Abstract: The subject of this research is the analysis of geopolitical problems from the position of geopolitics, as well as the norms of international law. Special attention is given to the questions necessary for understanding the problems of interaction between geopolitics and international law: notion and concept of geopolitics; factors affecting geopolitics, such as geographical factors, loyalty of population, and struggle for the resources with consideration of the requirements of the norms of international law. The author also analyzes the various geopolitical strategies and suggests using the new methods of the analysis of geopolitical strategies, such as formal political analysis and comparative political analysis of geopolitical strategies. The analysis of the notion “geopolitics”, as well as the analysis of the principles and factors affecting geopolitics, conducted considering the norms of international law, comprises the basis of methodology of this research. The author concludes the geopolitics is a science that studies the regularities of one or other political strategies, including the regularities of their choice, and factors influencing them. Among the main factors that affect the choice of a geopolitical strategy are the following: geographical factors, including the problem of borders; loyalty of population; necessity of struggle for resources; and the norms of international law. Using the specific examples of Kosovo and Ukrainian crisis, the author demonstrates that the norms of international law in choosing one or another strategy would be upheld only under the conditions when the value of upholding the norms of international law supersedes the value of their violation. The article also presents the key methods of the analysis of geopolitical strategies.  

Keywords: comparative analysis, principles of international law, geopolitical principles, geopolitical strategy, principles, law, geopolitics, political rationalism, geopolitical confrontation, international cooperation

Abstract: This article analyzes the institution of mutual aid – waqf. The author examines the example of the Turkish waqfs. The subject of the research is the history of development of the waqf system in Turkey, while the object is the Turkish waqfs. The author thoroughly examines the types and functions of the waqfs, and gives special attention to the legal aspect of the question. He also describes the gradual evolution of the waqf system within time and under the influence of the changing political and socioeconomic conditions. A peculiar attention is also given to the types of social aid, which the waqfs historically provide to people in need. As the methodological base the author uses the comparative method for comparing the waqf system in the Ottoman Empire and in the modern Turkey, as well as the principle of historicism for tracking the emergence and development of the analyzing phenomena with consideration of a specific historical situation. If in the Ottoman Empire, the waqfs were primarily the religious institutions, then with the collapse of the Empire and with the arrival of nationalists to power led by Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, we can observe the processes of secularization of the waqf system. With the codification of the new legislation in 1967, the activity of waqfs takes on commercial character. And within time, the majority of waqfs have lost their religious nature. On the new stage of historical development, the waqfs in its own way become the triggers of the social mobilization and the means of realization of civil activity. The scientific novelty consists in the fact that the topic of charity in the Muslim societies is very little-studied within the Russian historiography. This article can be interesting for the historians, sociologists, as well as specialists majoring Turkey and Near East.

Keywords: Turkey, social aid, philanthropy, charity, waqf system, waqf property, waqf sector, waqfs, Ottoman Empire, Islam

Abstract: The problematics of the study of the role of Internet in politics is directly connected with the establishment of information society and the further understanding of politics. Due to this fact, the subject of this article became the examination of theoretical research of information society in the context of the influence of Internet upon people’s lives, and particularly upon the political process. The article presents the forecasts of the scholars pertaining to the transformation of human civilization from the moment of active informatization and popularization of Internet in the developed societies since the end of 1960’s. The author explores the concepts of the scholars, whose works to the most extent affecter the study of the establishment of post-industrial society. Based on the rendered in the article forecasts of the development of human civilization under the influence of informatization and extensive spread of Internet, the author formulates the basic features of post-industrial society. The description of prospects of the use of Internet technologies contains the listing of available options of increasing the efficiency of the society, as well as the threat to their destabilization.

Keywords: Political process, Information revolution, Post-industrialism, Mass communication, Futurology, Internetization, Informatization, Political communication, Internet, Information society

Abstract: This article is dedicated to the specificity of production of the network political discourse. The article examines the influence of the conceptual features of Internet upon the political communications in the network space; genre specificity of political discourse; role of cognitive factors on the process of information impact in social media; interaction between the network communities in situation of ideological confrontation; functions of political communications in social media. The research is based on the principles of social constructivism, P. Bourdieu’s concept of symbolic power, R. Barthes’ semiotic concept of myths, and T. A. van Dijk’s theory of discourse analysis. During the course of this research the author determines that the political discourse in social media attain the following features: miniaturization and visualization of the genres of political discourse, application of the methods of carnivalization, use of the means of nonconventional communication. The aforementioned peculiarities create a foundation for realization of the following functions of political communications in the social media: representation and interpretation of the events of political sphere; mobilization of the supporters and expansion of the area of communicative effect; compensation of the normative restrictions of an official information field. One of the conditions of the efficiency of the impact upon the Internet audience is the organization of information flow within social media, within the framework of which the two types of information are being highlighted: conjuncture (situational) and conceptual. The latter possesses an recursive character and forms a contextual frame which affects the processing of information about the current events of political life. It is noted that the interdiscursivity of the network political communications ensure the continuality of mass media content. Due to this fact, it is underlined that despite a horizontal character of interaction in social media, diversification and demassification of audience, the network communications ensure the reproduction of the symbolic power, formed by the “global discourse” of mass media.

