‘The province…But, indeed, that is Russia!’

“The Imagined Province” investigates the shifts in what the “idea of the province” in the period of world war and the Russian revolution and civil war. I argue that the mental and emotional valence of Russia’s map changed markedly over these nine years as regionalist and provincial pride came into literary culture, urging a fresh view of central Russia outside the capital cities. This change of perspective emerges in essays, stories, and poetry throughout Central Russia, though this article focuses mainly on the Volga Region. Authors of many different political stripes contributed to this shift—among them, regionalists like Evgenii Chirikov and Nikolai Kliuev, pro-revolutionary socialists such as Maksim Gor’kii and Matvei Dudorov, and Bolsheviks like Aleksei Dorogoichenko and Fedor Bogorodskii. As the Bolsheviks regathered Russia, these provincial voices were overpowered by more prominent voices from the center. Nonetheless, they established a “usable history” that remains a substrate of Russian culture even today, challenging the simplistic binary juxtaposing “capital” and “province.”

Aquatic bioresources of artificial water bodies in Republic of Mordovia (case of Turgenev Reservoir)

On the territory of the Republic of Mordovia there are found more than 220 multi-purpose ponds and water reservoirs built on the watercourses. The Turgenev Reservoir on the Alatyr River is a typical channel artificial reservoir. The results of comprehensive fisheries research for the period of 2009–2015 are presented. Analysis of the fod der base showed a significant underutilization of zoobenthos and phytoplankton. Using the average indicators of the fodder base over the above period, the production capacity of the reservoir fodder base was calculated, which amounted to 39.69 tons or 405 kg/ha. According to the results of research fishing with fry seine, the ichthyomass of small fish species and juveniles under the age of two years is estimated by years at the level of 8 tons or 73–91 kg/ha. According to the results of net catches, the ichthyomass of the commercial fish fauna is at the level of 6.3 t or 64 kg/ha; the total ichthyomass is 146 kg/ha. The possible catch of mainly small fish in the Turgenev Reservoir can make 5–7 tons, and in total in the Republic of Mordovia in the multi-purpose water reservoirs - about 260 tons. Due to the reconstruction of ichthyofauna at the expense of a free food base, reproduction, fish- and water protecting measures the catches of marketable fish in ponds and water bodies of Mordovia can reach 1000 tons. The artificial reservoirs of the republic have a significant regulated potential of the aquatic biological resources for the low-water regions of Central Russia both providing the population with freshwater fish and creating the conditions for active and useful recreation on the territory near the water reservoirs: developing facilities for sport and amateur fishing and tourism.

State evaluation of some Hydrangea macrophylla (Thunb.) varieties after winter hardiness in the agrometeorological conditions of central Russia

Hydrangea macrophylla (Thunb.) Ser. is one of the most popular ornamental crops, used in landscape design. This article represents the study of the variety resistance of species and influence their of climatic change. In that sense the effective technology of plant shelter for the winter hardiness can be considered as a successful important factor for the promotion of this crop in northern area. Wherefore we consider in a comparative analysis of H. macrophylla varieties Forever & Ever Blue and Peppermint, which we carried out after winter hardiness in the conditions of central Russia. The most reliable and proven way to shelter for winter of hydrangea is the shelter of lutrasil, which contributed to an increase in the viability of shoots and the amount awakened buds, and also provided the better growth of shoots during the month. The highest percentage of overwintered shoots (77,8%), the amount of vegetative and generative buds (19,3±1,3 сm и 9,6±0,7 сm., respectively) and the total growth of shoots in spring (10,2 cm) were characteristic for variety Forever & Ever Blue for using lutrasil as a shelter. Keywords: HYDRANGEA MACROPHYLLA, VARIETIES, WINTER HARDINESS, FROST RESISTANCE, VIABILITY, SHELTER

Problems of restoration and development of urban environment of old industrial centers]

