Abstract: The purpose of the present article is to provide a description of modern political situation the Central Asia by defi ning the tendencies and patterns of implementation of foreign policies by Russia, China and one of the Central Asian states, Kyrgyzstan. The target of research is to study the political situation in the Central Asia in the modern period. The subject matter of research is to study interests and aspirations of Russia, People’s Republic of China and Kyrgyzstan in the Central Asian region. As a result of the breakup of the Soviet Union and temporary leave of Russia from the Central Asian region, the gap in political infl uence was fi lled in by the alternative actors – PRC, USA, EU, Turkey, Persian Gulf countries and even Iran. Noteworthy that the Central Asia started to play a very important role in the foreign policy of developed countries (not members of the CIS). The interest of foreign states towards the Central Asian countries is mostly caused by their desire to get access to rich strategic mineral and energetic resources of the Central Asian countries such as uranium, gold, oil and natural gas and involve the Central Asian countries into the unifi ed international transport infrastructure as the bridge connecting European countries with rapidly growing economic systems of the East Asia (China, Republic of Korea and Japan) and South Asia (Iran, Pakistan and India).

Keywords: Central Asia, CIS, Russia, China, Kyrgyzstan, politics, society, international relations, integration, economy.

DOI: 10.7256/2454-0684.2014.1.9306

DOI: 10.7256/2454-0684.2014.1.54177

Abstract: The article is devoted to the concept of legitimation of power from the point of view of personal commitment to the existing regime. To explain and justify the elements of the institutional tradition, Peter Berger and Thomas Luckmann offer to view legitimation in terms of its cognitive and regulatory components which, as the author of the article states, points out that legitimation also deals with the basic (cognitive and regulatory) functions of religion and therefore directly relates to and depends on the ‘superior reality’ (Talcott Parsons). Based on the classical research of social terms carried out by Emile Benveniste, the author of the article analyzes the semantic meaning of the terms ‘power’, ‘authority’, ‘trust’ and ‘commitment’ in terms of their relation to legitimation. At the end of the article the author concludes that all social terms that have been studied by sociologists and comprise the process of legitimation have roots in religion and relate to religious perception of the world as well as religious vertical relations (between people and God) even more than horizontal religious relations (between people themselves). This proves the above mentioned thesis made by Talcott Parsons. However, while the religious nature of legitimation of theocratic and monarchical regimes seems quite obvious, democratic processes happening under the conditions of social secularism challenge the researchers to conduct a more depth-in research of the motivational aspect of legitimation.

Keywords: legitimation, confession, power, authority, trust, personal commitment, motivation, cognitive aspect of legitimation, regulatory aspect of legitimation, religious aspect of legitimation.

DOI: 10.7256/2454-0684.2014.1.10648

DOI: 10.7256/2454-0684.2014.1.54175

Abstract: The drastic growth of population creates even more global issues which solution requires mutual efforts of the mankind. For example, in-depth researches carried out in such spheres as the protection of the environment, atmosphere, sea, biological diversity as well as epidemic research studies require participation and involvement of all countries. The purpose of the present article is to conduct the research of modern tendencies in development of science and technology. In the author’s opinion, this is a topical issue because of the great signifi cant of science and technology for the global progress and human development. The author of the article describes the most important tendencies in development of the global science and technology including scientifi c and technological globalization, development of the global cooperation in science and technology and others. It is the author’s opinion that today we can distinguish seven major characteristics of the process of development in science and technology: advanced countries put forth equal efforts to fi nance research and technology; developing countries start to infl uence the structure of international cooperation in science and technology; economic growth becomes the main purpose of the innovative development of science and technology in different countries; the pace of commercialization of scientifi c and technical achievements grows; interaction between the main factors of innovative development grows stronger; state support of companies’ innovation activities goes up; training of the personnel performing innovation activities is still in the focus of attention; the Big Science projects keep gaining more importance and international cooperation in science and technology is developing very fast. The author concludes that continuous investments in research and technology and encouragement of the countries’ scientifi c, technological and innovative development can guarantee a sustainable development of the countries’ national economy and scientifi c and technological domination on the global competitive market as well as development of the new global technological revolution.

