Soviet Era Research Articles

To the 125th anniversary of the birth of Ivan Nikitich Matochkin

Ivan Nikitich Matochkin (18991973) is a prominent anatomist of the Soviet era, whose life story, as well as scientific and organizational work, should not be forgotten. The list of his merits should include the development of the department headed by him, participation in the organization of the Arkhangelsk branch of the All-Russian Scientific Society of Anatomists, Histologists and Embryologists, the Society Knowledge, numerous scientific works on neuromorphology and angiology, the publication of scientific collections on research topics, management of Arkhangelsk State Medical Institute, defense of dissertations by many students of Professor Matochkin, which opened the way for them to a bright scientific future.
 In this article, in addition to the main milestones in the life of Professor I. N. Matochkin, previously unknown archival data are presented that complement the pages of the biography of the scientist.

Fur Processing in Raižiai in the 20th Century: Craft and Image

Fur Processing in Raižiai in the 20th Century: Craft and Image

Cash crop or food crop? socioeconomic and geopolitical factors affecting smallholder farmer crop selection in times of crisis in southwestern Tajikistan

Tajikistan's agricultural sector, primarily dominated by cotton cultivation, has experienced significant changes since the Soviet era. Although farmers introduced food crops into agricultural production to ensure food security after the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, the government still mandates that cotton cultivation occupy a considerable portion of Tajikistan's limited irrigated land. However, following the recent Covid-19 pandemic crisis, farmers have encountered the need to reassess their agricultural practices, given constrained governmental assistance and a range of socioeconomic considerations. This research adopts resilience as a conceptual framework to examine the coping strategies of smallholder farmers in the Khatlon region of Tajikistan, with a specific emphasis on the period spanning from 2019 to 2022. At the outset, our research employed the snowballing technique to increase respondent participation, later transitioning to a representative sample size that facilitated the collection of qualitative data from around 100 semi-structured interviews, 10 focus groups, and personal visits to agricultural fields over the course of four years. The paper not only demonstrates the overall creativity of Tajikistani farmers in growing and selecting non-cotton crops in this most recent period of crisis, but also points to wealthier farmers’ generally greater willingness to adopt technological innovations and gain new knowledge to apply to them. Although these strategies have been taken in order to address farmers’ immediate needs in troubled times against the backdrop of the existing state cotton policy, their sustainability remains uncertain. While the qualitative focus of this study bears certain inherent limitations, the data collected nevertheless show that this period of crisis has been generative for many farmers as they seek out new methods of subsistence.

Three Milestones of Latvian Translation Criticism

The article provides insight into the development of translation criticism from 1920s to 1980s in Latvia by offering translations of excerpts from theoretical texts that map important events in translation history. We start with the book, published in 1924, which evaluated the 1689 translation of the Bible into Latvian, then concentrate on a polemical article by Rainis (1925) on his innovative 1897 rendition of Goethe’s Faust and finish the analysis with a discussion of a work written in 1984. The latter stood out during the Soviet era by drawing attention to the aesthetic values of translation, contrasting with the prevailing focus on linguistic aspects, specifically the quality of the Latvian language. Each of these three works, in its own manner, exerted influence both on the historico-philosophical ideas of its era and on the evolution of translation in Latvia. The review and translations of these three excerpts are contextualized through an analysis of Latvian translation history. It is stressed that despite censorship, the Soviet-time translations spread the ideas that often contradicted the Soviet ideology as well as opened new broader vistas for language use.

Sociocultural achievements of the “soviet Project” as a Vector of World social development

The relevance of the article is due to the need for a full-fledged scientific analysis of the achievements of the Soviet era, which made an exceptional contribution to the world socio-cultural space, demonstrating unprecedented results in various spheres of human life. The author analyzes, first of all, the sphere of education as a key factor in socio-cultural development. It is noted that the “Soviet project” gave a unique experience of a breakthrough in the field of education in its various directions. It is stated that the Soviet GOELRO plan became no less decisive, laying the foundations for systemic industrialization. An analysis of the main achievements of the “Soviet project” in the field of economics allows us to conclude that the growth of economic indicators determines colossal changes in the entire socio-cultural paradigm of the Soviet society, which, in turn, determines the values and the general way of life of the Soviet people. The author concludes that the “Soviet project” is a colossal socio-cultural breakthrough in the history of mankind, and the analysis of the best achievements of this project will allow us to avoid such mistakes and miscalculations in the future and bring our country to new heights, strengthen its sovereignty and confidently go into the future.

