Collapse Of The USSR Research Articles

The banking system of Ukraine as a factor of social stability in the war

Before the collapse of the USSR, Ukraine was one of the 15 socialist republics. Along with Belarus, the Russian Federation, and the USSR, Ukraine is one of the founders of the United Nations. Ukraine has gone through transformations from a command-administrative to a market system in 30 years. The driving force behind this development was the national democratic forces, the leaders of which were former dissidents of the USSR. One of the main factors of market transformations in Ukraine is the national private banking business. In the conditions of Russia’s direct military aggression against Ukraine in 2022, the banking business of Ukraine has shown its institutional capacity and is one of the stabilizing factors of society. Thanks to the integration of Ukraine’s banking business into the global financial system, millions of Ukrainian refugees have the opportunity to use their accumulated funds in the national currency abroad. The purpose of this article is to analyze the impact of the banking sector of Ukraine on the country’s democratic development, and the contribution of the banking system to countering Russian aggression. The article considers further ways of development of the banking system of Ukraine in the post-war period.

THE REVERSE IMPACT OF THE «SOCIALIST REALISM» METHOD IN CREATING A HERO'S PERSONALITY AND MODERN KAZAKH NOVEL

The era of the Soviet Union proved that real national literature cannot be created under colonialism. The "Socialist realism" method created by the authorities had a reverse impact on the nature of the artistic image. The characters in the work are politicized. Special attention was paid to the class division (rich and poor), and the images were depicted one-sidedly. The collapse of the USSR allowed the development of a new type of literature in the post-Soviet countries. In the research paper, we made comparisons, and the damage caused by the method of "socialist realism" to fiction is mentioned. However, these years were also successful. Kazakh literature has developed in terms of genres. The genre of the novel has been mastered. Talented writers have mastered describing the reality of life with clues. Literary tradition and skill practices were used in the literature of the period of Independence. The fate and history of the nation were shown in innovative novels. Modern realities and changed human psychology were depicted together with the world space. A stream of postmodern, realistic novels came to literature. The release of the novel from political restrictions allowed genre change (historical, biographical, satirical, fantasy, etc.). The storytelling style has been renewed. There was new artistic and stylistic research in creating a hero’s personality.

THE RIVALRY OF REGIONAL AND NON-REGIONAL ACTORS IN CENTRAL ASIA IN THE CONTEXT OF THE CONCEPT OF EURASIANISM

The purpose of this research paper is to study Central Asia in the geopolitical space of Eurasia and the influence of extra-regional actors in the context of the “big game”. As a result of modern global political and socio-economic transformations in Russian science, forgotten ideas are being renewed, which marked the guidelines for the further development of the state, aimed at combating global challenges of our time, preventing interfaith and interethnic conflicts, uniting peoples, preserving national and territorial unity, and creating a vast and strong state. After the cold War, cultural geopolitical concepts were reinterpreted. Among them was the concept of Eurasianism, which has deep historical roots for the peoples of the region, including Central Asia in the context of the “Big Game” in Eurasia. The authors concluded that after the collapse of the USSR, the geopolitical situation in Central Asia underwent drastic changes. The importance of this region is reflected in the geopolitical theories of various world scientists, including the classics of geopolitics, including the concept of Eurasianism. The existing contradictions in the region and the struggle between the great powers for leadership are shaping global and regional instability in Central Asia.

