Vol 14, No 4 (2025)

Strawberry (Fragaria × ananassa Duch.), a hybrid of two american species – Chilean strawberry (F. cilhoensis Duch.) and Virginia strawberry (F. virginiana Duch.), is cultivated almost in all the continents, excluding Antarctica, as one of the most popular berry crops. Its fruits, used fresh and processed, are distinguished by their excellent taste and aroma. Their chemical composition makes strawberries a functional food, for which anticarcinogenic, anti-inflammatory and other effects have been identified. Strawberry is represented in the global assortment by more than 2000 varieties. The 131 varieties were recommended for cultivation in the Russia, 2024. The high varietal diversity of strawberries is determined both by the soil and climatic conditions of their cultivation and the lack of varieties that are simultaneously well adapted to various growing conditions, high-yielded, and produce high-quality berries. Over the past 20 years, 124 varieties of garden strawberries of domestic and foreign selection have been studied in the Zhigulevskie Gardens Research Institute. In the Samara Region, weather fluctuations from favorable to severe abiotic stresses (frost, drought, and extremely high temperatures) make it important to assess the stress tolerance of strawberry varieties. Drought, that combines high temperatures and moisture deficits, is known to affect leaves state, reducing water content and causing osmolytics accumulation, including free amino acids. This article analyzes the results of assessing of free amino acids accumulation in mature leaves phytomass of 16 strawberry varieties for periods with different stress levels (July 2022 and 2024).

The 40-year results of variety study, introduction, and breeding of cherry cultivars in the Samara Region are presented. The aim of this study was to evaluate introduced and local cherry varieties and elite forms based on the most valuable agronomic and biological traits, and to identify those with potential for commercial production and further breeding use. When breeding sweet cherries in the Samara Region, it is necessary to take into account the differences in its natural conditions. Samara Luka and the central regions adjacent to its territory are most fully suitable for the cultivation of sweet cherries. When cultivating sweet cherries on the southern slopes, the growing season increases by 15–20 days, and in the cold period of winter, it is much milder. Many cherry varieties developed in the middle zone of horticulture are well suited for cultivation in the conditions of the Samara Region. The development of cherry cultivation on private plots and in commercial orchards in the Samara Region to supply the local population with domestic produce holds significant practical importance. Because of the preliminary variety trials, one cherry variety, Sokskie Zori, developed by Samara breeders, was submitted for state variety testing in 2024. Based on the conducted research, three cherry varieties (Nyusha, Olechka, and Liza) were included in the State Register of the Russia. Resistance to adverse abiotic and biotic environmental factors, high productivity, and good-tasting fruits characterizes these varieties. A total of 15 elite cherry forms were selected for primary variety trials.

This study presents an analysis of morphometric variability in the epiphytic lichen Hypogymnia physodes along a gradient of vehicle pollution (light – local highway, moderate – regional highway, heavy – federal highway) in the Republic of Mari El. Thalli of H. physodes were collected from Pinus sylvestris trees based on their ontogenetic states (v₁ to g₃v) and height on the trunk (butt and trunk zones). The analyzed parameters included thallus diameter, number of lobes, and the number and diameter of lip-shaped and helmet-shaped soralia. The data were processed using logarithmic transformation and three-way analysis of variance in Statistica. A total of 600 thalli were examined. H. physodes exhibits a complex and diagnostically significant morphometric response to vehicle pollution. The most informative bioindication traits are thallus diameter and number of lobes in generative states, as well as the number of lip-shaped soralia in the g₃v state. A comparative analysis of morphometric traits between the two trunk heights reveals a vertical gradient of anthropogenic impact. The obtained data not only confirm the high sensitivity of H. physodes as a bioindicator but also provide deeper insight into the specific morphological mechanisms underlying its adaptation and degradation under chronic anthropogenic stress.