Keywords: innovation, science, evolution, scientifi c achievement, social development, communication, progress, technological revolution, technical achievements, social thought.

DOI: 10.7256/2454-0684.2014.1.10652

DOI: 10.7256/2454-0684.2014.1.54183

Abstract: The article is devoted to the process of building up the European Public Sphere (EPS) in the light of the democratic defi cit in the European Union. The author of the article points out that the EPS is the best example of the developing public sphere even despite the diffi cult multiple structure of the EPS. Methods used by the author to analyze the effi ciency of the EPS an be used to analyze public spheres of other countries as well. The author analyzes the current approaches to theoretical concepts of the EPS including the ‘school of impossibility’, ‘school of coherence’, ‘multiple level school’ and ‘web school’. The author also provides examples of modern European media projects as the elements of public sphere from the point of view of the aforesaid schools. Based on secondary data, the author analyzes effi ciency of these schools and projects. The author makes an assumption about very low effi ciency of the modern European public sphere and casts doubt on the idea of ‘top-down’ pubic sphere as an effi cient mechanism of deliberative democracy. The democratic defi cit turns out to be conditional upon the communication defi cit in the European Union. One of the solutions of the problem of the communication defi cit in the European Union can be the refusal from the media –centered orientation of the formation of the unifi ed European Public Sphere.

Keywords: European Union, constitutional patriotism, liberal nationalism, European integration, European public sphere, democratic defi cit, deliberate democracy, European mass media, political communication, effi ciency analysis.

DOI: 10.7256/2454-0684.2014.1.54184

Abstract: The article is devoted to the balancing policy followed by the Republic of Belarus throughout the post-Soviet stage of development. The results of the research conducted by the author of the article show that over the last ten years the balancing policy has been mostly based on the energy economic relations with other countries and Russia in particular. Events of recent years show demonstrate that Belorussia has rather limited opportunities in using the energy. Nevertheless, different realism theories evidently prove that the balancing policy in general and the policy followed by Belorussia in particular have their own grounds. This allows to make a statement that a certain level of confrontation between Russia and Belorussia will continue and most likely to be complicated by interstate disagreements regarding energy resources. Noteworthy that Belorussia itself is putting forth efforts towards implementation of the balancing policy between Russia and the European Union despite the fact that Belorussia participates in the Customs Union and the European Economic Area.

Keywords: regional policy, balancing policy, adjoining, Belorussia, European Union, energy economy, integration, common state, realism.

DOI: 10.7256/2454-0684.2014.1.8943

DOI: 10.7256/2454-0684.2014.1.9442

DOI: 10.7256/2454-0684.2014.1.54178

Abstract: The article is devoted to studying the military factor as the mechanism of the Russian modernization in the early XX century. The main purpose of research is to analyze the infl uence of the Russo-Japanese war of 1904 – 1905 on the transition of the Russia Empire from the agrarian society to the industrial society. Special emphasis is made on the need for harmonized modernization processes in Russia as the key to their successful implementation. The scientifi c novelty of research is the interpretation of war as some kind of a Challenge for the Russian (Slavic) civilization. Modernization of the Russian Empire of that period was the Response to that challenge. The main conclusion made by the author is the statement that the war between Russia and Japan at the beginning of the last century contributed to the development of the main tendencies in the Russian modernization that had been formed in the XVIII – XIX centuries. Political and social processes came to the fore while the economic modernization as the part of the internal policy established by Nicolas the Second became secondary and spiritual modernization was not even properly developed.

Keywords: the First Russian Revolution, military factor, limits of the Russian modernization, mechanism of the Russian modernization, Japan, Russo-Japanese war, Russia, modernization, dual monarchy, Stolypin agrarian reform.

