No 3, 2026
Publishing Date: 2026-10-25
HISTORY
This paper attempted to suggest that the year 476 as the year of the Western Roman Empire disintegration can be explained as having a precise astronomical meaning, the calculation of which was a normal practice for astronomers in Late Antiquity. By using the remarks of I. Newton and the calculations of L. Euler as well as the Book of Daniel, and the information from Sozomenos and St. Augustine, the author suggests that the astronomers of the 5th century sensed the approach of the year when the Julian calendar, the Easter calendar and the astronomical calendar of tropical year would coincide. The paper’s unique contribution is in showing that the year 476 is the time of the calendars synchronization, if the astronomers used the Hypparchus’ correction of one day in 144 years.
Pavlov K.V. The century of the Florentine politics (1409-1511): from Pisa there and back
The paper examines the origins, significance and development of the so‑called “Pisan issue” in Florence politics of the 15th and early 16th centuries. The author analyses the reasons for the cyclical nature of conflicts during Florence’s dispute over possession of Pisa. The paper studies the mechanisms for resolving and the consequences of settling the “Pisan issue” by the Florentines. The appendix contains the original author’s translation of the official instructions and letters by Francesco Vettori from Italian into Russian, which were issued during the execution of his mission at the Pisa Council, accompanied by notes.
The article examines the case of Yakov Ginyush against Martin Eismont, which arose after the beating of Ginyush’s wife and infant son on 20 January 1616 and ended with a decision of the Grodno Land Court on 25 October 1617. A textual comparison of the 1865 editorial note with the judicial record itself clarifies the compensation and term of detention: the operative passage awards 70 kopas to the wife, 40 kopas to the child and 24 weeks in Grodno castle, whereas the editorial note reports 80 kopas. It is shown that the defendant’s reference to the family’s tavern activity was not an independent formal challenge to nobility but an attempt to have compensation calculated according to the rules applicable to commoners. The court did not conduct a separate genealogical proof of origin, yet it granted noble-status compensation (naviazka) and thus recognized the claimant’s status within the limits of this particular dispute. The case therefore makes it possible to distinguish formal proof of nobility from the resolution of a status issue within ordinary litigation concerning bodily injury.
The paper in depth analyses the work “Gaul et France” by Alexandre Dumas père. The author notes that this historical work is a chronicle of the events that led to the transformation of the former Roman province into one of the strongest powers of medieval Europe. The author also considers the law of historical development formulated by A. Dumas, which is common to all states. Based on this law, A. Dumas predicted in the epilogue of his work that a republican system would be restored in France. This prediction came true when King Louis Philippe was overthrown in 1848 and the French Second Republic was proclaimed. In summary, the author concludes that A. Dumas acts as a successful populariser of French history on the pages of his work, and “Gaul et France” doesn’t lose its relevance due to the outstanding talent of the writer.
The paper examines US media discourse on Palestine represented by periodicals from 1929. The object of the study is American public opinion. The author provides a detailed analysis of statistical data obtained through the “Chronicling America” digital platform draws on US periodicals on Palestine from 1929. This is a unified set of historical sources (2,866 references in over 1,300 articles). The analysis will provide a more accurate understanding of the subject matter how the American press constructed the image of Palestine during the revolt and what markers were used by journalists and editors.
Mikhail Gorbachev’s reforms of Glasnost and Perestroika in the 1980s significantly contributed to the disintegration of the Soviet Union and the end of the Cold War, but they were not the sole causes. While these reforms aimed to revitalize the Soviet system, they exposed underlying economic weaknesses and fuelled nationalist movements, ultimately leading to the collapse of the Communist Party’s control. The end of the Cold War was influenced by a combination of Gorbachev’s policies, external pressures from the West, and the actions of Eastern European populations. In this paper, the author focuses on the effects of Glasnost and Perestroika in the USSR, but also on the aftereffects today in Europe and the rest of the world. Was the disintegration of the Soviet Union a good idea? And, furthermore, this paper examines how Glasnost functioned as an unintentional engine of Soviet disintegration. At last, we would assess how this disintegration, Perestroika and Glasnost maybe caused the instable political system in Europe in 2026, and the West’s less-than-flattering role.
