Orenburg Oblast Research Articles

Genetic Diversity in the Orenburg Goat Breed Revealed by Single-Nucleotide Polymorphism (SNP) Analysis: Initial Steps in Saving a Threatened Population

Background/Objectives: Orenburg goats are renowned for their soft down that acts as a substrate for warm clothing, particularly shawls that have an international reputation. As with many local livestock breeds, however, the Orenburg is presently at risk of extinction, an issue that can be addressed by assessing population genetic diversity and, thereafter, encouraging as much outbreeding as possible. Using single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP)-based data, therefore, we analyzed the genetic diversity and population structure of modern Orenburg goats using samples collected from an expedition to Orenburg Oblast in 2024. Methods: We applied the Goat SNP50 BeadChip (Illumina, San Diego, CA, USA) for the genotyping of Orenburg goats from modern and archived populations. SNP genotypes of three Orenburg populations sampled in 2017 and 2019, Altai Mountain, Altai White, and Soviet Mohair breeds, were added to the dataset. Results: Principal component analysis and network and admixture analyses demonstrated that the genetic background inherent to the archived group of Orenburg goats was maintained in all modern populations. Values of genetic diversity indicators in modern populations were compatible with those obtained in comparison groups. Runs of homozygosity (ROH) were found in all the Orenburg goat populations (with a mean ROH length of 72.6–108.9 Mb and mean ROH number of 28–36). Genomic inbreeding based on ROH was low in all the Orenburg populations (FROH = 0.03–0.045). Conclusions: We showed that the ancestral background is retained in present-day Orenburg goats sampled in 2024. We provide the genetic basis through which certain breeder animals may be selected and bred traditionally or ex situ through a conservation program of gamete preservation.

Assessing the quality indicators of the management of the Territorial Compulsory Health Insurance Fund (the Orenburg Oblast case)

Assessing the quality indicators of the management of the Territorial Compulsory Health Insurance Fund (the Orenburg Oblast case)

Ecological justification for the effectiveness of recycling organic matter from waste to increase the primary production of cultivated plants

The article shows that the method of recycling liquid and solid organic substances obtained as a by-product during the production of biogas from organic waste and composting organic waste with the addition of liquid organic matter in the agroecosystem on ordinary chernozem in the Orenburg Oblast is effective. The standards for the application of liquid and solid organic substances were studied using an indicator culture. Data on the net primary productivity of the agroecosystem are presented. It was found that the reaction of the agroecosystem is more effective in the variant with liquid organic substances. Net primary productivity using the example of potatoes with a rate of application of liquid organic matter of 8 t/ha is 36,97% higher than with the background and application of solid organic matter, and amounted to 22,6 t/ha. They showed that the established standards for the utilization of liquid organic substances are 10 t/ha and solid organic substances are 5 t/ha.

The first report of Silvacarcinus (Crustacea: Brachyura: Orithopsidae) from the Upper Cretaceous of Southern Cis-Urals (Orenburg Oblast, Russia)

The first report of Silvacarcinus (Crustacea: Brachyura: Orithopsidae) from the Upper Cretaceous of Southern Cis-Urals (Orenburg Oblast, Russia)

Freezing of Chalk Cryomorphic Soil Complexes of the Orenburg Oblast: Temperature Regime and Cryogenic Processes in Soil Profile

Freezing of Chalk Cryomorphic Soil Complexes of the Orenburg Oblast: Temperature Regime and Cryogenic Processes in Soil Profile

Impact investing: A study of structural transformations of a macroregion's social services

Subject. This article discusses the issues of investment policy and support for the social sphere. Objectives. The article aims to analyze changes in the sectoral and territorial structures of investments in the subjects of the Ural economic region (macroregion) for the period from 2005 to 2021. Methods. For the study, I used the economic and mathematical research methods. Results. The article finds that despite the increase in investment in education and healthcare in the Ural macroregion, in general, there have been no significant structural changes in favor of these sectors. Noticeable changes in the sectoral structure of the economy are recorded in the Orenburg Oblast and the Udmurt Republic. Relevance. The research results can be used to develop regional programmes to support economic sectors.