Exploring the Intersection of Political and Critical Theology: A Case Study of the Soviet Era

The study of how different religious and political ideas from the past come together and clash due to changing beliefs and historical events is currently an important topic. This study explores the relationship between political theology and critical theology and their impact on religious thought and politics. The scope of the research includes a comprehensive historical analysis, a theological investigation, and a critical examination. The goal is a comprehensive understanding of the theological foundations of political and critical theology and how they manifested themselves in the specific socio-political landscape. Through case studies, textual analysis, and a comparative approach, this study seeks to discuss the practical implications of these theological perspectives. It also seeks to highlight not only the distinctive features of political and critical theology but also their convergence in shaping religious and political thought. The findings highlight the ongoing importance of religious thought in shaping historical events and emphasize the necessity for further critical examination of the connections between religion and politics.

Worldview foundations in the system of ethnopedagogy (using the example of Tuvan culture).

The article reveals the problem of the need to build ethnopedagogical methods through instilling the fundamental meanings of the worldview of traditional culture. The authors point out the inconsistency of the superficial application in the practice of ethnopedagogy of a simple listing of cultural phenomena or teaching the national language. The processes of upbringing and education must be implemented in unity with cultural enlightenment, in which the unity of man, society and nature is revealed. The problem of distorted interpretation of cultural phenomena in modern times is shown, which creates a contradictory worldview system. The need to instill an understanding of the transformation of the worldview of traditional cultures in modern times is emphasized, which makes it possible to fill pedagogical practice with specific content. The novelty of the study lies in the discovery of the relationship between problems of worldview and pedagogical practice. The ideology of the Soviet era was formed on substantialism and materialism, which required the application of the ideas of abstract progress and holism. In such conditions, Tuvan traditional culture was not fit into the abstract system that reduces the content of archaic cultures. The authors point to the unity of education and thinking, in which a person understands the uniqueness of each culture and its phenomena. In this connection, it is possible to learn the meanings of one’s culture, which creates the possibility of self-identification. The main contribution of the authors lay in revealing of the need to develop ethnopedagogy with specific content, which is ensured through high-quality preparation of ideological foundations.

Revival and institutionalization of Cossacks in the south of Russia: stages, peculiarities and current state of affairs

The article discusses the basic principles of the state's interaction with representatives of modern Cossack communities and their organisations in the Southern regions of Russia. It takes into account both the cultural potential of the region and the global political challenges facing the state. The article presents arguments in favour of the idea that modern Cossack communities play a significant role in the social life of Southern Russia. It also highlights the positive influence of Cossack communities on regional security and the promotion of high patriotic sentiments among the local population.
 The author emphasises that the high cultural potential of the Cossack communities in Southern Russia can be utilised for the institutionalisation of civic patriotism. However, the article also acknowledges the cultural and historical peculiarities of the region, particularly the historical memory of the residents considering themselves direct descendants of pre-revolutionary Cossacks who greatly suffered from the state policy conducted by the Bolsheviks during the Soviet era.
 Therefore, the integration of the history of Cossacks in Southern Russia into the national history of the modern Russian Federation remains relevant, especially given the challenges and threats of recent decades. The article highlights that representatives of Cossack organisations actively participate in institutionalising the historical memory of the region's residents.
 Attention is drawn to the fact that the Cossacks possess important resources that, in collaboration with the authorities and local self-government bodies, enable them to pursue a policy aimed at ensuring socio-cultural security in Southern Russia. In conclusion, the author suggests that consistent measures should be taken to strengthen socio-cultural security in the Southern regions of Russia, with active involvement and support from Cossack organisations.

