Abstract: The subject of this study is the ways and routes through which the cult of the god Mithras penetrated the Roman Empire, as well as the chronological framework of the spread of Mithraism in Rome. The article examines the issues surrounding the spread of the cult of Mithras in Iran and how this religious cult entered the territory of the Roman Empire. This work investigates the transformation of the cult of the god Mithras among the Cilician pirates and its penetration through them into the Bosporan Kingdom during the reign of Mithridates Eupator, the emergence of a syncretic cult, and its further dissemination in the Roman Empire. The article also addresses the influence of Commagene in the formation of Roman Mithraism. Based on the analysis of epigraphic and archaeological data, the author explores various aspects of the scientific problem regarding how the cult of the ancient Iranian deity Mithras penetrated the Roman Empire. For the analysis of the material, the author employed methods of terminological and lexical analysis of historical sources, as well as historiographical research methods: interdisciplinary, periodization, and problem-chronological approaches. The main conclusion of the article is that the classical view of Kümön, which posits that the origins of Roman Mithraism should be considered through the ancient Iranian tradition, finds confirmation in contemporary historical science. Thus, the process of the establishment of the Roman cult of Mithras can be regarded as a discrete development, where the Iranian component of Mithraism gradually transforms into a completely new religious tradition, incorporating various cultural and religious traditions from other cultures. The novelty of the work lies in the fact that the chronological framework for the emergence of the Roman cult of Mithras has been pushed to a later time in the 1st century BC. Possible locations for this transformation could include the Kingdom of Commagene, Cilicia, and the Bosporan state. The Bosporus, as a potential center for the transformation of the cult of the god Mithras, is also considered because at the turn of the 2nd-1st centuries BC, there emerges not only the syncretic ancient Iranian cult of the god Mithras but also other Eastern gods of Thracian and Egyptian origin. For the most part, all these eastern deities penetrate from the territory of Asia Minor, as during this period, the Bosporan state is included in the Pontic Kingdom of Mithridates Eupator VI.

Keywords: the cult of the god Mithras, Avesta, Cilicia, Cilician pirates, Kingdom of Commagene, Bosporan Kingdom, syncretism, Iranian magi, mysteries, Bosporan theophanies

Abstract: The article is dedicated to the rise and fall of Esen, the leader of the Oirat people in the mid-15th century. The research traces Esen's path from taishi to self-proclaimed khan, analyzing both the factors behind his rapid ascent and the reasons for his equally swift decline. The foundation of Esen's power was laid by his father, Togon, who managed to unite many Oirat tribes and establish control over a representative of the "Golden Lineage," turning him into a puppet khan. Inheriting this system, Esen significantly strengthened the Oirat's power: he expanded territory through military campaigns, used flexible diplomacy, and manipulated the figure of the khan to consolidate his own authority. Ultimately, he violated the centuries-old tradition that only descendants of Genghis Khan had the right to the khan title, and proclaimed himself khan. His rule turned out to be fragile: the lack of legitimacy due to the absence of ties to the "Golden Lineage," growing internal disputes among the Oirat nobility, and the intensification of foreign policy conflicts led to the rapid decline of his influence and power. This study relies predominantly on a historical-documentary method based on Russian and Chinese sources, and includes a comparative analysis of various accounts and a critical use of historical materials. Based primarily on Chinese historical sources, the research offers a comprehensive analysis of Esen's political and economic strategies, as well as identifying key reasons for the collapse of his short-lived empire. For the first time, a comprehensive study of the phenomenon of Esen's rise and fall has been presented. Not being a representative of the "Golden Lineage," he managed to become a khan who challenged the traditional Mongolian political system. This work reveals not only the military but also the structural factors of Esen's rise: the inheritance of a governance system created by his predecessors, manipulation of legitimacy through a puppet khan, and flexible diplomacy. Alongside political history, Esen's economic strategies are analyzed, which is rarely encountered in existing Russian and Chinese studies. The article utilizes Chinese historical sources that are seldom featured in research, allowing for a more comprehensive reconstruction of the logic of the political aspects of Chinese-Oirat relations.