DOI: 10.7256/2454-0684.2014.1.9788

DOI: 10.7256/2454-0684.2014.1.54179

Abstract: The author f the article views the nature and mechanism of formation of relations in the international integration associations in the light of the system approach. The author shows that integration relations are formed at all levels of a social association as a result of mutual interests and social contacts between actors. The processes of generalization, unifi cation and correspondence of interests have a common goal which is the sustainable development of the social integration. In the social reality interests are the expression of the universal ‘cause-and-effect’ relations lying in the basis of functioning and developmental relations of social systems. At the integration association, functional relations and developmental relations are expressed in the form of commodity and fi nancial fl ows that are directed in accordance with economic relations of economic relations. These fl ows create the global network of value chains and cross-investments. International fl ows of half-fi nished products produced by the manufacturing industry circulate between the industrialized countries and therefore create close relations between them. This triggers unifi cation of national technical standards, encourages international cooperation in science and technology, harmonizes the legal regulation guidelines and associated economic relations and so on. Thereupon particular industries of partner countries merge together and create integrate international reproduction complexes. Such merging of highly developed national economies at the microeconomic level creates the need for coordination of the foreign trade, taxation and credit macroeconomic policies of integrated states and establish effi cient payment, taxation and currency unions and common markets as well as interstate integration institutions. The process of formation of integration relations is illustrated by the examples from modern experience in international integration.

Keywords: international integration, regional integration associatoins, integration relations, social interests, complementarity of economic systems, value chains, integrative trade, correspondence of interests, international cooperation, international reproduction complexes.

DOI: 10.7256/2454-0684.2014.1.54180

Abstract: The article is devoted to special features of Russia-Pakistan cooperation at modern international organizations. The period under consideration (from 1991 till 2013) is signifi ed with the establishment and development of new approaches to interstate relations between these two countries. The end of the ear, the breakdown of the USSR and formation of new states in the Central Asia had a dominant infl uence on the two-way and versatile development of relations between the countries of the Central Asia and South Asia. Regional security threats were escalated, Pakistan and India became nuclear nations, the Afghan problem fi nally turned into the international center of tension, terroristic danger, global production of drugs and drug trade. New international organizations have appeared lately and participation in or cooperation with these organizations have become an important step towards development of international relations. Russia and Pakistan gradually expand the scope of their cooperation within the framework of performance of the existing international organizations. A bright example is the cooperation between Russia and Pakistan through Shanghai Cooperation Organization and Organization of Islamic Cooperation as well as possibilities for their cooperation through the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation. A signifi cant factor of Russia – Pakistan relations is the constant mutual work as the Dushanbe Four. In this regard, the author of the article touches upon the problems of regional security and leverages over the situation through building up mutually benefi cial cooperation at international organizations. At the end of the article the author concludes that these relations still have much potential to explore and have all chances to further grow and develop.

Keywords: international terrorism, heroine aggression, Friends of Democratic Pakistan, regional security threats, Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), Dushanbe Four, CIS, international relations, Intergovernmental Commission, large-scale development.

DOI: 10.7256/2454-0684.2014.1.10572

DOI: 10.7256/2454-0684.2014.1.9217

DOI: 10.7256/2454-0684.2014.1.54181

Abstract: Law making is the form of activity allowing to create and set forth different models and variants of legal regulation and therefore change the world and the system of social relations. Legislator creates a new law by using a special method which is usually called the ‘legislative technique’. Unfortunately, legal science does not always give due consideration to the legislative technique. Neither does it allow to go beyond the limits of particular problems and their popular interpretation. Therefore creation of an integrated concept about the legislative technique is one of the most important and still unsolved issues in modern Russia. The importance of this issue is conditioned by the modern tendencies to improve the Russian legislation, minimize the spontaneity and create a certain pattern of law making and increase the level of correspondence, consistency and the quality of the effective legislation. The present article is devoted to studying the role of criminal legal science in the criminal law making process.

Keywords: science, law, practice, standard, disposition of criminal legal provisions, improvement, legislative techniques, legal practice, law making.

DOI: 10.7256/2454-0684.2014.1.8968

DOI: 10.7256/2454-0684.2014.1.54173

Abstract: The article is devoted to the social and legal phenomena in the system of values and regulations of the Russian society. The authors of the article defi ne the degree of impact of the phenomena under consideration on different social processes. The authors also give the general description of these phenomena in legal researches. The authors show that the social development is possible only in close connection with such dynamic elements of the social and political spheres as the government and the law, civil society, personality and the Constitution. They emphasize the axiological nature of these phenomena and view their role in the process of formation of the system of values and regulations of the Russian culture. Moreover, special attention is paid to the important term ‘philosophy of state’. Defi nition of this term allows to take a look at social and legal phenomena of modern times from the philosophical and political points of view. The authors analyze the results of interaction between the social and legal phenomena under consideration within the system of values and regulations and offer possible variants of interdependence of social and legal interpretations of the phenomena under consideration. The results of research can be used in modern social studies and humanities.