Materials to the Black Book of Flora of Orenburg Oblast

Materials to the Black Book of Flora of Orenburg Oblast

Morphological Variability of a Rare Species Zygophyllum pinnatum in the South Urals and Adjacent Territories

When working with rare plant species, applying morphometric techniques is one of the main ways to obtain a representative data set on plant individuals and the state of particular populations growing in different ecological conditions and experiencing different degrees of anthropogenic load. Zygophyllum pinnatum, an understudied species growing on the territory of the Republic of Bashkortostan, the Orenburg region, and the Republic of Kazakhstan, is referred as a rare species. The purpose of the work is to study morphometric parameters and reveal the vitality structure of the Z. pinnatum coenopopulations in two regions of the Russian Federation (the Republic of Bashkortostan and Orenburg region) and in the north-west of the Republic of Kazakhstan (the Aktobe Region). Applying standard morphometric techniques, we analyzed the state of 16 coenopopulations of the species. Judging by most morphometric parameters, the leadership belongs to the individuals from the “Troitsk Cretaceous Mountains” coenopopulation located in the Sol-Iletsky District of Orenburg oblast, where, apparently, the most optimal plant conditions are formed (the absence of human impact and low projective cover of the grass stand to have a favorable effect). The minimum values for most parameters are recorded in the coenopopulations located on the territory of the Republic of Kazakhstan, resulting from arid growing conditions. The variability of most characters is within the normal range of the species response (Cv—5.0–44.6%). The discriminant function analysis revealed the morphostructural similarity of individuals from most coenopopulations. Regarding vitality, eight coenopopulations are prosperous, and another eight are depressed. The condition of the species coenopopulations is stable; however, the species is not provided with proper protection measures. Therefore, further monitoring of its habitats and improvement of environmental measures are necessary.

Военная служба по контракту в Вооруженных Силах Российской Федерации: организационные, медицинские и социальные аспекты отбора граждан

Summary. The aim of the study is to analyze organizational, medical and social aspects of the selection of citizens for military service under contract in the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation on the basis of a comprehensive study conducted in the subject of the Russian Federation, Orenburg oblast, in order to differentiate the approach to the qualitative staffing of military units of different kinds and types. Materials and Methods of Research. During the present study, the reporting and accounting documents of military commissariats (military commissariats) of municipal formations of Orenburg oblast for the ten-year period – from 2012 to 2021 – were analyzed. Study materials and methods. At present, the share of citizens serving under conscription is 1/3, and the share of contract servicemen is 2/3 of the total number of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation. The resource of citizens for qualitative selection for military service under contract in the Orenburg oblast has been established. A comprehensive assessment of health status, medical and social status and quality of life of persons willing to enter military service under contract has been made, and their moral qualities and their capabilities have been studied in detail. According to the data of the professional psychological selection, all the selected persons had high emotional stability, resistance to physical and mental overload, which may arise during military service, including during performance of tasks in extreme conditions and emergency situations.

Phenomenon of Movement in the Life and Culture of Nomadic Kazakhs across the Frontier Zone, Late 19th to Early 20th Century

Introduction. Nomads once maximally incorporated into nature and surrounding landscapes had tended to retain their identity through the pastoral way of life, way of thinking, and mentality. The gradual — though further accelerated — emergence of the new development logic set forth by the Russian Empire made the Kazakhs develop new adaptation mechanisms for survival and self-realization in the suggested circumstances. Goals. The article analyzes a variety of sources, works and studies characterizing existential specifics of nomadic economic patterns — to examine the shaping of new life strategies adopted by Kazakh nomads across the frontier zone in the 19th and early 20th centuries. Materials and methods. The analyzed materials include those contained in Collection 175 of the State Archive of Orenburg Oblast, Interim Provisions on Governance in Steppe Areas of Orenburg and West Siberian Governorates-General, and Materials on Kirghiz Land Use published between 1896 and 1915. Besides, a number of Kazakh literary works that serve as unique historical sources have been considered. Results. The critical approach to different historical sources makes it possible to compare factual materials and reconstruct the transformation and changes in self-identity and outlooks of ex-nomads. At the turn of the 20th century, Kazakh elites were trying to answer the traditional questions of the intelligentsia: Who is to blame and what is to be done? Then and there it was urgent to decide on further prospects of life — whether to preserve nomadism or to seek for other forms of semi-nomadic life, or gradually get sedentarized at all. Conclusions. The Russian Government did not interfere with the nomads’ land use practices, and tended to solve land matters of exclusively plowmen’s communities. In these conditions, the nomadic Kazakhs were left to themselves. As a result, they had to develop new daily practices. Having lost their traditional lifestyle, the Kazakhs still succeeded in preserving their national distinctness in terms of language, oral folklore, genealogies, rituals, etc. The specificity of the frontier zone manifested itself in that Kazakh nomads were actively involved in daily life transformations and developed a habit of turning to local authorities for support (rather than relying on their own resources only) to defend lands from competing peasant immigrants.

