Vol 8, No 1 (2025)

the article is devoted to the analysis of the emergence and evolution of the myth of the “Capture of Kazan” in October 1552 in symbolic politics and local historical memory. Based on the reconstruction of the historical context and military-political dynamics, a conclusion is made about the insignificant nature of the events of October 1552, which became another episode in the intra-elite struggle of the Kazan Khanate and the confrontation between Moscow and Kazan at the same time. To analyze the practices of commemoration of the “Capture of Kazan” in official communications and local historical memory, government (including diplomatic) official sources, personal materials, local history and fiction literature, and media materials from different eras are used. The analysis of these materials demonstrates how the historical narrative of the “Capture of Kazan” as a key episode of local and national history, being constructed to solve the situational problems of various subjects of communications (government, Church, part of the elites of the Moscow kingdom), becomes a stable, generally accepted and not subject to critical analysis version events. As a result of the evolution of the myth of the “Kazan Capture” for national history, this local episode is interpreted as an act of civilizational significance, as satisfaction of Rus' in relation to one of the last successors of the Golden Horde, as the beginning of a fundamentally new, “Eurasian” period of national history. For local historical memory, the “Capture of Kazan” is interpreted as an important, but (the opposite of heroic) tragic act in the political history of the Tatar people, marking the end of the original and the beginning of the colonial periods. In this form, this narrative begins to be reproduced in local media, literary texts, and regional history textbooks. It turns out that breaking out of the rut of a historical narrative once constructed is an almost impossible task.

the ethnic factor plays a major role in the socio-political life of modern Russia. In this regard, the study of the dynamics of ethnocultural diversity of local communities, its specificity in different periods is of great academic interest. The article provides a brief overview of the scientific literature of the Soviet and post-Soviet periods devoted to the study of the structure of the ethnos and its divisions. The most frequently used definition of the concept of «subethnos» in modern Russian ethnological science is given. The features of accounting for the ethnic composition of the population during general censuses in Soviet times, as well as in modern Russia, are separately covered. In this regard, the Volga region is of great interest. The population of this territory is extremely diverse and complex in its ethnic composition. For this reason, the study of the dynamics of ethnocultural diversity of local communities, its specificity in different periods is not only of great scientific importance, but also of practical application in the implementation of ethnocultural policy in the country. This region of Russia ranks first in the country in terms of the absolute number of non-Russian ethnic groups, and second only to the North Caucasus region in terms of their share in the total population. Using the example of the ethnic groups of the Volga region, an analysis is made of the reasons for the revival and development of sub-ethnic identities, and various factors influencing them are given. The statistical data shows the dynamics of the number of sub-ethnic groups among the Volga ethnic groups. The regions of the Volga region show their local specifics in terms of the degree of actualization of the sub-ethnic identification of citizens during census campaigns, as well as the socio-political component of this phenomenon. In this regard, the experience of the Republic of Bashkortostan is especially indicative, where certain efforts were made to revive the Mishar sub-ethnic identity at the regional level at scientific importance, but also practical application.

a study of ethnic Russian self-identification in China, especially in the Hulunbeir region, is an interesting topic given the unique historical and cultural interactions between Russians and Chinese in this area. Hulunbeir, located in northeastern China, borders Mongolia and Russia, and has a rich history of migration and mixed cultures. A study of ethnic Russian self-identification in Hulunbeir can provide valuable insights into how migration and cultural interactions shape identity in the modern world. It can also help understand how ethnic minorities adapt and maintain their uniqueness in the face of globalization and changing cultural norms.

in this article we will look at the chemical and flamethrower units of the Russian army during the First World War. The problem has not been studied comprehensively before. And all the researchers’ attention was paid to repelling enemy gas attacks. Our goal is to consider chemical and flamethrower units as a tool for active influence on the enemy, that is, a strike weapon of the Russian army. Our article is based primarily on archival documents extracted from the funds of the Russian Military Historical Archive (RSMHA). Memoir sources were also used. The main research methods were historical-archival and historical-systemic. We tried to see the overall picture of the structuring of chemical and flamethrower units of the Russian army during the First World War. Their genesis and weapons are briefly discussed. Particular attention is paid to the development of units and units within the Russian army. And the result of the experience of combating enemy chemical attacks and inflicting one’s own chemical attacks was not only relevant instructions and methodological instructions, but also extensive combat and organizational experience – which was of great practical importance both for the current period and for the subsequent historical era.

