The 1513 Monte Crenone rock avalanche: numerical model and geomorphological analysis

As a contribution to the knowledge of historical rockslides, this research focuses on the historical reconstruction, field mapping, and simulation of the expansion, through numerical modelling, of the 30 September 1513 Monte Crenone rock avalanche. Earth observation in 2-D and 3-D, as well as direct in situ field mapping, allowed the detachment zone and the perimeter and volume of the accumulation to be determined. Thanks to the reconstruction of the post-event digital elevation model based on historical topographic maps and the numerical modelling with the RAMMS::DEBRISFLOW software, the dynamics and runout of the rock avalanche were calibrated and reconstructed. The reconstruction of the runout model allowed confirmation of the historical data concerning this event, particularly the damming of the valley floor and the lake formation up to an elevation of 390 m a.s.l., which generated an enormous flood by dam breaching on 20 May 1515, known as the “Buzza di Biasca”.

Housing Issue and Attempts to Solve it During the “Khrushchev Thaw”: a View From the Province (on the Example of the Mordovian ASSR)

Introduction. The relevance of the work is due to the demand for Soviet experience in implementing large-scale state projects, in particular in the field of housing construction, at the present stage of Russian modernization. Methods. The factual material available in the work is drawn from the funds of the Central State Archive of the Republic of Mordovia, as well as from published sources. During the research, the following methods were used: comparative-historical, problem-chronological, historical-cultural, historical reconstruction. Results. The dynamics of all types of housing construction in the republic during the study period received the maximum turnover. Discussion. One of the reasons for significant success in the field of housing construction in the republic was the reform of the country’s economic system. Sovnarkhoz turned out to be more flexible and adapted to the conditions of planned administering as management structures, which in particular manifested itself in the field of housing construction. Other reasons for success were a kind of “revolution” in the development of housing construction methods, when, along with the state, the “people’s construction” and the cooperative method began to be widely used, as well as the industrial basis of construction, albeit not always consistently implemented. At the same time, the speed of construction generated a lot of problems in hastily constructed standard small cars, which became the reverse side of Khrushchev’s housing policy. Conclusion. The housing policy pursued by the Khrushchev leadership was one of the indisputable social conquests of the time under study, when a significant part of people from barracks and communal apartments moved to separate apartments intended for settlement by one family. However, when solving this most important problem, the authorities placed special emphasis not so much on the development of new construction technologies, as on managerial reorganization, leading ultimately to a simple increase in the workforce and organizations involved in the construction of residential facilities.

Problems and Principles of Reconstruction of Certain Concepts of Philosophy and Cultural Narratives (Methodological Considerations)

The article deals with the problems and principles of reconstruction of certain concepts of philosophy and cultural narratives. The reason was the discussion of N. Kanaeva's report at the Institute of Philosophy, read at a seminar on the geography of rationality. Analyzing V. Bibikhin's work "Wittgenstein: Change of Aspect", the author poses the problem of correctly (to avoid contradictions and reach an understandable logic of text interpretation) reading the narratives of a foreign culture or even the narratives of one's own culture, but belonging to a different direction of thought. Such a reading, he claims, presupposes special optics, a hermeneutic concept and a cultural-historical reconstruction. To introduce and clarify what can be understood by such concepts (optics, concept and reconstruction), an analysis of two cases is proposed: semiotic schemes and G. Oldenberg's study of the Buddha's teachings. The schemes are discussed on the basis of the works of Plato ("Feast" and "Timaeus"). The author shows that Plato in "The Feast" constructs schemes for solving problem situations and specifying ideal objects, and in "Timaeus" he discusses the nature of schemes. In turn, Oldenberg reconstructs the prehistory of Buddhism and the basic ideas proposed by the Buddha. A feature of its reconstruction is an appeal to the culture of Ancient India, an analysis of the ancient Hindu consciousness and mentality, a discussion of the features of Buddhist discourse. The author concludes that if the ideas about Buddhism outlined by Oldenberg are used for the purpose of understanding Buddhist narratives, then these ideas as optics can be summed up under the notion of a hermeneutic concept. This concept is structured in such a way that it clearly takes into account the peculiarities of the Hindu culture and mentality, as different from the European ones.

