The problem of finding and identifying talented young people who are ready to solve state problems effectively has always been relevant. Today, this issue is becoming a priority in the educational policy of any innovative modern state. This article examines the historical aspect of the search and identification of talented youth; at the same time, it reveals the peculiarities of current activities in this direction in Russia and the most developed countries. By now, in the world exist a variety of ways and methods of work with talented youth. Our article reveals the unique experience accumulated over many decades by our country to identify, further training and support of talented youth. The work also thoroughly analyses the experience of individual countries in this field.

The article analyses the main socio-cultural imperatives of the formation of the Russian nationalstate identity, which identified during politico-psychological and applied sociological studies of 2010–2018. The national-state identity is an integrated image of “us”, “ours”, which is a complex political, psychological and socio-cultural construct, the dynamics of which is due to both the transformation of the political system of contemporary Russia and a wide set of factors related to national history and culture. The most remarkable socio-cultural imperatives of the Russian national-state identity include the important role of the image of space as a symbol of “greatness” and the resource “potential” of Russia; personalization and the “polar” emotional attitude towards state power, internal imbalance of “image of historical time”, which has retrospective and mythological character in contemporary Russia.

During the transition of power, the analysis of the “staff reserve” of the state becomes a priority topic. In particular, the worldview of the growing elite is of particular interest. One of the channels of influence on the worldview of young people is education. On the example of Kazakhstan, the author analyzes the activities of the world powers — China, the USA, Russia and Turkey — regarding the promotion of the policy of “soft power” in the country, namely, the impact through educational institutions on the worldview of the “staff reserve” of the elite community of the Republic of Kazakhstan. The system of views, which is formed under the influence of a system of values, is reflected in the political orientations of the younger generation. In this regard, the education of a young man in the United States or China affects the formation of his political views and relations to a particular state, as well as the model of development of his own state.

The study of the problem of the formation of the Russian civil society is accompanied both in practical and theoretical terms by a whole complex of contradictions and complexities that originate in the ambiguous history of this phenomenon and as well in its equally multivariate interpretation by the scientific community and the general public. Admitting as a fact the common weakness of Russian non-governmental relation, the author considered, practically as an exception, the work of military veteran communities as an example of the successful civil activity of the significant part of the population of the Russian state. Social, military veteran organisations act as a social  institute created by the citizens apart from the state based on solidary interests of their members. At the same time, functioning as a structural element of the civil society they simultaneously represent the mechanism of political socialisation of veterans. Modern veteran organisations are founded and presented in the social and political space of Russia widely enough. It is movements, committees, unions, funds, associations. They have an extensive ramified network the local and regional levels, co-operate with similar communities in the countries of CIS and international organisations. Veteran organisations act as intermediaries between an individual and a group on the one hand and between society and the state from the other, contribute to the strengthening of the mechanism of their interaction, and form new systems of partnership. The issue of social protection and adaptation of military personnel, in particular, the combatants, will remain urgent  for the Russian society in the longer term. Modern political practice, mainly counting on the military force in international affairs, promotes further growth of the number of veterans of wars and military service. Over the last few years, more than 50 thousand soldiers and officers participating in the military campaign in Syria became the members of Russian veterans. The quality of interaction of social organisations of military veterans and state structures has a determinant influence on th participation of the former soldier in socio-political processes. Today, powerful potential of these organisations, capable effectively influence state politics, is used by state structures in an insignificant degree. It can be explained by the unwillingness of the Russian elite and Russian business to interact with civil society.

The article is devoted to corporate culture as a method of indirect management, which is especially in demand in companies working in the feld of intellectual services. Developed corporate culture helps to avoid cumbersome bureaucratic structures, as the employees of such an organisation can make the right decisions based on the values, norms and rules adopted in their company. The author considers the culture of the organisation through the prism of its effectiveness, paying the primary attention to the social aspect. As for maintenance and reproduction of the established corporate culture, the selection of staff and ensuring the subsequent production adaptation are crucial; the author specifes the concept of social effciency, as regards adaptation of new employees of the commercial organisations and considers the main stages of their social adaptation. The author also describes the conditions of successful adaptation of new employees, identifes the main features of socially effective corporate culture and the system of adaptation of new employees. The author concluded that each successfully adapted new employee strengthens the corporate culture of a commercial organisation and contributes to its social effciency, while each unsuccessful attempt to adapt reduces this indicator.

