Virgin Soil Research Articles

The Influence of Abaca Fiber Treated with Sodium Hydroxide on the Deformation Coefficients Cc, Cs, and Cv of Organic Soils

This study shows the influence of the inclusion of abaca fiber (Musa Textilis) on the coefficients of consolidation, expansion, and compression for normally consolidated clayey silt organic soil specimens using reconstituted samples. For this purpose, abaca fiber was added according to the dry mass of the soil, in lengths (5, 10, and 15 mm) and concentrations (0.5, 1.0, and 1.5%) subjected to a curing process with sodium hydroxide (NaOH). The virgin and fiber-added soil samples were reconstituted as slurry, and one-dimensional consolidation tests were performed in accordance with ASTM D2435. The results showed a reduction in void ratio (compared to the soil without fiber) and an increase in the coefficient of consolidation (Cv) as a function of fiber concentration and length, with values corresponding to 1.5% and 15 mm increasing from 75.16 to 144.51 cm2/s. Although no significant values were obtained for the compression and expansion coefficients, it was assumed that the soil maintained its compressibility. The statistical analysis employed hierarchical linear models to assess the significance of the effects of incorporating fibers of varying lengths and percentages on the coefficients, comparing them with the control samples. Concurrently, mixed linear models were utilized to evaluate the influence of the methods for obtaining the Cv, revealing that Taylor’s method yielded more conservative values, whereas the Casagrande method produced higher values.

Amelioration of fat clay treated with CNS and cohesionless soils

The present study evaluates the amelioration of fat clay by blending it with cohesive non-swelling soil (CNS) and cohesionless silty sandy soil (Kassu). The fat clay sample with a liquid limit (LL) of 50 and a plasticity index (PI) of 26 was collected from Narowal, while CNS and Kassu samples were procured from Lahore's outskirts. Geotechnical tests on the virgin soil indicated its unsuitability for construction. Laboratory tests, including modified Proctor compaction, unconfined compression, California bearing ratio (CBR), and one-dimensional consolidation, were performed on samples blended with 0–35% CNS or Kassu in 5% intervals. The LL and PI of fat clay decreased significantly with the addition of 35% CNS (LL: 50–32%, PI: 24 to 13) and Kassu (LL: 50–29%, PI: 24–12). The CBR value increased from 4 to 7%, making the blended soil suitable for subgrade use. Unconfined compression tests showed a strength increase from 102 to 185 kPa with 35% CNS and up to 140 kPa with 25% Kassu. Compaction tests revealed improved maximum dry unit weight and reduced optimum moisture content. Swell potential decreased from 4 to 1.2 and 0.26% with CNS and Kassu additions. Regression models predict swell pressure and ultimate swell potential. The study concludes that blending fat clay with CNS and Kassu significantly improves its geotechnical properties, with CNS being more effective in controlling swell characteristics.

The Phenomenon of V.Z. Yaksanov: the Book Publishing Experience of a Private Entrepreneur of Saratov Province (1918—1927)

In the history of book publishing in the Saratov region, the name of Vasily Zakharovich Yaksanov (1887—1935) holds a special place. He was one of the first to combine the functions of author, publisher and printer, playing the role of a link between pre-revolutionary and Soviet book publishing. The printing house he opened in 1910 was nationalized in 1919. In 1922 V.Z. Yaksanov founded a private book publishing house, which produced books until 1925, and in the first Soviet decade was the owner of the bookstores “Druker” and “Virgin Soil”, which also acted as publishing organisations. The range of products of his publishing house included books of scientific, popular science, educational, artistic, information and reference nature. V.Z.Yaksanov paid special attention to supporting the scientific activities of teachers of the Imperial Nikolaev University (since 1923 — the N.G. Chernyshevsky Saratov State University), as well as children’s literature. Being a prominent figure of the Old Believer Church, at the same time he printed materials devoted to the history of the Old Orthodox Pomor Church. Due to the fact that not many studies have been written about V.Z. Yaksanov’s contribution to regional book publishing, it seems important to analyze the factography of V.Z. Yaksanov’s book publishing activities in the first Soviet decade, to clarify the information about the books and brochures that his printing house and publishing house were involved in publishing. If we summarize V.Z. Yaksanov’s competences as a printer, publisher and owner of a bookshop (which is a publishing organisation), we can talk about 38 identified titles of books and pamphlets published with his direct participation and at his enterprise in the period from 1918 to 1927. In 1918 6 titles were identified, in 1922 — 3, in 1923 — 17, in 1924 — 7, in 1925 — 4, in 1927 — 1).