Assessment of reproductive behavior and fertility on the example of the steppe regions of Russia

The article is devoted to the study of reproductive behavior and fertility forecast in the steppe regions of Russia. The purpose of the work is to identify the main patterns and determinants of the reproductive behavior of population in the regions of the steppe zone of Russia. The objectives of the study included a description of the main characteristics of fertility indicators, establishing the significance of differences in reproductive behavior indicators, calculating an integral indicator of reproductive behavior and predicting fertility in the regions under study. In the period 1990-2020 in the territory under consideration, there was a general decrease in the population by 847 thousand people, the main reasons for which were a decrease in the natural population growth and negative migration rates. In the regions of the steppe zone, there is a tendency to increase in the territories with lower birth rates, the average age of a mother at the birth of her first child is growing, there are processes of postponing the birth of children and later marriage. Calculation of the integral indicator made it possible to conduct a rating assessment of the steppe regions of Russia in terms of reproductive behavior. As a result, the values of the integral indicator of reproductive behavior are maximum in the Republic of Kalmykia, and minimum in Saratov oblast. As a result of modeling and forecasting the birth rate in the studied regions till 2025, it was found that the forecasts for most subjects of the steppe zone are disappointing. A uniform decrease in fertility rates is observed in 16 regions, of which the largest decline is forecast in the Republic of Bashkortostan — by 0.9 births per 1,000 people, the Republic of Kalmykia (by 0.8) and Orenburg oblast (by 0.8). Only in 2 regions the calculated forecasts have a positive trend — in Belgorod (by 0.4) and Omsk (by 0.6) oblasts.

Research on the Ceramic Properties of Orenburg Oblast Clay

Research on the Ceramic Properties of Orenburg Oblast Clay

Детерминанты кадрового обеспечения региона с учетом отраслевой специализации

Since digitalisation of the economy greatly affects the labour market, human resources in each constituent entity of Russia should be developed taking into account regional specialisation (agriculture, industry or other). Thus, the study aims to substantiate the determinants of human resources in regional economy by considering the dominance of various economic activities. Statistical data analysis, as well as comparison and causal analysis methods were utilised. The following significant determinants of human resources in regional economy were identified: the management system, labour availability and movement, vocational education system and, in particular, the role of local universities in it. The study suggested to introduce an automated intelligent decision support system (AIDSS) into the activities of regional authorities and proposed a methodological approach to the block-by-block organisation of data storage (on the example of Orenburg oblast). It is noted that the architecture and algorithm of AIDSS are being developed, which can be used for managing personnel, as well as for studying and predicting various factors affecting regional economy. The testing demonstrated that the population in Orenburg oblast has been decreasing since 2014. The share of rural population decreased more than the urban one; this factor negatively affected the reproduction of labour resources, considering economic specialisation of this regions. Orenburg oblast is characterised by slow implementation of innovations and the need to develop knowledge-intensive industries; therefore, it is necessary to intensify the training of highly qualified personnel (primarily at regional universities) competent to work in the conditions of digitalisation of the economy. Scientists and specialists in the field of human capital development can use the research findings to create state policies to ensure human resources in Russian regions.