TURKISH-RUSSIAN RELATIONS FROM THE COLD WAR TO 2002 AS THE BEGINNING OF CURRENT RELATIONS

In this study, Turkish-Russian relations in the Cold War period and the Post-Cold War time till 2002 are discussed. Since 2002 is accepted as the beginning of current relations and a breakthrough year in relations, a separate analysis is required for the next period. It is seen that the relations between Türkiye and Russia were tense between the years 1945-1965, and then went through a soft period until the end of the Cold War period. It is clearly understood that Turkish-Russian relations gained a new dimension after the collapse of the USSR. Economic-commercial relations constituted the most important area of this period, in which competition also predominated. In the first part of this study, the historical development of Turkish-Soviet relations in the Cold War period is tried to be discussed. Economic and commercial relations assumed the locomotive role in the cooperation between the two countries, giving a different quality to the political, military and security issues and relations with third countries. In the second part, the new era for the affairs is analyzed and, in this regard, it should be noted that the leaders of the two countries have made great efforts since the beginning of the 1990s. In these years, many strategic projects were signed and implemented in the context of bilateral relations. It is obvious that the relations between the two countries reached a strategic dimension in areas such as economic-commercial and energy. It is also analyzed that the momentum gained in Turkish-Russian relations and the good level of relations also served regional stability and common interests. Finally, it may be assumed that the years examined by this paper is also a period that helped to create strong relations between two countries in the 21st century.

Relations of Azerbaijan with Central Asian Turkic States within the framework of the Organisation of Turkic States

Following the dissolution of the USSR, Turkic States came together for the first time in 1992 at the Summit of Heads of State of Turkic Speaking Countries. The Summit was transformed into the Turkic Council with the Nakhchivan Agreement in 2009 and renamed the Organisation of Turkic States in 2021. This Organisation is one of the most important institutions shaping Azerbaijan's foreign policy. In this context, the support of the Organisation's member Turkic states in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict with Armenia is critical; in fact, during the Second Karabakh War, the Organisation of Turkic States issued a statement in support of Azerbaijan. Similarly, the Organisation has been an effective tool in supporting Azerbaijan's foreign policy and increasing its regional and global influence. Moreover, within the framework of the Organisation, Turkic States have had the opportunity to share their experiences in areas such as science, technology, education and culture. This study focuses on the importance of Central Asian countries in Azerbaijan's foreign policy and the relations developed within the framework of the Organisation of Turkic States.

The Role of Philosophy in the System of University Social and Humanitarian Education in Current Socio-Political Conditions

The present-day Russian system of university social and humanitarian education was formed against the background of the collapse of the USSR. The ideologized system of Marxist-Leninist disciplines was replaced by a Western-oriented liberal system in which philosophy began to play the role of a translator of Western philosophical ideas and values. For more than thirty years, the liberal Russian state refused to control the activities of the professional philosophical community and the content of philosophical knowledge disseminated in universities. With the beginning of the special military operation, the situation began to change, and the state, through presidential decrees, set before the professional community the task of protecting the traditional spiritual and moral values of Russian society. This task is directly related to the task of decolonizing public consciousness and returning to the grandiose philosophical experience accumulated by Russian culture.

Political and economic analysis of education in the Semipalatinsk region: issues of education of children with special needs

Purpose of the research – The article is aimed to share the light on the problems of education of children affected by nuclear tests in the Semipalatinsk region.Methodology – This article was written based on the findings of the research titled "The missing generation of children of Semipalatinsk region (1991-2021)", that was conducted as part of wider project called the PEER Network led by four universities (Nazarbayev University (Kazakhstan), University of Cape Town (South Africa), the University of Sussex (UK) and the University of Ulster (UK). The latter project’s aim is improving the quality of political economy analysis of education in collaboration with academics, policymakers and practitioners in conflict-affected states. To ensure the reliability of the data analyzed during the study, the authors applied a thematic deductive analysis as a core. Based on it, 30 interviews obtained during this research were coded. The second analytic tool that was used is the 4RS framework. This method enables to conduct a political and economic analysis of education in a context of the Semipalatinsk region. Semi-structured interview was applied as a data collection method. Data collection was conducted in accordance with all ethical regulation and ethical approval of Nazarbayev University (Kazakhstan) and the University of Ulster. The relevant literature, legal acts and statistical data corresponding to the subject of the study were also analysed.Originality / value of the research – During the study of these documents, it was found that issues related to the education of children affected by nuclear tests in the Semipalatinsk region were not considered acutely. Also, based on the literature review and data analysis, the authors identified that there were no sufficient conditions in the field of education for children created in the region. The political and economic crisis that arose after the Soviet Union collapse, changed the legal status of the region and related to its underfinancing of the region. Therefore, it is necessary to solve the issues of access to quality education. All this requires sustainability in political, economic and social terms.Findings. To address these issues, the authors of the article suggest the need to take into account the specific needs of the region in the education reform in the country, the expansion of the network of PMPC in the region, improving the competencies of teachers to work in inclusive education, strengthening the medical services in the region in accordance with modern requirements, addressing issues of stigmatization and radiophobia in society.