The article explores paleodemographic analysis as a method of historical reconstruction applied to the study of ancient populations of the South Caucasus during the Late Bronze and Early Iron Ages. The aim of the study is to substantiate the potential of this approach for identifying patterns of demographic processes and reconstructing the age and sex structure of the population based on anthropological data. The research is grounded in an interdisciplinary framework that integrates methods of bioarchaeology, demography, and statistical analysis. A comparative analysis was conducted for six paleopopulations from the territories of Armenia and Georgia, focusing on four key indicators: average age at death (AA), proportion of child deaths (PCD), gross reproduction rate (GRR), and the coefficient of the «active» population (DR). The application of principal component analysis made it possible to distinguish two groups of populations differing in demographic strategies: on the one hand, communities characterized by high child mortality and increased reproductive potential, and on the other, populations with greater life expectancy and a stable share of the working-age group. The results demonstrate that the paleodemographic approach serves as an effective tool for reconstructing historical patterns of social development and for tracing the influence of biological, ecological, and cultural factors on the formation of the demographic structure of ancient societies in the South Caucasus.

This article critically examines the traditional historiographic approach, which focuses on the differences in the political and economic structures of some early American colonies and the evolution of these social structures. It is argued that such an emphasis on the uniqueness of each colonial experience creates difficulties in understanding the general constitutional foundations of colonial development, failing to fully clarify the overall picture. As an alternative, a methodological approach is proposed that aims to identify common, similar institutions and conditions among the earliest settlements, such as Virginia, the colonies of New England, and New Netherland. The goal of the study is to identify an initial type of colonial community that can be used as a conceptual model for analysis and comparison at the initial stage of North American colonial history. A further goal of the study is to demonstrate that this initial type, even while undergoing changes, was reproduced throughout the colonial period. Thus, the proposed typology becomes a universal conceptual tool that allows us to systematize and group the entire diversity of early colonial forms for a deeper understanding of their subsequent development, which opens up new perspectives for the comparative analysis of colonial societies in the British Atlantic.

When we celebrate the 80th anniversary of the Victory of the Soviet people in the Great Patriotic War, it seems especially relevant to address the topic of preserving the memory of the fallen heroes. This article attempts to reconstruct the fate of the workers of the Kuibyshev tram fleet who died at the front during the Great Patriotic War. The years of their lives, the branch of the armed forces and the units in which the tram fleet workers fought, the awards to which they were presented, the front-line paths, as well as the essence and nature of their exploits and the context of their deaths are established. If it was indicated in the documents, then we give the names of the mothers or wives who were waiting for the dead soldiers in Kuibyshev. The article also analyzes the process of memorializing the memory of the heroes of the front, which resulted in the construction of a memorial stele, and later the organization of a memorial to the deceased employees on the territory of the enterprise. The research was based on the published materials of the multi-volume Book of Memory of the Samara Region and documents from the Central Archive of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation, which were scanned and posted in the information system «Memory of the People».

This article provides a comprehensive analysis of the genesis and evolution of the educational system of Suvorov military schools within the context of the Russian history of pedagogy. The central problem of the study is to define the unique historical and cultural role and place of Suvorov military schools within the overall paradigm of national education development. The continuity of the historical traditions of the Russian cadet corps, their transformation, and adaptation to new socio-political conditions are examined in detail. Particular attention is given to the ideological component of educational work and its evolution at various stages of the schools' functioning. The paper argues that throughout their history, Suvorov military schools served as an innovative «testing ground» for testing and implementing advanced pedagogical methods combining intensive general education, specialized military training, and comprehensive spiritual and moral education. Drawing on a wide range of historical sources and archival materials, it is demonstrated that it was within the walls of the Suvorov military schools that the model for the formation of the future officer corps and the state elite with a clearly civic position was developed. In conclusion, the author concludes that the education received at the Suvorov military schools was unequivocally elite. This elitism is determined not only by the strict selection of students, but also by the exceptional intensity of the educational process, its highly sophisticated facilities, and, most importantly, by the outstanding results achieved in the training of highly educated specialists devoted to the Fatherland, whose contribution to the country's development is difficult to overestimate.