The First World War has become almost inevitable as a result of the intertwining of different interests of the great powers in the Balkans. The explosive situation gradually escalated and eventually led to irreversible consequences. War became inevitable, as in Europe, on the one hand, some forces prepared and craved war. On the other hand, there were no forces capable of containing the war. Russia could not take over the peacekeeping mission as it caused distrust of both the Triple Alliance and the Entente. She also pursued its interests. Frequent diplomatic and military-political crises on the eve of the war left their stamp on the socio-psychological atmosphere in Europe. During the July 1914 crisis, it became clear that due to the mistake of England, which did not declare its solidarity with France and Russia, who did not want bloodshed, a great war could begin. Russia was already pursuing a policy of concessions to the aggressor, which only aggravated the situation. It ultimately led to a pan-European war.

The current situation characterises the increase in migration flows around the world. The Russian Federation belongs to the three countries the most attractive to migrants. In the structure of migration to our country, the essential place takes labour migration. An overwhelming part of migrants comes from neighbouring countries — the former Soviet republics that support close economic and political connections with Russia. There is a consensus between scientists that migration, indeed, is necessary for our country. It allows for solving critical economic and demographic problems. At the same time, it is required to pay attention to those risks it brings. Among the issues revealed in the sphere of management of the migration relations, we should stipulate the essential improvement of a regulatory framework of the state migration policy and support for successful social and cultural adaptation and integration of migrants into the native community. In 2012, after the adoption of strategic documents, begins the new stage in the history of the state migration policy in our country. Its characteristic feature is the search of balance between the interests of economic development of the country and safety of the state and society. It is supplemented by the widespread introduction of innovative techniques and approaches to management of the migration relations. Adoption in 2018 of the new edition of the “Conception of the state migration policy of the Russian Federation until 2025” is targeted on to the solution of the relevant tasks arising in this sphere. “Conception” stresses the necessity of accounting of  interests of representatives of the native community and migrants, close interaction of representatives of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, Federal Agency for the Affairs of Nationalities of the Russian Federation and institutes of civil society in establishing partner relationship between public authorities and national public organizations.

Within the framework of sociological creativity of Pitirim Sorokin, special attention should be paid to the unique methodology by which this scientist carried out the analysis of large-scale social phenomena, including certainly wars and revolutions. The analysis of “an influence issue” of any global social phenomenon on the life of society is the cornerstone of this methodology. Within the framework of such an extensive problem, P. Sorokin singled out several important components of its issues, and then, for each of them, presented an overview of the accumulated knowledge, proven provisions and existing uncertainties. In general, P. Sorokin’s analysis of theories of wars and revolutions demonstrates that influences of wars and revolutions on society are complicated. Therefore, they cannot be precisely described by simple and unilateral formulas. True theory should explain when, why, under what conditions, and how any factor becomes the real cause of war and why, under what conditions, etc. it does not affect. P. Sorokin, in particular, applied this methodology to the analysis of revolutionary events in Russia in 1917.

The relevance of the article is due to the significant date — the 200th anniversary of the publication in 1819 of the “New Principles of Political Economy” (“Nouveaux principes d’économie politique, ou de la richesse dans ses rapports avec la population”) by Jean Charles Léonard de Sismondi (also known as Jean Charles Leonard Simonde de Sismondi), the founder of the economic romanticism. In this book, the purpose of this branch of human knowledge for the first time is interpreted not through the prism of the dominant ideas of economic liberalism at the turn of the XVIII–XIX centuries, but from the point of view of moral and ethical values. Here Sismondi examines and comprehends the alternative arguments formulated against the adherents of classical political economy (and, above all, the author of “On the Principles of Political Economy and Taxation” published in 1817 by D. Ricardo) about the unattainability of automatic self-regulation of the market system and the expediency of its permanent regulation by the state within the framework of economic reforms that can provide a leading role in the economy of small business. Through historical and economic analysis, the author compared the evaluative judgments about the innovations contained in the book by S. Sismondi, related to the moral paradigm of political economy he justified, in the works of K. Marx, V. I. Lenin, S. Gide, S. Rist, M. Blaug and other researchers of economic science in the past and present. The author substantiates the generalizing conclusion that creativity of S. Sismondi, in the context of moral and ethical political-economic values, contrasted his own vision of scientific and practical problems — political economy and the implementation of the proposed reform project, the absolutisation of the principles of economic liberalism for the formation of a non-cyclical crisis-free socio-oriented economic system and the achievement of social justice in society.

