Chita Oblast Research Articles

Развитие школьного образования Читинской области в конце 1930-х гг. в контексте образовательной политики СССР

The purpose of the study is to present the specifics of school education development in Chita Oblast in the late 1930s in the context of changes in the educational policy of the Soviet Union. The paper analyses the work of educational institutions in the conditions of the pre-war period in the new region created in 1937, identifies the main aspects of the personnel problem and its solutions, provides insight into the activities of regional and district departments of public education, issues of student performance and workplace discipline of teachers. Scientific novelty lies in analysing and summarising the activities of schools in Chita Oblast in the late 1930s on the basis of sources from the collections of the State Archive of the Trans-Baikal Territory introduced into scientific use and their comparison with the regulatory framework in the field of general education in force at that time. As a result of the study, the main aspects in school education development in Chita Oblast during the pre-war years have been highlighted, its specifics has been determined.

STATE OF MOLOTOV RAILWAY SCHOOLS IN THE LATE 1930s

The article based on the materials of the P-3 fund (Chita Regional Committee of the CPSU) of the State Archive of Zabaykalsky Krai studies the activities of schools in Chita Oblast in the pre-war period. We have analyzed the memos on the condition of schools under the jurisdiction of the People's Commissariat for Communications in Chi-ta Oblast. With special reference to the secondary school No. 25 and the school of military technicians, we have revealed the key problems of Molotov railway schools in the late 1930s, such as qualified personnel shortage, poor methodical training, lack of teachers in a number of disciplines, problems with supplying students with the necessary teaching aids, uniform and healthy food. Many teachers did not have a pedagogical education, part of them or their relatives faced reprisals. We also have described the condition of school buildings, analyzed their sanitary state and heating. The study has revealed that the school authorities and Departments of Schools of the People's Commissariat of Railways did not always solve problems in due course or did not pay attention to them at all.

Дифференциация климатипов лиственниц (Larix spp.) в географических культурах в лесостепи Средней Сибири

Дифференциация климатипов лиственниц (Larix spp.) в географических культурах в лесостепи Средней Сибири

FEATURES OF THE DEVELOPMENT OF RELIGIOUS SITUATION IN THE BURYAT-MONGOLIAN (BURYAT) ASSR IN THE POST-WAR SOVIET TIMES

The article based on the archival documents characterizes the general features of religious processes on the territory of the Buryat-Mongolian (Buryat since 1958) Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic in the post-war Soviet period. We have analyzed the development of religious situation, as well as the features of religious processes. It is noted that currently the history of religious teachings in the region at the time under con-sideration is poorly studied. There are separate publications that do not give a holistic pic-ture. We suggest that the religious processes on the territory of the Buryat-Mongolian (Buryat) ASSR in the post-war Soviet period are similar to those on the territory of the neighboring Chita Oblast: only one functioning Orthodox church, a few clergymen, one Buddhist datsan, similar quantitative data on the rituals and income of the registered reli-gious associations. It is noted that the problem stated in the article requires serious further analysis based on reliable sources, primarily on archival documents. Given the small number of archival affairs on religious processes in the territory of the Buryat (Buryat-Mongolian) Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic in the post-war Soviet period in the regional archives, the emphasis should be placed on the funds of national repositories.

The results of Soviet urbanization of Chita Oblast: structure, count and functional significance of urban settlements

  The article is dedicated to the results of urbanization of Chita Oblast in the late Soviet period. The author examines the established structure of urban settlements, count of cities and industrial townships, as well as their functional designation in the late 1980s. A brief characteristic of production base formed in the Soviet period (organizations, enterprises, etc.) is given by each city and large worker’s settlement. Calculation is conducted on separate demographic parameters of urbanization of the region: share of the urban population, share of the population of cities and industrial townships in the urban population, etc. The research leans on the official results of the All-Union Census of 1989, as well as the data from the official websites of urban settlements in Zabaykalsky Krai. It is underlined that by the end of the 1980s, on the territory of Chita Oblast was formed a broad and dispersed network of urban settlements, which for the most part scattered along Trans-Siberian Railway and southward towards the border with China. Trans-Baikal Railway and mining industry played the leading role in formation of majority of cities and workers’ settlements. The structure of urban settlements highlighted the capita of the region – Chita by demographical and functional aspects. However, nine more cities and five large townships with over 12,000 population and developed infrastructure, smoothed out the territorial imbalances in urbanization of the region.  