Biomass and Functional Diversity of Microbial Communities in Catenas of Virgin and Arable Gray Soils and Chernozems

Biomass and Functional Diversity of Microbial Communities in Catenas of Virgin and Arable Gray Soils and Chernozems

Особенности национального характера в романах М. А. Шолохова

The features of the national character in the prose of M. A. Sholokhov («Quiet Flows the Don», «Virgin soil upturned», «They Fought for Their Country») are considered. The main purpose of the study is to show the evolution of national character in the work of M. A. Sholokhov, to determine the content of the concept of «national character» and the criteria for its formation, the conditions for its change under the influence of historical events. The most vivid images of Cossack heroes are analyzed in connection with folk beliefs, folklore traditions, national life and the originality of the Don nature

Arhaeological Research in Okhtyrka — the Arhaeology of War

The article is devoted to the result of archaeological research carried out on the territory of the Okhtyrka fortress of the second half of the 17th–18th centuries. Excavations were conducted in the basement of the Okhtyrka Municipal Local History Museum. The building was severely damaged because of the night bombing in spring 2022. During the reconstruction of the museum, the workers had discovered archaeological artefacts. In the result of archaeological research, there were discovered the remains of a building buried in virgin soil. The most informative were the remains of the cellar walls. In the filling of the building, there were distinguished two layers separated by a sterile one. In the lower layer, the vast majority of fragments of tiles and furnace slag were found, and in the upper layer — numerous fragments of pottery and individual finds. The analysis of the artefacts location and the general stratigraphy allows presuming preliminary conclusions. The dwelling had two levels — the ground living level with the furnace and the underground one, or a cellar. The level had a massive ceiling made of oak logs and a wooden construction made of logs with a diameter of 0.15–0.25 m. The space between the wooden construction and virgin soil was filled with yellow sand. Mostly, in the filling of the dwelling were found light clay pottery fragments and some items covered with green glaze. The tiles were decorated with stylised floral ornament. Among the imports, the most noticeable are a handle of a faience cup produced in the Ottoman Empire and fragments of clay bottles of Riga balsam. In addition, a faience ointment jar, produced in Germany or Austria in the 18th century. Based on the analysis of the finds, the time of construction of the building is dated to the 20s–30s, and the time of destruction — 70s–80s of the 18th century. The first date is indicated by a coin minted in 1731, found in a piece of preserved oak log, and the second one by the lower part of a clay bottle, found on the floor of the cellar. Some of the imported finds are related to medicine, so we can assume using the building as a pharmacy in the last years of its existing.

Processes of humus loss in leached chernozem soils of the North Kazakhstan region

This article discusses the processes of dehumification and loss of humus in leached chernozem soils of agricultural lands of the North Kazakhstan region due to mineralization and as a result of erosion processes. Modern rates of soil dehumification lead to a decrease in the fertility of agricultural land and a decrease in yields, soil fertility is a valuable resource. The intensive process of decomposition of organic matter and its dehumidification occurs as a result of plowing virgin soil and as a result of its improper use in agricultural conditions. In the North Kazakhstan region, after the development of virgin lands, trends of intensive soil dehumidification are widespread. It was found that the object of study, leached chernozem, loses 0.69 t/ha by mineralization of humus and 0.011 t/ha as a result of erosion processes. Due to the long-term agricultural use of the land, improper construction of soil protection works, lack of organic substances that complement the humus composition of the soil, the balance of humus is disturbed, and organic substances connect soil structures with each other, increasing resistance to environmental factors. The destruction of soil structures of the plowed soil layer, the predominance of dust structures, thinning of the humus layer and the intensity of erosion processes were revealed.