Keywords: political conflicts, information war, public opinion, sociology of communication, social media, political communication, Internet communication, power, information society, political humor

Abstract: The subject of this research is the manipulative techniques on the formation of an international positive image of the Soviet Russia used by the Bolshevik leadership for the purpose of consolidation of the international status of the country and the return into the Soviet Union of the technical intelligentsia during the period of the New Economic Policy (NEP) with the help of “Smenovekhovtsy” movement. The object of this research is the work of the Central Committee of the Russian Communist Party (Bolsheviks), representatives of the People’s Commissariats of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade on organization and financial support of the “Smenovekhovtsy” publishers and the vector of their editorial policy. The sources of this article are the correspondence of the party leaders with the government pertaining to the aforementioned questions from the funds of the Russian State Archive of Sociopolitical History. The scientific novelty consists in the introduction to a scientific discourse of an extensive circle of new documents from the fund of the Council of People's Commissars and private collection of Stalin. The analysis of these documents allow having a new outlook upon the history of Smenovekhovtsy movement, define the role of the Bolshevik Party, its leaders and representatives of government structures in implementation through this movement of the program settings on formation of a positive image of the Soviet union abroad, as well as on return of the technical intelligentsia to Russia.

Keywords: Technical intelligentsia, Solodovnikov, Potekhin, Kluchnikov, Stalin, Krasin, Krestinskiy, Manipulative techniques, Smenovekhovtsy movement, Smenovekhovtsy editions

Abstract: The subject of this research is the examination of works of the European authors dedicated to the activity of various groups of interests that actively interact with the institutions of the European Union. In addition to that, the article presents an interesting statistical data which reflects the attitude of the European officials towards the lobbying and the lobbyists. The strive of the lobbyist structures for the increase of transparency of the process of state decision-making on the level of Community is being demonstrated. The author determines and analyses the ways that are currently being used by the European legislator for the legal regulation of the lobbyist relations. Based on the examination of a vast amount of empirical material, the author presents the maximally precise and full data about the currently functioning in Europe lobbyist organizations, as well as about the character and level of their impact upon the EU authorities. The scientific novelty consists in the fact that despite the seemingly detailed regulation of public relations in the area of interaction of the EU institutions with the representatives  of the European Parliament and European Commission, many problems associated with the lobbying are yet to be resolved. Such problems carry not just a legal-technical character, but also ontological. Conducting an in-depth analysis, the author reveals the substantial and conceptual difficulties, which were faced by the European legislator in determination of the nature and essence of lobbying, its objective-subjective structure, content, functional role, etc.

Keywords: interest representative, interest group, lobbyist, lobbying, European Commission, European Parliament, European Union, stakeholder, transparency register, code of conduct

Abstract: The article explores the complex of measures on reforming and development of the system of state service in Russia, ensuring the achievement of Program goals and objectives, which are supposed to be provided on the main areas. The subjects of research are the main provisions in the field of unified management of the public service. Under the Soviet regime, the old law was abolished and an important stage of public service reform was the adoption of the Federal laws. The state service of the modern state is reformed, develops and progresses.Methodological basis of research is the dialectical method and historical, systematic and targeted approaches to study the problem.Scientific novelty is reflected in the formation of a unified system of state control, through the application of new legislation to the service. The legislation not only affects the efficiency of a single system of government, but also civil servants. The formation of a unified approach to affect the development of the state as a whole.

Keywords: establishment, executive authority, state, public service, administrative reform, political aspect, historical aspect, development, operation, law

Abstract: This article examines the role of the institutions of civil society in the sphere of agricultural sector of the European countries and France in particular in the XIX century. The author reviews the problems of cooperation between the French society and the government on solution of the socioeconomic problems of the late XIX century in the historical perspective.  Special attention is given to the public agricultural organization as the forms of civil participation in reformation of the agricultural sector, as well as to the normative legal support of the social structures participating in regulation of the agricultural relations. The author concludes that the establishment of the Ministry of Agriculture in France was justified by the formed crisis situation within the agricultural sector.  It is underlined that the agricultural societies and Agricultural Chambers as the expression of self-organization of the citizens walked a long path of its establishment and development, and not just monitored the work of the executive authorities, but also actively participated in the solution of agricultural problems.

