The results of the metaphorical model study “investment phenomenon is a liquid” in the investment English discourse are presented. The relevance of the study is due, on the one hand, to the most important epistemological role of metaphor as a mechanism that categorizes, interprets and forms knowledge about the world and its phenomena, and on the other hand, the fact that the study of the metaphorical model is carried out on the basis of scientific discourse. The methodological basis of the study is the frame-slot analysis of the metaphorical model, which includes contextual, component and definitional types of analysis of the metaphorically used lexical units. A review of works devoted to various aspects of the study of conventional and innovative metaphors is given. The work develops a frame-slot structure of the metaphorical model under study, which is represented by such frames as “Movement of a liquid” (slots: “Vessels”, “Reservoirs”), “Disasters” and “Procedural properties of a liquid”. Particular attention is paid to the role of conventional and innovative metaphors in the conceptualization of investment phenomena. The derivative nature of innovative metaphors from conventional ones is shown, the first ones represent a further expansion of the conceptual links between the target sphere and the source sphere by occasional lexical filling of the target slots.

A comparative analysis of the Veps language lexemes with the semantics ‘spell’ (puheg, puitoomine), as well as verbs with the meaning ‘to spell; pronounce incantations. The relevance of the study is due to the significance of the spell tradition for the worldview of the Vepsian people and the possibility of identifying the semantic and etymological features of the vocabulary group associated with this sphere of life. The names of the concept of “spell” (puheg, puitoomine) are analyzed, where the lexeme puheg, unlike the Russian term spell (< to spell < to speak), is associated not with speaking, but with a kind of “blowing” words from the mouth in the process of speaking. It is known from the literature, about a similar phenomenon that is characteristic of one of the Russian dialects of the Komi Republic (blowing words), about which the authors of this article believe that it may be a kind of tracing paper from the Baltic-Finnish languages, in which such a phenomenon is represented more widely, although they do not exclude and some universality in the development of languages. In the presented author's development, attention is paid to the etymology and semantic nuances of the lexemes sana and vajeh with the meaning ‘word’, one of which (sana) also intersects with the magic of the words of the world of spells in its semantics. The etymological aspects of the verbs of “magical action” (puhuda, puiteida, otvedaida) are analyzed in the study, where both original stems and borrowings from the Russian language are manifested. Linguistic maps illustrate the breadth of distribution of the analyzed terms in the dialects of the Vepsian.

Based on the material of several languages, semantic transitions from gestural nominations to gestural phraseological units, as well as the development of figurative meanings of gestural units are considered. The subject of the study is emblems — communicative gestures containing information that a person intentionally conveys to the addressee, and symptomatic gestures — gestures that express the emotional state of the gesticulator. The study showed that the transition from gestural nomination to gestural phraseology is often accompanied by a change in the actant structure of the original unit. One of the signs of the transition from gesture to gesture phraseology is the generalization of the situation — the generalization of one of the actants of the situation, which is expressed by the presence in the sentence of quantifier units that form universal noun phrases with nouns. Idiomatization of gestural units in different languages has both similarities and differences: differences in the meaning of phraseological units built on the basis of gestural units of the same semantics, or differences in the derivational potential of similar gestural units in different languages. The relevance of the study is due to the fact that gestures play a huge role in oral communication, and the fact that it was carried out in line with such areas as the construction of explanatory models of language and semantic typology.

Epistemic causal relations in the discourse of Martin Amis are studied on the example of complex statements with the connector because, which expresses the non-self-causal relationship between propositions. The relevance of the study is due to the importance of studying the logical and semantic essence of causality as a basic category of human thinking. The mechanism of causal argumentation is considered from the point of view of the cognitive interaction of cause-and-effect elements of discourse.  Attention is paid to epistemic argumentative relations, which are a sequential unfolding of the thought process with the reverse / regressive conditionality of events, where the opinion-conclusion is followed by the argument from which this conclusion was formulated. A wide range of functional and semantic roles of the causal connector as an explicator of epistemic causality is described. The contextual analysis of microsituations with the connector because reveals a variety of logical connections between inversely related propositions, as well as in constructions close to paratactic ones. The specificity of the functional capabilities of the conjunction under study is described, which leads the authors to create a classification of epistemic causal relations with the causal conjunction because in English is described. Four epistemic functions of the connector because are identified: discursive-reflexive, expressive-epistemic, implicit-epistemic, and logical-discursive.

