post-Soviet Research Articles

Сара Шакулова: новые штрихи к биографии

The name of Sarah Kasymovna Shakulova, the daughter of an honorary citizen of Kasimov, is widely known. Having received brilliant mathematical education, Shakulova’s outstanding career, successful work in the field of education, and active life position have been adequately reflected in historical works. However, her personal century-old documents have not been researched in women’s history. These are the formular and biographical questionnaire discovered by us in the funds of the State Archive of the Russian Federation, which are introduced into scientific circulation for the first time in this article. They are weighty sources about important biographical markers of Tatar ‘Sophia Kovalevskaya’ and her relatives. The answers “from the first person” recorded the difficulties that stood in the way of the “other faith” in professional work in the field of education. The content of the submitted documents sheds light on the material component of the teacher's work at the end of the politically turbulent 1910s and at the beginning of the formation of secular education in the young Soviet state. Written by the hand of an outstanding woman, these documents are important historical artifacts of the national culture of the Tatars. In addition, the presented documents complement the source base on the problem of studying the processes of women’s emancipation in the early twentieth century and their high need to acquire societal status.

On the Implementation of the Language Policy of the Russian Federation

The present article is devoted to important questions of implementation of the language policy of the Russian Federation both inside and outside of Russia, particularly in the post-soviet countries. The relevance of the study is due to the Federal Law “On Amendments to the Federal Law “On the State Language of the Russian Federation” that came into force on February 28, 2023 The work formulates the problems of implementing the state language policy in a number of Moscow universities and discusses ways to solve them. As a result of summarizing empirical experience the article makes the conclusion that at present the Russian language in its state capacity can be taught to the citizens of the Russian Federation in the “Stylistics” block of the “Russian Language and Culture of Speech” course. In turn, the tasks now facing teachers go beyond teaching students to read documents; the discipline is evolving towards national selfidentification by native speakers. Also the authors raise again the issue that the linguistic definition of “state language” is underdeveloped. The work summarizes the experience of a number of Moscow universities in developing the export of education abroad.

Investigating Space Heritage Interpretation for Tourism Development and Heritage Preservation at Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan

ABSTRACT Space heritage has become a new source of tourism development for destinations where major spaceports are located. As the world's first and largest operational spaceport for orbital and human launches, the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan stands out for its historical significance, but its heritage remains largely uninterpreted for tourism. Particularly, the environmental impacts induced by terrestrial space activity on surrounding environments and communities are overlooked in local museums and guided tours. Using a qualitative case study research approach with twenty-six stakeholders directly or indirectly involved in the management of Baikonur, this study explores how post-Soviet space heritage is interpreted and presented by various stakeholders involved in the development of tourism. Three themes are identified for planning implications at the Cosmodrome: governance of Baikonur and space heritage interpretation; space heritage interpretation and environmental issues; and multi-stakeholder roles in space heritage preservation and development.

Escape from Political Freedom. The Constitutional Crisis of 1993 and Russia’s Political Trajectory

Abstract The constitutional crisis of 1993 was one of the major turning points in the failed democratization of Russia and subsequent turn of the country towards personalist authoritarianism. The October 1993 conflict, as the crisis is commonly called in Russia, was driven by a strategic choice of priorities by Russia’s political leadership during the post-Communist “triple transition”. After the overthrow of the Communist regime in August 1991, Russian elites prioritized market reforms and sacrificed further democratization of the country for the sake of preserving the new political status quo. This choice, made at the expense of building new democratic institutions, greatly contributed to the clash between the plebiscitary legitimacy of President Boris Yeltsin and unconstrained legality of the parliament, which was resolved in a violent zero-sum game in October 1993. The new Russian constitution sought to drastically reduce institutional constraints to presidential power. Its approval paved the way to authoritarian regime building and served as a role model for other post-Soviet countries.