Keywords: Agricultural chambers, civil society, France, agrarian relations, agrarian policy, administrative reform, agriculture, law, history, agricultural management

Abstract: The subject of this research is the interdisciplinary connections between sociology and other sciences that affect the formation and development of social thinking. The accent is made on the assessment of an empirical and theoretical-methodological potential of sociology made by the representatives of the “related” disciplines on human and society. Based on the analysis of publications on economics, political science, demography, culturology, and other spheres of socio-humanitarian knowledge, it is demonstrated that the colleagues-humanitarians highly appreciate the applied nature of sociological science and lean towards the use of sociological methods of the empirical research; however, theoretical, and especially methodological potential of sociology in the context of interdisciplinary cooperation remains in low demand. The authors made the following conclusions: 1) the establishment of borders of the interdisciplinary cooperation between various sciences often carries a formal character; at the same time, the role of one or another area of knowledge in such cooperation is being stated, however, this problem should be examined in a deeper level, focusing attention on the assessment of the systemic character of such connection; 2) sociology often refers to the potentials of other science, while other sciences are willing to borrows from sociology just the methodical support, therefore it is necessary to explore this problem.

Keywords: methodology, social knowledge, cognition, norms, values, sociology, society, culture, science, problems of sociology

Abstract: The subject of this research is the cultural interaction in the society and correlation with the identity of an individual. The author conducted the search of the modern models of multicultural environment which are proposed by the Russian and foreign researchers. The models reflect the influence of the cultural environment upon the choice and formation of identity in accord with the conscious identification with the certain cultural values, behavior, ideology, and traditions. Within the diverse society there can be various strategies of identity; the multicultural identity suggests the presence of strong ties to two or more different cultures. The scientific novelty consists in determination of the analytical value of the model of multicultural environment for the cultural identification of an individual, as well as which guidelines and strategies he can apply while choosing his personal and group identity within the environment of multiple competitive cultures. The author also attempts to find the model for harmonious interaction between the co-existing cultures.

Keywords: social environment, multiculturalism, acculturation, intercultural interaction, cultural diversity, group, society, individual, identity, models of multicultural environment

Abstract: The object of this article is the anomie, while the subject id the risks of the moral-ethical value anomie. The author examines the crisis of cultural values, processes of spiritual depletion and dehumanization. The interdependency of the cultural and ethnical components of the society from the multiple factors of various level of influence is being traced. A special accent is made on the importance of the role of ideology and national idea in the establishment of an individual and collective moral consciousness. Due to the particular relevance of this problem, it is underlined that there is a need for its further research by the entire complex of socio-humanitarian knowledge. Scientific novelty consists in the substantiation of the thesis on interdependency of the state of cultural-ethnical norms from the socioeconomic, political, and ideological processes. The problematics of the article allows making the following conclusions: 1) the risks of cultural anomie are in need of a comprehensive examination; 2) the study of the causes that lead to various forms of cultural and ethnical deviations require a special attention.  

Keywords: conformism, marginalization, crisis of values, anomie, value, culture, spirituality, deviation, risk, pathology

Abstract: The subject of study is the professional image of the teacher of the Military Academy of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces, considered in historical perspective and contemporary perspective. Particular attention is paid to the concept of image of the academy and its structure, the image of the teaching staff of the Academy, the corporate culture, corporate ideology, values corporate image of the teaching staff of the Academy. Concretized mechanisms of functioning of the corporate culture of the faculty of the Academy, and presents some of the professional activities of its faculty. The research methodology is based on a system-activity approach and integrates the methods of system analysis, source, historians, military sociology, political science, pedagogy and psychology. The main conclusion of the study is that the professional image of the teacher of the Military Academy of the Russian Federation Armed Forces General Staff distinguishes basic academic education; a close relationship with the scientific educational activity; implementation of communication theory and practice at the expense of military training and involvement in military-strategic exercises.

Keywords: professional image structure, qualified teaching staff, formation of a professional image, mechanisms of corporate culture, corporate values of image, corporate culture image, corporate image of ideology, professional image content, Academy of the General Staff, image of teacher academy

Abstract: The subject of this research is the interrelation of the diverse classes of youth with Komsomol, which strived to eliminate the religious moods in the Soviet society. Attention is focused on the examination of the atheistic influence of Komsomol upon youth on the brink of the 1950’s – 1960’s, a period that became crucial in the relations between the church and the state, as well as upbringing of the new generations, which according to the Soviet authorities were destined to live in the era of Communism. One of the main plots of this article is dedicated to the analysis of the activity of Komsomol aimed at separation of the religion from the folk traditions, and their adaptiveness to the tasks of propaganda of the Communist ideology, as well as the Soviet style lifestyle. Komsomol is being viewed as a sociocultural phenomenon of the XX century. In study of the atheistic influence upon the youth, the authors based themselves on the fact that atheism is one of the forms of the freethought with regards to religion, and a rather characteristic element of the spiritual and ethical life. It is demonstrated that atheistic work in Komsomol was primarily aimed not at the struggle against the religious views, but at the consolidation of the atheistic outlook among the members of Komsomol themselves. However, the attempts to completely overcome the religious influence within Komsomol have failed. The Komsomol was leading the youth away from religion not as much by its antireligious work, as much as by its successful cultural-public work, and organization of groups of diverse interests.  The broader was impact of the new Soviet culture, the narrower became the influence of the religious culture upon the society.

Keywords: Space exploration, Komsomol wedding, Folk traditions, Leisure, Propaganda, Culture, Komsomol, Atheism, Religion, Youth