No 4(861) (2025)

The modern world is faced with a problem: the more aggressive globalization is, the more urgent it is to solve problems of various local specifics. The essence of the modification of the world is that it involves territories that have been forming their own development imperative for centuries. The process of global regionalization has taken shape, which is considered as the regionalization of the system of international relations (hereinafter – MO). The changes actualize the appeal to the concepts: "region", "regionalization", "sovereignty", "quasi-state", "actors of the defense system", etc.; regional studies as a science. Regional studies is becoming a tool for understanding the world in terms of revealing its transformation. The problem of studying comparative regional studies, an indicator of global transit that determines the vector of the emerging structure of the world, is being formed. This refers to a new interpretation of the concept of "region", an attempt to create a new direction in the study of the regional level in the context of global changes. The purpose of the article is to identify the role of comparative regional studies as a method in assessing the transformational processes of our time. In accordance with this goal, such methods of scientific knowledge as the study, synthesis, analysis, and systematization of research papers reflecting aspects of international politics were used. Based on the theoretical experience gained, forecasting and modeling of the development of modern political processes are used. The method of comparative analysis, operating within the framework of civilizational and systemic approaches to cognition, seems to be decisive and significant, and its development and application opens up prospects for a more complete understanding of the content of the formation of the MO system. As a result of the research, the author came to the conclusion that the mechanism of regional development has a sustainable impact on the world; comparative regional studies allows us to determine the directions and priorities in this process. The results obtained confirm the predictions about the duration of the modern transition period and the identification of approaches to its understanding.

Living space “Lebensraum” constituted a central ideological construct and a geopolitical imperative of action for the power elites of the ‘Third Reich’. The term itself, however, did not originate with them. Rather, it had already been coined at the turn of the 20th century by the German geographer and zoologist Friedrich Ratzel (1844–1904). His numerous political-geographical writings, concerned internationally with space, state and people, offered Nazi ideologues a convenient reservoir of theses for the development of their own pseudo-scientific and radical theoretical edifices. Nevertheless, it remains debatable whether Ratzel can thereby be considered a precursor to their expansionist, geopolitical Lebensraum policy. For this reason, after 1945, geopolitical research was stigmatized and subsequently rejected within German academia. In the wake of the geopolitical reconfigurations after 1989, however, ‘space’ was once again rediscovered. Particularly within the cultural and social sciences, geography ceased to be regarded as the dominant compass of foreign policy. Instead, politically charged geographical space — geopolitics — was understood as being politically, socially, and culturally constructed through discourse. Geo-economics, since 1989, has not supplanted geopolitical thought and practice but has rather provided it with additional resources and instruments.

SCO Summit that took place in China on 31 August – 1 September 2025 was really a remarkable event for future SCO development, and for the formation of the new world order. The idea of the global Eurasian center was introduced as a strategic goal for SCO country-members, and first of all for China and Russia. The hypothesis is the following: in 2020s it was becoming evident that the United States could not be considered an indisputable full superpower. However American ruling elite keeps adherence to hegemonic ideology based on the ideas of global domination and superiority (chosen nation ideology). As a result, US strategy has become arrogant aimed to stop this process of decline and to multiply its wealth. There are a lot of urgent problems in the American society but their solution is hardly possible in the near future. Traditionally American government tries to switch public attention to international and foreign policy problems. America has started a new phase of its struggle for liberal world order, and its policy has been becoming more and more irresponsible and uncompromised. Formation of the Eurasian global center alternative to Western center of power should be viewed as a key task for Russia and China. It is important to unite efforts for consolidation of the Eurasian center attracting all the countries who support the conception of peaceful world development and establishment of world order that will give equal opportunities and favorable conditions for all countries.

The relevance of this research lies in the fact that conflicts in society arise not only from political and economic miscalculations but also from poor living conditions and the collapse of the residential environment maintenance system. In Moscow, the special leisure and social zones that courtyards once served have disappeared. This article analyzes the sociocultural evolution of the Moscow courtyard as a public space. The communal courtyard became the primary unit of urban society, possessing its own distinctive architectural and planning form and spatial and symbolic significance. The courtyard community was the most stable informal institution, a site of immediate sociality, and a model for social instruction. Citizens' interactions in courtyards emphasized various forms of social interaction, honing useful behavioral stereotypes. The gigantic wave of urbanization that swept the country in the late 1950s decisively changed the appearance and structure of the familiar living environment. The first signs of the disintegration of courtyard collectivism appeared. The sociopsychological consequences manifested themselves in a sharp increase in the alienation of the urban environment, the formalization of interpersonal relationships, and increased indifference to their immediate surroundings. The study draws on a wide range of sources contained in the collections of the Central State Archives of the City of Moscow. The methodological basis of the study is a combination of general scientific and specialized historical methods. The research is based on a problematic historical analysis, taking into account the social conditions of the time.