On the book of A. V. Solovyev «Troubled Daily Life of Zabaikalye Counterespionage»

The review is devoted to the second edition of the book «Troubled Daily Life of Zabaikalye Counterespionage» (Saint Petersburg, Publishing House «Rus», 2019. — 864 pp., with ill). The author of the fundamental work on history of security bodies of Zabaikalye Territory is Aleksey Vladimirovich Solovyev, a well-known historian and local lore specialist, an Honored Member of Academy of Military Sciences, an Honored Citizen of Chita Oblast, a KGB-FSB colonel. A piece out of the book is published, devoted to an outstanding Soviet intelligent officer G. P. Mordvinov, a friend of the PRC leader — Mai Zedong.

New Records and Taxonomic Position of Snakes of the Genus <i>Gloydius</i> Hoge et Romano-Hoge, 1983 (Crotalinae, Viperidae, Ophidia, Reptilia) in the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia), with Comments on Their Distribution in the Eastern Siberia and the Far East,

The first record over the period of study of the local fauna of snakes of the genus Gloydius in the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia) is described. We analyzed the literature data as well as the records of pit vipers confirmed by voucher specimens and photographs from the territory east of Lake Baikal — in the Far East of the Russian Federation (Primorskyi Krai, Khabarovsk Krai, and Amur Oblast, Sakhalin Oblast and Chita Oblast). Earlier the first reliable record of snakes of the genus Gloydius ( G. ussuriensis ) in the north of the Chita Oblast on the Ingoda River (Orlov et al., 2014; ZISP 28004 — 28008) was discovered. The first records of G. halys in the Lena River basin and its tributary Olekma River on the territory of the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia) are described in this paper. These data principally change existing ideas about the distribution of snakes in East Asia.

New Records and Taxonomic Position of Snakes of the Genus <i>Gloydius</i> Hoge et Romano-Hoge, 1983 (Crotalinae, Viperidae, Ophidia, Reptilia) in the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia), with Comments on Their Distribution in the Eastern Siberia and the Far East,

The first record over the period of study of the local fauna of snakes of the genus Gloydius in the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia) is described. We analyzed the literature data as well as the records of pit vipers confirmed by voucher specimens and photographs from the territory east of Lake Baikal — in the Far East of the Russian Federation (Primorskyi Krai, Khabarovsk Krai, and Amur Oblast, Sakhalin Oblast and Chita Oblast). Earlier the first reliable record of snakes of the genus Gloydius ( G. ussuriensis ) in the north of the Chita Oblast on the Ingoda River (Orlov et al., 2014; ZISP 28004 — 28008) was discovered. The first records of G. halys in the Lena River basin and its tributary Olekma River on the territory of the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia) are described in this paper. These data principally change existing ideas about the distribution of snakes in East Asia.

Potential impacts of climate change on Mongolia’s plant protection status quo

Mongolia’s 2030 Sustainable Development Vision set a goal to be a self-sufficient in grain, potatoes and vegetables by 2030. However, Mongolia’s pastoral animal husbandry and rain-fed agriculture are extremely sensitive to climate change. The Asian migratory locust is considered as the most harmful grasshopper in the world. Until 1970th, these locust’s distribution areas in Mongolia were confined to oasis of Gobi deserts. A study on Asian migratory locust in Russia predicts distribution and formation of new permanent habitats of the locust in Chita oblast, Krasnoyarsk territory and Republic of Tyva. The Colorado beetle is one of the world’s most infamous invasive species due to its rapid adaptation to a wide range of ecological conditions and ability to disperse long distances. The climate modeling of Colorado beetle showed that with current trend, the beetle will expand its distribution into the most eastern and north-eastern regions of the Russian Federation. In China, the Colorado beetle was first detected in Xinjiang in 1993 and subsequently spread eastward. In China the Colorado beetle is currently expanding its areas at rate of 25 kms year (12-45 kms/year). Both species’ distribution patterns in neighboring countries show eventual establishment of permanent habitats around Mongolia. Their invasion to Mongolia will threaten country’s food security due to direct destruction of cereal and potato crops, and increased application of highly toxic pesticides. In light of these threats, Mongolia should start taking serious preventive measures by increasing surveillance and dedicated risk assessment studies for potential agricultural pests and diseases.