Forest fires dynamics during the Covid-19 pandemic (on the example the Volga Federal District, Russian Federation)

Covid-19 it is a new problem of modern society that has changed the usual way of life and has made both negative and positive changes. The introduction of restrictions due to Covid affected and on the distribution of forest fires both within a year and between years. The analysis of works has shown that anthropogenic activity plays a major role in forest fire incidences. In this worked statistical data of forest fires in one of the Russia federal districts (Volga Federal District) in 2019 (during the period without Covid) and 2020 (period with Covid) years are analyzed. Such subjects as Perm Territory (high forest cover – 71,5 %), the Orenburg Oblast (low forest cover – 4,7%) and Republic of Bashkortostan (leader in the number of forest fires) have been studied in detail. The results showed that during the most fire-hazardous season in Russia, April-May, namely during the beginning of Covid-19, the number of forest fires significantly decreased due to restrictions on the people movement. But, with the weakening of the self-isolation mode and the onset of an abnormally hot summer, the number of fires has increased. Thus, anthropogenic activity plays an important role in the occurrence of forest fires in this region.

ПРИГРАНИЧНЫЙ РЕГИОН В КОНТЕКСТЕ ЕВРАЗИЙСКОГО СОТРУДНИЧЕСТВА (ПРИМЕР ОРЕНБУРЖЬЯ)

The article considers integration processes in the Eurasian space, in particular – the development of economic, environmental, cultural, scientific and educational relations between the border regions of the Russian Federation and the Republic of Kazakhstan on the example of the Orenburg oblast of Russia. It is noted that cooperation with transboundary neighbours is based on the agreements between the border regions on trade, economic, scientific, technical and cultural cooperation concluded in the first post-Soviet decades. There is a description of a number of joint projects being implemented by the border regions. The author analyzes activities of educational and scientific institutions and public organizations in enhancing humanitarian cooperation between the regions of the two countries. Particular attention is paid to the Orenburg State University and the autonomous non-profit organization “Commonwealth of Eurasian Nations”. In addition, the article highlights educational migration to the Orenburg region, including factors contributing to its increase (opportunities for free education, social guarantees, etc.). The article discusses positive practices of cooperation between higher education institutions in the region and higher education institutions in neighbouring regions on the preservation of historical memory, as well as the prospects of cooperation between scholars of the two countries in the study of common history. New practices in work with young people are described (organization of International Russian-Kazakh Schools of Young Historians, Archaeologists and Ethnologists).

«С крайним старанием и без всякой оплошности...»: Вклад российского купечества в социокультурное и хозяйственно-политическое освоение Центральной Азии в первой половине XIX века

The study involves analysis of the participation of merchants in the process of establishing channels of political, cultural, and economic exchange between the Russian Empire, the Asian khanates, and the Kazakh steppe in the first half of the 19th century. The modern government practice of involving private sector in order to strengthen international relations makes retrospective analysis of cooperation between business representatives and officials in solving national problems more relevant. The study is to identify specific examples of entrepreneurs’ efforts in promoting Russia’s diverse interests in Asia and to demonstrate specifics of merchants’ work in execution of special assignments of the imperial authorities. The value of the article lies in the fact that the existing corpus of scientific works is mainly focused on the activities of merchants in collecting intelligence (i.e., specific espionage for Russia), while acculturational, mediatory, and clerical service of merchants remains outside the scope of national historiography’s attention. Its novelty is confirmed by the fact that the examination of this problem drawing on the materials of the Orenburg gubernia of the 19th century is being carried out for the first time. The ariclde draws on documents from fond 6 (Office of the Orenburg military governor) of the Joint State Archive of Orenburg Oblast (OGAOO). To assess the contribution of individuals to the multidimensional process of the Russian Empire’s interaction and rapprochеment with the Asian region in the 19th century, anthropological approach has been chosen as a methodological mechanism specially adapted to studying the problem of the “small man.” The application of the latest methodological concept of “imperial policy of acculturation” provides a better understanding of historical significance and specifics of economic, trade, political, and cultural contacts of nomadic population of the Kazakh steppe and settled culture of the khanates of Central Asia with business community of the Russian state. The merchants’ main area of responsibility was diplomatic, requiring their participation in resolving internecine conflicts of Kazakh clans, as well as search and ransom of the Russians held captive in Central Asia. The authorities’ key criteria in recruitment of entrepreneurs were their foreign trade success, which implied useful acquaintances in Central Asian cities and in camps of the Kazakh nomads, knowledge of the neighboring peoples’ languages, and advanced communication skills. The study may be useful to scientists studying the history of merchants in the 18th-19th centuries, issues of Russia's interaction with the states of Asia in the pre-revolutionary period, as well as specialists in regional history.

