SOME REASONS FOR COMMITTING MURDERS IN RURAL AREAS OF THE CENTRAL CHERNOZEM REGION IN 1918-1941

Abstract. During World War I and the Civil War, the Russian society faced a set of negative consequences, among which, in relation to the object of research, it is necessary to highlight the proliferation of personal small arms and mass psychological deviations. The latter were associated with the habit that had taken root during the years of war to resolve conflicts by force. The article focuses on violent crimes (murders) committed in rural areas during the most intense historical periods: the collectivization of agriculture, the famine of the early 1930s and the first months of the Great Patriotic War. The primary source of the study is the NKVD office documentation, which was sent to provincial/regional party committees for review, such as incident reports, analytical notes on the state of crime, individual reports on crimes committed. The analysis of the documents results in examining the influence of certain economic, political and everyday factors on the commission of murders in the rural areas of the Central Chernozem Region
Keywords: violent crime, murders, USSR, Central Chernozem region, collectivization.

AGRARIAN REFORM OF THE 1990s: DEBATABLE ISSUES OF HISTORIOGRAPHY AND REALITY (ON FORMS OF LAND OWNERSHIP AND FARMING)

Abstract. The turn of the XX–XXI centuries saw a rise in interest in the study of the problems of the agrarian reform of the 1990s. Scholars of various branches of science – historians, economists, legal experts, sociologists, and philosophers – addressed a wide range of issues related to the reform of the agro-industrial sector in their studies. Particular attention was paid to the emergence of new forms of land ownership and agricultural practices in rural areas, as well as the rise of the farming system in the countryside. Diverse perspectives were expressed regarding the course and significance of agrarian transformations as well as the state of the country’s agricultural sector. The article provides a comprehensive historiographical analysis of scholarly literature dedicated to studying the main measures and essence of the agrarian reform in Russia during the 1990s. It identifies the key points of debate and the main issues addressed in the research, including the analysis of the essence of the agrarian reform, the introduction of private ownership of agricultural land, the problem of the complexity of the agrarian economy, the rise of farming, the distinction between “farming” and “peasant farming”, and the study of the social basis of the farming movement and the efficiency of individual farms. To assess the validity of research hypotheses on key contentious issues, the arguments of scholars holding opposing views were compared with actual data from reports on the financial and economic performance of agricultural producers in the Central Chernozem region in 1990 and 2000.
Keywords: post-Soviet Russia, historiography, problems of scientific research, agrarian reform, ownership of agricultural land, privatization, farmerization.

ALEXANDER V. KOLCHAK: EVOLUTION OF POLITICAL VIEWS (1914–1919)

Abstract: The article discusses the evolution of the ideological and political views of Admiral Alexander Kolchak in parallel with the historical events in Russia on the eve of and during the revolution and the Civil War. Alexander V. Kolchak cannot be called a staunch monarchist. At the same time, he was not an ideological democrat either. His militaristic views gradually formed the opinion of an authoritarian military dictatorship as the only correct form of government, albeit with some elements of democracy. However, despite certain nuances, his views can be classified as quite typical for the worldview of most representatives and leaders of the White movement. The personality and activities of Admiral Kolchak, as well as his socio-political views, still represent contentious issues in domestic and (to a lesser extent) foreign historical science, despite a fairly extensive historiography. Their study is of particular importance because Admiral Kolchak, as the Supreme Ruler of Russia, was a universally recognized leading figure of the White movement in Russia, which is why his figure continues to attract wide public attention even a century later.
Keywords: Alexander V. Kolchak, Civil War in Russia, White movement, anti-bolshevism.

ON FOREIGN POLICY ACTIVITIES OF SMOLENSK PRINCE ROSTISLAV MSTISLAVICH IN THE 1130s-1140s

Abstract. The article analyzes the foreign policy activities of Smolensk Prince Rostislav Mstislavich in the 1130s – 1140s, which was a key period in the formation of his political strategy. These years were marked by intense internecine struggles among the princes in the Russian lands, particularly in Southern Rus'. As an independent ruler, Rostislav of Smolensk actively but cautiously built his relations with neighboring principalities following the death of his father, Grand Prince Mstislav the Great of Kiev, aiming to strengthen the position of the Smolensk land in the new foreign policy environment. The study examines his interactions with the princes of Kiev, Chernigov, Volhynia, and Pereyaslavl, as well as his participation in a number of military campaigns and internecine conflicts in the southern Russian direction during that time. The research attempts to trace the dynamics of the development of Rostislav’s foreign policy course and identify the main trends in his activities during the period under consideration. The author concludes that Rostislav Mstislavich pursued a balanced foreign policy with the Kievan princes, both from the Monomashich and Olgovichi dynasties, which contributed to preserving the autonomy of the Smolensk land and enhancing its significance in the political life of the Russian lands at that time.
Keywords: Smolensk land, Russian princes, Russian chronicles, Rostislav Mstislavich, foreign policy, Vsevolod Olgovich, Prince of Kiev.