EPISTOLARY HERITAGE OF N.I. ILMINSKY AS A SOURCE ON THE HISTORY OF EDUCATING NON-RUSSIAN PEOPLES OF EASTERN RUSSIA (in the last third of the XIX century)

The article is devoted to the analysis of epistolary sources on the history of educating non-Russian peoples of eastern Russia. The correspondence gives an opportunity to present the work of N.I. Ilminsky on education, methods of his activity, difficulties encountered along the way. The correspondence focuses on the development of Orthodox education among non-Russian peoples. The specific composition of letters is diverse. By correspondents, the sources are divided into the following groups: letters to senior statesmen, to figures of the Russian Orthodox Church, to local education figures. By the content, the correspondence is divided into groups of materials: about translation and publishing activities, about organizing the network of non-Russian schools, about training and appointment of teachers and priests, about introducing church worship in native languages. The letters significantly complement our understanding of N.I. Ilminsky’s personality and his educational activities. Currently, many scientists believe that it is necessary to conduct a deeper study and interpretation of historical events concerning educating the population of the country, including non-Russian peoples of the eastern part of Russia, taking into account their diversity. Epistolary sources provide rich material for historical reconstruction, their information potential is rich and diverse. The research methodology is based on historical methods: historical-genetic and historical-comparative. The historical-genetic method enables to trace the course of events in their chronological sequence, the dynamics of processes related to the history of educating non-Russian peoples of eastern Russia. The comparative historical method, which puts the fait accompli as the basis of all arguments and conclusions, was an important method in the historical reconstruction of educational process of the non-Russian peoples of the region under study on the basis of Orthodox education. A variety of epistolary sources made it possible to conduct a holistic historical reconstruction of the period under study in the history of education and to formulate analytical conclusions on the research problem. The author managed to analyze the collected material. The analysis performed gives the opportunity to make a conclusion about the diverse activities of N.I. Ilminsky on education.

On the origins of the methodology of social knowledge in Russia: A.S. Lappo-Danilevsky and contemporary discussions

The article considers those aspects of the development of sociological knowledge in Russia that were determined by the scientific and organizational activities of A.S. Lappo-Danilevsky (1863-1919). His contribution to the development of the Russian social and humanitarian thought is associated mainly with the development of the foundations of history, historiography and source studies, which is widely admitted in scientific works. However, Lappo-Danilevskys contribution to the development of sociology, to the identification of the specifics of its subject and to the creation of a model of systemic courses on the historical reconstruction of sociological knowledge are still widely discussed. The authors consider the creative component of Lappo-Danilevskys legacy and the strategy he developed for creating an interdisciplinary methodology for social sciences. The article aims at describing his contribution to the institutionalization of Russian sociology, which allows not only to clarify the origins of social knowledge in Russia, but also to actualize Lappo-Danilevskys legacy. The authors pose new questions and problematize the research potential of the works of Russian scientists at the turn of the 20th century, which has prospects for supplementing the history and methodology of sociology. The description of the activities of Lappo-Danilevsky - from the development of the institutional foundations of Russian sociology to the clarification of the methodological principles of social knowledge - raises the question of the influence of positivism and neo-Kantianism on the scientific community. On the other hand, the study of the scientific and organizational activities of Lappo-Danilevsky allow to expand the field of history and methodology of sociology by supplementing it with a description of the institutionalization of sociology in Russia. The study of the foundations of sociological knowledge emphasizes three points: creation of methodology, separation from related disciplines, and acceptance of the historical component in the development of academic sociology. The article also mentions contemporary discussions which consider the sociological legacy of Lappo-Danilevsky not only as a historical reconstruction of the development of social knowledge, but also in the interdisciplinary perspective of contemporary sociology.

NOBLES AND LANDOWNERS OF THE AZOV PROVINCE UNDER PETER I: ON THE ISSUE OF SOCIAL IDENTITY ACCORDING TO MASS SOURCES OF 1710-1723

The article actualizes the problem of determining the social identity of the Azov nobility. The authors propose a solution using the analysis of mass sources and the method of biographical comparison of data. The social identity of the nobility is understood by the authors of the article as a set of retrospective identification practices - this is the perception of service people of themselves and each other. The authors believe that various practices of social identification in the past are expressed in the context of research and analysis in modern language, and the description of social identity is semantically a historical reconstruction. For the first time in historiography, the number and official structure of the service people of the Azov province is studied. This topic was studied according to the data of the "General Inspection" held in Moscow in 1721-1723, which was organized by the Senate and Heraldry. Data on the official structure of the nobility of the Azov province were studied according to the "knigi priezdov" and compared with the Landrat census of Shatsky and Yelets counties. The authors studied the social identification of the Azov nobility on the basis of name registration at the "General Inspection" during 1721-1722. The totality of representations by service people of their name and age are analyzed using the typology of self-identification formulas. In the conclusion of the article, the main parameters of the social identification of the "nobility" are highlighted.

ON THE ORGANIZATIONAL AND LEGAL ORIGINS OF THE PROSECUTOR's OFFICE OF UDMURTIA: PROSECUTOR'S OFFICES IN VYATKA PROVINCE IN XIX - EARLY XX CENT

The article deals with the problem of the emergence and formation of prosecutor's offices in Glazovsky, Sarapulsky, Yelabuga and Malmyzhsky uyezds of Vyatka province, which later formed the territorial basis of the Udmurt Republic. The relevance of the issue is connected both with its poorly studied nature and with the continuing dubious practice of considering 1922 as the starting point in the history of the Udmurt prosecutor's office. The purpose of the article is an attempt of historical reconstruction of the organizational and legal origins and subsequent development of the prosecutor's offices in these uyezds, and also the justification of the establishment in 1874 of prosecutorial supervision bodies at the district courts in Vyatka and Sarapul as the starting point in the history under consideration. In the process of research, a wide range of general scientific and historical-legal methods were applied, based on a dialectical approach and using pre-revolutionary sources, including archival materials. The author substantiates the idea that the prosecutor's office long before the revolution of 1917 was an important element of the system of regional state-legal management, and the Soviet Prosecutor's Office of the 1920s emerged as an updated institution, restored on the basis of extensive pre-revolutionary experience and with the assistance of old specialists.