Introduction: Labor Migration in Ukraine and the Post-Soviet Space

This themed section of Dve domovini / Two Homelands illuminates significant contemporary migration and labor migration trends in the post-Soviet space. Ukraine has experienced substantial emigration in recent decades, spurred by economic uncertainties and the conflict in eastern Ukraine since 2014. Labor migration is a major phenomenon, partly facilitated by Ukraine’s visa-free access to the EU, which provides more opportunities for temporary work abroad (Kortukova, 2021). However, large-scale emigration of working-age Ukrainians poses risks of “brain drain” and other socioeconomic impacts (Spanger & Andersen, 2023). Kazakhstan has also seen substantial emigration and immigration, mainly to and from neighboring countries like Russia and Uzbekistan, for economic reasons. Newly restrictive residence permit regulations in Kazakhstan may alter these longstanding migration dynamics within the region. Japan is gradually easing some of its previously strict immigration policies to fill acute labor shortages in the construction, home healthcare, and agriculture sectors. However, tensions remain around the integration of migrants into Japanese society. Public attitudes do not always align with government efforts to accept more foreign workers (Liu, 2023). Meanwhile, many Tajiks engage in temporary cyclical labor migration to Kazakhstan, working in trade sectors like markets or transportation. Their collective family-based migrant enterprises demonstrate resilience in the face of challenging conditions, though restrictive and unpredictable migration policies in Kazakhstan create precarity.

Why Is Media Trust Low in Post-Communist Countries?

ABSTRACT Do long-term propaganda and indoctrination undermine media trust? Building on studies of communist legacies, I examine whether trust in media in post-communist countries can be explained by past or contemporaneous experiences. I find that trust in media is lower in post-communist countries, but this trust deficit is more likely a consequence of the post-communist period. It is higher among authoritarian regimes, which suggests that contemporaneous experiences matter; citizens with longer exposure to communism trust the media more; finally, the deficit grows as the communist past becomes more distant. These findings have implications for institutional development in the post-communist world.

State bodies’ formation for ensuring railway safety in Russia (October 1917 – July 1918)

Importance. Scientific interest in studying the turning points of history contributes to the development of the most effective mechanisms for organizing the activities of state law enforcement agencies in modern conditions. The conduct of a special military operation and the current geopolitical situation require the state to take special measures to ensure law and order at key elements of government, including transport facilities. After the February and then the October Revolutions of 1917, the continuity of law enforcement at railway transport facilities was lost. Armed formations of various kinds were spontaneously created on the railways to commit crimes, seize and retain power. The experience of developing measures to ensure law and order in the context of armed interference in the railways’ activities, measures taken to stabilize the situation, is of scientific and practical importance. The purpose of the study is to determine the formation sequence of state agencies for ensuring the safety of railways during the formation of Soviet power, their competence and competence.Research Methods. The historicism principle along with the application of the historical and genetic method, make it possible to analyze the formation sequence of state agencies to ensure the safety of railways in the period from October 1917 to July 1918 and, based on individual facts, identify the special. The comparative method shows the general and special features of the phenomena considered within the framework of the formation of the entire law enforcement system of the Soviet state. Based on the analytical method, it is possible to compare the activities of the agencies created by the Soviet state to ensure law and order at railway transport facilities with the gendarmerie police units of the railways that operated before the February Revolution of 1917.Results and Discussion. Based on the conducted research, the reasons why the Soviet authority created centralized law enforcement agencies at railway transport facilities are clarified. The description of the events against which these organizations and services were created is given. Steps have been taken to explain the contradictions between the interests of local and central authorities in the period under review, as well as the prerequisites for which the Soviet authority went from completely denying the experience of previous agencies to the need to use it.Conclusions. It is concluded that the creation by the Soviet authoruty of law enforcement units and services and ensuring the safety of transport infrastructure facilities took place situationally, initially without any plan, through the denial of the legacy of tsarist Russia, centralization and resumption of the linear principle of the work of agencies, taking into account the military-political, economic situation in the country and the specifics of the object of law enforcement. The workers’ militsiya could not cope with the tasks of ensuring human and civil rights and freedoms at railway transport facilities at the first stage of its formation.

Child Well-Being and Peer Bullying Victimization in Post-Communist Countries: Moderating Effects of Youth Participation in Decision-Making in Family and Schools

Child Well-Being and Peer Bullying Victimization in Post-Communist Countries: Moderating Effects of Youth Participation in Decision-Making in Family and Schools

The Examining Judge in the Kyrgyz Republic as a Geopolitical Project to Preserve Institutional Legal Control Over Post-Soviet Countries, Replacing Prosecutorial Supervision of the Investigation, Contradicting the Constitutional Foundations of the Construction of the Criminal Process in the Kyrgyz Republic

Based on information from the Ministry of Justice of the Kyrgyz Republic, as well as data from scientists in a number of countries, the author concludes that it is unconstitutional and unreasonable to introduce into the criminal process of the Kyrgyz Republic such a subject as an investigating judge, who competes in his powers with the head of the investigative unit and the supervising prosecutor at the investigation stage , which creates a split in the criminal prosecution system, slows down its work, interferes with it, destabilizes it, has actually become a criminal prosecution body according to the plan of Western “experts”, whose task is to destroy the more or less efficient system of criminal prosecution and fight against crime in the Kyrgyz Republic.

