Abstract: The object of this research is the political culture of population of Ulan-Ude. The subject is such aspects as the interest to politics, political values, political preferences and orientations. The article is based on the data acquired by the group of sociologists from the Institute for Mongolian, Buddhist and Tibetan Studies of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences in the course of sociological survey conducted in 2016-2018. Its goal consisted in intergenerational analysis of social mood of townspeople. Their political behavior in many ways was substantiated by the socioeconomic situation formed in the region. The author surveyed 487 respondents in Ulan-Ude (self-report questionnaire). The conclusion was made that the political culture of Ulan-Ude population overall has nationwide characteristics: paternalism, social infantilism, nostalgia for the Soviet past. The author underlines negative assessment of the alignment of interests between the government and society, although preference is given to the current political system.

Abstract: The object of this research is the interethnic relations in the Republic of Buryatia. The subject is such factors of interethnic relations as the social distance between ethnoses of the republic, impact of ethnicity upon social progression, and ethnic inequality. Attention is turned to the fact that the level of tension in ethnic relations depends on the scale of social distance. An attempt is made to determine to what extent social inequality relates to ethnicity; does the ethnic affiliation affect the social status, progression, and access to power. The research was conducted by the group of sociologists from the Institute for Mongolian, Buddhist and Tibetan Studies of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences in 2017 requested by the Committee on Nationality Affairs and Youth Initiatives under the Government of the Republic of Buryatia, and was aimed at creation of the expert board on assessment of the interethnic and Interconfessional relations in the Republic of Buryatia. The expert community of the republic demonstrates the high level of mutual transparency, which speaks of a small social distance between the major ethnic groups of Buryatia. Noting that nationality affects the social progression, the expert overall do not think that social inequality in the republic has ethnic dimension.

Abstract: The subject of this research is the impact of the established socioeconomic situation upon the interethnic relations in the Republic of Buryatia. Despite the fact that throughout the long period of time, interethnic relations retain stability, demonstrating a fairly high level of tolerance in the Republic comparing with some regions, the threats of conflicts do exist. And among them, is the unfavorable economic situation in the regions, characterized by the low indexes of region’s socioeconomic development. Buryatia is a beneficiary region, which of course, negatively affects the level and quality of life of the population, and does not contribute into the propitious development of interethnic relations. The article provides the results of study aimed at creation of the expert panel on assessment of the interethnic and Interconfessional relations in the Republic of Buryatia. The authors analyzes the expert evaluations regarding the nature and level of influence of the economic factor upon the interethnic relations. Socioeconomic situation does not manifest as a decisive factor of interethnic relations. However, it is noted that the formulation of national projects of economic development that allow improving the socioeconomic situation, will make its input into optimization of the interethnic relations.

Abstract: This article reviews the general picture of poverty in the Republic of Buryatia and regions of the Siberian Federal Okrug. The author provides analysis, systematization and generalization of the data of federal and regional statistical services for substantiation of the existing level of poverty. The methods of determination of living standards and level of poverty among the population of Russia, including the regions, are examined. It is demonstrated that the Republic of Buryatia is referred to as a group of regions with a low density of population and low level of socioeconomic development if correlated with the nationwide indexes. According to the statistical data based on the absolute measurement of poverty, its level in the Republic of Buryatia can be compared with the more upscale regions of the Siberian Federal Okrug, such as Krasnoyarsk Krai. A more realistic picture of poverty is presented from the perspective of median approach, which underlines the imperfection of the absolute measurement of poverty.