Indicators of humus state of virgin and irigated gray-brown soils of khorezm vilayat of Uzbekistan

The humus content, elemental composition and optical density of humic acids in virgin and irrigated soils of the Tashsakinsky massif of the Khorezm region of Uzbekistan were estimated. The studied desert virgin and irrigated soils have characterized by light and medium loamy granulometric composition, dusty-granular structure and slightly alkaline reaction. Carbonates present in small quantities - 3.10-10.60%. The total humus content in the upper horizons varies from 0.19% to 0.76%. In virgin grey-brown soils the humus type is humate-fulvate, agriculture soils are humate. The degree of humification of organic matter in newly irrigated gray-brown-meadow and meadow-marsh soils is higher than in virgin gray-brown soils and decreases down the profile. It was revealed that the optical density of humic acids of virgin gray-brown, irrigated meadow and meadow-marsh soils is characterized by high values. The percentage of the sum of humic acid elements differs little from virgin soils to old-irrigated meadow soils. In the lower horizons, oxidation increases by 1.02 times compared to other studied soils. For the first time, the elemental composition of humic acids in virgin and irrigated soils of the desert zone of the Tashsakinsky massif of the Khorezm region was determined. The elemental composition of humic acids showed the oxidizability of humic acids, which decreases from top to bottom along the profile, which is associated with the features of the genesis of the studied soils, the age of irrigation and the degree of cultivation of these soils.

Phytotoxicity of Dactylonectria spp. exudates on kiwifruit vine and profile of secondary metabolites for understanding their relationship with the host plant

Kiwifruit vine decline syndrome (KVDS), which is responsible for a progressive decline in yields in Italy, is linked to a non-specific reduction in root development, the biotic or abiotic causes of which are still unclear. Dactylonectria is one of the most common soil-borne fungi associated with kiwifruit vines, However, its role in KVDS has not yet been clarified; therefore, Dactylonectria functional relationship with kiwifruit vine at rhizosphere level was investigated focusing solely on its exudates. Six isolates, four from kiwifruit-bearing soils belonging to D. torresensis. D. ecuadoriensis, D. novozelandica and D. pauciseptata, and two D. torresensis from a virgin soil, was tested for phytotoxicity of exudates by growing kiwifruit in vitro plants on MS media amended at 50% with sterile fungal filtrates. Parallelly, low molecular weight (LMW) metabolic profile of fungal filtrates was evaluated with untargeted metabolomics approach using LC-MS/TOF. The fungal isolates from kiwifruit bearing soil were much richer in LMW metabolites than those from virgin soil. Non host specific mycotoxins such as Aflaxoxin B2, Alternariol and Alterlactone were found in these isolates along with a number of metabolites most of which were characterised by antimicrobial properties. D. torresensis isolates were clearly discriminated from the other three species based on metabolic profile. A negative Pearson correlation between the growth index of kiwifruit vitro-plants and LMW metabolite count per isolate (richness) showed that the latter were associated with phytotoxicity, but the degree of correlation (r = −0.639) indicated that they were not the only component responsible. The results suggest that kiwifruit vines may alter the composition of the Dactylonectria spp. community in the root zone, which in turn may directly or indirectly contribute to kiwifruit vine decline syndrome.