Alexander Alekseevich SHALIMOV – the chief surgeon of the Ministry of health of Ukraine, Director of the Kharkiv Institute of General and emergency surgery, Kyiv Institute of Hematology and blood transfusion, Kiev Institute of clinical and experimental surgery, editor in chief of the journal "Clinical surgery", Hero of Socialist labour of the USSR

In 1918 into a peasant family, was born A. A. Shalimov, who, after finishing school and technical school he enrolled in the Kuban medical Institute (1936-1941), he worked as a doctor in hospitals near Krasnodar, in Chita oblast (1941), in the cities of Bryansk and the eagle; chief surgeon of the Orel region (1949). In 1951, A. A. Shalimov returned to Bryansk, he defended his dissertation and received the title of Honored doctor of the RSFSR. Later A. A. Shalimov moved to Kharkov, he defended his doctoral dissertation (1957) and was appointed head of the Department of thoracic surgery and anesthesiology of the Ukrainian Institute of advanced training of physicians (1959), Director of the Kharkiv Institute of General and urgent surgery (1965), head of the Department of thoracoabdominal surgery of the Kiev Institute of improvement of doctors, as head of the surgical Department, the Director of Kiev research Institute of Hematology and blood transfusion (1970) and Kyiv Sri of clinical and experimental surgery (1971), chief surgeon of the Ministry of health of Ukraine (1980). A. Shalimov was elected a corresponding member of the Academy of Sciences of Ukraine (1969), academician of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine (1978). A. A. Shalimova awarded the title Hero of Socialist Labor of the USSR (1982), Hero of Ukraine with the order of Powers (2005).
 Alexander Shalimov 870 author of scientific papers, including 35 monographs, 112 inventions, he has trained 50 doctors and nearly 100 candidates of medical Sciences. A. A. Shalimov was awarded two orders of Lenin and red banner of Labor, order of the October Revolution, the order of the Ukrainian State (2005) and "For merits" of three degrees, medals and orders and medals of foreign States.
 Oleksandr Shalimov was a member of the Board of the Association of surgeons im. N. And. Pirogov, the International Association of surgeons, the all-Union scientific society of surgeons, gastroenterologists and cardiologists, Chairman of the Ukrainian Republican scientific society of surgeons, full member of the new York Academy of Sciences, editor-in-chief of the journal "Clinical surgery", Deputy of the Supreme Soviet of the Ukrainian SSR 8-10 convocations. The international chamber of the American biographical Institute, he was elected "Man of the year – 1997", awarded diploma of the International biographical centre of Cambridge University for achievements in medicine of the twentieth century. Died Alexander Shalimov February 28, 2006.

Biogeochemical Features of Platinum Accumulation in Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi (Lamiaceae)

For the first time, the platinum accumulation levels and distribution patterns in the soil and in roots, stems, leaves, flowers, and seeds of medicinal herb Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi, Lamiaceae (Baikal skullcap) have been researched using the stripping voltammetry method. The plants were collected both in their natural habitats (southwestern part of Primorskii krai, Amur oblast, and Chita oblast) and from the S. baicalensis population introduced in the Central Siberian Botanical Garden (CSBG), Siberian Branch, Russian Academy of Sciences (Novosibirsk). In the habitats of S. baicalensis, the content of platinum in soils varies from 0.001 to 0.426 g/t. The content of platinum in various parts of the plants varies from 0.001 to 0.43 g/t. The platinum bioaccumulation factor in S. baicalensis individuals collected in various habitats varies from 0.01 to 6.1 g/t.

Pachyneuridae (Diptera): new data on the geographic range and designation of the lectotype of Pachyneura fasciata Zetterstedt, 1838.

All available records of two nematoceran flies Pachyneura fasciata and P. oculata were gathered and mapped. P. fasciata is a wide-ranging Palaearctic species, and is here reported for the first time for some regions of the Russian Federation, including the European part of Russia (Leningrad Oblast), Western Siberia (Tomsk Oblast, Altay Republic), Eastern Siberia (Krasnoyarsk Krai, Irkutsk Oblast, Chita Oblast), the Far East of Russia (Kuril islands, Kunashir and Paramushir Islands), and for continental China. Pachyneura oculata has a restricted eastern Palaearctic range. The lectotype of P. fasciata has been designated and a key for the identification of Pachyneura species is provided.

Wetland Vegetation Database of Baikal Siberia (WETBS)

Following Siberian botanists and biogeographers, we consider Baikal Siberia to consist of the three federal subjects (regions): Irkutsk Oblast’, Republic of Buryatia and Zabaikalskii Krai (former Chita Oblast’). The Wetland Vegetation Database of Baikal Siberia (WETBS; GIVD ID AS-RU-001) was established in 2002 at the Department of Botany and Genetics of the Irkutsk State University. It contains 2,806 releves of aquatic and wetland vegetation sampled mainly in the southern part of Baikal Siberia during the summers of 2002–2010. WETBS covers all kinds of water bodies (freshwater lakes, ponds, river backwaters, steppe lakes, quarry lakes, ephemeral water bodies), rivers, brooks as well as adjacent wetlands. The main purposes of the WETBS are developing of syntaxonomy of the corresponding vegetation types, ecological analysis of vegetation and vegetation mapping. The WETBS is supported by IBIS software (Integrated Botanical Information System) which provides data storage, data analysis and data exchange.