REFLECTION OF FOOD CODE DOMINANT ‘BREAD’ AND ‘SALT’ IN RUSSIAN PHRASEOLOGY

Abstract. The article discusses the representation of the linguistic picture of the world through the prism of phraseology using the example of phraseological units with components belonging to the lexical-semantic field “Food”. The subject of the research is an extensive fragment of the phraseological cluster with the initial word ‘salt’, an item culturally significant for native speakers. The studied fragment of the phraseological cluster formed in the Russian language on the basis of the primary lexical-semantic variant of the polysemantic word ‘salt’, which is “a white crystalline substance with a pungent characteristic taste, used as a seasoning for food,” intersects with a fragment of the phraseological cluster with the initial word ‘bread’ in the meaning “a product baked from flour.” The article aims to reveal and describe the semantic features of the phraseological units with the components of ‘bread’ and ‘salt’, which represent the key conceptual dominants of the food code in the linguistic picture of the world. These units form a stable unity, and make up a voluminous semantic field. The analysis of the phraseological units with these components reveals original associations and characteristics of bread and salt, real or attributed, that seem to be important for native speakers. These characteristics are reinterpreted by them and develop symbolic meanings, which become the basis of creating phraseological units.
The research material comprised phraseological units of various types, including proverbs and sayings, which were extracted using a continuous sampling method from dictionaries of the Russian literary language, dictionaries of folk dialects, as well as websites and forums, which reflect the spoken language of native speakers. The key methods include the structural-descriptive method, and methods of semantic and componential analysis.
The article identifies and describes units that reflect the importance of bread and salt as symbols of hospitality, trust, friendship, gratitude, blessing, reciprocity in both friendly and hostile relationships, as well as those in which the unity of bread and salt is thought of as something important, valuable, paramount, and is an object of veneration and sacralization.
The author reveals that the unity of bread and salt, representing a culturally and spiritually significant value, is a multidimensional and multifunctional symbol. The results of the study can be used in courses of Russian lexicology, intercultural communication, when developing courses related to the study of phraseological units of the Russian language, when writing final qualification papers, as well as scientific articles.
Keywords: meaning, phraseological unit, component of a phraseological unit, nomination of products, symbol, semantics, linguistic picture of the world, bread, salt.

“GOGOL IS PASSING THROUGH KOLOMNA KREMLIN...”: THREE SONNETS BY ROMAN SLAVATSKY

Abstract. The article examines the sonnets by the Kolomna poet Roman Slavatsky (1957-2021), which contain motifs drawn from Nikolai Gogol’s works. The sonnet “The Inspector General” (2013) is inspired by the production of Gogol’s comedy at the Kolomna People’s Theater and creatively reimagines certain episodes from the play (the scene announcing the arrival of the inspector, the breakfast scene, and the scene of Khlestakov’s departure). The sonnet features motifs of St. Petersburg and shadows, which are deeply rooted in Gogol’s literary legacy. The sonnet “Roman Visions” (2020; published in print for the first time) was written under the impression of Vladimir Potlov’s sculpture of the same name (wood, bronze). The artist depicted Gogol sitting on the wall of the Colosseum, surrounded by his characters. The sonnet intertwines motifs of Gogol’s fate, Italian themes, and Kolomna motifs (the city legend of Marina Mniszech, allegedly imprisoned in one of the towers of the Kolomna Kremlin). Slavatsky’s poetry frequently connects the image of Kolomna with major themes of Russian and European cultural history. The sonnet “Hecatomb” (2007) is associatively linked to Gogol: it was written after Slavatsky’s ritual burning of the working materials for his prose poem “Memorial”, which correlates with the burning of the second volume of “Dead Souls” – incidentally, a genre precedent for Slavatsky’s book.
Keywords: Roman Slavatsky, sonnet, Gogol, tradition, Kolomna, lyrical motive.