The Role of the Law and Socialist Legal Awareness in Practice of Law of Soviet Authorities and Administration in 1917–1928

On the basis of published and unpublished documents, the authors explain changes in the social significance and the role of the Soviet law and socialist legal awareness in the Soviet state in the context of transition from revolutionary to socialist legality during the first decade of Soviet power. The negative impact of a low level of legal technique of the first Soviet laws on law enforcement resulted in the need to adopt additional departmental acts to implement them and the widespread use of socialist legal awareness in legal practice. The most multifaceted law enforcement role of the socialist legal consciousness was manifested in the activities of the people’s courts. The law enforcement role analysis made it possible to establish the mutual influence of Soviet laws and socialist legal consciousness. The Soviet law was an authoritative guide to the socialist legal consciousness, which, in turn, became the key to understanding the laws and their application by analogy in conditions of frequent changes in government policy.Using the example of the Soviet legal practice of 1917–1928, the authors conclude that the legal and technical inconsistency of laws leads to the emergence of new regulators and the erasure of the legal limits of discretionary powers of authorities. The authors substantiate that the Soviet government used the socialist legal consciousness to strengthen the mechanism of the Soviet state, to create in its structure a flexible tool for correcting rapidly outdating unsettled legislation.

The Management Efficiency of the Enterprise: the Problem of Finding Ways to Improve and Evaluate

This article provides a brief overview of the reports presented at the plenary session of the International Scientific and Practical Conference “Eurasian Economic Integration and Sustainable Development in the context of global transformations”, held in April 2023 in Yerevan; the main coordinator of the conference was the Krasnodar Foundation “Scientific and Educational Initiatives of Kuban”. The most significant provisions of the reports presented at the conference in the context of promoting Eurasian integration and ensuring sustainable socio-economic development in the context of global transformation are presented. Both common and controversial points have been identified in the positions of most of the authors of the reports regarding the goals and tools for intensifying integration processes and revealing the possibilities of implementing sustainable development strategies in the post-Soviet space, the formation of an updated and effective nationally oriented economic model. The largest number of productive ideas and practice-oriented recommendations on the issues discussed were expressed regarding the opportunities and prospects for strengthening the economies of Russia and Armenia. It seems that the proposals expressed in the reports and the analysis contained in them, as well as the positive experience of managing in a ­modern volatile economy demonstrated during the discussions, are of significant interest for studying, developing and possible application both conceptually and practically for those who are interested in scientific and organizational and managerial aspects of modern integration in the context of sustainable development.

The concept and features of the settlement of investment disputes under the legislation of the Republic of Kazakhstan

Relevance. The relevance of the study is determined by the fact that investment activity serves as one of the most important factors for the formation of an effective economic system, and litigation in this category of disputes is one of the innovations in the legal sphere of Kazakhstan and has no analogues in the post-Soviet space. Purpose. The objectives of this study are a theoretical analysis of the content of investment disputes, the procedure for resolving this category of disputes and identifying potential issues that may undermine the efficiency of dispute resolution. Methodology. Among the main methodological approaches used in the investigation are theoretical, functional, and dogmatic approaches, along with the method of induction, legal hermeneutics, the method of synthesis and others. Results. The study revealed that the characteristic features of investment disputes are the competition, confrontation, and interaction of private and public law categories. Notably, among the main categories of investment disputes were those involving the implementation of an investment project, and disputes related to the termination of investment activities and the admission of an investment; each category was defined and considered to have its own specific characteristics. As part of a detailed analysis, a judicial panel of the Supreme Court of the Republic of Kazakhstan was reviewed, which has jurisdiction over investment disputes involving large investors and appellate review of this category of disputes with other investors. Many conflicts and gaps in the current Kazakh and international framework have been identified. Conclusions. The practical value of the findings provided is the detailed analysis of the inherent issues and the identification of possible solutions aimed at improving the efficiency of investment litigation. Keywords: investment activity; Supreme Court; harmonisation of legislation; investment ombudsman; jurisdiction