Based on the materials from the socio-political newspaper “Vechernyaya Kazan” the article examines the environmental problems of Kazan in the 1990s and early 2000s. Besides the backdrop of growing interest in the state of the environment, the media are publishing a large number of diverse materials devoted to the city’s ecology, which have become the subject of this comprehensive analysis. The newspaper “Vechernyaya Kazan” defines issues related to the city’s landscaping, the state of water and urban flora. The newspaper’s interactive materials reflect the initiatives of citizens to improve the environment.
Matyushin K.A. On the scientific terminology of the mass famine studying as a historical phenomenon
The paper examines the scientific language required for the comparative study of mass famine. Drawn on Russian historiography, dictionaries and historical sources, it distinguishes concepts belonging to different levels of analysis. Particular attention is paid to the relationship between the terms “hunger,” “mass famine,” “famine crisis,” “Golodomor” and “genocide.” A multi-level terminological model is proposed for a more precise analysis of the causes, development and consequences of famine crises.
PEDAGOGY and TEACHING METHODOLOGY
This article examines the role of emotional intelligence and emotional literacy within the framework of professional pedagogical training for prospective teachers. Emotional intelligence is conceptualized as a key element of the deontological system of a teacher’s personality, ensuring psychological readiness for professional activity, as well as the manifestation of empathy, perceptual and suggestive abilities. Based on the integration of modern psychological concepts (the Mayer-Salovey-Caruso, D. Goleman and R. Bar-On models) and traditional folk pedagogy, two core dimensions of emotional intelligence are revealed: intrapersonal (self-regulation) and interpersonal (group management). Practical methods for developing emotional literacy in pedagogy students are presented, and the significance of emotional immunity in preventing professional burnout syndrome is substantiated.
POLITOLOGY and LAW
The criminal liability of medical personnel in cases of malpractice is a crucial issue in health law, demanding legal certainty alongside the protection of patient rights and the preservation of professional standards. This paper aims to analyse the concept of criminal liability for medical personnel whose actions performed outside professional standards result in harm to patients. The study focuses on instances of medical malpractice that give rise to criminal legal consequences. The research method used is a normative juridical method with a statutory and conceptual approach. The findings indicate that medical personnel may be held criminally liable if an element of fault whether negligence or intentional misconduct is proven to have caused patient harm or death. This element of fault must be rigorously established by considering professional standards, the causal link between the medical action and the resulting outcome, and expert medical testimony. However, not all medical errors constitute criminal offenses; the application of criminal law to medical personnel must be selective and proportionate to maintain a balance between protecting patients and safeguarding responsible medical practice.
This article examines how technological cooperation among the BRICS states is reshaping the foundations of interstate relations at a moment when artificial intelligence, biotechnology and human enhancement research are converging into what the author terms the transhumanization of statecraft. Moving beyond accounts that treat digital sovereignty and human enhancement as separate policy domains, the study proposes a unified analytical lens built around the concept of informational hedging, understood as the simultaneous pursuit of technological autonomy and selective interdependence by states seeking to manage dependence on external powers. Drawing on the 2024 Kazan Declaration, the BRICS Artificial Intelligence Cooperation Framework and recent scholarship on digital sovereignty in Africa, the paper traces how BRICS institutions have translated declaratory commitments into instruments such as the BRICS Institute of Future Networks, the BRICS Rapid Information Security Channel and the BRICS Artificial Intelligence Research and Innovation Centre. The analysis further considers how the convergence of artificial intelligence with biotechnology and human enhancement research introduces a post-human dimension into the balance of power, one in which the object of competition is no longer only territory, capital or information but the biological and cognitive capacities of populations. The article concludes that BRICS technological cooperation should be read not as a coherent bloc strategy but as a loosely coupled architecture of hedging practices through which member and partner states, including African states, attempt to convert technological dependency into a bargaining asset within a metamorphosing, multipolar international order.
