The article is devoted to key problems of the Russian economy at the current stage. The author suggests looking at the Russian economy from a specific sight angle. The foreign policy situation changed seriously during the last year and now it is quite possible to say that the Russian economic machine functions in mobilization regime. Taking this approach the author addresses such painful topics as fall of oil prices, the Russian Federation Central Bank and the government’s policies, interaction of the president and elite, economic amnesty and gas wars. In particular, the author notes: there is a serious risk that the government will go along the most simple and available way, that is it will set about optimization (as it is called now) which practically means drastic reduction of expenses on public health care, education, science, culture, social security. At the same time it should be remembered that the economic life affects all spheres including legislation. It is high time to think about improvement of the constitutional process and a new status of the Central Bank.

The author examines historical roots of the current debates around the Higher Attestation Commission for Academic Degrees and Titles (the Russian acronym for it is VAK). Suggestions made by scientists and officials are mainly aimed at decentralization of the Russian system of scientific achievements attestation and at attachment of international character to this system. In fact, these suggestions exclude the necessity to retain the VAK in its present form. However the movement forward in this sphere is impossible without understanding of origins and causes that generated the current crisis of the thesis attestation business in Russia.

During the soviet era it was allowed to include historical figures in the research related to Decembrists. The cultural momentum maintains the use of the «acceptance» in the modern world. Such an inclusion by modern researchers of the D.A.Stolypin, the granduncle of the M.Yu.Lermontov to friends and associates of the P.I.Pestel is very noticeable. On the one hand, this «fact» is gain access to the authoritative biographical reference books; on the other hand, it is based on very dubious sources. In the process of «translation» the original «message» has acquired additional figurative details.

Does the Caucasus War belong to the nineteenth century, or, if otherwise, which time could this phenomenon be attributed to? Has this dispute any scholarly importance, or is it just a complex interplay between the nowadays politics and ideology? Is there any methodological sense in retrospective reflections on the alternative routes of Russia-Caucasus history? Let us soberly think over these questions with timid hope to get closer to some feasible solution.

Today, the profession of a tailor, masters of their craft and artist in one person to become prestigious. But long before this trend existed in St. Petersburg in the first half of the 19th century. How changing social and economic situation tailors in Petersburg for this time? The impact of fashion on the development of Handicrafts? What fashion trends, found its dissemination with the Westernization of Russia after the reforms of Peter the great. Petersburg as a European capital, famous for its luxury, attracted many tailors masters from Europe, which has led to a remarkable symbiosis and the flourishing of the tailor’s craft in the 19th century.

The Russian diplomacy refused to collaborate with the Bolshevik power in Petrograd, established an autonomous organization and found ways of its financing. Over the period of all Civil War the agency carefully guarded its image of the all-Russian embassy and cooperated with all anti-Bolshevik forces of Russia.

V.V.Shul'gin (1878−1976) is a politician and member of the Sate Dumas, a participant of the White movement, prominent publicist of the Russia community abroad. As early as prior the revolution Shul’gin paid attention to a great potential of the Ukrainian nationalism and warned about that. During the Civil war the topic acquired further development in Sul’gin’s articles that are relevant even today.

The article is devoted to the early journalist work of M. E. Kol’tsov who later on was the famous Soviet journalist and one of the Soviet press organizers. Kol’tsov’s little known early article ‘Kings' vengeance' originally published in Kiev newspaper «Free thoughts» in 1918 is reproduced.