kant, in which the writer engages in a polemic with the philosopher regarding human nature, social organization, justice, and morality. The article posits that Gorky’s harsh critiques of Kant, expressed in letters and within the aforementioned text, stem from his general aversion to the deliberate complexity and analytical nature of Kant’s language, as well as the philosopher’s excessively rationalist approach to interpreting the incomprehensible and understanding humanity’s place and purpose in the world, along with the laws of existence. It is argued that Gorky did not share Kant’s absolute rationalism but instead advocated for a harmony between reason and emotion in human beings. Furthermore, it is shown that Gorky resonated with the moral and ethical principles of Kantian philosophy. Thus, this study offers a fresh perspective on the religious-philosophical and anthropological aspects of Gorky’s oeuvre.

This study explores the functional impact of Christian cathedrals in Western Europe on medieval public consciousness. Utilizing a systemic analysis method and a values-based approach, cathedrals are examined as structural elements within the framework of religious communication, serving as key instruments for shaping public consciousness during the Middle Ages. Through these edifices, the core tenets of Christianity were disseminated to the masses. Special attention is given to the art of stone calendars, which are considered a significant factor in the formation of a Christian worldview during this period. The study identifies the value-laden, symbolic, and functional characteristics of medieval cathedrals as tools of religious communication. It outlines the overarching principles of architectural organization in Catholic churches in relation to their roles in influencing public consciousness. The influence of Romanesque cathedrals on the trajectory of public consciousness in medieval Western Europe is also examined. The author concludes that Christian cathedrals, as instruments of influence on medieval public conscious-ness, possessed a pronounced managerial and motivational effect, fulfilling a wide range of sociocultural functions that contributed to the stabilization and spiritual-moral development of medieval Western European society.

This article explores the distinctive features of the economic and cultural interactions between the USSR and Sweden from 1924 to 1937. The research is grounded in a comprehensive array of sources, including official documents, publications from the periodical press, and personal accounts. The methodological framework is informed by the imagology of international relations, which focuses on the study of mental geography, transnational imagery, perception stereotypes, and myths, as well as the comparison of the "Self" and the "Other" to understand the role of "Others" in shaping national self-conceptions. The author investigates how shifts in Swedish perceptions of Soviet Russia influenced the development of bilateral relations and assesses the contributions of A.M. Kollontai, the Soviet ambassador to Sweden since 1930, to Soviet-Swedish interactions. The article illustrates how Swedish political figures, pursuing their own interests, viewed elements of Soviet society as potential models for reforming their own countries, shaped by their internal agendas of political and socio-economic change.

This article examines the activities of provincial and regional statistical committees as centers for the establishment of provincial museums in pre-revolutionary Russia. It highlights that, despite a considerable number of studies dedicated to the emergence of museum practices and the contributions of individual statistical committees to the creation and development of museums, this topic has yet to undergo systematic investigation. The formation of museum collections and the emergence of a network of museums affiliated with statistical committees are traced, beginning with the first museums established by the Vladimir and Arkhangelsk committees and concluding with the unsuccessful attempts to open museums by the Nizhny Novgorod, Saratov, and Transbaikal statistical committees. Common features in the development of provincial museums and the specific organizational characteristics of those associated with statistical committees are identified. The article emphasizes the classification of statistical committees as state-type institutions and clarifies the specialized focus of museum activities. Particular attention is paid to the reasons for the reorganization and separation of museums from statistical committees in the late 19th to early 20th centuries. Based on the examined sources, it is established that many museums previously under the auspices of statistical committees transitioned to scientific societies, archival commissions, and specially created committees.