Keywords: Esen, taishi, oirats, buddhism, ming dynasty, Toghon, mongols, Mahamu, Ugechi Khashagha, Emperor yongle

Abstract: The subject of this study is the internal and external pilgrimage activities in the territory of the Taurida Diocese from 1900 to 1917. The primary source used is materials from the regional church periodical press – the Tauride diocesan statements for 1900–1905, 1916 and the Taurida Church and Public Herald for 1906–1917. Special attention is given to identifying and localizing the main sites of Christian pilgrimage on the Crimean Peninsula and the adjacent Northern Taurida, as well as mentioning the logistical schemes of external pilgrimage from the Taurida Governorate beyond the Russian Empire – to the Holy Land and Mount Athos. The study highlights the peculiarities of altar holidays in Crimean monasteries (with references to their dates, the author uses both the new and old calendar styles; in all other cases, the old style is used for dating the events described in the article), religious processions, and mass pilgrimages. The main method of research is a systematic approach that reveals the features of internal pilgrimage in the Taurida Governorate and external pilgrimage beyond its borders. To compare the two levels of pilgrimage activity, a comparative method is employed, which allows for assessments of their independence and interconnection. The novelty of the research lies in the fact that the author describes internal pilgrimage routes for the first time and provides a historical overview of the main centers of internal pilgrimage in the Taurida Governorate at the beginning of the 20th century. Like in the previous period, these were formed based on the monasteries of the Crimean Peninsula and Northern Taurida. Among all the monasteries, only the Inkerman St. Clement Monastery lacked a hotel for accommodating pilgrims due to extreme poverty. The main conclusion of the research is that the activity of the Imperial Orthodox Palestine Society and the Taurida department of the Society, opened on April 2/15, 1900, influenced the change in the character of internal pilgrimage activities in the Taurida Diocese. Alongside independent visits to holy sites, a new form of organized pilgrimage among groups of students, sobriety society members, and ordinary Orthodox Christians gained popularity in the region.

Keywords: Tauride Diocese, Crimea, Chersonesos, pilgrimage, Orthodox Palestine Society, IOPS, monasteries, Palestine, Athos, Tauride diocesan statements

Abstract: The object of the research is cultural genesis in the Southern Urals during the Middle Ages, considered as a process of the development of cultural phenomena studied through the lens of archaeological science. The subject of the research includes the factors that influenced its development. The relevance of studying these factors is primarily due to the insufficient number of works dedicated to the analysis of cultural genesis processes, both on a general regional scale and in relation to its individual areas and archaeological cultures. The aim of the work is to summarize, systematize, and analyze the main factors that influenced the development of cultural traditions in the South Ural region during the medieval period of its history. To achieve this, the results of studies and materials obtained during the archaeological investigation of settlement sites located in the Republic of Bashkortostan were used. The theoretical foundation of the research is based on the works of renowned archaeologists and cultural theorists such as E. S. Markaryan, V. M. Masson, and others, who explored various aspects of the studied problem. The research employed interdisciplinary and systemic approaches, historical-comparative methods, generalization, and historical methods. The scientific novelty of the research lies in the fact that it is the first time that factors of cultural genesis in the Southern Urals during the Middle Ages have been summarized and examined. The study revealed that the dynamics of the formation and evolution of cultural traditions were closely linked to factors such as the region's natural and climatic conditions, migration flows, intercultural communications, trade connections, military and anthropogenic factors, and the dynamics of tradition and innovation. The very process of cultural genesis was closely associated with the socio-economic and political development of the region. A comprehensive study of the mentioned materials helps, on one hand, to understand the overall trajectory of cultural-historical development in the Southern Urals during the Middle Ages, and on the other hand, to examine how individual archaeological cultures arise, function, and change, identifying their unique features and regional characteristics.

Keywords: Southern Urals, Republic of Bashkortostan, culturogenesis, material culture, archaeology, archaeological culture, Middle Ages, factors, settlement monuments, settlement

Abstract: Вased on the introduction of previously unpublished archival sources of documentation, the article analyzes the main directions and forms of the Volgograd department of the Union of Soviet Friendship Societies and Cultural Relations with Foreign Countries (USFS) activity in the late 1950s and 1980s. The article examines the socio – political factors that influenced the emergence of qualitatively new formats of interaction with foreign publics in the context of international tension. It shows the institutions of social cooperation and their functioning system through an extensive network of foreign missions, and the forms of cultural, humanitarian, and social cooperation, and the mechanisms for demonstrating the USSR achievements, which contributed to strengthening the country's international reputation. Following the principles of systematicity and historicism the authors consider the activities of regional friendship societies as an integral part of an all-Union organization that operated within the framework of the country's overall foreign policy objectives. The use of the structural – functional method allows us to reveal the mechanisms and areas of activity of the Volgograd department of the USSR Society of Friendship Societies by analyzing the activities conducted by party, state, and public organizations at various levels. The article concludes that the Volgograd department of the Society for International Cooperation is engaged in systematic activities, and it reveals the main areas of its work to establish dialogue with foreign communities, which include cultural and humanitarian cooperation, educational and ideological work, and social interaction. The article also introduces innovative event formats that have become effective tools for developing international public relations.

