A.G. ZVEREV’S ACTIVITIES IN THE PEOPLE’S COMMISSARIAT OF FINANCE OF THE USSR IN THE PRE-WAR YEARS (SEPTEMBER 1937 – JUNE 1941)

Abstract. The year 2025 marks the 125th anniversary of the birth of Arseny Grigoryevich Zverev (1900–1969), an outstanding statesman of the Soviet era, whose biography is inextricably linked with the history of the Moscow region. For over twenty years, from 1938 to 1960, he served as the People’s Commissar and Minister of Finance of the USSR. The article focuses on the the little-studied by historical science aspects of A.G. Zverev’s leadership of the People’s Commissariat of Finance of the USSR (Narkomfin of the USSR) during the pre-war years. The article aims to show that during this period, under his leadership, a solid financial foundation was created for the mobilization model of the Soviet state’s economy, given the ever-increasing threat of an attack by Nazi Germany and its allies on the USSR. The methodological framework of the study includes a comprehensive analysis of various sources, including archival materials, as well as the application of fundamental scientific principles and methods of historical research, such as a comprehensive approach to the analysis of the phenomena being studied, objectivity, social determinism, and others. As a result of the conducted research, the author comes to the conclusion that during the period under study, A.G. Zverev headed large-scale, multifaceted work to transform the country’s public finances into an effective instrument that ensures the accelerated development of the country’s military-industrial complex, increasing the technical equipment and combat readiness of the armed forces. The People’s Commissariat of Finance of the USSR, headed by A.G. Zverev, created all the necessary financial foundations for the economic development of the country in the pre-war period, which ensured the effective and systematic operation of the financial and budgetary system of the state during the Great Patriotic War. At present, the relevance and scope of application of the obtained results is determined by the need for creative use of accumulated historical experience in determining the style and effeciency of the activities of government agencies and their management in the context of ensuring the national security of the Russian state.
Keywords: A.G. Zverev, pre-war period, People’s Commissariat of Finance of the USSR, state budget, finance, personnel, military mobilization work.

ON THE ISSUE OF THE SMOLENSK PRINCELY TABLE OF THE THIRD QUARTER OF THE 1070^S – SECOND HALF OF THE 1090^S

Abstract. The article examines the issue of the Smolensk princely throne of the third quarter of the 1070s – the second half of the 1090s. This period of time is characterized by significant political changes in Rus', which influenced the historical development of the Smolensk land both in this period and later. Having analyzed the chronicle sources, the author sought to clarify the problem of the succession of princely power in Smolensk and the peculiarities of inter-princely relations in the struggle for the Smolensk throne during the 1080s–1090s. The article also raises the question of dating a number of events related to the change of certain representatives of Yaroslav the Wise’s lineage on the Smolensk throne, which made it possible to refine the chronological sequence of some events that occurred shortly before the Council of Lyubech.
Keywords: Smolensk land, Russian princes, Smolensk princely table, Russian chronicles, Vladimir Monomakh, David Svyatoslavich, Svyatopolk Izyaslavich.

DUTCH MODELS OF NAVAL VESSELS IN RUSSIA IN THE 17^TH CENTURY

Abstract. The article explores the problem of delivering sail-and-oar vessel models from Holland to Russia in the 17th century, which served as prototypes for the con-struction of full-scale sea-going ships. In the second half of the 17th century, the Russian authorities made two attempts to create a naval fleet and planned to establish a shipyard in Astrakhan. Each time, Dutch models were brought to Russia. The models became a kind of marker, indicating the intention of the Russian authorities to begin the construction of sea-going vessels. An analysis of the versions about the creation of some sea-going vessel models in Russia, which were put forward in the 19th century, showed their inconsistency.

Keywords: model, vessels, shipyard, shipbuilding equipment, strug, galley, ship equipment camera model.