Виды ценностных конфликтов при смене парадигмы государственной политики и управления

The purpose of the article is to study the types of value conflicts during the period of political transformation of the modern Russian state. Decree of the President of the Russian Federation No. 809 dated 11/19/2022 "On Approval of the Foundations of State Policy for the Preservation and Strengthening of Traditional Russian spiritual and Moral Values" defines a priority direction for the development of public administration, which should be based on traditional values. At the same time, the transition from the existing situation to the new one will inevitably lead to a clash of liberal and neoliberal ideas with national values and traditional ideas. The author consistently studies the processes of changing the value paradigm in political and managerial decisions of the previous and modern era, namely the period from the collapse of the USSR in 1991 to the present. There is a tendency to repeat the value conflict of the early 90s in the Russian Federation, when socialist values in public administration were replaced by liberal values, and part of society was not ready for such a development. The hypothesis of this study is to search for the possibility of avoiding a value conflict similar to the conflicts of previous historical eras when carrying out evolutionary changes in public policy and management in the Russian Federation in the near future. Institutional and neo-institutional approaches are used, which are associated with value-rational and goal-oriented approaches in public administration. The SWOT analysis methodology is used to determine systemic changes in public administration. The theoretical and practical significance of the work lies in expanding knowledge about the role of values in the field of public policy and management and in solving the applied task of introducing traditional national values into political and managerial decisions, outlined in the decree of the President of the Russian Federation. The conclusions are the value aspect is a basis and root cause of the political process. The results include the characteristic of the Russian society from the value relation view and the description of the core trend of the public administration development in modern Russia.

Socio-political life of Kazakhs abroad in the 20th century

The article underscores that the socio-political life of Kazakhs abroad in the 20th century was intimately connected with the collective destiny of the Kazakh populace. Kazakhs overseas, dwelling in emigration, waged their struggle for the reinstatement of statehood. Throughout the era of Soviet authority, Kazakh public associations persisted in playing a significant role in conserving national culture and language. During the period of restructuring and the dissolution of the USSR, Kazakh public organizations took the lead in the battle for the independence of Kazakhstan. The socio-political life of Kazakhs overseas exerted a noteworthy influence on the progression of Kazakhstan, facilitating the preservation of the national identity of the Kazakh people, their resurgence, and development.

Russian Diasporas of the Near Abroad in the Post-Perestroika Period: Phantom or Reality?

Following the collapse of the USSR, a significant number of Soviet citizens not belonging to the titular nations of these countries found themselves in the territories of the newly formed states. This article aims to establish the extent to which the concept of “diaspora” is applicable to the Russian communities that lived in these territories during this period. The migration processes of today contribute to the replenishment of countries bordering on the Russian Federation with people of a different formation, at the same time helping the Russian abroad survive as a phenomenon, which makes the topic relevant. The work draws on legislative acts and other official documents of the state authorities, also referring to published interviews with Russian-speaking residents of these regions (both those living there and those who have returned to Russia). To date, the issue of the concept of “diaspora” is debatable. Without polemizing on this issue, the author bases the study not on the concept itself, but on its characteristics and key features shared by most scholars. The author gives a brief overview of the attitude of the Russian state to this category of population and to the problem of diasporas itself. Showing their transformation in the 1990s, the author concludes that it is inappropriate to apply this notion to the Russians of the near abroad in the above-mentioned period. Instead, the concept of “Russian-speaking communities” seems more appropriate, which does not deny the possibility of further transformation of the community into a diaspora.