The article examines the process of solving the problem of managing the foreign policy of the Russian Empire when creating the Fundamental State Laws on April 23, 1906. It emphasizes the importance of retaining control over international relations by the monarch and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, effectively removing it from the influence of the State Duma. The perspectives of the authors of three drafts of the Fundamental Laws — P.A. Kharitonov, A.P. Salomon, and Count A.F. Heyden — are presented. While Kharitonov and Salomon permitted the involvement of the State Duma in the conclusion of international treaties, Heyden excluded such participation. In January-February 1906, Kharitonov’s draft was revised by senior officials of the State Chancellery under the leadership of Baron Yu.A. Ikskul von Hildenbandt and Count D.M. Solsky. It is shown that in the Chancellery’s draft, both the emperor and the State Duma remained involved in the conclusion of international treaties. This draft was discussed in March 1906 in Count S. Yu. Witte’s cabinet, and in the Council of Ministers’ version, despite an expert review by Professor F. F. Martens, popular representation was stripped of its right to participate in international treaty-making. The necessity for this was also justified by a draft of the Fundamental Laws prepared by Professor O.O. Eichelman. Attention is given to the Special Conference chaired by Nicholas II in April 1906, which consolidated the monarch’s monopoly over foreign policy within the Fundamental Laws. Nevertheless, the author argues that these same Fundamental Laws indirectly ensured the influence of the State Duma in this area, as without its review and approval, the budget of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and all related legislative proposals could not be submitted for the emperor’s endorsement.

This article explores the formation and evolution of the system of international relations, asserting that the principles established by the Peace of Westphalia in 1648, which marked the conclusion of the Thirty Years’ War, fundamentally transformed inter-state relations and laid the groundwork for the entire framework of international relations. The author conducts a comprehensive analysis of the core principles of the Westphalian system, identifying criteria and universal indicators of traditional state-centric international relations within this model. The study emphasizes the significance of examining the transformative processes within international relations, tracing subsequent variations from a state-centric to an institutionally-political framework. Each reconfiguration of the Westphalian system is described with attention to its temporal and spatial characteristics. The driving forces behind the genesis and functioning of all models of traditional inter-state relations are delineated. Furthermore, the research investigates the primary causes behind the disintegration of the Westphalian system, highlighting critical international political conditions that facilitate restructuring and the emergence of new systems. The author concludes that the system of international relations is transitioning into a qualitatively distinct phase, diverging from the traditional state-centric paradigm.

This article examines the role and significance of the “Hungarian factor” in the central and eastern European political landscape of France during the period from April to August 1920. The novelty of this research lies in its analysis not only of the bilateral Franco-Hungarian interactions but also of how Paris’s perceptions of Hungary’s place in Europe were intertwined with other vectors of the Third Republic’s foreign policy. The study utilizes published French diplomatic documents, the diary of General Edmond Buat, Chief of Staff of the French Army, and select reports from General Artus de la Panouse, the French military attaché in the United Kingdom. The author concludes that the “Hungarian factor” influenced the central and eastern European policy of the Third Republic in a contradictory manner. It is demonstrated that France’s view of Hungary as a defeated nation served Paris’s objectives of affirming its status as a victorious power, consolidating a belt of friendly states in Central-Eastern Europe, and expanding its financial and economic presence. At the same time, it is emphasized that Hungary was not perceived as a direct threat to the interests of the Third Republic; rather, in the context of the Red Army’s advance westward, it could potentially be integrated into an anti-Soviet coalition.

This study examines the formation and development of transregional relations between the federal states of Germany (Bundesländer) and Eastern countries and regions. It presents the findings of a normative-legal analysis of the foundations of international and foreign policy activities of German federal states, based on national legislation. The focus is on the institutional framework for cross-border interactions between individual administrative units of the Federal Republic of Germany and their foreign partners. The research explores partnerships with both neighboring Middle Eastern territories and more distant Eastern regions. The findings indicate that the international and foreign economic activities of the German states are extensive, aligning with the opportunities outlined in Germany’s constitutional documents, and are significantly broader and more diverse compared to similar activities in the regions of France and Italy. It has been identified that German states engage in a system of “horizontal partnerships” primarily with provinces of the People’s Republic of China. Additionally, it is reported that a principle of “network cooperation” is applied to most other Eastern countries, encompassing not only economic but also scientific, cultural, and humanitarian ties. The study demonstrates that among the examined EU countries at the regional level, German federal states lead in establishing the most successful and effective partnerships with regions in Eastern countries.