FROM THE HISTORY OF DIALECTS IN THE SOUTH-EAST OF MOSCOW REGION: NAMES OF HUMAN SPEECH BEHAVIOR IN THE ETHNOGRAPHIC RECORDS BY V. K. VLAZNEV (ZARAYSK UYEZD OF RYAZAN PROVINCE)

Abstract. The article analyzes the composition and semantic features of lexical units related to the theme of “Human Speech Behavior” found in the ethnographic records of V.K. Vlaznev, a native of the village of Verkhniy Beloomut in the Zaraysk Uyezd of the Ryazan Province. These records were made for the publishers of the “Dictionary of the Russian Language, compiled by the Second Department of the Imperial Academy of Sciences” under the editorship of Ya.K. Grot (1897) and for the Ethnographic Bureau of Prince V.N. Tenishev (1898 and 1901). The local historian compiled an “Alphabetical List of Ancient Local Words Used by the Inhabitants Here in Colloquial Speech”, which is a dictionary of dialect words with his own interpretations. The analysis of the “Alphabetical List” revealed that it contains lexical units which were not fixed in modern dialect lexicography – dialect hapaxes, words that are known in the “Dictionary of Russian Folk Dialects” solely from V.K. Vlaznev’s report. The article characterizes the specific features of how the dialect material is presented and the methods used for interpreting meanings. Vlaznev’s records extensively feature dialectisms that are no longer used in the living speech of the residents of the south-east of Moscow region.

Keywords: historical dialectology, dialects of the south-east of Moscow region, dialect lexicography, lexical units describing human speech behavior, local historian V.K. Vlaznev.

LEXICAL AND PHONETIC MARKERS OF STYLE HETEROGENEITY IN ENGLISH DEBATES

Abstract. The article reports on a study of genre specific and stylistic features of debates in English. The study examines the nature of persuasive speech and professional eloquence. The distinctive features of debates are determined by the following factors: the procedure is characterized by formality and standardization, while the participants’ interaction is informal. It results in heterogeneity of styles in rhetorical discourse. Drawing on the findings, made in the course of the analysis of public presentations, the authors outline the role of lexical and prosodic means in forming the stylistic peculiarity of British debates. The stylistic heterogeneity of lexical composition, as well as the prosodic variation contributes to the realization of persuasion in debates. Prosodic features of public speeches are analysed with regard to the character of speaker-audience interaction. The materials of Oxford Union debates possess a substantial linguodidactic potential: in EFL teaching they can be used to develop rhetorical, communicative and sociocultural competence of the students.
Keywords: debates, heterogeneity of styles, lexical means, stylistic stratification, prosodic features, conversational style.

WAYS OF PRAGMATIC ADAPTATION OF CHARACTERS’ SPEECH IN TRANSLATION

Abstract. The aim of the research is to investigate methods for the accurate conveyance of characters’ speech patterns, which is essential for ensuring translation adequacy. The article explores the concept of pragmatic adaptation, understood as modifying the source text so that the recipient – a speaker of the target language – perceives it in accordance with their own cultural and social norms. The importance of achieving an equivalent perlocutionary effect on the recipient is emphasized. It is noted that a character’s idiolect in a literary work is one of the carriers of the pragmatic potential of the text, thus neutralizing it would compromise the adequacy of the translation.
The subject of the research is translation transformations used for the pragmatic adaptation of characters’ speech patterns in literary works. The primary source material for the research is the English-language novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire (born Ramona Lofton). The selection of examples illustrating the main theoretical points was carried out using the method of continuous sampling. The research also employed comparative and descriptive methods, componential analysis, and translation analysis.
An idiolect can manifest itself at the phonetic, grammatical, lexical, and syntactic levels of language. When translating characters’ speech, their social, age, gender, and other characteristics must be considered to avoid oversimplifying the created artistic image. The analysis identifies compensation as the primary translation transformation. However, other transformations such as modulation, generalization, specification, metaphorization, the selection of functional equivalents, and pejoration can also be used as auxiliary techniques within the framework of compensation. The practical significance of this study lies in the potential application of its findings in both translation practice and translator training.
Keywords: pragmatic adaptation, speech portrait, idiolect, translation transformations, compensation.