The prefix verbal lexicon is analyzed on the basis of the dialect material of the Russian dialects of the Amur region. The relevance and novelty of the work are due to both the general unresolved problem of describing the meanings of Russian verbal prefixes, and insufficient knowledge of the specifics of verbal word formation in dialects. Verbal derivatives with the prefix po- are considered. The linguistic processes accompanying the formation of these derivatives are characterized. A classification of word-formation types and patterns is proposed based on the material presented in the Dictionary of Russian Dialects of the Amur Region, their distinctive features are noted in comparison with their literary counterparts. Attention is drawn to the phenomena of polyprefixation and substitution, in which the prefix po- is involved. It is concluded that the group of Russian dialects of the Amur region is characterized by agglutination with the prepositive prefix po-. Addressing the problems of verbal prefixation in dialects of secondary formation, localized on a vast territory of late settlement, can contribute to a wider involvement of dialect material to illustrate the controversial provisions of prefixology in modern Russian, as well as to identify the features of the verbal derivation of the Russian language in the aspect of its regional existence.

A generalization of the main trends in the development of the Russian and English punctuation theory in the first quarter of the 21st century is presented, namely, relatively stable trends in the analysis of punctuation within the framework of the communicative-pragmatic approach and punctuation activity in its functional diversity. The relevance of the study lies in the following: there is still no idea of what has been done in the theory of punctuation in the first quarter of the 21st century and what are the main trends in its development. The novelty of the study is in the disclosure of how the theory of punctuation is covered through the prism of a communicative-pragmatic approach. An analysis of the development of punctuation theory in the first quarter of the 21st century is based on Russian and English publications from 2000 to 2021. It is shown how in the theory of punctuation of the first quarter of the 21st century, on the basis of a communicative-pragmatic approach, the principles and functions of punctuation, the relationship between the punctuation mark and the punctuation position, the grounds for the priority of punctuation marks, the verbalization of punctuation marks, punctuation variance, the semantic potential of punctuation, textual punctuation are considered. In addition, it is demonstrated how the functional diversity of punctuation activity, including the use of punctuation marks in computer-mediated communication is covered.

Intertextual inclusions (quotations, reminiscences, allusions) functioning in Russian spiritual epistolary communication are considered. Their types are presented: biblical (Old Testament and New Testament), patristic, prayer, hymnographic (from psalms and akathists), hagiographic.  Their main functions are indicated: meaning-forming, argumentative, prescriptive, evaluative, syndicative, aesthetic. Based on the material of the letters of Russian church writers of the 20th century, the features of the use of intertextual inclusions from Christian texts that have become part of the spiritual heritage are shown in the church-religious style. The following features were revealed: (1) formation of meanings with the help of quotations, reminiscences and allusions, connected with the spiritual education of the addressee, his moral perfection, the creation of an inner man in himself, strengthening in faith, the study of the foundations of Christianity, the knowledge of church Orthodox life; (2) focus on Christian values: the gospel commandments, the doctrine of salvation, Christian virtues, and others; (3) prescribing perfection in acquiring mercy, humility, patience, obedience, sobriety, non-possession, repentance and other virtues, fighting sins, reading the Gospel and the writings of the holy fathers; an expression of evaluation of sweat in relation to sins and virtues, issues related to spiritual education and development, the fulfillment of church rules and Christian commandments, the achievement of soul salvation, following the instructions of confessors; (4) creation and strengthening of a common spiritual and religious space through the implementation of the iconic function of intertextual inclusions.