the purpose of this work is to study the formation and development of the image of the ideal samurai in Japanese literature of a didactic nature of the 13th-16th centuries. To do this, we will try to identify the components of the image of the ideal samurai in the most striking works of the designated Japanese literature. An important feature of these teachings is that they are essentially an appeal from samurai to samurai, and thus represent a view of military values as if from within this class. One of the interesting and important essential features of the teachings is that they narrate about the spiritual samurai ideals during the period of fragmentation and wars in Japan, which tells us that these ideals played a purely practical role in the life of samurai clans.

the article examines a set of issues related to the history of the military confrontation between the USSR and Finland in 1939-1944, the relevance of studying which in the school history course is determined not only by the tasks arising in connection with the program requirements for preparing students for the Unified State Exam, but also by the complexity of the current political situation, when, against the background of the conflict between the Russian Federation and the collective West, Finland, which had long maintained neutrality, joined NATO, which creates additional threats on the Baltic and northern borders of the Russian state. The authors of the article, relying on their own practical experience, when selecting the educational material necessary to cover the history of both the Soviet-Finnish War of 1939-1940 and Finland's participation as Hitler's satellite in military operations in 1941-1944, place the main emphasis on revealing the cause-and-effect relationships that determined both the military confrontation between the Soviet state and the Republic of Suomi and the historical consequences of these conflicts. The material in this article is aimed at helping the modern teacher in the complex process of forming and subsequently developing in students the necessary skills to reveal the essence of historical conflicts, the ambiguous consequences of which often have a decisive influence on modern politics, through an analysis of the causes that determine historical processes.

this article is devoted to how the US CIA covered the Somali-Kenyan territorial dispute of the 1960s in documents for official use. It is shown that the documentation clearly traces two periods – before and after the independence of Kenya. During the first period, the CIA paid much attention to the problems associated with the settlement of disputes between Great Britain and Somalia over the borders of the future Kenya. From August 1962 to December 1963, the CIA focused on this topic and throughout 1963 it paid almost no attention to other problems in the Somali direction. In the spring of 1963, according to the information available to the CIA, after a sharp aggravation of the situation around the border, Somalia and Great Britain broke off relations. The CIA, despite the fact that Great Britain hoped to resolve the dispute peacefully, predicted the beginning of fighting on the Kenyan-Somali border, and treated London's initiatives with skepticism. The second period began in December 1963, after Kenya gained independence. During this period, the CIA began to pay less attention to this problem, although it continued to inform the US leadership about the clashes taking place on the Kenyan-Somali border. In 1966, the CIA tried to find a Soviet trace in these clashes. It is worth noting that many of the CIA analysts' assumptions regarding the conflict around the Kenyan-Somali border came true. In particular, they assumed that Britain's peace initiatives around the border between Kenya and Somalia would not be successful, and that a guerrilla war would unfold on the border. The article analyzes publicly available CIA documents on the Kenyan-Somali border dispute and provides characteristics of the analysts' predictions regarding this conflict.

the purpose of this work is to study the image of the ideal samurai in Japanese literature of the Tukugawa era (1603-1867). We will refer to such samurai works as the treatise by Daidoji Yuzan “Budoshoshinshū” (“Instructions for one entering the path of a warrior”) and the text by Yamamoto Tsunetomo “Hagakure” (“Hidden among the leaves”). In addition, we will use the treatise of the great Japanese warrior Miyamoto Musashi – “Go Rin No Sho” (“The Book of Five Rings”), the work of Adachi Masahiro - “Heijutsu Zekun” (“Basics of fencing”) and “Treatise of the samurai Dzyagyu Tajima-no-kami on fencing”. The peculiarity of these works is the attempt of their authors to adapt the fundamental values of the samurai to a peaceful life, to consider the issue of serving the master and dying in his name from a new angle of perception.