Keywords: Constitution, society, human, culture, law, values, guidelines, state institution, civil society, philosophy of state.

DOI: 10.7256/2454-0684.2014.1.9340

DOI: 10.7256/2454-0684.2014.1.54182

Abstract: The article is devoted to the legal status of communities of Evangelical Christians and Baptists in Bashkiria during the period of the totalitarianism domination in the USSR. The author describes methods used by the government to fight against churches such as: restrictions of activities, de-registration, anti-religious propaganda, increase in taxes, arrests of priests and so on. As a result of that policy, churches became absolutely illegal by the end of the 30s. The period of the New Economic Policy can be regarded as the period of temporary balance of forces when the government had to at least pretend to reckon with the fact of religious beliefs of the USSR citizens. By 1928 that delicate balance was ruined and religion was prohibited. Russia embarked on their grandiose plans to build the socialistic republic. Not only traditional economic relations, but also the style of life and thinking and the peasant’s religious ideology were meant to be eliminated. Religious ideology was quite a serious threat to the new faith, communism. Thus, the period since 1929 till 1943 was the time of the most intensive repressions of the communities of Evangelical Christians and Baptists in Bashkiria. The governmental tried to eliminate religious communicated by creating negative legal conditions for them. As a result of that policy, all activities performed by religious communities became illegal and the number of such communities was reduced to a minimum. Only the Great Patriotic War stopped the process.

Keywords: history, Soviet state, religion, religious policy, methods, Baptism, Christianity, church, fight, propaganda.

DOI: 10.7256/2454-0684.2014.1.8885

DOI: 10.7256/2454-0684.2014.1.54174

Abstract: By analyzing psychological and pedagogical literature on professional identity of teachers and special features of their teaching activities in the modern cross-cultural conditions of Russia, the author of the article defi nes the main contradictions between the current training of teachers and particular teaching activities. These contradictions show themselves in situations of cross-cultural interaction between actors of teaching activities when the national identity and professional identity encounter. In order to prevent errors in situations of cross-cultural interaction, it is necessary to create teachers’ cross-cultural competence at the earliest state of their training. Such cross-cultural competence is the element of the general competence in communication with the representatives of other cultures. The author of the article presents the model of cross-cultural competence of a teacher at educational institution. The model is based on the structuration theory offered by Anthony Giddens. The author believes that the competence building approach to formation of the teacher’s identity and cross-cultural competence will contribute to a teacher’s success in today’s cross-cultural environment, prepare him for any changes of the environment and allow him to change his teaching activity in accordance with changed conditions.

Keywords: professional activities, professional identity, competency building approach, cross-cultural competence, model, reaction, cross-cultural skills, ethnic tolerance, cross-cultural interaction, cross-cultural situation.

DOI: 10.7256/2454-0684.2014.1.10368

DOI: 10.7256/2454-0684.2014.1.54185

Abstract: Active participation in socio-political life of the country as well as facts from his personal biography had a certain impact on Vasily Bervi-Florensky’s views. His views compromised his teaching about the theory of communism and dealt with the national and international aspects of the development of society. Almost all his life the philosopher has been trying to justify and improve the public education in Russia and prove to the society the need for building more schools. He also pointed out to the government that it was necessary to introduce the liberty of speech and to get rid of the censorship and other restrictions. Bervy-Flerovsky used to say that education was the most important factor of civilization development and progress and a necessary condition for the growth in labor effi ciency and increase in living standards. Bervi-Flerovsky also said that the country’s force is in the unity and friendship of all nations living in the territory of the country. The author of the article proves that the main grounds for development of the ‘revolutionary’ views of Bervi- Flerovsky were the historical reality, biographical facts and his own researches that were depicted in many works and publications aimed at condemnation of unjust social and political status of workers.