The problem of lexicographic fixation of neologisms at the present stage of development of German-language lexicography by private explanatory dictionaries of electronic format is considered. A fairly successful example of lexicographic practice was chosen as the object of the study — an electronic dictionary of neologisms of the modern German language on the lexicographic online portal of the Leibniz Institute for the German Language. The dictionary is a “living”, constantly updated edition, which is based on the criteria for the definition and classification of neologisms, developed by its compilers. The authors of the article performed an analysis of the parameters of the lexicographic description of neologisms in this dictionary. The question is raised about the mandatory or optional nature of the parameters used by the compilers of the dictionary when forming the microtext (dictionary entry). Standard and specific parameters of lexicographic description, which are profile for the dictionary of new words are distinguished: example-definition, first fixation, language reflection, encyclopedic information, representation in dictionaries, etc. The analysis of lexicographic practice sets the task of summarizing the practical experience of lexicographers in order to determine the optimal set of parameters for the codification of neology.

The article deals with the interactive narrative patterns that arise in the course of telling stories by children with the participation of an adult. The relevance of the study is due to the need to develop a theory of discursive development during preschool childhood as an important component of knowledge about speech ontogenesis and the features of the formation of narrative competence. The novelty of the research is seen in the fact that the theory of speech ontogenesis introduces the idea of the complex nature of the formation of narrative skills in speech ontogenesis, which are of a long-term nature and are not limited only to the assimilation of linguistic material by children, the improvement of syntax and syntactic structures. New data that receive theoretical understanding on the basis of a cognitive-discursive approach and a hypothesis about the interactive nature of narrative discourse in speech ontogenesis are introduced in the article. The concept of an interactive dialogical pattern is explained, which means dialogical constructions jointly built by an adult and a child, through which the internal experience, images, impressions of the visually presented story are analyzed and formulated by the participants in the storytelling situation. It is shown that the dialogical patterns that arise in the child's telling a story with the participation of an adult are a discursive mechanism that contributes to the creation of oral history by the child through the “mobilization” of the child's potential discursive capabilities, which are activated in the dialogue.

The issue of new forms of storytelling that have emerged due to the convergence of the media is considered. It is noted that cross-media narration is formed due to the fact that a particular work is widely popular among users of network platforms. It is shown that the owners of the latter acquire the rights to works that have a large readership, since at present the number of subscribers, fans is a marker of potential commercial success. On the example of the online novel “The Founder of the Way of the Devil” by Masyan Tongsiu, it is shown that modern users are of great interest not only in the content of the text, but also in the transformation of the original work into animation, film and television dramas, and games. In addition, the authors raise the problem of the place of tanbi in the field of traditional culture. The authors come to the conclusion that, on the one hand, tanbi is popular with online writers and young readers, and is a commercially successful literature. On the other hand, due to the appeal to the topic of same-sex love, as well as due to the low quality of many works, this type of narrative causes an ambiguous attitude among society and authorities. It is argued that the future of network literature is seen behind transmedia narration.

The problems of the formation of a woman image and the development of a gender approach in social advertising in Italy are studied. The relevance of the study is due to the high importance of social advertising in modern society and the increased interest in gender studies. The author considered examples of visual-graphic and visual-cinematic advertising. Examples of political manifestos and campaign posters are analyzed that precede the phenomenon of social advertising and are very close to it in their purpose. The results of the study make it possible to judge the late gender orientation of socially important messages. The following stages of representation of the female image in social advertising have been identified. From the middle of the 19th century to the second half of the 20th century, the image of Tower Italy was used on posters. During the First and Second World Wars, the role of women in society was rethought, the image of a woman-inspirer, a woman-mother, a homemaker appeared on campaign posters. The selection of a woman as a direct addressee of socially significant messages occurs after the end of the Second World War, which reflects the progress in the development of women’s rights and freedoms and is simultaneously associated with the emergence of a gender approach in advertising. Since the second half of the 20th century, the traditional image of a woman-mother and a housewife has been used in social advertising, the thematic range of advertising addressed to a female audience has expanded significantly. Since the beginning of the 21st century, social advertising has paid great attention to the problem of domestic violence and discrimination against women, which is reflected in the videos and posters of public, charitable and commercial organizations.