Природные материалы в соматических представлениях тюркских и монгольских народов Внутренней Азии

The aim of this article is to analyze traditional somatic ideas of the Turkic-Mongolians of Inner Asia that they formed as a part of their “theories” on the origin of the world and man. Data and methods. An important part of the studies of man as a social and biological being is the investigation of the human body conceptualizations of the Turkic-Mongolian peoples. When explored, the ideas that traditional societies had on the human body and its constituent parts, such as organs, muscles, and blood may give an important clue to understanding traditional medicine methods, attitudes towards the body, and the body potentialities. In this respect, one cannot overestimate the relevance of the nomads’ folklore texts dealing with the origin of the world and man as a research source. A variety of such stories relating how man was made of clay, wood, metal, bone, and stone may shed light on the invention and development of new materials by man, as well as on the technologies they used for their processing. The study is based on a comparative historical method that helps to identify commonalities characteristic of the Turkic-Mongolian world in understanding the human body; as well as the method of cultural and historical reconstruction, which gives an insight into the logic of archaic views. Conclusions. In the somatic conceptualizations of the Turkic-Mongolians, the key and stable correspondences of the natural and the human are such series as bone – wood, flesh – clay/earth /stone form. The associations of the human body and its parts with metals manifest to a lesser degree. The processes of maturing and aging of the human body were conceptualized by traditional societies in terms of both natural and cultural phenomena, such as the life cycles of a tree and ceramics making of raw/soft clay hardened in the process of its firing.

PM2.5 Modeling and Historical Reconstruction over the Continental USA Utilizing GOES-16 AOD

In this study, we present a nationwide machine learning model for hourly PM2.5 estimation for the continental United States (US) using high temporal resolution Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellites (GOES-16) Aerosol Optical Depth (AOD) data, meteorological variables from the European Center for Medium Range Weather Forecasting (ECMWF) and ancillary data collected between May 2017 and December 2020. A model sensitivity analysis was conducted on predictor variables to determine the optimal model. It turns out that GOES16 AOD, variables from ECMWF, and ancillary data are effective variables in PM2.5 estimation and historical reconstruction, which achieves an average mean absolute error (MAE) of 3.0 μg/m3, and a root mean square error (RMSE) of 5.8 μg/m3. This study also found that the model performance as well as the site measured PM2.5 concentrations demonstrate strong spatial and temporal patterns. Specifically, in the temporal scale, the model performed best between 8:00 p.m. and 11:00 p.m. (UTC TIME) and had the highest coefficient of determination (R2) in Autumn and the lowest MAE and RMSE in Spring. In the spatial scale, the analysis results based on ancillary data show that the R2 scores correlate positively with the mean measured PM2.5 concentration at monitoring sites. Mean measured PM2.5 concentrations are positively correlated with population density and negatively correlated with elevation. Water, forests, and wetlands are associated with low PM2.5 concentrations, whereas developed, cultivated crops, shrubs, and grass are associated with high PM2.5 concentrations. In addition, the reconstructed PM2.5 surfaces serve as an important data source for pollution event tracking and PM2.5 analysis. For this purpose, from May 2017 to December 2020, hourly PM2.5 estimates were made for 10 km by 10 km and the PM2.5 estimates from August through November 2020 during the period of California Santa Clara Unite (SCU) Lightning Complex fires are presented. Based on the quantitative and visualization results, this study reveals that a number of large wildfires in California had a profound impact on the value and spatial-temporal distributions of PM2.5 concentrations.

Archaeological Approaches to and Heritage Perspectives on Modern Conflict

From a wider disciplinary perspective, modern conflict archaeology is now a thoroughly established and mature sub-discipline. However, a significant problem conflict archaeologists in the Netherlands face is that modern eras, including both World Wars, have so far not received serious attention. Although both World Wars appeal strongly to the popular imagination, until recently Dutch researchers had not approached modern conflict from an academic archaeological perspective to any great extent. This is partly the result of problematic legislation on archaeological activity in the Netherlands. When applied and interpreted appropriately, archaeology can play an important role in the preservation, contemporary experience and historical reconstruction of recent conflicts. However, as this book argues, research methods other than excavations will be needed in order to conduct conflict archaeology in the Netherlands effectively. This study aims to develop a Dutch approach to conflict archaeology, integrating archaeology, heritage research and history at a landscape scale.