The subjects discussed with Sergey Kurginyan are the spiritual component of the contemporary world, confrontation of the Modern project with the counter-Modern, destiny of the Communist paradigm in new historical context, opportunities of spiritual collaboration on the platform of the great battle for the Human because only the Human is the real driver of the historical process while all material factors are of secondary importance and value relative to the Human. If fact, the great battle for the Human becomes the current big politics' real background.

The article focuses on peculiarities of present-day positions of CIS countries and Georgia in the geoeconomic pattern of the world. An explanation for causes of some significant differences between results of international economic comparisons (including the latest ones) is given. Data which characterize multivariant estimates of the levels of economic development of various countries are provided. Particular attention is drawn to the values of per capita GDP of Russia, Central Asian and South Caucasian states, provided by such international organizations as the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund, the Center for International Comparisons at the University of Pennsylvania and the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency. The authors emphasize the fact the differences between the estimates of per capita GDP (and, consequently, between the levels of economic development) of some countries reach 30−50−70%, and in some cases even two or more times. Based on the totals of international comparisons, the authors show how the balance between economic development of Russia and the United States (as well as between Russia and the world’s per capita GDP average) changed from the beginning of XX century to early 2000's.

In article of an estimation of U.S. press of Soviet announcement of war against Japan are analyzed. Specificity this opinions is revealed. Sources of formation of opinions and estimations are considered, for the first time in historiography. A comparison of press concerning the progress and character of Soviet offensive. Analyzed in the article the evolution of the role of the press estimates of the USSR in the Pacific war from positive 8 August, up sharply negative August 15, 1945 with the informational processes that influenced the change in public opinion about the Soviet Union.

The paper addresses the problem of evolution of the holyday’s conceptual structure from the19th Russian culture to the Soviet culture of the 1920−1930th. The author describes the two basic models representing the «ideal type» of holyday, and reveals how this models correlate in the late Russian and the early Soviet culture. The main methodological result of the paper can be characterized as the bringing out the way to map the late Russian culture onto the early Soviet one, given the concept of holyday as example.

The article deals with history of military education in the early 19th century Russia and, in the first place, with the history of the First cadet corps. The author focuses her attention on the period when K.Th.Ryleev, famous Russian poet attended the corps. The system of military and other disciplines learning that was introduced in the corps and morals that prevailed in the corps are studied. The mentioned features emerged, in many respects, due to personal traits of tutors who undoubtedly had an influence on their students. Besides that, the author investigates the corps' department for minors where Ryleev also spent several years and attempts to define the circle of cadet friends of the future revolutionary and analyze his first verses written in the cadet corps.

The author investigates motives related to making of the state and state power as these motives were presented in the Slavic folklore legends and oral narratives. In the popular narrative tradition these motives are inseparably connected with the motive of faith choice. This motive is present in folklore legends of different chronological periods. Reflecting the plot borrowed form medieval literature sources the popular narratives emphasize the inseparable connection between choice of «right» faith with accession of the «right» potentate to power and consolidation of his power. In greater part of these cases such texts are results of literature sources adaptation for folklore, of textbooks, popular books and local studies retelling. Nevertheless such adaptations become assets of a local «oral history» and are transferred to «local legends» codes.

The article describes the history of Jewish emigration from the Soviet Union in the first half of the 1970s. The desire of the Soviet leadership to limit the opportunities for emigration, especially for those people who got higher education, led to a confrontation with the USA. On the basis of archival documents, including the notes from the L.I.Brezhnev's personal diary, we can examine the pragmatic policy of the General Secretary of the CPSU which was aimed at continuing the «détente», taking into consideration the «Jewish question».

The 200th anniversary of Russia’s victory in the Patriotic War of 1912 was celebrated at the state level. Preparations and conducting of the jubilee included various events. Numerous exhibitions, conferences, scientific proceedings devoted to the glorious date were held in the course of several years. With no pretension to analytical nature of her remarks the author characterizes the content and geographical scope of celebrations on the basis of published special literature, media materials and information distributed in the Web.

The article reflects the outbreak of indignation provoked by the Public Health department’s irresponsible decision to disestablish the oldest Moscow psychoneurological dispensary № 21 which is famous with its humanistic traditions and high level of its staff qualification. The decision in question was made without consent of numerous patients and well-knit medical staff whose activities are aimed at meeting needs of persons with psychic deviations. Arbitrariness of the Public Health department officials violates the basic principles of dispensary medical care, i.e. its decentralization and accessibility for population. The Public Health department’s decision was made secretly and in contempt of patient interests. According to the author, the decision is determined by a desire to use the plot occupied with the dispensary in the downtown in commercial purposes.