this article analyzes the evolution of fortified lines and the formation of the frontier of the Russian Empire based on materials from central and local archives of Russia. The goal is to identify the characteristics of the development of fortified lines in various regions of the Russian Empire and explain how the empire used the system of fortified lines to shape and evolve its frontiers. The analysis of the fortified lines on the frontier revealed the following characteristics: 1) The evolution of the fortified lines of the Russian Empire can be divided into three stages: earthworks, abatis, and the line of fortresses. Earthworks and abatis represent passive defensive structures, while the line of fortresses represents active defensive structures; 2) The system of fortified lines of the Russian Empire is divided into European, Caucasian, Central Asian, and Siberian fortified lines. The following conclusions were drawn: 1) The history of the development of the fortified lines of the Russian Empire is closely linked to the process of the formation and evolution of its frontier; 2) The transformation of border fortresses into important border cities reflects a model of military and civil integration in the administration of the border regions of the Russian Empire; 3) The expansion of old fortified lines into new ones demonstrates a model of the expanding formation of the frontiers of the Russian Empire; 4) The fortress lines on the border are not only the foundation for the development of border cities but also a milestone in the formation and evolution of the border territories of the Russian Empire.

the article examines the military art of the War of the Spanish Succession (1701-1714). The subject of the study is the Battle of Blenheim on August 13, 1704, one of the most famous and large-scale battles of the era under consideration. The object of the study is the military correspondence of Louis XIV, J. Marlborough, Eugene of Savoy, Marshal Tallar, memoirs of direct participants in the battle, as well as documents, reports, and reports. The purpose of the article is to identify the features of battle tactics at the beginning of the 18th century using the Battle of Blenheim as an example. The scientific novelty lies in the fact that the article, based on sources that have not yet been reflected in Russian historiography, presents a view of a significant event in Western European military history, the battle between the Franco-Bavarian and Anglo-Dutch-German armies, which became a turning point in the War of the Spanish Succession. The article actualizes the problems of the general and the specific in military affairs of Western Europe and Russia, sharpens the issue of comparative analysis of military art during the War of the Spanish Succession (1701-1714) and the Great Northern War (1700-1721). The Battle of Blenheim revealed both the strengths and weaknesses of the 18th century battle tactics. As a result of the study, the author came to the conclusion that the defeat of the marshals of Louis XIV at Blenheim was caused by their wait-and-see passive way of waging war. Their rivals, John Marlborough and Eugene of Savoy, managed to break out of the generally accepted tactical method. They acted boldly and decisively, skillfully managing troops, interacting and supporting each other. The key to a decisive victory was the high morale of the allies, the discipline of the troops and the efficiency of the commanders. An important condition for the victory was the personal and military leadership abilities of Marlborough and Eugene of Savoy, their ability to correctly assess the situation, the strengths and weaknesses of the enemy, to use the terrain features, to foresee events, to impose their will on the enemy, to inspire the troops by personal example and to maintain their high moral and psychological spirit.

the article is devoted to the study of the ethnic identity of the Antes based on currently available archaeological and historiographic data. The work analyzes known approaches to defining the ethnicity of the Antes in historical science, examines the materials of archaeological research, as well as written sources covering this issue. Particular attention is paid to the relationship of cultural, socio-economic and political factors influencing the formation of the ethnic identity of the Antes. The author offers a critical review of existing hypotheses and interpretations, noting their validity or contradictions. The study emphasizes the need for a comprehensive approach to the study of ethnic processes in antiquity and determines the prospects for further study of the ethnogenesis of the Antes.

this article analyzes the impact of the “cooling” of church-state relations in 1917-1980s on the development of the Catholic Church in Mexico. The adoption of the 1917 Constitution, which restricted the rights of the Catholic Church, was preceded by the separation of church and state in the mid-19th century. The Catholic Church in Mexico had significant public support, and the infringement of the rights of the Catholic Church led to the War of the Cristeros. At the turn of the 1980s and 1990s, restrictions on religious activity were lifted. The number of believers of the main denomination remains significant, but has been declining in recent years due to the secularization of society, as well as the spread of Protestantism. It is concluded that distancing the church from the state has more advantages than disadvantages, and having returned the possibility of participation in political activity, in most cases it should be avoided, following the evangelical principle «Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's» (Matthew 22:21).