Chemical structure of the high-molecular-weight hydrogenation products of coal from the Zashulanskoe field

The results of experimental studies on the determination of the chemical structure of asphaltenes and preasphaltenes in the liquid products of the hydrogenation of coal from the Zashulanskoe field in the Chita oblast. It was found that, in the preasphaltenes, the value of f a and the concentrations of oxygen groups (OH, COOH, and C=O) were greater and the concentrations of CH2 and CH3 groups were smaller that those in the asphaltenes. The highest concentration of CH2 groups was found in substances soluble in n-hexane (oils). It is likely that the change in the character of high-molecular-weight hydrogenation products formed from the structural fragments of the organic matter of coal (OMC) largely depended on reaction conditions, namely, the rate of heating and the isothermal exposure time.

Coal hydrogenation under short-term reaction conditions

The results of the hydrogenation of coal from the Zashulanskoe deposit in the Chita oblast under conditions of a short reaction time (no longer than 10 min) are given. It was found that, to reach a 78–80% degree of coal conversion under the conditions of high-speed heating (∼200 K/min), the reaction time can be no longer than 10 min (the coal: paste-forming agent ratio = 50: 50), which corresponds to a feed space velocity of 2.5–3.0 kg l−1·h−1. This value, which determines the process productivity of coal hydrogenation, is higher by a factor of 3–3.5 than that under analogous conditions used in second generation processes, which were developed in the 1990s.

Hydrogenation of coal from the Zashulanskoe field in Chita oblast

The results of evaluation of coal from the Zashulanskoe field of Chita oblast as a feedstock for liquid fuel manufacturing by hydrogenation are reported. Zashulanskoe coals whose reserves exceed 250 million tons have favorable mining and geological occurrence conditions, are recovered by high-performance openpit mining, and are characterized by low ash and sulfur contents; they can be regarded as a promising raw material for processing into liquid fuel in Trans-Baikal regions having a shortage of motor fuels and lubricants, a conclusion that has been confirmed by studying their reactivity in hydrogenation at a hydrogen pressure of up to 10 MPa.

Alkaloid content in various parts of Sophora flavescens

Quinolizidine alkaloids are rather frequently encountered in plants of the family Fabaceae [1]. According to modern research, this alkaloid group is a chemotaxonomic marker for the genus Sophora L. [2]. We studied Sophora flavescens Soland., a medicinal plant that is widely used in traditional Eastern medicine [3–5]. A large number of recent publications concerns the isolation, identification, and pharmacological properties of alkaloids from roots of this plant [6–8]. However, the alkaloid content in other parts of the plant is insufficiently studied. Therefore, our goal was to study the accumulation dynamics of alkaloids in various parts of S. flavescens. Raw material for analysis was collected in Chita Oblast in 2001–2002. Total alkaloids were obtained by the standard method [9]. The alkaloids were isolated and identified using HPLC, GC, and GC–MS. According to the total alkaloids in the various parts of S. flavescens, the greatest amount of alkaloids was localized in the seeds (Table 1). A rather high content was noted in pericarps. The studied species characteristically produces many seeds. One generative runner forms on average 49.4 ± 14.2 seeds. Generative plants have 14.1 ± 1.77 runners. The mass of 1,000 seeds varies from 39.4 to 58.8 g. This all indicates that further study of the seeds and pericarps of S. flavescens as alkaloid sources is promising. The accumulation of alkaloids in the subterranean part was maximum during flowering and lower during fruiting. Apparently this was related to the fact that active growth of plant rhizomes was observed during flowering whereas a large part of the alkaloids transfers to the seeds during fruiting. Alkaloids accumulated in those plant parts that were important or necessary during a particular development stage in order to create the next generation [10]. We showed earlier that both seed and vegetative propagations were characteristic of this species [11]. These biological features of S. flavescens apparently determine the alkaloid accumulation dynamics in the plant. GC–MS studies of total alkaloids obtained from the subterranean part of S. flavescens showed that the main component in the mixture was matrine. Furthermore, the structurally related alkaloids sophoramine, sophocarpine, and sophoranol were present in small quantities. Table 2 presents the study results. The isolated total alkaloids were dissolved in CHCl 3 and precipitated by ether in order to obtain matrine and matrine N-oxide. Multiple crystallizations of the loose yellow precipitate from acetone isolated two types of crystals, prismatic with mp 205–206°C (matrine N-oxide) (mp 208°C [12]) and needle-like with mp 85°C (matrine) (mp 84°C [12, 13]). The structures of these alkaloids were confirmed by PMR and 13 C NMR spectra, HPLC, and XSA. Also, GC–MS studies of the matrine sample obtained by us showed that impurities of structurally related minor alkaloids were present in the sample in addition to the main component. Therefore, we used the same sample for calibration after establishing beforehand the percent content of matrine in it. The sample purity (91%) was established by GC using a thermal-conductivity detector. This sample with a correction for 91% purity was used to calibrate the GC–MS data and to determine the quantitative content of matrine in the total alkaloids. Table 2 presents the GC–MS data for the percent content of matrine in the total alkaloids. In summary, it can be noted that the comprehensive study of the alkaloid contents of S. flavescens found their dynamics in various parts of the plant and enabled biological features of the species to be assessed.