Evolution of the Regulatory and Legal Basis for Payment and Incentives for the Work of Scientific Workers in the USSR and the Russian Federation

Introduction. The article assesses the state of development of the research subject — the evolution of the regulatory and legal framework for remuneration and motivation of scientific workers in the Soviet period (late 1920s — December 26, 1991, the date of the collapse of the USSR) and in the Russian Federation (December 26, 1991 — present); summarises and characterises the legal measures taken by the country's leadership to improve the remuneration and motivation system for scientific workers in the USSR and the Russian Federation. Methods. Using structural and legal and comparative and legal methods, an analysis was conducted of the main regulations of this base, regulating payment and incentives for the work of scientific workers. Results and Discussion. The evolution of the regulation base is systematically presented, a comparison is made between payment and incentives for scientific workers in the USSR and the Russian Federation; values are established for differentiation of payment for scientific workers in the USSR and the Russian Federation; basic norms regulating payment and incentives are analysed; changes to the regulation base in Russia are shown in connection with the adoption of the Decree of the President of the Russian Federation of May 7, 2012, No. 597; significant differences in payment and incentives for scientific workers in the USSR and the Russian Federation are identified using local regulations from one of the research institutes as an example. Conclusion. Recommendations are provided for improving the efficiency of scientific workers in modern conditions.

THE REVERSE IMPACT OF THE «SOCIALIST REALISM» METHOD IN CREATING A HERO'S PERSONALITY AND MODERN KAZAKH NOVEL

The era of the Soviet Union proved that real national literature cannot be created under colonialism. The "socialist realism" method created by the authorities had a reverse impact on the nature of the artistic image. The characters in the work are politicized. Special attention was paid to the class division (rich and poor), and the images were depicted one-sidedly. The collapse of the USSR allowed the development of a new type of literature in the post-Soviet countries. In the research paper, we made comparisons, and the damage caused by the method of "socialist realism" to fiction is mentioned. However, these years were also successful. Kazakh literature has developed in terms of genres. The genre of the novel has been mastered. Talented writers have mastered describing the reality of life with clues. Literary tradition and skill practices were used in the literature of the period of Independence. The fate and history of the nation were shown in innovative novels. Modern realities and changed human psychology were depicted together with the world space. A stream of postmodern, realistic novels came to literature. The release of the novel from political restrictions allowed genre change (historical, biographical, satirical, fantasy, etc.). The storytelling style has been renewed. There was new artistic and stylistic research in creating a hero’s personality.

Анализ инновационного развития отраслей российской экономики

The coming decade in Russia has been declared the decade of science and technology, the goal of which is to achieve leading positions in a number of breakthrough industries. It is known that before the collapse of the Soviet Union, Russia was a leader in space, nuclear energy, electronics, and certain types of high-tech industries. With the collapse of the USSR, Russian science, despite the adoption of the Federal Law “On Science and State Scientific and Technical Policy” [12], entered a ten-year period of destruction, which resulted in the loss of leading global positions in the field of science and an almost fourfold reduction in the areas of scientific research: so, if before 1992 the Russian Federation had a backlog of 95% of the world’s scientific areas, then by 2005 our country had a backlog of 23-25% of the world’s scientific areas. Since the mid-2000s. with the adoption of a number of laws and the beginning of the implementation of a package of new initiatives [11; 10; 13] managed to ensure positive dynamics in a number of innovation-oriented sectors of the economy and science. Active government policy and significant investments in the science and research sector allow Russia to maintain the fifth largest number of scientific personnel in the world. In turn, the developed human potential of science will contribute to achieving the goals of the Concept of Technological Development for the period until 2030 [7]. The article shows the features of the current stage of innovative development in the context of types of activities, identifies negative trends in reducing the level of competitiveness of innovative activities in the science and development sector, and substantiates the conclusion about the need to restore the planned parameters of scientific and technological development for the purpose of technological modernization of sectors of the Russian economy.