Keywords: Friendship Societies, cultural cooperation, international relations, people’s diplomacy, social interaction, international friendship, forms of cooperation, ideological work, public organizations, humanitarian cooperation

Abstract: The subject of the study is the life and work of V. G. Monastyrev, an intellectual, civil servant and organizer of public education in the Vilyui district in the 1880s and 1914s. The purpose of the study is to reveal the contribution of V. G. Monastyrev to the development of primary education, the judicial system and local self—government in the Yakut Territory, as well as to characterize his personality and role in the formation of the Yakut intelligentsia. To achieve this goal, the following tasks have been set: 1) to study and analyze previously unpublished church and clerical documents related to the life and work of V. G. Monastyrev; 2) based on archival materials and memoirs of descendants to recreate the biography of V. G. Monastyrev and describe his pedagogical and social activities; 3) to identify the impact of V. G. Monastyrev's activities on the development of education and culture in the Yakut region 4) to characterize the personality of V. G. Monastyrev as a teacher, public figure and family man. The geographical scope of the study is limited to the Yakut territory and Vilyui district. The methodological basis of the research is the principles of historicism, scientific approach and objectivity. Using an integrated approach made it possible to analyze various aspects of V. G. Monastyrev's life and work. The method of analyzing archival documents helped to recreate a reliable picture of his biography and assess the significance of his contribution to the development of the region. As a result of the work carried out, based on archival documents and memoirs of descendants, a detailed biography of V. G. Monastyrev was recreated, his pedagogical and social activities were characterized, and his role in the development of primary education in the Vilyui district was revealed. The scientific novelty of the research lies in the use of previously unpublished sources and in a comprehensive approach to the study of the life and work of V. G. Monastyrev. Based on the results of the work, it was concluded that V. G. Monastyrev made a significant contribution to the development of education, culture and local self-government in the Yakut Territory. The research materials can be used in historical research, in teaching courses on the history of Yakutia and Russia, as well as in the preparation of textbooks and popularization materials.

Keywords: people's teacher, Yakut intelligentsia, school director, public education, The Yakut region, Meginsky district, Teachers' Seminary, District Council, Population census, mentor

Abstract: The subject of the study is the formation of the handicraft industry in the Vladimir province during the reconstruction period, which replaced the policy of "war communism." The purpose of the study is to study the characteristic regional features (specialization of industries, raw materials, sale of products important to the local population, entry into the market outside the province, etc.), to identify trends in the development of industries of single artisans and united in cooperation. Using the example of the Vladimir Art Union and the Prioksky Union of Agricultural and Commercial Cooperatives, an analysis of the involvement of artisans in the cooperative movement is presented. The transition to planning in the economic relations between the state and the handicraft industry is investigated. The geographical scope of the study is limited to the territory of Vladimir Province, which was part of the Central Industrial Region in the 1920s. The methodological basis of the research is the principles of historicism, scientific approach and objectivity. A systematic approach allowed us to consider the handicraft industry as a hierarchy with the management of individual handicrafts and cooperatives united by cooperation. The method of source analysis made it possible to assess the information value and practical significance of the identified archival documents and periodicals of local lore. The scientific novelty of the study lies in the fact that, based on the local history material of the 1920s and archival sources of the State Archive of the Vladimir region, a characteristic of the formation of the handicraft industry, its sectoral diversity is given: food, textile, metalworking, chemical, etc.. The process of functioning of both artels and cooperatives included in the cooperative at the level of the Vladimir province is presented.The research materials can be used in the educational process of teaching historical and historical-economic disciplines, in the development of teaching aids, in conducting specialized and generalizing research on the history of the handicraft industry and the formation of the cooperative movement in the Vladimir province, and on the scale of the Central Industrial region, dedicated to the initial period of the NEP.

Keywords: new economic policy, handicraft industry, cooperation, Vladimir Art Union, Vladimir province, industries, rent, lending, 1920s, sectors

Abstract: The subject of the research is a comprehensive analysis of the phenomenon of the criminalization of the Chinese diaspora in the Amur region in the early 1930s as an element of the internal policy of the USSR. Using the example of a specific criminal case (considered in 1932) involving the cooperative "Red Culinary" (in the town of Svobodny), the study explores the transformation of ordinary economic activity of an ethnic cooperative into a crime in the context of radical changes in the socio-political course. The purpose of the work is to deconstruct the mechanisms and identify the multi-level motives (economic, political, ideological, xenophobic) of the repressive practices of the Soviet state towards Chinese entrepreneurs and representatives of the Chinese diaspora as a whole, illustrating how offenses became a convenient legal tool for addressing the liquidation of the private sector, "cleansing" border territories, and suppressing ethnic minorities. The research is based on an interdisciplinary methodological foundation, combining a micro-historical approach with methods of historical-legal, socio-economic, and political analysis. The application of a comparative-historical method allowed the specific case to be placed within the broader regional and all-Union context of the repressive campaign against the Chinese population. The analysis of materials reveals a qualitative change in the nature and structure of offenses related to the Chinese population in the Amur region in the early 1930s, compared to the pre-revolutionary period. Their specificity was determined by a unique combination of historical, socio-economic, and political conditions of the early Stalin era. In the context of the curtailment of the NEP and the state ban on private initiative, the traditional entrepreneurial activity of the Chinese (small trade, services, cooperation) was inevitably forced into a semi-legal and illegal channel. Smuggling (gold, currency, goods), speculation, and violations of currency legislation became widespread. On one hand, these actions were a strategy for the economic survival of the diaspora in conditions of discriminatory legislation, while on the other hand, they were a reaction to strict limitations and state monopolization of the market. The legal rootlessness of most Chinese (lack of Soviet citizenship), their discriminatory status as a "class-alien element," and socio-economic marginalization in the context of collectivization created structural preconditions for mass involvement in illegal activities. Crime in this environment was not so much a manifestation of cultural peculiarities as a forced reaction to systemic pressure and the absence of legal channels for economic and social integration.