The issue of linguistic creativity in Chinese mass media sources published in English is considered. The novelty of the study lies in the fact that the English-language discourse of the Chinese mass media is studied as an independent culturally conditioned speech activity phenomenon that actualizes the cultural values of China and the civilizational values of the East. It is substantiated that linguistic creativity is realized in English texts through various forms of manifestation of Chinese national communicative identity: proverbs, allegories, analogies, hints, allusions, rooted in Chinese history, philosophy and folk experience. The updated concepts of proverbs emphasize the values of constant evolutionary movement on the principle of “movement in the still” and the values of collectivism, which are significant both in the country itself and in the region and the world. The collectivism peculiar to China determined the accentuation of the anti-value concepts of hegemony, shame, slander and humiliation. It has been proved that linguistic creativity in the Chinese media in English is also expressed in wordplay and word creation, if this contributes to a more effective presentation of China's position to the English-speaking audience and does not violate the principle of appropriateness. It has been established that in the Chinese English-language mass media, linguistic creativity is of a discursive-pragmatic nature, allows copying samples of linguistic creativity from English-language media and is supplemented with new associations and meanings in their own cultural context.

The article is devoted to the problem of intertextuality in native commercial advertising as one of the most modern technologies for promoting goods and services on the market. The types of intertextual inclusions in the international glossy magazine Tatler” is systematized in the paper and their functional potential is described. The choice of the research source is due to the significant influence of transnational media on the process of homogenization of cultural pictures of the world of different ethnic groups and the prototypical nature of the journal as an encyclopedia of the lifestyle of a successful person.  It is proved that the native advertising discourse of “Tatler” magazine is characterized by the presence of a complex system of verifiable intertextual units, including quotes from fashion designers, models, actors, etc., transformed and non-transformed text applications from different source areas, precedent names, hashtags with an allusive function. It is noted that the analyzed units are multifunctional and perform informative, attractive, expressive, suggestive, compositional-playing and other functions. The author comes to the conclusion that the whole system of intertextual inclusions of “Tatler” native advertising is aimed at creating and maintaining a myth about the existence of a special “Tatler man” in the visually aesthetic world of luxury, whose image becomes a tool for forming the social status identity of the addressee of the advertising message.

In the article, based on the material of the “mystery poem” by I. Brodsky “The Procession” (1961), intertextual links are traced that allow us to penetrate into the deep layers of the poem, to see behind its plot not the story of a love disappointment (I. Romanova) or the motives of the farcical comedy dell’arte (E. Fetisova), but philosophical reflections on time, on life and death (life-death). The intertextuality in “The Procession” goes beyond literature: the compositional structure of the poem is mediated by the influence of jazz variations and blues repetitions. As a musical pretext of “The Procession”, the classic of the Leningrad dixieland “When the saints go marching in...” is attributed. According to the jazz harmony the plot of the poem is formed as a series of zongs-voices, variants-improvisations of Hamlet’s theme “To be or not to be?” (“life / death”), which in Brodsky’s poem received a subjective version: “death comes as if for the first time...” The “vortex” composition, mediated by the rhythms of jazz, allows Brodsky to lead the hero through all the circles of Dante’s “Hell”, bringing him closer to “Purgatory” in the final poem and giving him the opportunity to pass initiation, to be among the “initiates”. The hero does not reach the heights of “Paradise”, but he is granted “even breath [verse]”, explicating the idea of an eternal life march to an unattainable world harmony.

The results of a comparative analysis of “The Mask of the Red Death” by E. A. Poe, “The Gentleman from San Francisco” by I. Bunin and “The Wing Blow” by V. Nabokov are presented in the article. The relevance of the study is due to the fact that it allows shedding additional light on the Russian reception of E. A. Poe, identifying a number of intertextual echoes, and also contributing to the development of literary thanatology. The author notes that the works show an attempt to escape from death on the “island of pleasure”, doomed to failure. The chronotope of the holiday, which is dominated by mortality, is studied in detail. It is argued that the characters are united not only by their material status, but also by their spiritual one: the authors pose the problems of metaphysical decay, life-sleep, tabooing of death, apostasy, and the proximity of the infernal. It is shown that death in the stories is a subject interacting with people in one way or another, but its “character” in the stories is different. It is proved that the writers also turn to the biblical discourse, focusing on the eschatological aspect. It concludes that the author's intentions are very similar, each story can be read as a parable, and “The Beat of the Wing” turns out to be a kind of “connecting node” between them.

