Abstract: The authors of the article analyze various options of the foreign ("Dissidents in the Soviet Union: policy, ideology and people") and domestic (A.A. Danilov, I.A. Romankina, M.R. Melnik, V. N. Sergeyev) classifications of stages of the dissident movement in the USSR. Authors connect a start of motion with the post-war period or Khruschev's "thaw"; allocate a turning point - crisis of oppositional movement in 1964-1965; recognize the "Helsinki" period (an exit to the international level; a final boundary of movement carry to 1985-1987. The Teoretiko-metodologichesky basis of research is made by the principles of: a) objectivity; b) historicism; c) systemañity, d) the full account social and subjective in an object of research and the greatest possible neutralization of the prejudiced relation of the scientist at interpretation and an assessment of the facts. Owing to opportunities, the principles of social and psychological approach and the principle of a correctness and sensitivity in an assessment of the actual material as feature of movement of dissidents I was strong moral and ethical a component of its participants were used.Besides the methodological principles in research the special and historical principles were applied: updating, diachrony, comparative-historical, problem and chronological; and also general scientific principles such as the principles of classification, statistical, structural and systems principles. Scientific novelty consists actually in statement of a question of the analysis of various options of a periodization of dissident movement in the USSR. The epoch-making dates in all periodizations are post-war years or the Khrushchev's "thaw" when the dissident movement only started to form; in 1964-1965 - crisis in opposition development; "Helsinki" period and gaining access to the western society; and  the end of the movement in 1985-1987. 

Abstract: The subject matter of the research is the structure of Muslim clergy (age criterion, an education level, etc.), activity of attendants of an Islamic cult (the organizational device, religious practice, elements of modernization of a cult, etc.), the main directions of the Soviet state and religious policy concerning Islam in the 1940-1980th at regional level - on the average the Volga region. Multinational and polyconfessional Central Volga Area was typical regional formation of Russia. The main tendencies in activity of confessional associations, as a whole, Muslim, in particular, foldings and developments of the relations of the state and religious formations in scales of all country were rather accurately traced on the example of multinational Central Volga Area, having thus the specifics. As a teoretiko-methodological basis of research the principles were chosen: a) objectivity; b) historicism; c) systemacities, d) the objective account social and personal in an object of research and the most possible neutralization of the subjective relation of the researcher at an assessment and interpretation of the facts. Novelty of research is that for the first time the special massif of archival sources which earlier wasn't demanded owing to the various reasons is introduced into scientific circulation; the main directions and forms of activity of Muslim clergy in the USSR in the 1940-1980th on the example of Central Volga Area are revealed. Conclusions.The Muslim clergy of Central Volga Area was characterized by the high age qualification and a low education level, as the general, and spiritual. In some villages in connection with small number of priests of Islam of their duty foreign persons or old men-babai carried out. The mullah, especially in rural areas, enjoyed indisputable authority that was expressed and in a material form. The Muslim clergy developed vigorous activity, applying the most various methods of work among the population. The most important element of religious practice of an Islamic cult was the sermon. The Muslim clergy of the Middle Volga region was guided by the maximum adaptation of ideology of Islam and activity of religiousness of associations to conditions of socialist society, modernization of religious doctrines of the Koran, rapprochement of the social and moral principles of Islam and communism, religion and culture. Mullahs, being in the main weight tolerant concerning the Soviet power, nevertheless sometimes entered open opposition, as on fundamental questions of belief (mainly, in Tatar Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic and Kuibyshev area), so sometimes and from mercenary motives.