In august, 2020 it was held the Belarus presidential election, which resulted in the aggravation of relations between Minsk and Brussels. The article reviews the international consequences of the election in Belarus, as well as its impact on the bilateral Russia-Belarus relations. The role of mass media in the hybrid conflict between Belarus and the West are specified. The author touches upon the sanctions with noting that imposing restric tions against Minsk has accelerated the Union State building. It is drawn a conclusion that A.Lukashenko’s room for political manoeuvre has diminished, that is why Moscow is able to realize its strategic plans.

The article reviews the European Union members’ positions on the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict resolution in 2020-2021. The EU’s commitment to the dialogue between Armenia and Azerbaijan under the mediation of the OSCE Minsk Group is considered as a cornerstone of the European policy in the region. The factors foreclosing an opportunity to develop a common European approach towards the conflict are analyzed. It is concluded that the consensus can not be achieved due to the fact that pro-Armenian and pro-Azerbaijani lobby groups resort to such leverages as diaspora activities or drawing attention to the bilateral dialogue with one of the Caucasian republics. The significance of the Turkish factor for the Nagorno-Karabakh problem is emphasized. Despite the fact that today the EU treats the question as marginal, the author notes that the European involvement in the post-conflict regulation on the South Caucasus may be viewed as an opportunity to maintain the EU’s political influence in the region.

The declined interest of the Soviet leadership in the church’s activities in the late 1940s led to the fact that the Russian Orthodox Church (ROC) was compelled to demonstrate its own significance. The struggle for peace, in which the church took the international peace movement’s position, became one of the most important directions of the ROC activities. The article reviews the key aspects of the church’s participation in the struggle for peace on the basis of papers of the Journal of the Moscow Patriarchate. The general distinctive features of the church’s rhetoric are being identified. It is made a conclusion about the transformation of the church’s approach toward the coverage of the international developments and the convergence of the church and state lines.

The article reviews the evolution of the Russian Orthodox Church’s rhetoric in the early postwar Soviet Union on the basis of papers of the Journal of the Moscow Patriarchate. The main directions of the Russian Orthodox Church’s indoctrination are being analyzed. The article specifies the role of the church in the postwar glorification of J. Stalin in the framework of the cult of his personality. The author concludes that the Russian Orthodox Church generally followed J. Stalin’s line but shifted emphasis while dealing with some particular issues.