Interpretations of the multidimensional concept of “writer’s idiostyle” are presented in the framework of the study of its various characteristics, in particular, in the context of the study of a linguistic personality, from the point of view of the linguotypology of a literary text, from the standpoint of a communicative-activity approach. The relevance of studying the idiostyle of a particular author is due to the fact that its characteristic features and original ways of implementing the author’s intention are the most important elements of the characterization of the literary process in a certain era. The novelty of the study is seen in the fact that the new novel by the British writer of Japanese origin K. Ishiguro “Klara and the Sun” has not yet become the subject of study by literary critics. Particular attention is paid to the international aspect, which occupies a leading position in his work. The implementation of such key elements of the writer's idiostyle as genre form, type of narration, chronotope, images of characters, ideological and thematic component, leading stylistic means is analyzed. They are compared with the characteristic features of other works of the author. It is shown that in the novel “Klara and the Sun” literary devices typical for Kazuo Ishiguro’s work continue to develop, however, they receive new development and original implementation, the author’s tasks are solved in a new way, the system of images and interpretation of the main themes and ideas are built in a slightly different way.

The novels “The Way of Muri” by Ilya Boyashov and “Chronicles of a Stray Cat” by Hiro Arikawa from the point of view of the concept of the path are examined in the article. The relationship between the motive of the road and the image of the animal is analyzed. The comparative-historical method of research makes it possible to reveal the presence of significant parallels in the problems and poetics of the works. It has been established that the image of the road, traditionally symbolizing the path of life, in the novels of I. Boyashov and H. Arikawa is actualized in relation to the animal, and not only to man. Animals and people in these works, in search of a home as their place in life, go through a certain path both in terms of space, and in time, and in psychological terms. In both novels, the animal has the ability to make decisions on its own and have its own path in life, but at the same time, its path is inextricably linked with the fate of people who for it personify the home, native space, the harmony of being. Both I. Boyashov and H. Arikawa comprehend the way as the essence of being and consider it one of the constants of life for both man and animal.

The reception of a foreign cultural (Russian) code by the European (Austrian) literary consciousness on the problematic, stylistic and lexical levels are studied in the article. The main trend characteristic for the representation of the image of Russia in the book by Claudia Erdheim is revealed: a retrospective look into the “bright past”. It is emphasized that the refrain phrase “Früher war alles besser” in the title has a symbolic meaning. Five mini-stories were analyzed. Attention is paid to the stereotypes of the Russian mass consciousness. Political stereotypes, ethical canons are studied in the perception of the author-narrator. It is argued that the antinomy of the Western way of thinking and the Russian mentality is the prevailing motive in the work under study. It is proved that the problem of the Russian-Austrian cultural dialogue is realized through the prism of the fundamental components of the Austrian mentality Einfühlung (feeling) and Gemütlichkeit (comfort, tranquility). Among the mental clichés of the narrator, stereotyped ideas about the Russian character (“broad soul”, “Russian scope”, “Russian maybe”, “longing”) are found. The book by K. Erdheim is a vivid example of the representation of the “Other” / “Alien” ideas about the “Other” national character and recreates the image of the Russian people in its artistic system.

The history of the formation of the Tobolsk District Union of Consumer Societies is studied. Archival materials are introduced into scientific circulation for the first time. The organizational and legal issues of the creation of the Tobolsk Union of Consumer Cooperatives and the network of societies that were part of it are studied. An attempt was made to comprehend the role of the Tobolsk cooperation in the life of the region, as well as the activities of its leaders, their participation in cooperative life. It was found that since the formation of the cooperation, it was possible to create a wide trading, procurement and grassroots network, consisting of 41 companies and 50,000 shareholders. The presented results indicate that the all-Russian trends in the development of consumer cooperation (both positive and negative) were also inherent in the cooperation of Tobolsk. The factors that influenced the work of consumer societies were identified: ignorance of the demand and needs for goods among the population, the presence of waste and theft among cooperators, unprofitability of some cooperatives, lack of control over trade and procurement operations. The composition and size of the management apparatus of the trade and procurement and grassroots network are described in the article. The admitted excesses in its activity are analyzed. The main stages of the formation and development of consumer cooperation are outlined.