Vocational Guidance in Schools as a Factor of Social Stratification: New Practices in the Russian Education System

The world of work is undergoing changes, necessitating a new approach to guiding school students in their career choices by the government, society, and businesses. In recent years, numerous initiatives have been implemented to expand young people's exposure to various professions. However, there is still no clear nationwide plan for establishing partnerships between schools and representatives of the real economy in terms of vocational guidance. Today's youth require organised career guidance support because relying solely on the experience of parents and previous generations when choosing a profession is no longer sufficient. During the Soviet era, the state played a more significant role in ensuring the welfare and social protection of workers, while industrialisation provided universal career trajectories and clear guidelines on preferred professions and education. Today, individual human capital has become a crucial resource for social mobility and high-paying jobs, and the growth of the service sector and technological progress have elevated the demand for highly skilled labor rather than specific professions in certain economic sectors. The first part of the article focuses on reviewing important questions that need to be addressed when considering this issue. Is there a need for centralised efforts by society and the state to organise vocational guidance activities and assist teenagers in choosing a profession today? What is the transformation of the discourse on school vocational guidance in post-Soviet Russia? In the second part of the article, based on the results of a pilot study on the opinions of young men and women in Moscow, the embodiment of educational priorities in actual practice is analysed. The author concludes that the problem persists in the sense that school vocational guidance experiences are still unequal and strongly tied to pre-professional training, initially built on disparities in opportunities to explore professions, particularly in STEM fields.

Тема творчества и образ художника в повести Исы Капаева «Синие снега»

The article delves into the exploration of the development of the theme of creativity and the por-trayal of the author-artist in the story titled "Blue Snows" by the Nogai writer, Isa Kapaev. It recog-nizes that the writer's creative search is conducted through the lens of the postmodernist concept, drawing from the experiences of conceptualization of this theme in global, Russian, and national literature. Within the body of the author's works, this theme serves as a recurring motif, with the im-age of the artist embodying one of its central aspects. The article showcases this thesis by referenc-ing I. Kapaev's works, which reflect the profound drama encompassing the personal and creative consciousness of the protagonist named Karamov – an alter ego of the writer himself. The destiny of the artist Aidar Karamov, the protagonist in the story "Blue Snows," inter-twines with the life stories of other Karamovs, individuals within the realm of art and the heroes present in I. Kapaev's works during the twilight of the Soviet era as well as the transitional decades between the 20th and 21st centuries. The author's conceptual vision and the means through which it is executed in the story are in-terpreted within the framework of postmodernist aesthetics and poetics, utilizing hermeneutic, se-miotic, and typological approaches. Emphasis is placed on how the evolution and rebirth of the pro-tagonist's consciousness, as described by the author, lend themselves to a profound contemplation of the contemporary challenges faced by art: the quest for the ideal, the significance of maintaining a connection with the cultural soil from which true inspiration springs. Furthermore, the article explores the theme of reverence towards art, the nurturing attitude towards talents, the unwavering dedication to one's calling, and the resistance against the tempta-tions of prioritizing material wealth over the attainment of the ideal through the creative process. As the foundation for analysis, the article draws upon the text of the aforementioned story under scrutiny, as well as other works by I. Kapayev composed in their original language. Transla-tions into Russian were employed as a reference for quotations..