The Use of Spectroscopic Methods to Study Organic Matter in Virgin and Arable Soils: A Scoping Review

The use of modern spectroscopic methods of analysis, which provide extensive information on the chemical nature of substances, significantly expands our understanding of the molecular composition and properties of soil organic matter (SOM) and its transformation and stabilization processes in various ecosystems and geochemical conditions. The aim of this review is to identify and analyze studies related to the application of nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy techniques to study the molecular composition and transformation of organic matter in virgin and arable soils. This article is mainly based on three research questions: (1) Which NMR spectroscopy techniques are used to study SOM, and what are their disadvantages and advantages? (2) How is the NMR spectroscopy technique used to study the molecular structure of different pools of SOM? (3) How is ESR spectroscopy used in SOM chemistry, and what are its advantages and limitations? Relevant studies published between 1996 and 2024 were searched in four databases: eLIBRARY, MDPI, ScienceDirect and Springer. We excluded non-English-language articles, review articles, non-peer-reviewed articles and other non-article publications, as well as publications that were not available according to the search protocols. Exclusion criteria for articles were studies that used NMR and EPR techniques to study non-SOM and where these techniques were not the primary methods. Our scoping review found that both solid-state and solution-state NMR spectroscopy are commonly used to study the structure of soil organic matter (SOM). Solution-phase NMR is particularly useful for studying soluble SOM components of a low molecular weight, whereas solid-phase NMR offers advantages such as higher 13C atom concentration for stronger signals and faster analysis time. However, solution-phase NMR has limitations including sample insolubility, potential signal aggregation and reduced sensitivity and resolution. Solid-state NMR is better at detecting non-protonated carbon atoms and identifying heterogeneous regions within structures. EPR spectroscopy, on the other hand, offers significant advantages in experimental biochemistry due to its high sensitivity and ability to provide detailed information about substances containing free radicals (FRs), aiding in the assessment of their reactivity and transformations. Understanding the FR structure in biopolymers can help to study the formation and transformation of SOM. The integration of two- and three-dimensional NMR spectroscopy with other analytical methods, such as chromatography, mass spectrometry, etc., provides a more comprehensive approach to deciphering the complex composition of SOM than one-dimensional techniques alone.

Experimental study on the dynamic strength characteristics of combined heavy metals contaminated soil with nZVI treatment

Nanoscale zero-valent iron (nZVI), a high-performance nanomaterial, can treat heavy metal contaminants and is extensively employed for in-situ treatment of groundwater and contaminated subsoil. However, there are few studies that indicate trends in the dynamic strength parameters of nZVI-treated soils to assess site safety. In this study, three heavy metal contaminants, Zn(II), Pb(II), and Ni(II), were selected to contaminate virgin soil. The heavy-metal-contaminated soil was treated with nZVI at two concentrations (a low dose and high dose of 0.5% and 2%, respectively) of the soil's dry mass. Analyses of particle size distribution revealed a consistent shift towards larger particles upon nZVI treatment, and the percentage of sand gradually increased. Heavy metal contamination decreased the liquid and plastic limits of the virgin soil, while those of the treated soil increased with nZVI content. The dynamic triaxial results showed significantly lower maximum dynamic shear modulus for MS, MS-LdN, and MS-HdN than for NS. The damping ratios of all samples showed an S-shaped trend. Thus, nZVI has the potential to create cemented structures and immobilize heavy metals. However, its effectiveness is significantly modulated by the initial water content of the soil. While the application of nZVI proves beneficial in immobilizing heavy metal contaminants, careful consideration is imperative under dynamic loading conditions.

Контаминация фразеологизмов как средство речевой характеристики персонажей в романе М.А. Шолохова «Поднятая целина»

This article dwells on the contamination of phraseological units in Mikhail Sholokhov’s works using his novel Virgin Soil Upturned as an example. The writer pays much attention to the choice of language units and the ways of their organization in the context. One of the most striking features of his style is the concentrated use of phraseological units within a short text fragment. Based on semantic identification and component analysis, it is concluded that the created sets of phraseological units are connected by paradigmatic and syntagmatic relations, which determine their interaction and the degree of influence on each other as well as contribute to structural and semantic contamination. The characters’ speech in the novel contains phraseological units that have been contaminated. Sholokhov’s use of contaminated units to describe characters allows us to identify such characteristics as their social status and level of education, as well as emotional state, temperament, etc. The image is being detailed, expanded and refined by shifting accents and adding semes and connotations. Sholokhov combines the features of various phraseological units, thus enhancing the aesthetic function of the text. Such categorical properties of phraseological units as integrity of meaning and constancy of structure as well as imagery and expressiveness of the original phraseological unit are reinterpreted and transformed during contamination, thereby updating the image and intensifying the aesthetic potential of language units in the context and, consequently, in the text as a whole. Contamination of phraseological units, which is a result of their concentrated use, in Sholokhov’s works is nothing other than a conscious departure from the traditional forms of text organization, aimed at achieving creative goals and implementing the author’s idea. Further research in this area may be of interest to specialists dealing with stylistics, text theory, phraseology and the study of linguistic personality.