This article provides a comprehensive analysis of the modernization processes in the crop production sector of the Ulyanovsk region during the Eighth Five-Year Plan. The research draws on unpublished documents sourced from the State Archive of the Ulyanovsk Region and the State Archive of Contemporary History of the Ulyanovsk Region, a significant portion of which is introduced into scholarly discourse for the first time, alongside statistical materials and periodicals. The study examines the efforts of party organs and farm leadership aimed at intensifying the development of crop production. It addresses the authorities’ personnel policies regarding the expansion of vocational and technical education institutions, the organization of training courses for specialists in mass professions, and the enhancement of their qualifications to meet agricultural needs. The dynamics of crop production development from 1966 to 1970 are analyzed, evaluating the achievements of regional farms in producing key agricultural products. The author concludes that, despite facing problematic farms and a slight reduction in areas allocated for grain crops, the authorities in the Ulyanovsk region managed not only to meet but also to exceed the planned targets for yield, total harvest, and state procurement volumes of primary crop products during this period.

This article explores the historical development of the planning and incentive system for inventiveness and rationalization in the Soviet Union from 1954 to 1990. Through an analysis of published sources and archival materials, it concludes that during the studied period, quantitative metrics dominated the evaluation of inventiveness and rationalization effectiveness, expressed in absolute figures. Notably, the methodologies for calculating these metrics underwent several changes, complicating comparative assessments and the study of phenomena and processes over extended time frames. The development of mass inventiveness enabled the USSR to achieve a leading position globally in terms of the number of registered invention applications, with the cumulative economic impact of implemented rationalization proposals and inventions showing consistent growth throughout the period examined. However, it is noted that relative indicators reflecting the qualitative state of inventiveness and rationalization revealed low rates of sectoral development. The study concludes that qualitative measures of effectiveness did not play a decisive role in the planning, evaluation, and encouragement of inventiveness and rationalization in the USSR.

This article examines the activities of the schools established at the Uktus Factory, initiated by the proactive policies of V.N. Tatischev during his tenure as the head of the factories (1734–1739), aimed at engaging children from all factory residents in formal education. The study establishes enrollment figures for the schools over three-year intervals, details collective recruitment efforts, and presents the total number of students taught literacy and basic mathematics, alongside an analysis of the social and age demographics of the pupils. It demonstrates that during the establishment of a network of factory schools in 1735–1736, the movement of skilled workers to other factories due to production needs rarely interrupted children’s education, often resulting in a turnover of students at Uktus. The article characterizes the teacher, exiled Nikita Afanasyev, highlighting his proactive approach to enhancing the organization of literacy instruction. It identifies key dates regarding the commencement of arithmetic education at the Uktus Literary School in Yekaterinburg, the founding of the arithmetic school at the Uktus Factory, and the appointment of top students from the Yekaterinburg school to teach Uktus children under the supervision of teachers Fyodor Sannikov and Afanasy Kichigin. The reasons for the closure of the schools at the Uktus Factory in autumn 1742 and the sharp decline in student enrollment from 1743 onwards are also analyzed.

This article explores the history of the Chinese Eastern Railway, which spans over 120 years and has significantly influenced the development of Northeast China. The focus of this study is on materials from Soviet press outlets in the 1920s that address Soviet-Chinese relations surrounding the railway. It is noted that following the October Revolution of 1917, the railway became a central point of interaction between Russia and China. The Soviet leadership aimed to establish friendly and equal relations with China while simultaneously seeking to bring the railway’s exclusion zone under Bolshevik control. The objective of this article is to trace how events related to the Chinese Eastern Railway were reported during the transitional period of the 1920s by one of the most authoritative domestic publications — ‘Izvestia’, which has been published since March 1917 and became the official organ of the Central Executive Committee of the USSR after the October Revolution. Through analysis, the article reveals the significant role of ‘Izvestia’ in shaping public perceptions of Soviet-Chinese relations during this period and in conveying Soviet Russia’s Far Eastern policy as a whole.