Features of population settlement in Orenburg oblast in the Ural River basin

One of the most topical problems of economic and geographical study of the regions of the Steppe belt in Russia is the development of a network of rural settlements. The territory of the Ural River basin within Orenburg oblast, where more than 75% of the region's population lives, was chosen by the authors as a model to assess the transformation of the population settlement system in the Steppe zone in recent decades. The paper gives municipal and territorial characteristics of the region, identifies specifics of the current system of population settlement, and classifies rural localities depending on the population and spatial distribution over the studied territory. The main areas of population concentration along transport, communication and landscape axes are identified and considered. About 20% of settlements are concentrated along 5 major highways; more than 30% of localities are confined to the valleys of 7 major rivers. Engel and Goltz coefficients, population concentration indices are calculated for municipalities, and indicators of the potential of the settlement field are identified for their centers. A cartographic diagram reflecting the spatial distribution of rural localities, the dynamics of rural population density and the level of transport development of municipalities, is constructed. In the territory under consideration, there has been a decrease in the density of the rural population by 4% for the past 10 years. The following large rural localities have the maximal potential of the fields of settlement: Saraktash, Akbulak, Novoorsk, Ilek, Sakmara, Oktyabrskoye and Tyulgan. Along with the compression of space and its polarization, the population continues to decline in urbanized areas too. The population decreased by almost 60 thousand inhabitants in seven cities. Conclusions and proposals on the sustainable development of the settlement network in close cooperation between the development of the supporting and natural-ecological frameworks are formulated.

Реализация на региональном уровне концепции федеральной системы подготовки граждан Российской Федерации к военной службе на период до 2020 г.

The aim of the study is to analyze the results of work of draft commissions of the Orenburg region on the implementation of the Concept of the federal system of preparation of citizens of the Russian Federation for military service for the period up to 2020 in 2011-2020. Materials and research methods. Materials of the study — accounting and reporting documents of the department of preparation and enlistment of citizens for military service and of the center of military-medical examination of the military commissariat of Orenburg oblast. Results of the study and their analysis. In Orenburg oblast, the main provisions of the Concept’s forecast indicators have been fulfilled. Notwithstanding a drop in the total number of citizens of conscription age, qualitative changes took place in the structure of their contingent: the indicators of fitness for military service depending on health condition became higher, mainly due to growing number of citizens of fitness category “A” and, to a lesser extent, due to growing number of citizens of fitness category “B”. Timely examination of conscripts in the period between call-ups sharply reduced the number of citizens requiring additional examination during call-ups. Optimization of the timing of examinations and timely expert decisions on the fitness for military service of citizens of this category were of great practical importance.

Резкое падение численности кудрявого пеликана Pelecanus crispus (Aves: Pelecaniformes) на Урале и в Западной Сибири в 2021 г.