Quantitative determination of flavonoid content in the aerial part of Baical scullcap (Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi)

A spectrophotometric procedure for the quantitative determination of flavonoid content in scutellarin and luteolin-7-glycoside equivalents in the aerial part of Baical scullcap (Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi, Lamiaceae) has been developed. The relative error of the procedures developed is not higher than 4%. The flavonoid content in plant samples from Chita oblast (Russia) was found to be equivalent to 8.24–27.88 % of scutellarin, and to 2.18–6.63% of luteolin-7-glycoside; the total flavonoid content ranged between 10.81 and 33.65%.

Seismotectonics of the transitional region from the Baikal Rift Zone to orogenic rise of the Stanovoi range

This paper is based on the data obtained during the field study of active faults carried out in 2005–2006 in the Chita and Amur oblast and South Yakutia in connection with detailed seismic demarcation of the projected East Siberia-Pacific Ocean pipeline route. The comprehensive geomorphic and geophysical fieldwork was focused on paleoseismogeology and accompanied by trenching in the zones of reactivated faults. These works allowed us to specify the available information on the present-day structure, seismotectonic regime, and potential seismic hazard of the conjugation of the Baikal Rift Zone and the arched-block rise of the Stanovoi Ridge.

Purple nonsulfur bacteria in weakly and moderately mineralized soda lakes of the southern Transbaikal Region and northeastern Mongolia

Purple nonsulfur bacteria (PNB) are shown to be widespread in weakly and moderately mineralized soda lakes of the southern Transbaikal Region and northeastern Mongolia. PNB occurred in most samples and enrichments at all pH and salinity values recorded or tested. Of the 24 investigated lakes of the southern Transbaikal Region, they were found in 22. In addition, the presence of PNB was noted in most soda lakes of northeastern Mongolia with water mineralization from 3 to 60 g/l. In all of the lakes, PNB were represented by morphologically similar forms. These were motile rods measuring 0.3–0.5 × 1.2–2.5 μm, multiplying by binary fission and containing bacteriochlorophyll a and carotenoids of the spheroidene series. 17 pure cultures of PNB were isolated from soda lakes of Chita Oblast, Buryat Republic, Agin Buryat Autonomous District, and northeastern Mongolia. All isolates were weakly halophilic and alkaliphilic and grew in wide ranges of salinity (0.3–15%) and pH (7.5–9.5). The highest growth rate was recorded at a 1–3% salinity and a pH value of about 8.5. The bacteria failed to grow in freshwater medium or at pH 7. All of the isolates were assigned to the genus Rhodovulum according to their morphological and physiological properties. For more precise identification of the new isolates, their phylogenetic analysis was performed. According to the results of 16S rRNA gene sequencing and DNA-DNA hybridization, the isolates were most close to the species Rhodovulum strictum, from which they however differed at the species level (98.5–99.5% 16S rRNA gene identity and 42–44% DNA-DNA hybridization level). Moreover, the isolates fell into two groups, one of which was comprised by strain A-20s and its close relatives (100% 16S rRNA identity and 93–98% DNA-DNA hybridization level), and the other was represented by the phylogenetically distinct strain A-36s (98.7% 16S rRNA identity and 50–55% DNA-DNA hybridization level). In the nucleotide sequences of the 16S rRNA genes, sequence signatures were revealed that were specific to the isolates and the two closest species and distinguished them from other Rhodovulum representatives. Thus, the new PNB isolates represent two new species. Currently, their morphological and physiological investigation is in progress, aiming at their description as two new species of the genus Rhodovulum. The fact that PNB of weakly and moderately mineralized soda lakes are represented by new species is one more piece of evidence in favor of our earlier conclusion about the specificity of these habitats and of the autochthonous microflora characteristic of them.