Impacts of continuous cropping on the rhizospheric and endospheric microbial communities and root exudates of Astragalus mongholicus

Astragalus mongholicus is a medicinal plant that is known to decrease in quality in response to continuous cropping. However, the differences in the root-associated microbiome and root exudates in the rhizosphere soil that may lead to these decreases are barely under studies. We investigated the plant biomass production, root-associated microbiota, and root exudates of A. mongholicus grown in two different fields: virgin soil (Field I) and in a long-term continuous cropping field (Field II). Virgin soil is soil that has never been cultivated for A. mongholicus. Plant physiological measurements showed reduced fresh and dry weight of A. mongholicus under continuous cropping conditions (i.e. Field II). High-throughput sequencing of the fungal and bacterial communities revealed differences in fungal diversity between samples from the two fields, including enrichment of potentially pathogenic fungi in the roots of A. mongholicus grown in Field II. Metabolomic analysis yielded 20 compounds in A. mongholicus root exudates that differed in relative abundance between rhizosphere samples from the two fields. Four of these metabolites (2-aminophenol, quinic acid, tartaric acid, and maleamate) inhibited the growth of A. mongholicus, the soil-borne pathogen Fusarium oxysporum, or both. This comprehensive analysis enhances our understanding of the A. mongholicus microbiome, root exudates, and interactions between the two in response to continuous cropping. These results offer new information for future design of effective, economical approaches to achieving food security.

Multiscale analysis of traditional and non-traditional additive amended expansive soil-A comparative evaluation

The expansive soils have always been complex and problematic for construction purposes and challenging for the geotechnical fraternity. However, structural alterations and chemical stabilization methods have been practiced successfully in many practical applications. These soils interact with the chemical additives based on the chemical composition, curing period and quantity. The stabilization methods have also focused on non-traditional, eco-friendly additives, which can be a suitable alternative to conventional alkaline additives. However, extensive experimentation is required at various testing levels to understand the stabilization mechanism and the longevity of the additives in the soil medium. The present study uses lime, a conventional additive and a non-traditional additive-lignosulphonate (LS), to stabilize the expansive soil. The interaction mechanism of soil and the additives is investigated at macroscale and microscale levels to understand the modifications rendered to the virgin soil. The effect of the additives in terms of quantity and curing period is studied with respect to plasticity characteristics, strength development and microstructural modifications. The interaction behaviour of soil and the additive is compared at each level, and a probable interaction mechanism is proposed for both additives from this study. The criticality of lime amendment depends on the curing effect and the quantity. A strength improvement factor of 9 and 2 is observed for lime and LS amendment. The compressive/tensile strength ratio is higher for lime amendment, indicating excessive brittleness compared to LS. The conventional additives contribute to higher strength and brittleness, as opposed to lower strength gain and less brittleness of non-conventional additives.

