Vol 24, No 1 (2024)

The article examines the constitutional policy of the Soviet state in relation to the autonomous republic of Volga Germans that existed in 1924–1941 as part of the RSFSR, shows this policy as an integral part of the general national-state policy towards national minorities, to whom the Bolshevik government was granted a certain form of statehood. The characteristic of the two constitutions of the Non–Republic of 1926 and 1937 is given – as octroated, i.e. granted from above and therefore contained as much independence as allowed by the center. The state policy related to the implementation of the content of these constitutions is described. The principle of octroism unified and strictly regulated national life, giving it a rather limited place and thus allowing the authorities to quickly implement the process of integrating peoples into a new socio-political system.

The article analyzes the role of Leningrad in the structure of scientific and technical cooperation between the USSR and SRV in 1976– 1983 on the basis of archival data. The author comes to a conclusion about high quality results of Leningrad institutions collaborating with SRV, successes of Leningrad leadership in cooperation with regions of Vietnam, involvement of most large industrial enterprises, leading higher educational institutions, design and research organizations of the city in scientific and technical cooperation between the USSR and SRV. 

The article examines the history of the dynastic marriage of King Richard II of England and the daughter of the Bohemian King and Holy Roman Emperor Charles IV Anna of Bohemia, analyzes her role in the life of the English kingdom, as well as the historical consequences of the dynastic marriage for the development of England and the Bohemia.

The article is devoted to the study of relations between the town community and the garrison based on the analysis of documents regulating the life of Berwick-upon-Tweed. Located almost on the very border, Berwick was of great strategic importance, so the town had a military garrison. Early Tudor royal enactments pay little attention to the relationship between the townspeople and the soldiers of the garrison. The legislators were mainly interested in this problem when it came to matters of importance to the defense of the town. In this case, it usually concerns the contacts of garrison officers with the leaders of the town community. Nevertheless, it can be concluded that there is a constant interaction between the townspeople and the soldiers and that there are conflicts between them. 

The article is devotedtothe problem of historical variability of self-presentation strategies of English scientists inthe XVII–XVIII centuries. The author pays attention to the certain case, connected with such naturalists as Joseph Banks, Daniel Solander, Jonas Dryander and Robert Brown. These scientists were involved in the corporate social network, created by Banks and known among the historians as Banksian Learned Empire. Technologies of information organizing, used by these naturalists, met the tasks of attainment visual obviousness of large data set and implementation of availability this data for wide circle of people, who were interested in content of naturalistic collections and libraries. Described strategies seem an alternative way of gaining scientific authority, what highlights the value of its researching in the context of actual researchers’reflection problem. 

On the basis of the study of the Documents of foreign policy of Great Britain, France and the United States the author identifies the main stages of Soviet and German relations in the socalled Rapallo period. Each stage has its own features of the perception and their prospects by these countries. The author concludes that Western countries’ assessments of German-Soviet relations are interdependent and interconnected with their foreign policy and foreign economic decisions.

Russian and foreign specialists continue to maintain their research interest in the Eastern Mediterranean, both in view of the energy potential of the region as well as unresolved security issues. This article considers the role of global powers – Russia and the United States – in the Eastern Mediterranean from the point of view of the theory of the regional security complex. An attempt was made to determine the interests and priorities of Moscow and Washington on the basis of an analysis of the doctrinal approaches of both states in the identified subcomplex. Approaches of the two states to the Syrian issue were analyzed as well. The subordination of the “Syrian portfolio” to other policy issues of Russia and the United States is shown, as well as global powers’ policy evolution towards this key crisis for world politics. Despite the strategic desire to stabilize the region and exit from regional conflicts, Russia and the United States retain interests that will require their presence, albeit limited. The article indicates the influence of the states of other sub-complexes of the Middle East regional security, primarily the Persian Gulf, on the Levant and, more broadly, the mesoregion of the Eastern Mediterranean, as well as the growing weight of regional powers in general.

The article for the first time presents the biography of the Saratov governor Danila Varfolomeevich Khitrovo, as well as brief information about his ancestors, the Bolkhov landowners. D. V. Khitrovo began his service at the court of Tsar Mikhail Romanov in the late 1630s. as a tenant. During the reign of Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich, he continued to serve as a solicitor, and then as a steward. Particular attention is paid to the Saratov period in the life of D. V. Khitrovo. A description of the inner life of Saratov, the occupations of the inhabitants is given, the names of foreign ambassadors and guests who visited the city during this voivodeship are given. Danila Khitrovo died at the voivodship post in Saratov, leaving no heirs. 

The article shows one of the main directions in economic contacts between Saratov and Ufa – timber trade in the second half of the XIX – early XX centuries. The main source was the reporting of the Ufa branch of the Volga-Kama Commercial Bank, one of the largest private banks of the Russian Empire, whose branches opened in Saratov in 1871, and in Ufa in 1873. The main feature of the Ufa forest trade in Saratov was the use of promissory notes due to the need to quickly sell goods before the end of navigation. The documentation of the Volga-Kama Bank contains information about specific Saratov entrepreneurs.

The review is devoted to the analysis of the monograph, which examines the place and role of the educator S. Johnson in the spiritual life of British society in the second half of the 18th century. The reviewer shows that the author of the monograph was able to convincingly prove that the intellectual heritage of the compiler of the “Dictionary of the English Language”, a moralist and literary critic, most fully reflected the trend towards self-identification that dominated contemporary English culture. The reviewer’s attention is focused on considering how this problem was solved.