ЖАЗУШЫ Е. ӘЛІМЖАННЫҢ «АНАЖАР» РОМАНЫНДАҒЫ ҚАЗІРГІ ҚОҒАМ БЕЙНЕСІ: АВТОР ИДЕЯСЫ ЖӘНЕ КЕЙІПКЕР ЖҮГІ

The main purpose of literature is to reflect the realities of time and society. In the XXI century, Kazakhstan realized that, although it got rid of the 300-year-old colonial oppression of the Russian empire, and the colonialism of the late Soviet era, it is not easy to strengthen its independence and build a state on par with other countries. Despite the repentance of independence, economic, social, national, and moral issues are on the agenda. The changes in society have also made great changes in people's consciousness. People have formed a consciousness about private property. As in the early 90s of the twentieth century, so now those who fought for the theft and enrichment of state property have come out. They were striving for enrichment, striving for honesty, and justice. Cruelty and flattery, prudence and cunning, greed and dissatisfaction accompanied. The novel by the writer E. Alimzhan«Anazhar» describes such topical problems and moral aspects of the XXI century. In a literary work, the author is considered in various aspects. Because he, as the creator of a work of art, intervenes in all parts of the work. One of them is the reflection by the author of the main idea about himself through the hero, his fate. At the same time, the hero is not only the driving force of the plot but also a person who artistically conveys to the reader the writer's excitement, concerns, and critical views on society. The article analyzes the description of the author's idea through the fate of the hero and other literary and theoretical issues based on the writer's novel on the topic of modernity.

Модернизация экономики малых городов российского Севера на основе активизации межмуниципальных хозяйственных связей

Efficient space utilization to address territorial imbalances is one of the key conditions for ensuring Russia's national security. Achieving balanced spatial development necessitates tapping into and consolidating the potential of diverse types of locales. However, a substantial portion of the economic bonds forged during the Soviet era, particularly along the "city-village" axis, have been lost. The negative consequences of these processes have been acutely felt in the small towns of the North, which represent the predominant settlement type in this region. This article seeks to evaluate the state of affairs and establish the priorities for modernizing the economies of small Northern towns through the activation of intermunicipal economic ties. Methodologically, the study draws upon principles from regional, spatial, and urban economics, and harnesses data from Rosstat, SPARK and Contour.Focus databases, and local government reports. The article is based on case study, historical, economic, and statistical research methods. The novelty of the study lies in its assessment of the emergence and trajectory of economic relationships among small Northern towns in Russia. It unveils that in the post-Soviet period, city economies underwent simplification due to the collapse of certain specialized sectors at regional and local levels and the disintegration of economic ties between small towns and villages. However, cities embedded within networks of large vertically integrated corporations and exhibiting robust industrial connections with urban agglomerations possess the potential for modernization. Conversely, detachment from these networks can cause economic stagnation. The article underscores the priorities and instruments for revitalizing small towns, aimed at diversifying their economies by intensifying economic collaborations with major cities and rural areas within both traditional (industrial) and innovative economic sectors. The research results can serve as a scientific and methodological foundation for crafting development strategies and programs for small Northern towns. Further research avenues include substantiating promising city specializations at the macro and national levels.

The Implicit Social Contract in Soviet Higher Education and Its Transformation in the 1990s

The article presents a theoretical analysis and characterizes the parameters of the implicit social contract between society and the intelligentsia during the latter part of the Soviet period. The specificity of this type of implicit social contract is demonstrated, particularly regarding the potential benefits and existing limitations in pursuing higher education and realizing the life ambitions of the Soviet intelligentsia. The archetypes and behavioral strategies of individuals during the Soviet era are examined, both in terms of socially accepted and deviant conduct. The institutional elements that shape the experiences of individuals with higher education during the Soviet period are described, specifically the influence of officially proclaimed morality, ethical norms, and coercive mechanisms as value systems. The issue of the overproduction of individuals with higher education is highlighted, which resulted in the devaluation of its significance and a decline in social status for the technical intelligentsia during the Soviet period. The problems surrounding the quality of primary and higher education in the USSR are discussed, and the factors contributing to its crisis in the late USSR are identified. The transformation of values in the post-Soviet period is examined, and some consequences stemming from this transformation are explored.