Current status of reference location in the basic model for assessment of external radiation doses to the population living in radioactively contaminated areas after the Chernobyl accident

An open plot of virgin land is the reference location in the basic model used to date to estimate the effective dose of external exposure to the population living in a radioactively contaminated area. As our field observations in the Bryansk region of Russia have shown, at present it is very difficult to find truly reference plots of virgin land due to the fact that many virgin meadows were plowed or reclaimed for more than 30 years after the Chernobyl accident. Without special instrumental survey, such disturbed meadow areas can easily be confused with areas of virgin soil. Therefore, the situation with the use of open areas of virgin soil as the reference location has changed dramatically since the first years after the Chernobyl accident. It requires a change in the approach to choosing such a location for the model and/or some revision of the structure of the model itself. Firstly, we propose and justify the use of a permanently cultivated kitchengarden plot as the reference location. The second way to resolve the current difficult situation with the presence of a sufficient number of the virgin soil sites could be excluding the very concept of “reference location” from the model. In this case, when calculating the effective dose of external radiation, it is proposed to directly use the values of the gamma radiation dose rate in the air normalized to the 137Cs contamination density of soil. The values of the normalized dose rate should be experimentally determined in the required time period for each of the locations taken into account in the model.

Model tests on ordinary and geosynthetic encased stone columns with recycled aggregates as filler material

PurposeSincethe availability of natural aggregates is very sparse, recycled industrial and construction waste provides a sustainable alternative to ground improvement using vibro replacement method. Utilizing recycled building waste caters the requirement for its disposal and offers an effective remedy for the scarcity of natural resources. The aim of this study was to give a sustainable alternative for the natural aggregates as the material for stone column.Materials and methodsA good stone column material should be hard, dense, chemically inert and must comply with the size requirement. The utilization of construction debris and spent railway ballast as column material has been the subject of numerous researches. This work focuses on finding the suitability of railway ballast and concrete debris as alternatives for stone column material. A detailed laboratory testing of these materials has been carried to judge their strength requirements as the material for both Ordinary Stone Columns (OSCs) and Geosynthetic Encased Stone Columns (GESCs). The improvement in capacity of both OSCs and GESCs is evaluated by performing California Bearing Ratio (CBR) test in laboratory by creating unit cell stone column models of different recycled aggregates and comparing their load settlement behavior with natural aggregates.Results and discussionRailway ballast, natural aggregates, concrete debris and virgin soil were found to show decreasing order in CBR test results. Loading required for causing settlement in both OSCs and GESCsshowed remarkable increase as compared to that of virgin clay and the maximum load settlement improvement was observed for railway ballast in both the types of stone columns. The CBR values for GESC made from railway ballast, natural aggregates and concrete debris were 54, 49 and 38% respectively. On the other hand, CBR for OSC made from railway ballast, concrete debris and natural aggregates were found to be 25.5, 20.4 and 24% respectively and CBR of virgin clay was found to be just 11%.ConclusionThe demonstrated application of sustainable sources in place of natural aggregates provides a crucial pathway for utilizing the recycled aggregates as stone column filler material. Up on encasing the OSC with geotextile the performance of stone columns has improved appreciably in terms of load capacity. Railway ballast and concrete debris can be adopted as an alternate for the natural stone column materials to improve the bearing capacity of site consisting mainly of soft clays.

Impact of anthropogenic factor on changes in physical and chemical properties of chernozems in the lake Sevan basin of the republic of Armenia

This article focuses on the study of changes in the physical and chemical composition of mountain chernozems of the Republic of Armenia under the influence of an anthropogenic factor. It is established that under long-term and unsystematic agricultural use of chernozems in arable variants of soils, in comparison with virgin soil, significant changes in their physical and chemical properties are observed. Especially, absorption capacity decreases as a result of reduction of such important bases as absorbed calcium and magnesium. To improve the physical and chemical properties, increase fertility, effective use, and protection of mountain chernozems of the Lake Sevan basin of the Republic of Armenia, it is necessary to develop and apply a complete scientifically substantiated system of agrotechnical measures.