The depiction of the 1990s in Ukrainian cinema of the 2010s–2020s as a way of national self­identification

The relevance of the study. Understanding of this period — encompassing the collapse of the USSR, the beginning of Ukraine’s independence, and the experiences of contemporary filmmakers during their childhood and youth — remains pertinent and essential.
 The purpose of the study is to examine the stylistic and substantive features of the depiction of the 1990s by Ukrainian filmmakers in films of the 2010s and 2020s, and to prove that this is a way of national self-identification.
 The methodology. The following scientific methods were used: analysis (to process theoretical works, works on the history of art and philosophy, articles by film critics and interviews), comparative (to highlight the peculiarities of each of the domestic directors’ works), deductive (to highlight specific stylistic features from the general Ukrainian film process of the era of independence), synthesis (to highlight the tendency of directors’ approaches to depicting the past as a holistic phenomenon) and generalization (to write conclusions).
 The results. An analysis of the stylistic and substantive features of the depiction of the 1990s in Ukrainian cinema in the 2010s–2020s has revealed that this phenomenon is a way of national self-identification. The main thematic blocks that exist in the field of national self-identification in these films are: a critical look at the system of society; production of life values; deromanticization of the past; coverage of generational trauma; nostalgia for youth and childhood; the problem of national mentality and the past existing in the present; existential issues of the search for meaning; and identity crisis. The main tendency is to depict the formation and maturation of the protagonist in the story model of a coming-of-age film. In each case, the chosen thematic area depends on the way the author expresses his or her personal worldview.
 The scientific novelty of the study lies in the fact that it is the first comprehensive study of the phenomenon of depiction of the 1990s and the period of the first years of independence in Ukrainian cinema after the 2010s, which is a way of national self-identification.
 The practical significance. This study can be useful for further in-depth scientific study of both the trend of depicting the 1990s in cinema and the process of national self-identification. It can also be used in teaching film theory and film history.

Protesting Destruction in Chapaevsk: Green Politics in a Late Soviet City

This provincial case study demonstrates the diversity of political movements mobilised by environmental anxieties, particularly outside of Moscow, in the final years of Soviet Russia. By focusing on the emergence of green politics that promoted ecosocialism, the analysis takes up the call proposed by scholars of the Anthropocene by exploring late Soviet Russia as a place of political possibilities, where environmentalism-as-politics became a force for change. The failure of the green movement after 1990, in light of their successes before the dissolution of the USSR, offers new insights into the effectiveness of green politics in the Russian provinces prior to the disintegration of the USSR.

ВИНОГРАДАРСТВО ЧЕЧЕНСКОЙ РЕСПУБЛИКИ В СОВЕТСКОЕ ВРЕМЯ (1954−1991), УСПЕХИ И ПРОБЛЕМЫ

The article discusses issues related to the unsuccessful introduction of viticulture in the administrative regions of the Chechen Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic, where grapevine culture was new or non-traditional. These regions are Malgobeksky, Kurchaloevsky, Shalinsky, Grozny-Selsky districts. It has been established that the main reason for the spread of viticulture was the state’s desire to employ unemployed population and the high profitability of the industry. For this purpose, collective and state farms, which previously specialized in the cultivation of grain crops, feed production and livestock breeding, were restructured. The state allocated sufficient funds and material resources for the formation and functioning of a new sub-sector of the agro-industrial complex of the republic in these areas. However, hopes were not justified. The reasons that contributed to attempts to accelerate the introduction of grapevine culture in the “new” regions of the republic, as well as the failure of work in this direction, have been identified. An analysis of the activities of farms involved in the development of viticulture in these areas was carried out. Excesses of higher authorities have been established in planning for wine state farms the volume of new plantings of vineyards, achieving the planned yield and gross grape harvest, as well as planned targets for financial and economic indicators, and in the absence of proper consideration of soil and climatic factors and their compliance with the economic and biological characteristics of the grape culture. As a result, it was revealed that this crop was not adaptable to local conditions, which was reflected in the low survival rate of plantings, the high sparsity of plantings and their unprofitability for further exploitation. All wine farms were unprofitable. The factor of psychological incompatibility of the local population to this culture also had a certain influence. At the same time, all these undesirable phenomena intensified due to the fact that they coincided with the time of the weakening of the foundations of the state under the slogans of perestroika, the fight against alcoholism and drunkenness, and later − with the tragic events of the collapse of the USSR and their negative consequences. It is concluded that the widespread involvement of “new” regions in the development of viticulture was not a fully thought-out campaign. This led, in particular, to disastrous results: the vineyards were written off before they reached productive age. In the future, introducing grapevine culture here is not economically feasible.