The issue of the formation of one of the central agricultural management bodies of the Russian Empire — the Department of Agriculture is studied. The relevance of the work is due to the need to improve the mechanism of public administration at the present stage. Based on the opinions of contemporaries, the author shows the features of the organization of the internal work of the Department of Agriculture. Particular attention is paid to the activities of the Minister of State Property P. D. Kiselev and directors of the department I. F. Dellingshausen, E. F. von Bradke and A. I. Levshin. The novelty of the study is seen in the fact that the author reveals and clarifies previously unknown aspects of the functioning of the Department of Agriculture. New data from archival sources are introduced into scientific circulation. It is proved that the preparation of the abolition of serfdom played an important role in the establishment of the Department of Agriculture. The features of formation are revealed and the main directions of activity of the Department of Agriculture are shown. The results of a comparative analysis of the number and financial situation of officials of the Departments of Agriculture and forestry are presented. The specifics of the service of officials of the Department of Agriculture in the specified historical period are characterized.

The problem of the appearance of the Soviet dissident movement in 1965 is investigated. Particular attention is paid to the “Glasnost rally” on December 5, 1965, which, according to the recollections of the dissidents themselves, became the “assembly point” of the movement. The novelty of the research lies in the fact that the author offers an interpretation of the moral motives of the initiator of the rally, Alexander Yesenin-Volpin. The main sources of the study are the unpublished diaries of 1961—1965 and the political statement of Yesenin-Volpin in August 1965, kept in the archives of the International Memorial in Moscow.  Particular attention is paid to the case of the publication of the “letter of repentance” by the well-known Moscow dissenter Alexander Ginzburg in the newspaper “Vechernyaya Moskva” in June 1965; it had not previously attracted the attention of researchers. It is shown that, having condemned the “repentance” of a dissenter in a political statement in August 1965, Yesenin-Volpin formulated a “dissident” ethic known in the late 1960s — early 1970s. It has been proven that the statement summed up the dissident’s moral reflections in his diaries and became the source of the slogans with which Yesenin-Volpin was preparing for the «Glasnost Rally». As a result of the study, the author comes to the conclusion that in the summer of 1965 in the imagination of the dissident there was already a social community united by “dissident” values.

The article is devoted to a critical analysis of the state of American historical science. The relevance of the research is associated with the need to interrupt the circulation of stereotypes in the academic space, which impedes the advancement of scientific knowledge. On the example of the intellectual biography of Samuel Flagg Bemis (1891-1973), an analysis was carried out, the purpose of which was to detail the historian’s perception of US foreign policy and its origin. The scientific novelty of the work lies in the creation of a conceptual framework for the intellectual biography of the researcher. The methodological complex is based on the principles of historicism, objectivity, consistency, historical-chronological, historical-biographical, narrative, prosopographic methods. The results of the study showed the lack of originality in the views of S. F. Bemis on the topic of the genesis of the United States foreign policy: in the 1920s-1950s the historian was an associate of the development of “scientific history”, but not its creative pioneer. By the beginning of the 1960s the scientist has lost influence in professional circles, but his works continue to be in demand due to the collection of facts in them. The findings are intended for use in research and education in the study of history, historiography of US foreign policy.

The question of the transformation of the colonial strategies of France and Spain in relation to Morocco with the beginning of the war in the Rif Republic is considered. A comparative analysis of the colonial policy of the two European metropolises before the start of the revolt of the Rif tribes and during the Rif War is carried out. It is argued that this war, in its duration, scale and international resonance, called into question the entire colonial system and created a dangerous precedent. Disagreements within the power elites of the metropolises between supporters of flexible diplomatic methods of colonization and advocates of a direct military solution are analyzed. The novelty of this study is seen in the fact that the victory of the military lobby in France and Spain meant the radicalization of the methods of “conciliation” applied to the local population. The use of modern weapons and aircraft, which meant the mass extermination of the local population, anticipated the methods of the Second World War. The author comes to the conclusion that the war in the Rif had the most profound impact on the political development of Spain, largely predetermining the establishment of a military-nationalist dictatorship ten years later.