The purpose of the article is to analyze scientific literature devoted to the Battle of Leningrad published in English-speaking countries (Great Britain, USA, Australia, Canada) after 2000, to identify approaches to assessing this battle, and to systematize the material used in the work. During the work on the publication, the principles of historicism and objectivity; historical-genetic, historical-typological, and historical-systemic methods were used. With their help, it was possible to identify and structure monographs and articles devoted to the Battle of Leningrad in accordance with the logic of the article. Three groups of publications were identified: 1) works written in accordance with the conceptual guidelines of the Cold War. In them, historians agree with the assessments of the course, main events, and results of military operations given by German military leaders and researchers during the Cold War, downplay the role of the USSR in the victory of the allied forces, focusing on the terrain and weather, and note the more significant role of Lend-Lease for the Red Army than it actually played; 2) studies that include a revision of some of the previously mentioned assessments and a more in-depth analysis of the facts; however, they also still contain some tendentious assessments that limit their objectivity; 3) articles and monographs in which modern English-speaking historians advocate a complete revision of the assessments of the Eastern Front and, in particular, the Battle of Leningrad. The author came to the conclusion that over the course of several decades there have been “shifts” towards more objective works freed from ideological frameworks, however, publications that still contain assessments aimed at falsifying our history are still presented in sufficient quantity.

Additional education is the object of research in various fields of science, including sociology. Statistical data as well as quantitative and qualitative methods can be used to understand the current state of the phenomenon under study. The main aim of the article is to conduct a comparative analysis of the attitude of young people to higher and additional education, as this approach will reveal the advantages of the studied educational trajectory over higher education, those advantages that are reflected in a higher level of satisfaction. For this purpose, the semantic differential method was chosen as one of the most effective methods for studying the motives and needs of young people. The empirical basis was formed by results of the author's survey of Russian youth aged 18-35 (N=1011). Calculations based on the semantic differential methodology revealed a more positive attitude of young people towards various forms of additional education than towards the higher education. More than that, the use of binary scales made it possible to develop and substantiate the typology of respondents in their relation to two educational trajectories. The conducted approbation has shown the effectiveness of using the semantic differential methodology in the study of educational problems.

The article examines the professional identity and competencies of young foreign language teachers at a Russian university as a subject of sociological research. An online survey of university foreign language teachers across Russia was conducted (the focus is on young teachers under the age of 35), and monitoring data from the MSLU Sociological Laboratory was also used. The author’s definition of the professional identity of foreign language teachers was formulated, based on the concept of a “second language identity”. This theory is fundamental, since the professional identity of foreign language teachers differs from other subject teachers. The author also examines the concept of “professional competence” and the existing classifications of this phenomenon. In the course of learning a new language, an individual develops a new identity comparable to that of a native speaker, due to immersion in culture and the implementation of intercultural communication. As part of the empirical analysis, professional competencies were divided into 3 groups: knowledge, teaching and use of a foreign language in professional and everyday life, as well as possible barriers in the teaching process. Language teaching is impossible without immersion in the culture of the country, so respondents become «bridges» between the worlds for their students, not only teaching the basics of the language, but also introducing them to the life of native speakers. However, starting a teaching career and not having much work experience, young professionals may face certain barriers, which are mainly related to the lack of a mentoring system at the university during the period of adaptation to a new professional teaching role.

The article is devoted to the study of the processes of socio-cultural risks of migration in the Republic of Adygea. With the increase in migration flows, the intercultural interaction of migrants and the host society acquires additional risks if this society is multicultural and multiethnic, which most Russian regions belong to. The most important tasks facing the current multicultural society are the formation of interethnic tolerance, the realization of its communicative potential and thereby overcoming negative trends in the field of interethnic relations. Due to the growing ethnic and cultural diversity caused by the intensifying migration processes, a scientific rethinking of traditional integration models and the development of new integration strategies for migrants is required. The author considers the multicultural space as a system that captures dynamic interactions and mutual influences, the level of integrativity, intercultural dialogue, the emergence of new forms of identity, values and social practices. Multicultural space in relation to Russian regions is proposed to be understood as the space of a region, which is characterized as a space filled with different ethnic and religious traditions, ethnocultural objects and events, people belonging to different ethnic groups and religions, as well as practices of intercultural and interfaith interaction. Based on a combined methodology (questionnaires, in-depth and expert interviews, content analysis of documents), key trends have been identified in the Republic of Adygea: the predominance of long-term migration strategies (72%), the high educational level of migrants (68%) with a low conversion of their qualifications (83%), as well as the ambivalent attitude of the host community (57% positive ratings with 62% of economic concerns). The results showed that the success of integration depends on the level of trust and support programs at the regional level. The practical significance of the work is determined by the development of a three-level system of recommendations for optimizing migration policy in a multicultural region.