Частное коллекционирование в СССР и новая советская элита

The article is devoted to the phenomenon of private collecting in Soviet Russia. The author proceeds from the fact that the formation of the Soviet system, which led to certain changes in the social structure of society, led to the emergence of a new Soviet elite, not alien to collecting. Restrictions of a political and ideological nature imposed on any form of commercial activity and the almost closed art market predeter-mined the uniqueness of private Soviet collecting: ways of folding collections, the possibility of their preser-vation, exchange, fate, etc. The proposed typology of collectors of the Soviet period depends on the financial possibilities, the goals of collecting art objects, the aesthetic and cultural level, as well as the socio-cultural environment where collecting was carried out. In total, six conditional types of Soviet collectors were identified, among them the scientific and creative intelligentsia, Red Army officers, veterans of the Soviet special services, the state party elite, the “former” - the remaining representatives of the nobility in the country. The historical facts testifying to the complex relationship between private collectors and the Soviet state based on the command and administrative economic system are given. Many archival materials and documents have not revealed yet, which makes it difficult to study some aspects of private collecting of the Soviet era. The study of private collections and methods of collecting is the most important material source for studying the history of the country.

Spying (in)spires: The dwindling likelihood of an Oxford spy ring to rival the Cambridge Five

ABSTRACT This article asks why no comparable spy ring to the Cambridge Five developed concurrently at Oxford University and argues that, based on an updated and comprehensive review of primary and secondary sources, holding out hope for a new revelation of one may be waiting for Godot. We argue that whilst structural and institutional factors played a significant role in the creation of a mid-20th century Cambridge spy ring, the role and agency of individuals was paramount, and Oxford was missing comparable personalities. Specifically, the galvanising effect of an intellectual authority figure in the person of Cambridge Don Maurice Dobb, the greater attention, talent, and strategy by Soviet intelligence recruiter Arnold Deutsch, and the higher level of ideological commitment and social reinforcement on the part of the Cambridge Five themselves—as a ring—were of greater significance. Not all these factors were present in Oxford and casts increasing doubt on whether an equivalent Oxford spy ring ever existed. Recently declassified files reveal that Oxford did produce Soviet era spies, but never a collective akin to that of the infamous Cambridge spies, who remain a unique historical and cultural touchstone to the present day.

Church and Liberal Healthcare: Need of Spiritual and Moral Education for Healthcare Workers

The increased attention of the Orthodox Church to issues of medical education in our country was the result of the fact that in the 1990s it once again became one of the most active forces in our society. The connection between the church and the medical community, which goes back to a time when the doctoring of the mind and bodily health was in fact the work of the same people, cannot leave the church indifferent to the professional formation of healthcare workers. The Soviet era saw the forced de-Christianization of the medical profession and measures taken to abolish medical ethics rooted in the Hippocratic Oath and the Gospel commandments. The restoration of dialogue between church and medicine began after the collapse of the Soviet state, but it is still insufficiently regular. Currently, factors complicating this dialogue are liberal medical legislation and capitalist economies in health care. The former, by legalizing abortion, artificial insemination, and sterilization, absolves the doctor of moral responsibility in matters concerning the management of human life; the latter encourages him to view his profession not as a service, but as a means of making money from other people’s suffering. If the dialogue between church and medicine were to be carried on permanently within the walls of medical schools, it would strengthen the spiritual and moral foundations of the medical profession, upon which it has always existed. One of the most significant forms of this dialogue should undoubtedly be the teaching of biomedical ethics, which should be grounded in modern theology and the values of traditional spiritual cultures of Russia.

Liability for Unlawful Correction of Justice: Historical Genesis of National Criminal Law