The article analyses economic diplomacy through the prism of modern Russian-German relations. Russia and Germany are the two largest countries in Europe. Their bilateral relations have the appropriate weight and importance. The concept of “economic diplomacy” does not have a strictly scientific definition, despite the fact it has long been used in the practice of regulating modern international economic relations. Together, bilateral and multilateral economic diplomacy form an effective mechanism for managing global processes, both in the interests of individual countries and the world community as a whole. It is economic diplomacy that allows us to balance the results of world economic development for national economies, groups of states and entire regions, without leading to a crisis of interstate institutions, regional associations and the escalation of trade and economic conflicts. At the same time, economic diplomacy, based on significant financial, organisational, information and other resources of the state, can become — in the case of ill-considered, impulsive use — a negative factor for the world economy, violating its integrity and established sustainable interdependence. Therefore, the most important task of modern economic diplomacy is the effective integration of national interests into the overall context of sustainable development of the regional and global economy.

The article discusses the role of the European Court of Justice, the specifics of its activities, and its goals. The author also touches upon the historical aspect of the development of the European Court. According to the author, the European Court of Justice has had a beneficial effect on the development of the rights granted by Union citizenship. The actions of the European Court of Justice have created new ground for persons with Union citizenship, increasing access to social benefits beyond the rights of economic migrants, for all those who exercise their European rights. The European Court of Justice sought to allow students to travel for their education, looking for new ways to ensure their free movement and learning with funding in the event of unforeseen events. It is essential that the court focuses on three core values so that citizenship does not become a limitation: nondiscrimination, the right to freedom of movement and the right to family life. The European court of human rights is an international judicial body; its jurisdiction extends to all member States of the Union. The main thing for the European Court of Justice is to ensure compliance with and enforcement of the Convention by the States parties. Also, when considering cases, the Court can point to gaps in legislation and issues concerning law enforcement practice, positively influencing law enforcement policy and legal proceedings, and, as a result, contribute to the improvement of the law enforcement system. This article reflects the activities of the European Court of Justice aimed at identifying the problematic aspects of the legislation of the European Union.

The article analyses the historical experience of interaction between Russian and Chinese universities assesses the motivations and prospects of student and academic mobility between countries. The increase in the birth rate in China creates the need for highly professional education for the new generation of young people, the need to look for an opportunity to study abroad, including Russia, where the cost of education is low, while it is of sufficient quality. It contributes to the development of mutual relations between long-time partners — Russia and China. The study shows that the current trends in the complexity of technological and social relations, the confrontation in global competition with the United States and several developed countries contribute to educational cooperation and a scientific partnership of the scientific and educational community of the two countries. With the right, legally grounded, research and educational cooperation between Russia and China, there is no need to be afraid of the brain drain of Russian highly qualified personnel and technologies to the Celestial Empire — the scientific cooperation between the two countries should be seen as an opportunity for their innovative development.

The article is devoted to the understanding of the main stages and prerequisites of the evolutionary development of socially responsible behaviour of subjects. The stages and factors of the development of socially responsible behaviour of subjects are presented in chronological order. The author emphasised that the rich experience and traditions of charity, philanthropy, philanthropy in the Russian state were destroyed by the revolution of 1917. A retrospective analysis of the evolution of social responsibility revealed a steady trend towards institutionalisation of assistance to those in need. At the present stage, the concept of corporate socialresponsibility is an effective tool for solving a wide range of economic, social and environmental problems. The author stressed that the formation of a socially oriented society is possible provided the involvement of all its institutions in the form of a consolidated solution of the whole complex of accumulated problems. The concept of corporate social responsibility is recognised as one of the tools for solving economic, social and environmental problems. The establishment of mutually beneficial relations between business and government representatives, the multiplication of the best practices of socially responsible behavior of Russian companies based on the study and adaptation of foreign standard practices, the preparation of social reporting according to international standards, the positive dynamics in the publication of non-financial reports —it all become the norm in the Russian economy. The author concluded that the current period of development of social responsibility in Russia is characterized by the primary institutionalization of corporate social responsibility with the involvement of large businesses, non-profit organizations and other stakeholders in the sustainable development of society.