In the context of introducing exemplary working educational programs in higher educational instituteons, the problem of purposeful use of the educational potential of the university's internal environment becomes particularly relevant. This article is devoted to solving the identified problem by developing and theoretically substantiating a functional model aimed at the systematic use of the pedagogical university's structure for the formation of students' professional and value orientations. The model proposed by the author includes three interrelated stages: diagnostic, content-based, and evaluative-resultative. The diagnostic stage is aimed at comprehensively identifying and reflecting the specifics of a particular university's structure, as well as determining the initial state of students' professional and value orientations. To achieve this, a variety of methodological tools are used, including reflective practices, narrative methods, and author's diagnostics of lifestyle types. The substantive and activity-based stage involves the direct integration of the identified components of the university's culture (traditions, values, and relationship styles) into the educational process. The evaluation and results stage allows us to assess the effectiveness of our actions by recording the dynamics in students' professional and value orientations. The model is a practical tool for analyzing and purposefully using the educational potential of a pedagogical university. The model is flexible and can be adapted to the specific needs of each higher education institution.

The article presents a study on the problem of insufficient scientific and methodological support for the professional development of methodologists in municipal methodological services within the context of modern educational transformations. It analyzes the systemic contradiction between the increasing demands placed on methodologists' professional activities and the absence of a comprehensive training system that considers the specifics of working within a municipal educational system. Particular attention is paid to the necessity of bridging the gap between traditional forms of support and modern challenges such as the digitalization of education and the implementation of project-based and networked work formats. The purpose of the article is to develop and theoretically substantiate a comprehensive model of methodological support for the professional development of municipal methodological service methodologists, ensuring the systematic formation of their professional competencies in line with the current needs of the municipal education system. The research is based on a systematic combination of modern methodological approaches: activity-based, competence-based, person-centered, and andragogical, with a theoretical foundation in the cultural-historical concept and the theory of professional development. A set of complementary research methods is employed, including in-depth theoretical analysis of psychological-pedagogical literature and regulatory documents, modeling and design methods, comparative analysis, and scientific generalization. A distinctive feature of the methodological approach is the integration of the principles of subjectivity, actualization of personal experience, and flexibility of educational pathways. The results consist in the creation of an innovative author's model of methodological support, representing a holistic system of professional development. The article investigates the structural and functional characteristics of the model and defines four key interconnected components: goal-setting, diagnostic, content-related/technological, and monitoring. The system-forming role of comprehensive diagnostics is revealed, enabling the formation of an individual risk profile for the methodologist and the design of personalized educational pathways. It is substantiated that the proposed model ensures the holistic professional development of municipal methodological service methodologists through the implementation of a system of assessment materials and comprehensive indicators of professional effectiveness, including readiness for independent work, engagement in the work process, and motivation for self-development. Conclusions are drawn that the developed model of methodological support is characterized by structural integrity, content flexibility, and organizational adaptability to the dynamically changing educational environment. Successful practical experience in testing the model is summarized, confirming its effectiveness for significantly improving the quality of municipal-level methodological services. The particular importance of the model for addressing current tasks in the development of regional educational systems under modern socio-cultural transformations, including digitalization and the implementation of new educational standards, is emphasized. The potential for further research into the possibilities of scaling the model to other levels of the education system is noted.

The relevance of the study is due to the state policy in the sphere of family protection and preservation of traditional family values, which is implemented in the field of education and upbringing, culture, interethnic and interreligious relations, and international cooperation. The scientific problem is the lack of pedagogical conditions for using Chinese folk tales as a means of fostering a value-based attitude towards family among Russian students. The purpose of the study is to develop pedagogical conditions for using Chinese folk tales as a means of fostering a value-based attitude towards family among primary school students. The study used theoretical (analysis, comparison, and generalization) and empirical (testing and questionnaire) research methods. Statistically significant differences were identified using the nonparametric statistical Mann–Whitney U-test. It has been established that the Chinese folk tale is an effective means of fostering a value-based attitude towards family among primary school students under the following pedagogical conditions: forming a holistic understanding of family as a source of human and societal morality through the study of family values depicted in the Chinese folk tale; stimulating an emotional response to the family relationships depicted in the Chinese folk tale; and engaging students in a comparative analysis of the images of family and family life presented in Chinese and Russian folk tales. The practical significance of the study lies in the possibility of using the article's materials in the process of educating primary school students.