The Dalmatian pelican Pelecanus crispus (Bruch, 1832) is a globally rare species. Its extremely local ("point") placement during the nesting period on a few hard-to-reach water bodies distanced far from one another makes it a highly vulnerable species. In the end of the 20th century, the number of the species in Chelyabinsk, Kurgan and Tyumen oblasts steadily grew. This was largely due to the redistribution of individuals from drying reservoirs of the more southern parts of the breeding range to the northern ones against the background of global climate warming. Thus, pelicans stopped nesting in the Svetlinsky Reserve (Orenburg oblast) due to the drought. In the spring and summer of 2021, the first mass deaths of these birds occurred in the history of study in the Urals and Western Siberia. During the observations of seven colonies in Chelyabinsk, Kurgan and Tyumen oblasts using the DJI Mavic-2 Zoom drone, we found that many individuals did not return to the breeding grounds in the spring after wintering, and another part died at the height of the breeding season. As a result, the number of pelicans decreased by 70-80% in some colonies; in others, the proportion of dead birds was less, and some separate colonies were almost not affected at all. At the same time, in the western part of the study area (Chelyabinsk oblast), a significant part of the individuals died outside the breeding grounds, whereas in the eastern part, the birds died mainly in the breeding grounds and at a later time. In Kurgan oblast, the death of birds was noted in May, in Tyumen oblast it was in June. The total number of pelicans in the study area decreased from 1.2-1.4 thousand pairs to about 600 pairs (see the table). Six colonies were preserved; most of them now number 30-50 breeding pairs at best. However, in the study area, the largest colony (and the easternmost in the Okunevo Reserve (Tyumen oblast)) survived almost completely with about 400 pairs of pelicans continuing to breed. No more than 30 individuals died there, and this happened later than in other colonies, in July 2021. The main version of the cause of birds’ mass death is the epizootic of avian influenza which was tested in all samples (n = 5) taken from a colony in Tyumen oblast. Pelicans live in dense flocks all year round, and this could really contribute to the rapid spread of the infection. The facts of the birds’ death in various nesting sites located on a large territory, at a great distance from one another, make it seem that they contracted the virus in wintering areas. However, a number of questions remain unanswered. In particular, it is unclear how the infected birds were able to travel thousands of kilometers to their breeding grounds, why individuals of only one particular species died, why only adults died, and why they died at different times. Maybe, the avian influenza virus tested in the birds’ bodies was low-pathogenic and was not the cause of their death, but it was due to some other factor, such as food poisoning. It might be that the immunity of the birds was weakened by the abnormal heat that came to the study area since mid-May 2021. If the birds died from a highly pathogenic virus, it is unclear why this did not happen immediately after infection (in the wintering areas), but in a long time, at least from May to July. Moreover, the infection with the virus did not prevent the birds from arriving at breeding sites, building nests, laying eggs and starting to incubate. However, influenza viruses are very diverse and continue to evolve rapidly changing their properties and increasing resistance to the environment. Our understanding of the ecological factors favoring emergence and sustainability of these viruses is still limited. More efforts should certainly be made to save such a globally rare species as the Dalmatian pelican. At the moment, a large breeding colony on the territory of Western Siberia (on Tundrovo Lake in the Okunevo Reserve (Tyumen oblast)) remains the main breeding ground of the species in this area. Therefore, the importance of preserving this breeding colony comes to the fore. The article contains 1 Table, 42 References. The Author declares no conflict of interest.

The items of Islam and pre-Islamic beliefs of the Bashkirs in collection of the Museum of Archeology and Ethnography of the Institute of Ethnological Research of the Ufa Federal Research Center of the Russian Academy of Sciences

The subject of this research is museum sources on the religion of Bashkir people. The goal lies in examination of the items of Islam and pre-Islamic beliefs from the ethnographic collections of the Museum of Archeology and Ethnography of R. G. Kuzeev Institute of Ethnological Research of the Ufa Federal Research Center of the Russian Academy of Sciences. It is determined that the Museum stores over 50 items related to religion that were collected in the late XX century in the Republic of Bashkortostan, Kurgan Oblast, and Orenburg Oblast. These Islamic (Sunni Muslims) items are rather associated with the traditions and lifestyle of the Bashkir people: prayer rugs – namazlik, Quran, tasbih, tagiyah, ablution items – kumgan, dress of the Mullah. Prayer rugs are decorated with floral embroidery, with images of mosque, kumgan, crescent moon, and Arabic inscription. The collections also feature the items related to Shia Muslims – a stone used in prayer. Islam first infiltrated Bashkir culture in the X – XI centuries; by the XIII – XIV century it spread significantly; strengthening its positions with each century, it has fully integrated into life of Bashkir population by the end of the XIX century. Despite this fact, certain items pre-Islamic beliefs have retained in everyday life of the Bashkir people: amulets (amulet stones, juniper, feathers of wood grouse, goose down, etc.). Bashkirs were able to synthesize the pre-Islamic and Islamic tradition, which remain existing harmoniously in the territory of the Republic of Bashkortostan.