USE OF PSEUDO-ORAL SPEECH IN SOUTH KOREAN DRAMAS WITH K-DRAMA CLICHES

Abstract. The article examines the use of pseudo-oral speech in South Korean dramas, and classifies K-drama cliches that form a unique style and structure of dialogues depending on the situation. Pseudo-oral speech, which is stylized and simplified communication, plays an important role in creating an emotional atmosphere and conveying characters’ personalities. The subject of the research is pseudo-oral speech and K-drama cliches in South Korean dramas. The study includes examples from popular K-dramas such as ‘The Secret Garden’, ‘Descendants of the Sun’ and ‘Squid Game’, identifying common tropes and their functions in the context of the plot and characters’ interactions. The purpose of the study is to analyze the use of pseudo-oral speech and K-drama cliches, identify their functions and influence on audience perception. The author highlights the way clichés help convey such key themes as love, friendship, family, and social relationships. The relevance of the topic is due to the growing interest in South Korean culture and media, as well as their influence on global pop culture. Understanding the linguistic characteristics of K-dramas can help in analyzing their artistic value and understanding cultural contexts. The work aims to examine the influence of such elements on viewer perception and their role in the formation of cultural stereotypes. The article analyzes the way certain phrases and expressions can help create an emotional connection between the characters and the audience, as well as the ways they reflect and reinforce South Korean social norms and values.
Keywords: pseudo-oral speech, South Korean dramas (K-dramas), K-drama cliches, dialogues, cultural stereotypes, emotional atmosphere, characters, plot.

SIGNS AND DYNAMIC MODEL OF THE CONCEPT OF ‘THUNDERSTORM’ IN THE PLAY “THE STORM” BY A. N. OSTROVSKY

Abstract. The article presents a study of the concept of “thunderstorm” in the play “The Storm” by A. N. Ostrovsky. The study aims to describe the features of the artistic concept of “thunderstorm” and to model its structure. The analysis might be useful for creating a director’s concept and rendering it on stage or in a film. The relevance of the paper is justified by the significance of conceptual research for modern linguistics. Its novelty lies in the fact that the structure of the concept is viewed as a dynamic and changing system alongside with the events of the play. The research relied on the methodology of conceptual analysis, i.e. the identification of words representing the concept, which most vividly express the artistic concept of “thunderstorm” in the play; identification of their combinability characteristics; description of the concept figurative features; identification of the conceptual layer of the concept, its value and symbolic features. The study reveals that the lexemes “thunderstorm”, “thunder”, “fire”, “fiery Gehenna”, “rain”, and “cloud” are contextual representatives of the concept of “thunderstorm”. The figurative signs of a “thunderstorm” are anthropomorphic signs, signs of a living creature and vital signs of death. The research recorded the signs of a natural or mental phenomenon in the conceptual layer of the “thunderstorm” concept. A “thunderstorm” is a symbol of death or renewal; the same characteristics constitute the value component of this concept. The article presents a dynamic model of the structure of the concept of “thunderstorm”, which is revealed in the movement through the events of the play and in the images of its characters. As a result, the author concludes that the concept of “thunderstorm” is an artistic concept of the author’s origin, revealing itself in the dynamics of the play as a cosmic and mental concept, at the core of which is the idea of the binary unity of body and soul. By approaching the analysis of the “thunderstorm” as an author’s artistic concept, we get the key to the idea of the text, which can become the basis of the director’s plan for stage production.
Keywords: concept, “thunderstorm”, drama, conceptual analysis, concept structure, event-action analysis

LEXICAL MEANS OF REPRESENTATION OF THE CONCEPTS OF ‘SEX’ AND ‘GENDER’ IN MODERN GERMAN

Abstract. The article is the first to attempt to describe the lexical means of representing the closely related concepts of ‘sex’ and ‘gender’ in modern German. This topic is relevant in modern German-speaking cultures, where the promotion of gender diversity is becoming increasingly important. The subject of the study is gender-marked lexical means used to create nominations that refer to the concepts of sex and gender and reflect the key concepts of the gender picture of the world in the modern German language. The purpose of the study is to identify lexical means of comparative representation of the concept of sex as a set of biological data and the concept of gender as a set of gender-related aspects of social roles. To achieve the goal, the following methods were used in the course of the study: analysis and synthesis, vocabulary structuring, field observation, classification, and description. The study concluded that in modern German there are three lexical units representing the concepts of sex and gender: Sex, das ‘biological sex’, Gender, das ‘social sex’ and Geschlecht, das ‘sex’ (both a biological and a social sex). Thus, the results of the study demonstrate that the dichotomy of the concepts of sex and gender of German speakers corresponds to the linguistic trichotomy Sex – Gender – Geschlecht. It is shown that two mental components are united, forming human nature (anthropological dualism) in linguistic embodiment based on the hyperonymic nomination Geschlecht, das, and at the same time focusing on the differences between the concepts of sex and gender. It is noted that in the selection of lexical means for nominating relevant concepts of modern gender linguistics, such as ‘gender diversity’, ‘gender identity’, ‘gender-sensitive language’, the main role belongs to the German lexical unit Geschlecht, das, and not to the borrowing Gender, das. Thus, the study focuses attention on the role of linguistic units as factors of ethnic identity.
Keywords: sex, gender, lexical means of representation, modern German language.