The paper considers the urban development and reconstruction of industrial centers on the example of different cities. Design proposals are given for the renovation of the Russian factories and landscaping of industrial historic cities. Examples are given for the reconstruction of silk weaving enterprises near Moscow. Many factories are now in a derelict condition, and for the normal urban development need revitalization of enterprises and comprehensive improvement of adjacent areas. Thanks to the development of cloth production, small settlements in central Russia became industrial city-forming centers more than two hundred years ago. Small manufactories were transformed into large industrial complexes, and the unique exquisite fabrics surpassed the best European ones in price and quality. Russian fabrics were universally welcomed at international exhibitions, awarded with medals and long-term orders. Cities were growing, the economy was developing, housing construction helped to solve social problems, transportation and infrastructure of cities and settlements were developing. Early in the 21st century, glorious weaving factories became an integral part of historic cities, their decoration and pride. Architectural ensembles of industrial enterprises became not only monuments of the Russian cultural heritage, but also an important component of the Russian cities.

Behind the Scene

In this article, I analyze teacher’s attire as a political phenomenon in the context of the Mari people, a Finno-Ugric minority living in Central Russia. The material for this study is based on observations and interviews made by the author during 1987‒2019 in different places of the Mari region. The Mari teacher’s dress code, a dark dress with a white collar, is usually considered self-evident, but as I argue in this article, in the Soviet Union, and in Russia at the post-socialist time, the Mari female teacher’s dress served two practices. Firstly, clothing represented position and agency of power, the socialist ideal, and later the political trend of the majority. Secondly, clothing represented traditional, everyday Mari life.

Символы и ценности современной российской молодежи: антропологический анализ на примере Костромской и Владимирской областей

Современные проблемы и вызовы диктуют обществу необходимость более внимательно относиться к формированию жизненных ценностей у подрастающего поколения. Свойственные молодости протестность и бунтарство, а также тенденция участия в несанкционированных митингах, количество которых за последнее время существенно увеличилось, заставляют общество изучать причины подобного поведения, а также цели, ценности и приоритеты современной молодежи России в целом. Главной задачей научных трудов является выявление истинных проблем, которые волнуют молодое поколение и заставляют бунтовать против норм и устоев общества. Именно поэтому социально-антропологические исследования приобретают особую общественно-политическую значимость, показывая первопричины того или иного феномена поведения. Основной задачей этого исследования была попытка выявить приоритеты, ценности и основные трудности, присущие молодым жителям провинциальных областных центров, а также их главные цели на ближайшее будущее. В результате исследования мы выяснили, что материальные сложности и проблемы бытового характера заботят молодежь больше, чем ценности самовыражения и свободы. Тем самым наше исследование косвенно подтвердило существование общей проблемы Центральной России – депопуляции населения. Молодежь больше ориентирована на решение материально-бытовых задач, чем на общественно-политическое участие или духовный рост, который реален только в городской местности. В провинциальных городах молодежь более скромная и менее решительная в своих действиях, а желание противостоять обществу в общем количестве ответов респондентов незначительно, вероятно, это следствие более консервативного и строгого воспитания в семьях, ведь большинство студентов-участников опроса жители малых городов и поселков. Приоритетными для этой части молодежи остаются фундаментальные жизнеобеспечивающие цели и задачи – трудоустройство и жилищный вопрос. Немаловажное значение имеют также проблемы повышения минимального размера труда, заботы о старшем поколении и медицинского обслуживания. Current problems and challenges require society to pay attention to the values of the younger generation. At the same time, the youth is known to be prone to rebel and protest and tend to take part in unauthorized rallies, which have become significantly more frequent in recent years. This provokes the interest of the society to study the current values and priorities of the Russian youth. The main task is to identify the problems that worry the younger generation and cause them to rebel against society. That is why socio-anthropological studies of young people’s behavior acquire a particular socio-political significance. This study aimed to identify the values and main difficulties of the youth in provincial regional centers and their goals for the near future. The study revealed that material values and welfare problems concern young people more than self-expression and freedom. And thus, our study indirectly confirmed the importance of another problem in Central Russia - the depopulation of the local population. Unresolved problems of housing and social and financial well-being are forcing the younger generation to migrate to more comfortable places to live. Young people are more focused on their welfare problems than participation in social and political life. The youth responded to political topics with difficulty and tried to choose “correct” options rather than be honest. In provincial cities, young people are more modest and less decisive in their goals. The total result of the survey revealed a reluctance to confront social norms, which is probably the consequence of a conservative and strict upbringing. Employment and housing remain primary global life goals for the youth. Minimum wage, caring for the older generation and medical care are also important.