The article discusses the methodological aspects of making classes with schoolchildren who attend a biology elective course and study the growth and development of ornamental plants in a school botanical garden and a biotechnology laboratory. The article demonstrates the possibility of students mastering the methods used in scientific research, as well as making statistical analysis of data obtained from observations and experiments. The cycle of school – bachelor’s degree – master’s degree – postgraduate studies is being worked out on the example of a specific interaction between academic science, higher education, and school education. The biometric measurements of ornamental plants and subsequent statistical data processing, the variety assessment of garden roses, phlox, and daylilies, as well as the determination of the stages of organogenesis of renewal buds in ornamental perennials at the end of the growing season, have aroused the greatest interest among students in grades 5–8. The projects of flower expositions and the selection of assortment for the educational garden were carried out by the staff of the Central Siberian Botanical Garden of Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences and the students of the Siberian State University Engineering and Biotechnology, with the aim of achieving a high decorative effect in the flower beds at the main entrance during the main celebrations associated with the end of school (peonies, irises) and the beginning of the school year (garden roses, Korean chrysanthemums). Recommendations are given for the microclonal propagation of Korean chrysanthemum varieties based on the biotechnology module available at the school.

An analysis of advanced teaching practices reveals that the development of modern, highly qualified specialists begins in school, confirming the relevance of our study on the professional preparation of future chemistry teachers for scientific pedagogical inquiry. Many scholars have noted the development of students' scientific intuition and the faculty's ability to identify students' personal characteristics for this purpose. The purpose of our study is to evaluate the effectiveness of the developed system for motivating future chemistry teachers to engage in scientific pedagogical inquiry, beginning in the first year of study. This long-term study is based on an analysis of advanced teaching practices, scientific and pedagogical literature, and the authors' extensive teaching experience, using empirical research methods. We have tested a methodological system for aligning students' research interests with their own, focused on searching for and analyzing (using critical thinking techniques) information to develop a proprietary chemistry teaching methodology based on the most effective methods and techniques, as well as modern methodological approaches and innovative educational technologies. Specific conditions are identified and an analysis of the application of certain vectors for developing students' scientific and pedagogical inquiry during their professional training is presented.

This work addresses the issue of studying the realia of Russian linguoculture in linguodidactic aspect. It emphasizes the necessity of developing intercultural competence through the parallel acquisition of linguistic units in the native and foreign languages. Special attention is given to the integration of the Russian studies component into the foreign language educational process, aimed at enhancing knowledge of Russian cultural realia and their reflection through the English language. By realia of Russian linguoculture we understand English designations of linguistic units that denote objects and phenomena of Russian culture related to various spheres of Russian life, from intercultural linguistic perspective. The study proposes a thematic classification of realia, encompassing 17 sections that cover different aspects of the country’s life, such as symbolism, history, geography, economy, culture, and traditions. Based on this classification, a model of a thematic glossary has been developed, including translation of and commentary on cultural realia. The experimental part of the research comprised a survey of students aimed at compiling the inventory of realia grouped under certain topics. The results were visualized and compared with the inventory generated by artificial intelligence service, revealing differences in singling out the most significant realia of Russian lingvoculture. The study emphasizes the importance of systematic organization of realia and the creation of a specialized glossary to enhance the effectiveness of studying Russian culture in a foreign language as part of intercultural competence.