The authors analyze the debates on the problem of the Middle East settlement in the Foreign Affairs Committee of the British Parliament, which took place in connection with the start of the American peace initiative in 2013-14. A general description of the discussion of the Middle East issues at committee meetings during the government cadence of D. Cameron (2010-2016) is given. Particular attention is paid to the positions of the parties to the conflict, stated at the meeting by the diplomats of Israel and Palestine. The key issues of the Palestinian-Israeli confrontation are considered: issues of permanent status (borders, refugees, Israeli settlements, the status of Jerusalem) and security issues discussed at the negotiations held under the auspices of John Kerry. It is proved that the positions of the conflicting parties remained irreconcilable. It is noted that at this historical stage, none of the leading powers of the world had sufficient influence for an effective and successful settlement of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. The novelty of the study lies in the fact that for the first time the documents of the British Parliament were introduced into scientific circulation in order to analyze the prospects for a Middle East settlement. The relevance of the study is due to the fact that the Palestinian-Israeli conflict remains a source of tension in the Middle East, continuing to influence the situation in the region and the policies of the leading world powers.

The article is devoted to one of the autonomous regions of the People’s Republic of China — the Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region (NHAR). The historical events associated with the territory of modern NHAR, the features of the development of Islam in China and the formation of the Hui ethnic group is showed in the article. As a result of the study, it was revealed that the creation of the NHAR was due to the ideological concepts of national development laid down in the 1954 Constitution of the People's Republic of China. Based on documents published in China in Chinese, it is proved that the creation of the NHAR played a significant role in the ethnic development of the Hui people. It was revealed that the political changes that took place in the PRC in 1958-1976 and associated with the policy of the “Three Red Banners” and the “Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution” caused significant damage both to the economy of the NHAR and to ethnic stability in the considered region of China. The implementation of political campaigns of this period even led to clashes on confessional and ethnic grounds, which required the use of armed force to suppress them. As a result of the study, it was revealed that the situation in the NHAR began to stabilize and change only after the death of Mao Zedong and the beginning of Deng Xiaoping's reforms in 1979.

The article deals with the issue of opening the first verbal schools of the mining department in the Urals in 1721. V. N. Tatishchev, appointed by the Berg Collegium as the head of state-owned factories in 1720, decided to open literacy schools at two factories that were then in the mining department, and settlements assigned to them. In the very first normative document that regulated the activities of the factory commissar, he devoted one of the chapters to schools. The document is of particular interest as the first pedagogical experience of V. N. Tatishchev, who assumed responsibility for organizing verbal schools without waiting for the approval of the Berg Collegium. The norms of punishment concerning the reasons for opening schools, the duties of the commissioner for their arrangement, the duties of teachers, determining the sources of their support through special collections of money from local residents are analyzed in the article. The plan conceived by V. N. Tatishcheva was successfully implemented; in 2-3 years, more than a hundred children of factory residents, church ministers, landless peasant, and peasants learned to read and write in schools. Gradually, the factory authorities increased their share in the financing of schools up to the appointment of state salaries for needy schoolchildren.

The history of the creation and development of the system of medical institutions on the territory of the Tobolsk North (within the modern borders — the Khanty-Mansiysk and Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrugs) in the pre-revolutionary period is studied. It is noted that since the mid-1830s, a network of medical centers has been organized in the region: three hospitals, up to a dozen paramedical stations, medical barracks in fishing fields and steamship piers. The state played the main role in this. It financed medical institutions, provided personnel, necessary equipment and medicines, regulated activities through legislation and by-laws, and controlled the organization of medical care by entrepreneurs. Particularly rapid growth in the network of hospitals and feldsher stations was observed at the end of the 19th and beginning of the 20th centuries, which was facilitated by the involvement of the region in market relations, the intensification of the resettlement process, and the implementation of the legislative act of May 10, 1888 “On the arrangement of a rural medical unit in the provinces of Tobolsk and Tomsk”. It is indicated that in matters of providing medical care, the indigenous population was in a privileged position in comparison with the Russians, since they received it free of charge. Difficulties in creating a system of modern medical institutions in the Tobolsk North were noted: a shortage of personnel not only for doctors, but also for paramedical personnel, especially in rural areas; the extreme dispersion and rarity of villages, which made it difficult to regularly monitor the health of local residents, the slow pace of modernization. It is concluded that the opinion about the extremely low level of development of medicine in the region is not fully fair.