There are a lot of common interests between Russia and the United States (if, of course, we analyse within the concept of “national interest” isolated from ideological issues and historical prejudices) — not only in the global issues (war against terrorism, non-proliferation of nuclear weapons, reduction of strategic offensive weapons), but also at the regional level. Both Moscow and Washington are interested in creation a collective security system in East Asia, which will not only help to stabilize the situation on the Korean Peninsula, but also somehow hold back Chinese expansion in the region (though Russia and the United States have a different understanding of the concept and ways of this deterrence). However, the resemblance of Russian-American relations in the Middle East region seems to be even more interesting. Even though the US and Russia are opposing each other in the Syrian field, there are common views about the future of this country and the role of Iran. Again, the space for agreement arises from the objective goals and objectives of the players, as well as the availability of resources for their implementation. The US goal is to curb Iranian expansion in the region, and since it is now impossible to squeeze Iran out of Syria and southern Iraq, Washington wants at least to dilute its influence with other players. At the same time, Russia’s goal is to consolidate its positions in the Middle East — and it is possible only if there is no dominant force in the region. Any force at all. Therefore, the Kremlin is interested in constructing a regional balance of power and is even ready to work as an intermediary between the opposing sides. But if the US wants to use this mediator, they must realise its importance and necessity.

The article is devoted to the study of the national policy problems in Russia in the 2000s. It examines such concepts as “cultural and supranational identity”, “ideology”, “spontaneous patriotism” and “patriotic mobilisation”. Periods of “perestroika” and “shock therapy” seriously influenced not only the socioeconomic state of society but also served as an impetus for the collapse of cultural identity, liberalisation of ideological orientations. It also had severe cultural and psychological consequences for Russian society, expressed in the loss of self-esteem, patriotism and the emergence of a complex of national inferiority. The article examines the features of the revival of cultural identity and patriotic mobilisation on the example of the Russian government’s action in 2000–2010, as well as the influence of informal tools for the formation and implementation of national policy through the ideological reprogramming of society using political satire of M. N. Zadornov.

According to the WHO “World Report on Disability 2011”, there are more than a billion people with disabilities worldwide. At the current stage of development of the social state in the Russian Federation, one of the most priority issues is to ensure socialisation, integration into society and comfortable living for people with disabilities. A disabled person, according to the legislation of the Russian Federation, is a person who has health disorders that cause the need for social protection due to life restrictions associated with injuries, diseases and/or defects. At the same time, the limitations of vital activity mean the loss of several functions possessed by a healthy person: self-service, independent movement, the ability to communicate, orientation in space, control of their behaviour, learning, employment and other activities. This article is aimed at studying the measures taken by the regional authorities to support the integration of persons with disabilities into society.

During the development of humankind, there were settlements based on which states were formed. Some of the settlements were transformed into cities, the pace of development of which led to the creation of territorial associations connected by a single center of development —  urban agglomerations. Relying on the world and domestic experience in the development of agglomerations, it follows that they are a new kind of territorial development. They have become a new challenge in the context of the development of the economies of individual cities, where the main jobs were concentrated, and their creation — a valuable resource for improving transport infrastructure and economic stability. In the last ten years, this trend has become widespread in the Russian Federation within Moscow and the Moscow region as regions interconnected in terms of economic, social and labour resources, as well as geographical location, which caused changes in the urban policy of the two regions. To date, the study of urban agglomerations is particularly relevant, as there is a crucial stage in the formation of a new territorial division, in which the realities of life interact with the experience of urban planning and territorial administration. The article considers the concept of “urban agglomerations”, the definition and the order of its formation; analysed the possibilities of implementing “agglomerations” as a new kind of urban planning policy; also analysed the development of Moscow region in the period from 2011 till our days with further planning until 2025.

At the moment, the elite communities of Ukraine are represented by large financial and industrial
oligarchic groups, which have various resources at their disposal. According to the Russian political scientist V. Gelman, the process of formation of the Ukrainian elite began in the period of existence of the USSR, when the Soviet centralized leadership, based on the industrial and economic specifics of management, created the prerequisites for the subsequent formation of clans in different regions of the country [1]. The purposeof this work is to consider the Ukrainian elite communities in the context of the existing financial, economic, information, and political reserves of individual oligarchic groups. Based on the disposable material, the author concludes about the current situation in the hierarchy of elite communities of the country.

The article presents the results of the analysis of geek-culture as a youth sociocultural phenomenon of contemporary Russian society. The author paid special attention to the ideas of Alvin Toffler, who revealed the trend of fragmentation of society into mini-cultures that eventually turn into subcultures. New modern subcultural associations do not try to isolate themselves from the universal cultural space. They seek to integrate into the world cultural space. The result is the formation of super-subcultures. One of such supersubcultures is the geek-culture, which is actively developing both in Western and Russian societies. The empirical base of the study was the results of B. Sattles’ research, based on data of the social network “Twitter”. The author paid attention to social and journalistic interpretation of this phenomenon. The peculiarity of the work is the author’s definition of geek-culture and specification of its key constituent elements, based on empirical research.