Efficiency of cement and sand in stabilizing the black cotton soil

As the population rises and access to land decreases, an increasing number of buildings and other civil engineering structures must be constructed on weak or soft soil. Because of the soil's poor shear strength and substantial swelling and shrinking, a variety of ground improvement techniques, including soil stabilisation and reinforcing, are implemented to improve the mechanical behavior of the soil, hence boosting construction reliability. One of the most important soils is black cotton soil, which we intend to develop by utilising India's resources of sand and cement. In this research, several tests were conducted to determine the basic properties of soil. Instead of opting for the removal and replacement of unstable soil, soil modification is the only viable option because it saves both time and money. When exposed to changes in moisture content, they exhibit significant swelling and shrinking, making them the most challenging from an engineering standpoint. In this study, 2% cement was added at a steady rate while the sand percentage ranged from 10% to 40% which is utilised for the experiment was clean sand that had been passed through a 425 micron sieve and basic tests were performed to determine soil parameters. The physical properties of Black Cotton Soil determined & where the soil is of clay type & specific gravity is 2.6 and it is classified as CH. After determining the basic properties of virgin soil, the proctor test and CBR tests were performed by stabilizing with cement and sand. Sand is utilized in various percentages, such as 10%, 20%, 30%, and 40% of the total soil weight. MDD increased from 1.820 to 1.902 gm/cc. The CBR increased to 5.21% from 0.55% for 2.5mm penetration and 4.12% from 0.48% for 5mm penetration. As the percentage of sand increases, both thickness and cost drop. The CBR design chart yields a pavement thickness of 480mm for 20% sand and 2% cement, which is comparable to the minimum thickness of 475mm.

Environmental assessment of the state of fallow drained meadow-soddy-gley and brown mountain-forest soils to involve them into a new agricultural turnover (on the example of the Jewish autonomous region)

Relevance. In the context of ever-increasing anthropogenic influence, the importance of agricultural land reclamation increases and becomes more complicated. Involvement of new virgin soils in agricultural circulation requires large financial investments and huge labor resources, which the local administration does not have. The secondary return to agricultural circulation of fallow reclaimed lands that are not used in agriculture may be a less costly method of increasing the area of agricultural arable land. Aim. To analyze the changes in vegetation and aggregate composition on drained fallow soils of different ages. Object. Drained fallow meadow-soddy-gley and brown mountain-forest soils of different ages. Methods. Standard geobotanical methods were used to describe the vegetation of the polygons. The granulometric analysis of soils was carried out by the method of dry sieving. Soil density was determined by the cutting cylinder method. Results. The study showed that reclaimed arable land, after being withdrawn from agricultural use, enters into a long process of self-recovery. In the course of a long-term transformation, a noticeable accumulation of humus is observed in fallow brown mountain-forest soils in comparison with adjacent arable lands. In the 20-year-old deposit, the highest content of humus is noted, while there is a decrease in saline and hydrolytic acidity. In fallows, the density of the upper soil horizon decreases, which favorably affects the structure of soils. On brown mountain-forest soils, in a 20-year-old fallow, there is a noticeable increase in the proportion of mesoaggregates (0,25–10 mm), including agronomically valuable ones. The number of micro- (<0,25 mm) and macro-aggregates (>10 mm) decreases, which indicates an improvement in the agronomic properties of fallow soils. The results of dry screening indicate that the fallow period of drained meadow-soddy-gley soils adversely affects their structure.

Творчество нобелевских лауреатов Б.Л. Пастернака и М.А. Шолохова: опыт интеграции в западную систему референций (1930–1970-е гг.)

The project’s goal was to cover as comprehensively as possible the reception of the Russian Soviet novelists in the countries, the national languages of which, being the means of international communication, helped spread the literary masterpieces created by Boris Pasternak and Mikhail Sholokhov worldwide. The translations of the novels And Quiet Flows the Don, Virgin Soil Upturned, Doctor Zhivago in the 1930s–1950s proved to be an important ideological and aesthetic factor influencing the global historical and ideological processes. For the first time, the authors studied journals and newspapers that published critical reviews of the works by the Nobel-winning authors. The introduction of Mikhail Sholokhov’s work to Western rea­ders began as early as the 1930s, far ahead of the introduction of Boris Pasternak, whose name was practically unknown to foreign readers before the publication of his translated novel. The antagonism of Sholokhov to Pasternak, provoked by big politics, failed to muffle those voices, which emphasized the unity of the Russian novel tradition and the equality of Soviet nominees throughout its history.