Vol 25, No 2 (2025)

The main regional priority in Russia’s foreign policy is CIS countries. The special role of our country in this region is conditioned, fi rst of all, by deep dependence in diff erent spheres, by close cultures, common language, and traditions of common statehood. Russia traditionally considers the post-Soviet space as the zone of its national interests, acting as regional guarantor of peace and security. After the collapse of the Soviet Union, despite the provisions declared in the Russian Federation’s foreign policy on Russia’s special position in relation to CIS countries and attempts to preserve the zone of infl uence in this territory, the role of our country gradually began to decline. After 2022, despite the successes in carrying out a number of integration economic projects and creating regional security system, the negative trends in the fi eld of interaction between the countries became most clearly manifested. Friendly and unfriendly countries were clearly identifi ed in the post-Soviet space. The focus of the research interest is the analysis of CIS countries as the main regional priority in the Russian Federation’s foreign policy on the basis of doctrinal documents and assessments of Russians. On the basis of the study of conceptual strategic documents, the analysis of priority directions of the Russian Federation’s foreign policy course in the zone of CIS countries is carried out, the attitude of Russians and youth to the foreign policy in the post-Soviet space is revealed on materials of author’s and all-Russian researches.

The article is devoted to the theory of civil society, which for many years has been the reason for discussions in Russian social and scientific discourses. Over the past 30 years, a large-scale corpus of texts was created in the fi eld of studying civil society in Russian social science, which is more confusing than clarifying the situation. The complex of ideas and concepts underlying the theory of civil society in its development is analyzed. Plato and Aristotle; Hobbes, Locke and Russo; Kant, Smith, Hegel, traditionally attributed to civil society theorists, on closer examination, developed the ideas that contradict to either the modern trend of its understanding or, to each other. K. Marx disavowed the idea of civil society, he considered a civil society as the voice of the ruling class. More than a hundred years from the middle of the XIX to the 80`s. of the XX centuries “civil society” was practically absent in scientifi c and political life. In the scientifi c literature and the media over the past half century, many defi nitions and interpretations of the concept of “civil society” spread. As a result of their generalization, approximately six basic interpretations are formed. If we consider these classifications in a complex, then a cognitive dissonance arises: such diff erent phenomena cannot be hidden under the name of the same social object. What is today called the civil society theory is a vaguely defi ned and diverse set of approaches. Civil society is seen as a special area that must be recognized and protected from regulation. The anti-state ideological pathos of civil society is one of the most eff ective rams of destruction of the ideological foundations of the state.

A sociological study using in-depth online interviews and expert interviews allowed us to identify the main advantages and disadvantages of modern online learning based on online schools and original courses. Along with the democratization of the educational space, accessibility for a wide range of users, unlimited geographical and time frames, the possibility of combining training with professional and other activities, online courses have great potential for personalization: freedom to choose the pace and time of training, intensity and media format for passing the material, content. Interactive elements of online learning stimulate the activity of listeners. The leading factors in the promotion of author’s online courses are the personality of the blogger, his/her achievements, competence and qualifi cations, persuasiveness as an expert, media coverage of the person, and the practical orientation of the proposed content. The duality of the status of online courses is shown. Due to the lack of a legislative framework regulating their work and quality, a number of social risks arise associated with the dissemination of “pseudoscientifi c” knowledge through various courses in new media. Two groups of risks for the further development of online learning were also identifi ed: for society (digital inequality; cybersecurity threats; the spread of unscrupulous organizations implementing online courses; the lack of the social control system and a legislative framework for regulating online courses) and for the education system (insuffi cient training of teachers; diffi culties in identifying students and monitoring the independence of completing assignments).

The article is devoted to the study of the phenomenon of sharing culture as a new trend in consumer society. The evolution of consumer values, noting a signifi cant shift from the traditional model of accumulating material wealth to prioritizing intangible values such as experiences, impressions, and access to various services are analyzed. This transition refl ects the changes in public consciousness, where the importance of ownership is giving way to the value of use and shared consumption. The key factors contributing to the development of sharing culture are examined, including technological progress, environmental challenges, and the transformation of societal attitudes toward sustainable development. A comprehensive model of sharing culture is presented, consisting of four main components: values (sustainability, trust, collectivism, mindfulness), practices (shared use, exchange, collective initiatives), participants (individuals, communities, businesses, government), and infrastructure (digital platforms, technologies, legal norms). It is emphasized that sharing culture not only transforms economic consumption models but also infl uences social interaction, fostering new forms of trust and cooperation among people. The portrait of typical users of sharing services is described, predominantly represented by Generation Z and millennials residing in metropolitan areas. They are characterized by digital literacy, pragmatism, openness to new forms of interaction, and entrepreneurial spirit. In conclusion, the signifi cant potential of sharing culture for sustainable societal development is highlighted. It is noted that further expansion requires infrastructure development, the promotion of sharing practices, and support from both the state and businesses.