The article substantiates the importance of the teamwork experience formed among students of secondary vocational education for their future professional activity. It proposes an interpretation of teamwork as a special type of relationship defined by common values for team members, which take the form of motives for joint activities carried out through effective communication, coordinated efforts, agreed-upon distribution of roles, mutual support, and complementarity of team members' competencies. It is substantiated that the scientific provisions 1) on team interaction as a special type of relationship; 2) on the competencies of team interaction and other concepts that reflect the specifics of working in a team, the content of which is revealed through knowledge, values, and motives, as well as ways of joint action; 3) on various types of interaction experience, the component structure of which is revealed in the combination of cognitive, motivational-value, communicative, and practical characteristics that manifest themselves in people's joint activities, serve as the theoretical basis for identifying the components of the experience of team interaction among secondary vocational education students. The article highlights the cognitive, motivational-value, communicative, and activity components of the experience of team interaction among secondary vocational education students. It is revealed that the cognitive component accumulates the system of students' knowledge and perceptions, ensuring a reflective understanding of the interaction process; the motivational and value component includes values that take the form of students' interaction motives in a team environment; the communicative component involves a dialogical orientation of the individual in communication, ensuring effective team cooperation; and the activity component encompasses skills related to interaction during teamwork.

The article addresses the problem of developing the project-technological activity of university teachers in the context of the digital educational environment. It demonstrates that the digital educational environment is not an auxiliary tool but an ontological and methodological continuum within which the professional roles of the teacher are transformed, the logic of pedagogical interaction is altered, and new forms of subjectivity are actualized. The theoretical and methodological analysis made it possible to identify the structural components of project-technological activity (personal, cognitive, and activity-practical), presented in the form of a matrix reflecting their manifestation at the motivational-value, content-cognitive, and operational-activity levels. A set of ways to form project-technological activity (regulatory-legal, methodological, organizational-resource, digital-technological, facilitation-mentoring, reflexive-analytical, and sociocultural) is substantiated, which in their systemic interaction form the architectonics of professional development of the teacher in the digital context. The scientific novelty of the study lies in the ontologization of the digital educational environment as a framework for project-pedagogical action and in the development of an integral model for the formation of project-technological activity that integrates axiological, epistemological, and practical-technological levels. The practical significance of the results is expressed in their applicability to advanced training programs, the development of diagnostic tools, and institutional strategies for the digital transformation of universities. The results of the study make it possible to consider project-technological activity as a strategic resource for the modernization of higher education and the enhancement of its resilience in the context of digital transformation of society.

This article presents the results of a empirical study aimed at identifying the specifics of how students at Russian universities perceive the main directions of educational activities. The relevance of the study is determined by the legislative reinforcement of the educational function of higher education and the need to create a holistic educational environment. The purpose of the work was a comparative study of the evaluations of educational work by students of teacher training and other specializations from five regions of the Russia. The methodological basis was the axiological approach, and the research tool was an author-developed questionnaire. The Mann–Whitney U-test was used for statistical data processing. The analysis focused on such priority directions as civic-patriotic, spiritual-moral, cultural-creative, scientific-educational, professional-labor, and environmental education. The results indicate that in teacher training programs, educational work across all directions is implemented more actively and systematically, and student engagement is significantly higher. The specifics of the preferences of future teachers regarding the forms of educational work (educational conversations, integration into academic disciplines, master classes, scientific publications) were identified. The key tasks for improving the educational environment are defined as increasing student engagement through the introduction of innovative formats, expanding career-oriented practices, and the systematic consideration of student feedback. The article concludes that a comprehensive system of educational activities has been established in Russian universities.

Existing approaches to teaching audiovisual translation in professional linguistic education are liable to description in this paper. A number of specific features distinguishing audiovisual translation from other translation types necessitate the use of a wide range of approaches to conditioning the competency of linguists. Within the framework of the researched functional-pragmatic competence of linguists it is obligatory to identify a key approach to its development. In this regard, we analyzed fundamental approaches to training linguists in professional linguistic education. Having addressed the specifics of audiovisual texts, we analyzed current approaches to preparing students for audiovisual translation. This will allow us to further formulate the main concepts underlying the audiovisual approach to developing the functional-pragmatic competence of students majoring in linguistics. As a result of the analysis of the mentioned approaches, in this paper we attempt to formulate the notion of the audiovisual approach, which has prospects for development in the field of professional linguistic education in the context of technological progress and the continuously increasing number of audiovisual materials marked by modern digitalization and information transformation.