Abstract: The subject of the study is the competition between the two largest trading houses in the Russian Far East - the Russian firm Churin & Co. and the German company Kunst & Albers. The article examines the main forms and methods of competition between these enterprises in the context of the socio-economic development of the region and state policy in the second half of the 19th - early 20th centuries. The history of the creation and development of these companies, the features of their retail networks, and their contribution to the urban life of Vladivostok, Khabarovsk, and other centers of the region are analyzed. The work includes an analysis of business strategies, interactions with authorities, adaptation to political changes (including the anti-German campaign during the First World War), as well as the influence of the rivalry between the trading houses Churin & Co. and Kunst & Albers on the development of the Far Eastern region of the Russian Empire. The methodology is based on the problem-chronological and comparative-historical approaches, with the involvement of archival materials (documents of the Ministry of Trade and Industry, the office of the Primorsky Governor-General), reports of government inspectors, the press and business correspondence. The scientific novelty of the work lies both in the formulation of the problem and in the comprehensive study of the transformation of economic competition into an instrument of political struggle, as well as in identifying the mechanisms of interaction between business and the state in the conditions of a peripheral region. The main conclusions of the study can be formulated as follows. The competition between the firms "Churin and Co" and "Kunst and Albers", combining market methods and political lobbying, became one of the main drivers of the region's development, contributing to the development of infrastructure, logistics and consumer culture. State policy (free port regime, government orders) determined the success of the companies. During periods of crisis, such as World War I, competition took on a destructive character: economic rivalry was replaced by ideological struggle, including slander campaigns and blackmail, which reflected the subordination of business to the political situation. The study confirms the thesis about the interdependence of economic and political factors in the development of peripheral regions of the empire, where business strategies were formed within the framework of a dialogue with state priorities.

Keywords: government contracts, anti-German campaign, Blagoveshchensk, Vladivostok, Far East, Priamurye, Primorye, competition, Kunst and Albers, Churin and Co

Abstract: This article focuses on Russian food security as the subject of research, with the object being the Russian-Ukrainian geopolitical conflict. The author examines in detail the impact of the Russian-Ukrainian conflict on the global food supply chain, emphasizing Russia's food security in light of geopolitical challenges. This article employs a wide range of research methods, such as geopolitical analysis, systemic analysis, comparative analysis, and others, aimed at analyzing the real problems that Russia may face both now and in the "post-conflict period." The novelty of the research lies in analyzing events from the perspective of geopolitics and conflict theory, as well as in the comprehensive examination of a series of problems and difficulties that Russia faces during the conflict and in the post-conflict period. The author also used a comprehensive approach involving various sources, including the latest findings from Russian and Chinese scholars, information from government websites of both countries, and others that can provide different perspectives for studying this issue. The work not only details the consequences of the conflict for Russia's food security at the present time but also provides forecasts regarding the development of the situation in the "post-conflict period." According to the author, to ensure geopolitical stability and overcome a complex international environment, Russia may create a new type of relationship between great powers and Asian countries, especially with China.

Keywords: China, Russia, policy, geopolitics, food security, challenges, crisis, Russian-Ukrainian conflict, supply chains, cooperation

Abstract: This study examines the major internal and external mechanisms of the increasing environmentalism in Chinese economy. The economic dimension of environmentionalization processes in the context of economic development. The main goal of this article is to reveal the strengths and weaknesses of said processes and to outline possible methods of overcoming their contradicting currents. Studying the experience of the People's Republic of China, the strengths and weaknesses of the Chinese approach to the environmentalization of the economy is necessary not only to understand the contemporary situation and to predict the future external and internal policies of the country. The results of the study may be useful for building possible scenarios for the development of other growing economies. The author analyses and outlines the political, market and social mechanisms necessary to achieve the set goals of the economy's environmentalization mechanisms. The author studies their main traits and spotlights the trends which are common to the said process in Chinese economy. The author also outlines the contradictions which China faces in the process of building a greener economy. The said contradictions include the conflict between the economy and the environment (1), the conflict of interest between the central government and regional authorities (2), the uneven environment-friendliness of large companies and smaller enterprises (3), as well as the lack of environmental awareness among the Chinese economy's actors (4). The author concludes by offering a number of ways to overcome the said contradictions.

Keywords: environmental management, environmental consciousness, environmental law, sustainable development, China, ecologization, ecology, environment, renewable energy, economy