The specifi cs of pension provision for military personnel of various structures are the basis for disputes between scientists and experts in this fi eld. Improving the pension system for military personnel is an essential aspect for increasing the eff ectiveness of the state's defense capability, stimulating the younger generation to serve in a particular power structure, and increasing the prestige of the status of a serviceman. However, the specifi cs of pension accrual and calculation cause indignation among military personnel of various structures, which leads to negative trends. This article discusses the structure of military personnel's pay. The specifi c diff erences caused by various factors in military pensions of diff erent law enforcement agencies are characterized. Attention is focused on the existence of groups of bodies, diff erentiated by their departmental affi liation, responsible for the appointment, calculation, recalculation and payment of pension allowances of various types. The peculiarity of the length of service for the appointment, calculation and accrual of a military pension is noted. . The diff erences in the mechanisms and level of formation of monetary allowances for military personnel of various structures are analyzed. The analysis of salary levels by tariff category for positions held in the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation and the Federal Service of the National Guard Troops of the Russian Federation (in 2024) under identical conditions is carried out. The article considers the diff erences in pension provision for military personnel of the military investigative committees of the Investigative Committee of Russia, the military Prosecutor's offi ce and military courts, which represent an increase in social status in relation to military personnel of other law enforcement agencies. The reasons for the reduction coeffi cient applied to some law enforcement agencies of the state are investigated. The shortcomings of the pension system have been identifi ed, taking into account the diversity of state law enforcement agencies.

This publication is devoted to the analysis of one of the reasons why one of the main values of democratic political culture, i.e. the responsibility of a citizen for the state of politics and their place in it, has gradually been losing its signifi cance in the minds of the “digital generation” of young citizens of the Russian Federation over the past decade. The author believes, that the reason is infl ated expectations of the subjects of the state policy of digitalization of Russia that mass and widespread introduction of relevant technologies into state and public practices can quickly and eff ectively solve most organizational and communicative problems in politics, economics and culture, including education. Infl ated expectations prevent subjects of digitalization policy from paying attention to the warnings of experts about the risks for political future of Russia that accelerated digitalization creates. The latter creates conditions for a young citizen when (s)he can legitimately replace their activity in real politics and responsibility for the consequences of their actions with activity in the use of digital technologies, for the quality and consequences of which (s)he does not bear direct responsibility. A challenge for the present and future of Russian politics is the high level of readiness of the “digital generation” of young citizens to transmit their rejection of political responsibility from the sphere of digital communications to the sphere of real politics.

Different understandings of health in the fi eld of medicine, politics and at the everyday level complicate communication between the medical community, authorities and citizens on issues related to maintaining public health. Meanwhile, diff erent interpretations of health intersect in its functional aspect. Both for the state authorities and for the citizens themselves, health is an important resource that ensures stable socio-economic and political development for the state and material, social and psychological well-being for citizens. At the same time, their disdainful attitude to individual health and ways to maintain and improve it forces the authorities to look for various ways to solve this problem, including through the development of infrastructure for a healthy lifestyle, legal regulation, education, which is refl ected in the relevant national and federal projects. However, the intersection of strategies in the fi eld of health and in the fi eld of civic education, including the formation of patriotism and traditional values, could increase the motivation of citizens. Filling the content of health with an ideological component related to determining the signifi cance of each citizen for his family, society and the state could, together with the measures already taken, change the behavior of citizens in relation to their health. Within the framework of the ideological component, it is important to emphasize the signifi cance of the younger generation not only for the defense of the Motherland and reproduction of the population, but also for the development of all spheres of society with appropriate support from the state.

 In this article, the author examines the variety of theoretical approaches to the concept of “civilizational identity” in Russian and foreign studies. Special attention is paid to the interpretation of the concept of “civilizational identity” by researchers from the countries of the Asia-Pacifi c region and the Middle East. This is important in the context of the deterioration of relations between Russia and Western countries and, as a result, the implementation of the “turn of Russia to the East” in the academic humanitarian environment, where one of the key places is occupied by the search for new grounds for analyzing the concept of “civilizational identity” based on cultural traditions and customs in the likeness of researchers ethnically representing the countries of the Global South. The result of this study is to develop, on the basis of the considered approaches, a generalized modern defi nition of the concept of “civilizational identity”, which is based on a set of principles and guidelines used by civilization to preserve its socio-cultural and political identity in world history. In addition, the author argues that within the current political conditions, this defi nition is fi xed in certain aspects in the documents of strategic planning of foreign  policy of individual countries (Russia, Turkey). Such documents should include the Concept of Russia’s Foreign Policy adopted in 2023, the Concept of Russia’s Humanitarian Policy Abroad in 2022, as well as a Brief overview of the foreign policy of the Republic of Turkey and the political program of the Justice and Development Party, i.e. one of the leading political forces in Turkish politics.

The article presents results of the author’s study, carried out by the method of anonymous survey of leading domestic experts. The questionnaire is devoted to the approaches of Russian scientists to political propaganda on the Internet. The objectives of the study are to identify relevant positions and dominant views on this topic, as well as analysis and development of proposals for the modernization of the relevant state policy. The article provides a brief overview of currently existing studies on the topic considered by the author. The empirical base of the study is formed on the basis of data obtained as a result of a structured survey conducted from September to October 2024, aimed at representatives of scientific community specializing in the field of propaganda on the Internet, including questions aimed at identifying expert assessments of the effectiveness of Internet propaganda, as well as highlighting the main forecasts for its development. Based on thorough analysis of the opinions of competent specialists, a conclusion was made about the presence of a critical attitude to the process of deglobalization of the “world wide web” and increasing fragmentation of the information field. In order to potentially respond to this situation, the author puts forward the idea of introducing a new regulatory instrument, namely the status of a “qualified Internet user”, which could become the subject of regulation by the Federal Service for Supervision of Communications, Information Technology and Mass Media (Roskomnadzor), acting in analogy with the status of a “qualified investor” regulated by the Central Bank of the Russian Federation. This approach involves establishing certain criteria for assigning the status, as well as developing mechanisms for monitoring the activities of users who meet the established criteria.