IMPACT OF SPECIALISTS’ COMPETENCES ON THE QUALITY OF MUNICIPAL FINANCE MANAGEMENT

Abstract. The article examines the impact of the competences of financial authorities’ specialists on the quality of municipal financial management. The specificity of the professional activity of specialists in the field of municipal finance management lies in the fact that, on the one hand, it is rooted in strong bureaucratic traditions, while on the other hand, it is integrated with the activities of other municipal structures in providing financial support for their operations. Therefore, the competences of municipal financial officers play a crucial role in achieving the objectives of national projects and municipal programs.
The relevance of the topic is due to the fact that the assessment of the influence of professionalism of financial authorities on the quality of municipal finance management and on the achievement of municipal program results is currently insufficiently studied. At the same time, improving the competences of municipal employees often holds potential reserves for enhancing the efficiency of budget fund utilization, enabling comprehensive socio-economic development of municipalities, and improving the quality of life for the population.
The study aims to identify reserves in increasing the efficiency of local budget expenditures by enhancing the professionalism and competency of municipal financial officers.
The subject of the study is the assessment of the impact of the professionalism and competence of municipal financial officers on the quality of municipal finance management.
The research methodology is based on the use of official statistics and monitoring data from regional government authorities, published in open sources, as well as classical methods of analysis.
As a result of the research, the feasibility of integrating the internal financial control system with an assessment of each specialist’s contribution to the quality of municipal finance management has been substantiated. In addition, an original model of competences for a municipal employee of a financial authority has been developed, which focuses on evaluating the professionalism of specialists based on their ability to apply knowledge and skills in practical activities and share them with subordinates.
Keywords: professionalism, competency, municipal employees, management, municipal finance, quality, model.

CONCEPTUAL MODEL OF THE SYSTEM OF ENSURING ECONOMIC SECURITY OF THE REGION BY CONTROL BODIES OF THE EXECUTIVE AUTHORITY OF THE SUBJECT OF THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION

Abstract: The article discusses the key components that fundamentally underlie the provision of economic security and proposes a conceptual model for the economic security system of a region, implemented by the supervisory executive authorities of a constituent entity of the Russian Federation. It substantiates the relevance of creating an integrated system aimed at preventing economic threats and minimizing their negative consequences. The study explores key theoretical approaches to defining economic security and their adaptation to the regional level. The article provides a detailed description of the theories and principles that should be applied to address the challenges of ensuring economic security in a region by supervisory executive authorities of a constituent entity of the Russian Federation. It also outlines the subjects and objects of economic security at the regional level. The results of the study can be utilized to optimize the operations of regional authorities, enhance the resilience of socio-economic systems, and develop economic security strategies.
Keywords: conceptual model, economic security, support system, power, subject, authorities, regional security.

POTENTIAL FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF RUSSIAN REGIONS USING CHINA’S “DIGITAL VILLAGE” METHOD

Abstract. The relevance of exploring the potential for adapting China’s “Digital Village” method for regional development in Russia stems from the need to address challenges related to the structural transformation of regional economies and the resolution of social issues in Russian regions. China’s digital village model has successfully contributed to the revival of agriculture and supported economic growth through a comprehensive approach encompassing digital infrastructure, education, and the stimulation of local economies in China. Russia has made significant progress in bridging the income gap between urban and rural areas and supporting regional trade. However, the country faces unique challenges, such as extreme climatic conditions and a vast geographical expanse, that is why it seems useful to explore China’s experience without directly copying its model. The article examines the key components of the Chinese approach, including its focus on agriculture, digital infrastructure, and the creation of “Taobao Villages”, while introducing a modified model tailored to Russia’s conditions. The article also discusses the role of agglomeration economies in village development, proposing selection criteria for digitalising Russian villages based on geographical, economic, social, governmental, and infrastructural factors. The article concludes by suggesting a potential framework for future regional development programs, and emphasises the need for adapted approaches that integrate Russia’s socio-economic conditions with the advanced experience of other countries in the digital transformation of rural areas.
Keywords: regional development, digital villages, smart villages, selection criteria for the development of digital villages.