Keywords: Chinese diaspora, Amur region, Migrants, Smuggling, Speculation, Economic crimes, Transnational crime, Social adaptation, Yellow peril, Artels

Abstract: The subject of the study is legal-linguistic convergence as a complex, historically conditioned process of rapprochement between legal traditions and linguistic forms of their expression in Western, Eastern, and Russian legal contexts. The article focuses not on specific examples of term borrowing, but on the profound transformation of the language of law that accompanies changes in models of legal understanding, law-making, and law enforcement. The analysis centers on the evolution of legal terminology, the methods of structuring normative texts, and types of legal argumentation through which legal reality is established and reinterpreted. Particular attention is paid to the relationship between the language of law and the language of statutes, mechanisms for adapting external concepts to the national cultural and legal code, as well as the convergent vectors that shape the modern language of law in Russia at the intersection of Western retrospectives and Eastern perspectives of its development. The methodological foundation of the study includes comparative legal, historical-linguistic, and discursive analysis, allowing for the identification of mechanisms of language transformation in different legal cultures and the establishment of directions of their legal-linguistic convergence. The scientific novelty of the research lies in the comprehensive understanding of legal-linguistic convergence as a multi-level historical and cultural process encompassing Western and Eastern legal traditions and forming a specific trajectory for the development of the language of law in Russia. The work substantiates for the first time that convergence is manifested not only in terminological closeness but also in the transformation of models of legal argumentation, the structure of normative texts, and methods of interpreting legal categories. The analysis revealed that the Russian language of law is formed in a mode of cross-influence from the logico-analytical Western tradition and the value-regulative Eastern model, ensuring its flexibility and adaptability. It is concluded that convergent processes serve as an important condition for enhancing the predictability of legal communication, strengthening normative clarity, and integrating the Russian legal system into the global legal space, while preserving its cultural-legal identity.

Keywords: historical dynamics, legal language, jurilinguistics, jurilinguistic convergence, legal culture, legal traditions, legal reasoning, legislative drafting, evolution, cross-cultural legal communication

Abstract: The object of the research is factory science in the field of electrical engineering, exemplified by the Leningrad plant "Elekrosila." The subject of the research is a little-studied aspect of the functioning of the "Elekrosila" plant – the scientific-production work of the General Plant Bureau of Research and Laboratories of the enterprise. The source base consists of archival materials of personal origin from the Museum of the History of "Elekrosila," which are being introduced into scientific circulation for the first time. These materials were created by the plant's workers in the second half of the 20th century. In addition, the authors utilized document management sources from the Central State Archive of Historical and Political Documents of St. Petersburg and materials from Soviet periodicals. The main focus of the authors' collective is on the most important structure of the enterprise – the General Plant Bureau of Research (OBIS), as well as the electrical engineering laboratory and the metallurgical profile laboratories. The methodological foundation of this article is based on the principles of historicism and scientific objectivity. The main method chosen by the authors was the historical-genetic method, which allowed tracking the reasons for the emergence of important research structures at the plant. The authors identified key figures who played a significant role in the development of the plant's scientific potential and the age composition of laboratory workers in the 1930s. Specific achievements of the "Elekrosila" plant's laboratories are presented both during the existence of the OBIS and after its abolishment in 1933. It is noted that the scientific research activities of "Elekrosila" allowed the plant to become one of the leaders in electrical engineering in Leningrad; however, the preservation of the General Plant Bureau of Research and more attentive attention from the plant's management to laboratory work could have turned "Elekrosila" into a model enterprise of its time. At the same time, the authors question the complete reliability of the preserved personal origin sources regarding the history of scientific life at "Elekrosila" in the 1930s, as there is virtually no criticism of the plant's activities during that time in these sources.

Keywords: soviet science, history of Soviet Union, history of science, industrialisation, electrical industry, factory laboratories, history of technology, industry of Leningrad, industry of Saint Petersburg, industrial research