The Role of Social Systems in Absorption of Immigrants in Israel

Immigrants from the Former Soviet Union (FSU) are the largest ethnic unit to have arrived in Israel and, as such, have had a major impact on Israeli society in cultural, social and demographic terms. The manner in which the immigrants were absorbed in social institutions influenced the adaptation strategies they adopted, which changed over time.
 The research is aimed at examining the extent to which the immigrants have, according to their perception, adapted to the social frameworks, based on their experiences in connecting with the local population through the educational system and the Israel Defense Forces (IDF). The research is a qualitative one, in the framework of which interviews were conducted with 28 immigrants who had immigrated to Israel as children and adolescents.
 The immigrants developed adaptation strategies which changed as they transitioned from the educational system to the military framework, and subsequently settled into civilian life.

The Effects of Externalised Border Control Management by Germany on Marriage Migrants from Third Countries

ABSTRACT Since European Union states began externalising their migration control regime, by delegating to third states, their own remote institutions and non-state actors, scholars have widened the ‘destination state-centric’ perspective of Zolberg’s influential ‘remote control’ interpretative framework. Border externalisation is, therefore, regarded as a complex ‘battlefield, in which different actors are positioning themselves’ and which produces multifaceted transnational effects. Based on autoethnography and semi-structured interviews with spouses from several post-Soviet states who are married to German citizens, this paper illuminates how tightening border policies and vigilant practices at German consulates directed at marriage migrants from third countries influence households and couples’ life trajectories. The reverberations encompass the evolving nature of transnational borderscapes in response to state policies, as well as changing conditions of marriage, family planning, the maintenance of two households and (re)negotiation of gender roles.

КЛЮЧЕВЫЕ СЮЖЕТЫ ДОЛГОСРОЧНОГО СОЦИАЛЬНО-ЭКОНОМИЧЕСКОГО ПРОГНОЗА РАЗВИТИЯ РОССИЙСКОЙ ЭКОНОМИКИ

The paper discusses the main directions transformation of the economic model in Russia. To substantiate its basic characteristics, the key trends in the development of the global economy are consistently considered, as well as the potential for increasing the domestic market both in terms of stimulating demand and developing supply. Special attention is paid to the issues of scientific and technological development and improvement of production efficiency based on it. It is stated that in order to ensure the sustainability of economic growth, it is necessary to consistently ensure the use of the potential of the domestic market with the subsequent expansion of non-commodity exports. The conditions for expanding Russia’s role in the global economy on the basis of expanding integration processes in the post-Soviet space are considered.

Is Post-Communism Over? What Is and Is Not Distinctive about Eastern Europe and Eurasia Three Decades after Communism

ABSTRACT The distinctiveness of the post-communist region has been hotly debated since the end of the Cold War. Using cluster analysis with a wide range of demographic, political, socioeconomic, and attitudinal variables, we find that 28 post-communist countries do not form a distinct region along most of these dimensions. This analysis suggests that the “transition” paradigm is outdated, and researchers should use the concept of “post-communism” with caution. Yet, we do not dismiss the concept of a communist legacy, which may exist on dimensions not captured by conventional indicators. We also emphasize that regional knowledge on post-communist countries remains vital.

UNCONVENTIONAL RELIGIOSITY AMONG THE ORTHODOX POPULATION OF THE BSSR IN THE 1930s (BASED ON THE MATERIALS FROM THE STATE ARCHIVES OF THE REPUBLIC OF BELARUS)

The article attempts to identify and analyze the elements of unconventional religiosity among the Orthodox population of the BSSR formed in the 1930s under the influence of secular policy of the Soviet state which had as its main goal the successive displacement of religion and church from all spheres of society. The research is organised according to the classification of types of unconventional religiosity by structure developed by the specialist in new religious movements V. Martіnovich and is based on the documents of the state republic and region archives of Belarus. Pointing out some terminological difficulties related to the vagueness of the use of the term "churchman" in the Soviet documentation, the author comes to the conclusion about spreading of such types of unconventional religiosity among the Orthodox believers of the BSSR as cult environment of the society and elements of intra-church sectarianism and also determines the influence of anti-religious state policy on the transition of Orthodox people into the sects proper.