Filaggrin gene polymorphisms are associated with atopic dermatitis in women but not in men in the Caucasian population of Central Russia

Background and purpose This study aimed to analyze the gender-specific association of the filaggrin (FLG) gene polymorphisms with atopic dermatitis (AD) in Caucasians from the central region of Russia. Methods The study sample consisted of 906 female (including 474 patients with AD and 432 controls) and 406 male (such as 226 patients with AD and 180 controls) participants. Genotyping of ten polymorphisms of the FLG gene was done. The logistic regression was used to analyze the associations. A total of 125 SNPs (seven AD-associated SNPs and 118 proxy SNPs, r2≥0.8) FLG gene were used for the in silico functional annotation analysis in the females. Results Significant associations were identified between seven SNPs of the FLG gene (rs12130219, rs61816761, rs558269137, rs12144049, rs3126085, rs471144, rs6661961) and AD in females: rs12144049 was associated independent individually (for allele C OR = 1.71, 95%Сl 1.19–2.46, рperm = 0.004 and OR = 1.76, 95%Сl 1.18–2.63, рperm = 0.006 according to the additive and dominant genetic models, respectively) and seven SNPs of the FLG gene within 14 haplotypes. Haplotype GGT [rs61816761-rs3126085-rs12144049] showed the strongest association (OR = 0.55, рperm = 0.001). No association between the analyzed SNPs and AD was determined in the male group. The subsequent bioinformatic analysis predicted the SNPs of the FLG gene that possessed epigenetic and non-synonymous effects, were involved in the control of gene expression and alternative splicing of genes that contribute to AD pathophysiology. Conclusion Polymorphisms of the FLG gene are associated with AD in females but not in males in the Caucasian population of Central Russia.

TAMBOV GOVERNING ELITE IN THE CONDITIONS OF POST-REFORM TRANSFORMATION

The article examines the period (1861-1898) after the abolition of serfdom in the region of Central Russia. This period is characterized by a difficult situation for the further development of the country in the new realities. Despite the modernization message from the upper echelons of power, in the depths of the regional elite, serf attitudes and customs were preserved, which were supported by peasant’s patriarchal psychology. In this article the information on the adjustment of the nobility and landowners to the post-reform realities, on actions to realize their interests is supplemented. In carrying out the research, general scientific and special historical methods were used. The work is based on the archival sources of the State Archive of the Tambov Region. According to the results of the study, it can be noted that the local administrative elites were inclined to expand the boundaries of their own power. The modernization impulses directed from the capital, although caught by the Tambov leadership and the nobility, were implemented in a refined manner, drawing from the local interests. With the economic crisis, the "crisis of the management elite" also grew. Local authorities were increasingly distanced from the process of agricultural modernization in the Tambov province, not realizing that the agrotechnical backwardness of the region, which was aggravating over the years, was actually turning into a hotbed of great tension and threatened with serious conflict situations.

Detection of an invasive species Arion vulgaris Moquin-Tandon, 1855 (Mollusca: Gastropoda: Arionidae) in the Republic of North Ossetia-Alania

Arion vulgaris Moquin-Tandon is a serious agricultural pest. Its rapid spread started in the middle of the twentieth century. Currently, its range covers almost all of Western Europe and it is rapidly expanding to the east. A. vulgaris has been recorded in the Baltics, Ukraine, and central Russia; it is also found in the Faroe Islands. In 2009, it was discovered in Russia in the commercial greenhouses of Tver. Now it has spread in the suburbs and Moscow. On the 6th of August 2019, a population of this species was found in the arboretum of Vladikavkaz, North Ossetia which is the first record of A. vulgaris in the Caucasus. Description of the slug’s genitalia is given.