the epic tales considered in the article make it possible to distinguish various ethnogeographical groups within the Bashkirs. The epic "Kongur-Buga" reports on the division of the Bashkirs into southern and northern. The northern Bashkirs come to the aid of the southern Bashkirs, who are attacked by enemies. The heroes of the epic "Aldar and Zukhra" are Aldar, a representative of the steppe Bashkirs, and Zukhra, a representative of the forest Bashkirs. The south-eastern Bashkirs of the Nogai and Siberian roads were called steppe, and the north-western Bashkirs of the Kazan and Osa roads were called forest. Aldar arrives at Zukhra's father, Kidryas, who is a nomad in the area of Lake Kandra. Kidryas summons near and far guests to jiin - a gathering, a folk holiday. The epic names six groups of Bashkirs who arrived on the jiin, marking them by the names of the rivers: the first group includes the Bashkirs living on the Karmasan River, the second group includes the Bashkirs living on the Bir River, the third group includes the Bashkirs living on the Dema River, the fourth group includes the Bashkirs living on the Ufa River, the fifth group includes the Bashkirs living on the Ashkadar River and up the Belaya River, the sixth group includes the Bashkirs living on the Chermasan River. The function of maintaining social and political ties between the clan structures of the Bashkirs was performed by people's assemblies - yiyins (jiins). Zukhra marries Aldar and arrives at his camp on the Ural River. The hero of the epic "Ek-Mergen" came from the steppe Bashkirs. He rallied the forest Bashkirs around him and led their struggle against the Kazan Khanate. The division of the Bashkirs into groups did not violate the unity of the ethnos. The Bashkirs have a common ethnic identity, language and religion, lead a nomadic lifestyle, are engaged in cattle breeding, come to the aid of each other, and marry each other.

the Ants are an ancient East Slavic ethnic community that lived presumably existing in the IV-VII centuries. They were closely connected with the Slavs and were their ethnic neighbors and comrades. The Antes are mentioned in a number of historical sources, including the works of Byzantine historians. Their history and culture are not fully explored, but they are considered an important part of the early ethnogenesis of the Eastern Slavs. This article analyzes the chronicle of the life of the Antes people in the writings of Procopius of Caesarea, a Byzantine historian of the 6th century. The study is aimed at identifying the factual basis in his partly artistic texts-chronicles, which, nevertheless, allows for a deeper understanding of the historical context of the life of this people. The author analyzes the political, military, social and cultural aspects of the interaction of the Antes with the Byzantine Empire, based on the facts presented in the works of Procopius of Caesarea, as well as the role of these chronicles in shaping the image of the Antes in historical science. The history of the Antes was often intertwined with the history of other Slavic tribes, such as the Polabian Slavs, Dregovichs and others. Although the Antes no longer exist as a distinct ethnic community, their history remains significant for understanding the early history of the Slavs and shaping the ethnic map of eastern Europe.

the article observes the evolution of the concept of strategic partnership in the history of the Federal Republic of Germany on the example of two significant political phenomena: Willy Brandt's eastern policy and Gerhard Schroeder's strategic partnership. The author, based on the historical-genetic method and statistical analysis techniques, analysed the electoral and political contexts within which the eastern policy of Willy Brandt and the strategic partnership of Gerhard Schroeder were formed. The use of content analysis to study party programmes and speeches of ideologues allowed to identify similarities and differences of political phenomena. The study also attempted to reconstruct the correlation between the development of strategic partnership and economic interaction between the countries. Using the above mentioned methodological tools, the author concludes that W. Brandt's Eastern policy and G. Schroeder's strategic partnership are interrelated but different in political aspects. The differences between them are in the hierarchy of interaction between actors (transition to the actor-actor system), ways of interaction between countries (involvement of an intermediary institution in the form of the EU) and problematisation of policy, within which we can see a shift towards scientific and cultural contacts.