The article examines the historical genesis of national criminal legislation in terms of regulating liability for interference with the judiciary. The author analyzes the legal monuments of Kievan Rus, the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, the Commonwealth of Poland, the Russian Empire, the Soviet era and independent Ukraine – the current Criminal Code of 2001 and its current draft created in the course of reforming criminal legislation. In the process of developing a model for periodization of criminal law protection of judicial independence and judicial activity in Ukraine, the author proposes to apply a mixed criterion based on the validity, legal force and level of codification of a legal instrument containing criminal law provisions on interference with the activities of judicial bodies, and also takes into account the historical stages of formation of Ukrainian Statehood. The author identifies the stages of development of criminal legislation in this area: Stage I (XI - XV centuries) – the origins of criminal law policy in the field of protection against interference with the activities of judicial authorities and persons entrusted with the administration of justice; Stage II (XVI - XIX centuries) – the formation of criminal law policy in the field of protection against interference with the activities of judicial authorities and persons entrusted with the administration of justice; III stage (early twentieth century - adoption of the Criminal Code of Ukraine in 2001) – fixation of the content of unlawful behavior within the criminal law policy of ensuring protection against interference with the activities of judicial authorities and persons entrusted with the administration of justice, which corresponds to the current provision of Article 376 of the Criminal Code; IV stage (late twentieth century - to the present) – further improvement of the criminal law policy in the area of ensuring protection against interference with the activities of judicial authorities and persons entrusted with the administration of justice.

From product-sales models to digital ecosystems and open science

Watch VIDEO. Scholarly publishers in small language countries face unique challenges, such as limited funding and resources, lack of visibility and recognition, and the dominance of international commercial publishers in the global academic publishing market. Therefore, understanding the role of publishers in promoting scholarly research in small language countries is crucial. This research aims to evaluate the publication of scholarly journals in a small language country (Lithuania) by analyzing the owners and publishers of scholarly journals. After collecting information about all scholarly journals published in 2020, a list of publishers and owners was compiled. The results show that since 1990, the publishing of Lithuanian scholarly journals has grown significantly: 225 scholarly journals were published in Lithuania, by 73 different publishers, in 2020. Social publishers, mostly state-funded universities, scientific institutes, colleges, still had the largest market share of scholarly periodicals, but commercial publishers also appeared and started to make a business out of publishing scholarly journals. Judging by the number of published articles, the five largest Lithuanian social publishers – state universities – published almost half of all scholarly articles published by Lithuanian publishers. Journals of social science were published the most, and one in five journals published in Lithuania applied relatively small publication fees. The analyzed data on publishers show that Lithuanian publishers have tried to take over and reorganize a number of scholarly journals from the Soviet era, while adapting to the dynamically changing world of scholarly publishing, and moving from simple product-sales models of the 20th century to new digital ecosystems of the 21st century, in which the essential distribution of publications is carried out digitally. The emerging diversity of publishers, the relatively moderate application of publication fees, and the growth in the number of articles show that Lithuanian publishers are quite well prepared for further challenges – the implementation of the European Science Foundation Plan S recommendations.

Institutional reforms and social trust: Quasi-experimental evidence from the Caucasian states

I study the effect of institutional quality on social trust. As a source of exogenous variation, I consider the natural experiment of institutional reforms in the post-Soviet nation of Georgia following the 2003 Rose Revolution. I examine the level of social trust among Armenians and Azeris, the two ethnic groups that were largely uninvolved in the revolutionary events, and whose homelands have been partitioned between Georgia, Armenia, and Azerbaijan by the arbitrarily drawn boundaries inherited from the Soviet era. I show that people who were exposed to post-revolutionary Georgian institutions have higher levels of social trust. They also have higher levels of confidence in state institutions, but not higher intragroup cohesion. My findings suggest that improvement in institutional quality is important in fostering social trust.

New Narratives and Old Myths: History Textbooks in Kazakhstan

Abstract This article focuses on the role of textbooks in the construction of national identity by analyzing state-approved versions of national identity and history in Kazakhstan. By doing so, this project seeks to highlight what understanding of identity prevails in the history textbooks of Kazakhstan, what narratives regarding the key historic events are promoted, particularly with respect to the Dzhungar wars, annexation of Kazakh Khanate by the Russian Empire, and the Soviet era. Finally, this article compares the main narratives in the textbooks published in Kazakh and Russian languages to illustrate differences and various understandings of identity in the two linguistic realms of Kazakhstan. The article argues that Kazakhstan’s textbooks combine new, independence-focused narratives with the old approaches and partial reproduction of the Soviet symbolic discourse.