Landscape multifunctionality, agroecology, and smallholders: a socio-ecological case study of the Cuban agroecological transition

After the fall of the USSR, Cuba was plunged into an economic crisis with devastating effects on the agricultural system. With few options, the government restructured its agricultural system from an industrial model to a model based on smallholders and agroecology. After several decades, the results of this transition have been far reaching for both landscapes and livelihoods. This research uses mixed-methods, including remote sensing, interviews, and economic and agricultural statistics to present the case study of a smallholder community that has undergone a shift from industrial sugarcane to small-scale agroecology. This work reveals that while agricultural extent has plummeted, production of staple crops has increased dramatically. At the same time, on-farm incomes and food market availability have risen steadily. In the context of strong social, economic, and environmental protections, this represents a process of a sustainable rural transition with several concurrent benefits to people and the environment.

WATER SECURITY IN THE KYRGYZ REPUBLIC: POST-SOVIET CHALLENGES AND REGIONAL DYNAMICS

The article describes the features of the use of water resources of the Kyrgyz Republic after the collapse of the USSR in 1991. Water security, stocks and potential of water resources are considered. At the same time, examples show the importance of water resources in the economy and politics of the Kyrgyz Republic, relations with the states of Central Asia. An analysis of tensions with neighboring countries on water resources was carried out. The importance, benefits and potential problems of the CASA-1000 project are also analyzed. The article describes the legal regulation of water resources in the Kyrgyz Republic, economic benefits and role in international relations.

Increased methane emissions from oil and gas following the Soviet Union’s collapse

Global atmospheric methane concentrations rose by 10 to 15 ppb/y in the 1980s before abruptly slowing to 2 to 8 ppb/y in the early 1990s. This period in the 1990s is known as the "methane slowdown" and has been attributed in part to the collapse of the former Soviet Union (USSR) in December 1991, which may have decreased the methane emissions from oil and gas operations. Here, we develop a methane plume detection system based on probabilistic deep learning and human-labeled training data. We use this method to detect methane plumes from Landsat 5 satellite observations over Turkmenistan from 1986 to 2011. We focus on Turkmenistan because economic data suggest it could account for half of the decline in oil and gas emissions from the former USSR. We find an increase in both the frequency of methane plume detections and the magnitude of methane emissions following the collapse of the USSR. We estimate a national loss rate from oil and gas infrastructure in Turkmenistan of more than 10% at times, which suggests the socioeconomic turmoil led to a lack of oversight and widespread infrastructure failure in the oil and gas sector. Our finding of increased oil and gas methane emissions from Turkmenistan following the USSR's collapse casts doubt on the long-standing hypothesis regarding the methane slowdown, begging the question: "what drove the 1992 methane slowdown?"

Inequality and social stratification in Russia during the Putin regime: From market transition to war on Ukraine

AbstractThe collapse of the USSR in late 1991 inspired social science research on levels, patterns, and trends in inequality within Russia, due to theoretical interest in how market transition affects social stratification. The start of the Putin regime in 2000 marked a new era in Russia's post‐Soviet political economic trajectory: in contrast to the 1990s, the economy first took off, then stagnated, while the state rolled back institutions of democracy and civic freedoms. In short, Russia became a consolidated market economy under authoritarian rule. In this context research has continued to produce insights into social stratification. The labor market featured high levels of employment but with downward wage flexibility, modest decreases in earnings inequality, and persistent returns to education, gender wage gaps, and locality‐based differences. Waves of labor migration to Russia, resurgent traditional gender norms, shrinking population, housing inequality, health disparities, and a small contingent of ultra‐rich represent additional noteworthy developments. Although market transition is no longer an intriguing theoretical lens through which to view social stratification in Russia, the topic nonetheless holds broader theoretical interest because inequality became closely intertwined with Russia's political economy, social policies, and geopolitical actions, including those that culminated in Putin's decision to invade Ukraine.