Digital transformation is bringing profound changes to public administration and has become a key driving force of administrative reform in Vietnam. In this context the effective management of digital technologies plays a crucial role in improving the performance of the administrative system and enhancing the quality of public service delivery. This paper examines the role of digital technology management in the process of contemporary administrative reform in Vietnam based on a synthesis and analysis of the policies and guidelines of the Communist Party of Vietnam and the State as well as the practical achievements attained in recent years. The findings indicate that the adoption of digital technologies has contributed to the modernization of management practices, increased transparency and openness, and improved the provision of services to citizens and businesses. Nevertheless, the implementation process continues to face a number of challenges that require further improvement. Based on these findings, the article proposes several policy directions to enhance the effectiveness of digital technology management, thereby contributing to the development of a modern public administration, digital government, and sustainable development in Vietnam.
The issue of legal regulation of artificial intelligence (AI) in various fields, including education, is becoming increasingly relevant. This article examines the following issues: electronic legal entities, the risks of AI using, the division of legal liability, quasi-legal entities, and the legal aspects of using AI in education. Contradictions in current legal regulation of AI related to the ambiguous interpretation of electronic legal entities are identified. A system of measures is proposed to protect workers in the context of the widespread implementation of artificial intelligence in various fields, including education.
THEOLOGY
Pulkin M.V. Karelian Orthodox Brotherhood: establishment, evolution, main areas of activity
The paper examines the main patterns of the educational and organizational activities of the Karelian Orthodox Brotherhood. It is revealed that the main goal of the brotherhood’s activities was the church-based enlightenment of the Karelians. To achieve this goal, the brotherhood carried out numerous and varied activities: encouraging local clergy to study the Karelian language, replenishing church libraries and supporting parish schools in areas inhabited by Karelians. The activities of the Karelian Brotherhood were largely linked to countering the “Finnish threat,” which during the period under study primarily referred to the spread of Lutheranism. The efforts undertaken by the brotherhood objectively contributed to the spread and improvement of the quality of primary education in Karelian villages, to the translation of the Holy Scripture texts into the Karelian language, and to the formation of a national intelligentsia.
PHILOLOGY
Bogatyrev A.V. Slumberyl: sleeping pills from Agatha Christie’s detective novels
Agatha Christie’s novels “Curtain” and “After the Funeral” feature the fictional sleeping pills slumberyl. The drug’s uniqueness lies primarily in the characteristics of its pharmacological properties, which vary depending on the novelist’s literary intent: on the one hand, its safety is indicated, on the other, the deadly qualities of the tranquilizer are noted. The dual “nature” of slumberyl is reflected in its name, which is based on the word “slumber” (slumbery). In the English tradition it is used both to denote sleep states and in connection with the topic of death.
PHILOSOPHY
The review analyses the monograph by T.A. Chikaeva devoted to the philosophical understanding of the basic values of Russian culture – Motherland, Fatherland, patriotism, catholicity and creative labour. It is noted that the author consistently implements an ontological approach to the understanding of value considering it as rooted in a higher semantic order and not as a subjective construct. Special attention the monograph pays to the distinction between the concepts of “Motherland” and “Fatherland” as well as to the analysis of the Russian mentality, its antinomic nature and its connection with the actualization of positive personal qualities. The reviewer emphasizes that Chikaeva’s work not only sets philosophical guidelines, but also contributes to the affirmation of Russia’s intellectual sovereignty, opening up space for a dialogue of cultures in which the Russian philosophical tradition appears not as isolated but as original and equal. The conclusion draws practical significance of the work for the formation of national philosophy, the education of patriotism and the development of educational programmes in modern Russia.