Nepotism in Post-Soviet States: The Quantitative Assessment on Socio-Demographic Factors and the Corruption Perceptions Index

Nepotism has long been one of the global problems of modern society. In many countries, including the post-Soviet space, this phenomenon is firmly historically rooted. Granting privileges to relatives or friends, regardless of their professional qualities, destroys the institutional foundations of the state, causing significant harm to public administration and the economy. The purpose of the study is to examine the influence of cultural and ethnographic factors in form of socio-demographic factors and the level of acceptability of corruption on the development of nepotism against the background of corruption as an aggregate indicator of its manifestation. The research methodology was based on studying the socio-economic development indicators of 12 countries of the former Soviet Union according to the official data presented by the World Bank and the Transparency International organization. This research holds the view that the Corruption Perceptions Index can serve as an indirect indicator of the level of nepotism in the post-Soviet space. A study based on a regression model of the correlation of the described values of a quantitative model for assessing the level of penetration of nepotism in developing countries, including post-Soviet ones. The practical application of the results may make it possible to more deeply assess the features of the development of society and the state on the basis of generally recognized international indicators and available demographic data.

Šeimos kalbų politikos ir ankstyvosios dvikalbystės sankirta: atvejo analizė

The article discusses family language policy in a family of ethnic Russians in Estonia where the father speaks Russian, and the mother speaks Estonian. This is the case of internalization of Estonian among ethnic Russians, a novel phenomenon in the post-Soviet countries. The data come from family conversations (6 h) and the semi-structured interview with the parents (1.5 h). There are discrepancies between the declared ideologies, management, and practices. The declared policy is OPOL and, as the father rendered it, purism because of the concern that the children will be confused otherwise. During the interview the father switched between Estonian, Russian, and English. In family conversations the mother’s speech (539 turns, of which 50 % are directed to the child) contained code-switching (7% in Russian and 8% switches within one turn in speech directed to the child). The parents claimed to speak Russian to each other, yet the mother occasionally switched to Estonian while talking to the father. In general, both family conversations and the interview proved to be linguistically more diverse than expected.

Russian-Ukrainian Relations in the Historical Context of the Formation of Sovereign Ukrainian Statehood

Introduction. The article is devoted to the analy- sis of historical factors, features and political and legal patterns of the formation of modern Ukrainian statehood, taking into account the difficult and constantly escalating Russian-Ukrainian relations, the growing Ukrainian nationalist radicalism, Russophobia and neo-Nazism, the formation of the state of a rigidly pro-Western-oriented regime of government. Special emphasis is placed on the problems of dynamically increasing difficulties in preserving and strengthening state sovereignty, ensuring financial, economic and military-political independence of the country, difficulties and prospects for implementing the European choice strategy in Ukrainian.Methodology and methods. dialectical-ma- terialistic model of research; principles of scientific, historicism and objectivity; methods of retrospection and comparison, analysis and synthesis, mental mod- eling, ascent from the abstract to the concrete.The results of the study. In the leading posi- tions of the presented research, the political and legal problems of destabilizing and disintegrating processes in the conditions of radicalization of the ruling Ukrainian regime of anti-Russian orientation, taking into account the historically difficult dialectics of the development of intra-national and interstate issues. In a comparative cross-country context, the features of the concept of building Ukrainian statehood as an- ti-Russia are analyzed, the author's concept of turning Ukraine into an instrument of Western forces in the fight against Russia, into a mercenary state and a springboard for military-ideological struggle with the Russian world in order to inflict strategic defeat on it is presented.Discussion and conclusion. Using the example of the difficult Ukrainian experience of post–Soviet state-building, the validity of the fact that the policy of the modern West is a policy of gross violation of international law, a policy of hegemonism and striving for world domination with the help of allied countries and at the expense of satellite countries and the enslavement of mercenaries is substantiated. Hence the gross interference in the internal affairs of other countries and peoples, direct interventions, the export of corruption, the imposition of morals of meanness, hostility and destruction, the unleashing of interstate, interethnic and interfaith conflicts, the policy of lies and provocations. Some judgments are formulated concerning the complex and far from un- ambiguously interpreted problems of state-building in the post-Soviet space in accordance with the ideals and values of a true democratic, legal, social, secular state.