EMERGING CHRISTIAN CHURCH IN JAPAN IN THE CONTEXT OF SLAVOPHILE HISTORIOSOPHY: LETTERS OF ST NICHOLAS OF JAPAN TO N.P. GILYAROV-PLATONOV (1885–1887)*

Abstract. The article is the first to examine the relationship between St. Nicholas of Japan and N.P. Gilyarov-Platonov from 1880 to 1887. The author identifies and analyzes materials on the spread of Orthodoxy in Japan, which Gilyarov-Platonov published in his newspaper ‘Sovremennye Izvestiya’. Inspired by the ‘apostolic endeavor’ of St. Nicholas, he managed to organize a nationwide collection of donations to support the Japanese Mission. This effort led to the construction of the Holy Resurrection Cathedral and a women’s theological school in central Tokyo. As an appendix to the article, three letters of Saint Nicholas of Japan (1885–1887) are published for the first time, providing new data for understanding his moral character and theological views. The study reveals that N. Gilyarov-Platonov and St. Nicholas, in their assessments of the phenomenon of Japanese Orthodoxy, were close to the historiosophical concepts of the early Slavophiles.
Keywords: Saint Nicholas of Japan, Equal to the Apostles; Nikita P. Gilyarov-Platonov, Orthodox mission; Japanese Church, church construction; Slavophile historiosophy; editorial; epistolary; charity.

*The research was supported by the Russian Science Foundation grant No. 25-18-01115, https://ias.rscf.ru/user/doc/a.w.p.2025.104.main/10753441, at the Institute of Russian Literature of the Russian Academy of Sciences

ASPECTS OF CRYPTOCURRENCY USE IN CROSS-BORDER TRANSACTIONS IN THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION

Abstract. The article explores the use of cryptocurrencies by Russian companies for cross-border transactions under sanctions. The study aims to analyze the opportunities, risks, and regulatory evolution of this instrument. The relevance of the study is driven by critical restrictions on the traditional financial infrastructure of the Russian Federation (hereinafter RF), such as disconnection from SWIFT, card blockages, and pressure on partner banks, due to sanctions, which force businesses to seek alternatives for foreign trade. The research methodology includes analysis of the RF regulatory framework, statistical analysis (transaction volumes, business participation), qualitative analysis of practical schemes, and a comparison of the legal and unregulated sectors. The key findings are as follows: the legal channel (experimental legal regimes) is limited and complex for small and medium enterprises (SMEs), leading to the dominance of a ‘gray’ market; dollar-denominated stablecoins dominate transactions, creating dependency on Western issuers; the identified key schemes and their risks include regulatory uncertainty, secondary sanctions, fraud, and reduced anonymization effectiveness; a significant gap exists between business needs and the capabilities of the legal sector.
The authors conclude that cryptocurrencies are in demand for maintaining the cross-border trade of the Russian Federation. For their sustainable application, it is necessary to: expand the accessibility of experimental legal regimes for SMEs, develop domestic infrastructure, reduce dependency on dollar stablecoins, and develop a clear regulatory framework for operations outside these experimental regimes. Success depends on a balance of technology, risk management, and cooperation.
The research results may be useful for regulators (the Central Bank of the Russian Federation, the Ministry of Economic Development of the Russian Federation) for improving experimental legal regimes and legislation, for Russian companies in choosing payment schemes, and for the scientific community researching sanctions-resilient finance.
Keywords: cryptocurrency, digital currency, cross-border payments, sanctions, SWIFT, Experimental Legal Regimes (ELR), stablecoins, money laundering.

ROLE OF STATE IN MANAGING THE QUALITY OF RETAIL SERVICES IN THE CONTEXT OF ECONOMIC NETWORKING AND REGIONALIZATION: CHINESE APPROACH

Abstract. The article analyzes China’s experience in transforming its domestic trade amidst a profound economic restructuring towards private enterprise, while retaining the steering role of the state. The authors examine the specific features of the trade policy in the People’s Republic of China, which enabled it to prioritize national entrepreneurship, maintain control over the consumer market, and harmonize the structure of trade capital. The study explores the role and significance of state-owned trading corporations as entities with direct market influence, as well as unfamiliar or long-forgotten instruments of state influence on the consumer market and the provision of social protection for the population. The authors also draw parallels between the approaches to consumer market development in China and Russia.
Keywords: consumer market, domestic trade, retail chains, state trading company, private trade business, social protection.