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This article is focused on the reception of the utopian legends, particularly the legend of Kitezh, in the Ural-Siberian Paterik (historical and hagiographical work of Old Believers, created in the 1940-1990s in some taiga sketes of the Urals and Siberia). The legends about the vanished holy places are based on the stories of eye-witnesses capturing historical realities. In particular, these narratives reflect the theme of repressions of the authorities against the Old Belief. Several story lines in the Ural-Siberian Paterik allow to trace the links between the Early Byzantine, Old Russian and Early Old Belief traditions of utopias. These legends are interpreted by local scribes from the perspective of medieval literature. The stories from the Old Russian manuscripts are the nearest context for the legends in the Ural-Siberian Paterik. It is shown that the legend of Kitezh, its archic prototypes, as well as its secondary Old Belief versions preserving the “trace” of this legend represent the successive elements of the same lineage. This most recent monument of the traditional book culture reflects all basic motives of the Kitezh legend. Story lines from the Ural-Siberian Paterik are typologically close to the legend of Kitezh and represent a particular case of the Old Believers Utopia. The author considers this Utopia as a manifestation of mythopoetic thought; shows that the Old Believers Utopia represents the popular perception of the Christian Ideal. This perception is inseparably linked with eschatological beliefs (particularly with the doctrine of salvation in «the end times») and with a complex of traditional mythologemes and archetypal concepts which are inherent to the national popular and religious culture. It is also necessary to take into account the links between the Old Belief and the main directions of Russian history, with utopian ideas being in the core of the public mind in Russia. The author identifies thе function of social utopian legends in the contemporary Old Believer’s spiritual culture. It relates to the idea that holy places hidden by the God from the outside world and exposed only to the righteous men ensure the genuineness of the confession. The author shows that Utopia based on a mythopoetic consciousness serves as a breeding ground providing unity and continuity of the traditional culture of Old Belief. The unique monument of the popular book culture recently discovered by the Siberian archaeographers has been analyzed as a main source of information. Some works of Old Believers have been analyzed for the first time.

The article is devoted to understanding the institutional changes in the children’s segment of the Russian book publishing, basic trends of its development in the 1990s - the first decade of the XXI century. The use of formal logic and comparative-historical methods helped identify cause-and-effect chains in the study of the specificity of the development of children’s book publishing in Siberia and the Far East in connection with the logic and trends of development of Russia’s publishing business at the turn of the XX-XXI centuries. The transformation of the domestic publishing system changed the traditional leaders of children’s book publishing, both in the center of the country and on the periphery; the emergence of many small and medium-sized private and hybrid publishing companies, dependent on market conditions. Over the past two decades in the children’s segment of the country’s book space the specialized book business giants were firmly established. They took up the challenge of supplying children’s books to the regions of Russia. The tradition of monocentrism in the Russian book publishing was only strengthened and hypertrophied during the post-Soviet period. Functions of the specialized children’s publishers in Siberia and the Far East were assumed by the editorial staffs of the children’s journals which published the unique series and single issues of children’s literature. Specific features of the publication of children’s literature at the turn of the XX-XXI centuries included the small number of published children’s books of the regional authors, small editions of adolescent literature, lack of support for the young authors who write for children and youth, lack of committed support for the regional publishers of the children’s literature. All of this identifies challenges impeding the full development of children’s book publishing, which directly affects the development of a regional book space and the availability of children’s literature to the public.

The article characterizes Tulinskoye volost court’s records deposited in the archives. The article provides a detailed description of each variety of this type of sources; outlines the range of causes for legal action as well as the reasons for which the peasants preferred to decide issues that were previously subject to jurisdiction of the village assembly. It is noted that such records do not allow for characterization of all spheres of the peasant community’s life. It is virtually impossible to evaluate the degree of the involvement of various categories of the rural population based on the materials of rural courts. Also, it is difficult to trace, whether the proximity to the city affected the legal views of the peasants. However, the author notes that different aspects of the peasant consciousness were reflected in the materials of Tulinskoye rural court. It is concluded that there was a crisis of confidence among the peasants themselves. Information about the time for execution of the rural courts’ decisions also characterizes the consciousness of the peasants. It varied depending on the time of year. The peasant’s life was closely associated with agricultural activities, in the midst of which all the rest was postponed for later. The delay in execution of court decisions was often due to these factors. Based on the inventories of property and further reports on the bid results the author identifies causes of failure to comply with the court decisions. The information derived from various kinds of receipts makes it possible to estimate the literacy rates in different villages. Appeals to higher authorities are an indicative of the rural courts’ efficiency and the peasants’ satisfaction with verdicts issued by the courts. It is noted that records of the Tulinskoye rural court are one of the important sources on the history of the Siberian peasantry. It is clear that they provide information not only about the organization and functioning of the rural courts, but also about the peasant consciousness.

The article presents the results of research on the ethnic composition of population of Western Siberia. The article aims at showing peculiarities of its transformation under conditions when qualitative and quantitative characteristics of the population of ethnoses had not been influenced by the extreme factors (deportations, starvation, wars, etc.). An important task of historical demography is to study ethnic characteristics of population, including at the macro regional level. The successful handling of this task will greatly determine the assessment of the country’s reproductive and migration potential as well as demographic processes in the near and distant future. Methodology of the work is based on the theory of demographic modernization by A.G.Vishnevsky. The author used a set of statistical mathematical methods along with specific methods of historical research, such as historical genetic and historical comparative. It is revealed that in 1959-1989 ethnoses living primarily in the European Russia were not the only ones affected by demographic modernization. Transformation of traditional life style, industrialization, and urbanization stimulated similar developments among ethnic groups in the Asian part of the RSFSR, Caucasus, and Central Asia. These and other ethnic groups started to play a more significant role in the development of economic potential of Western Siberia due to the increase in migration mobility. At the same time the contribution of other ethnoses, e.g. Baltic peoples, to the demographic development of the economic area under study had been gradually decreasing. The author points to the intensification of assimilative processes that became increasingly visible not only among the Ukrainians and Byelorussians but also among other nationalities. Thus, while the early stage of transition from agrarian to industrial society is marked by a high share of ethnic groups who entered the early phases of demographic transition, the share of other ethnical groups also increases with the modernization of demographic subsystem.

The project «Modern tendencies in actualization of the historical experience of identity formation in the Siberian region» is an innovative trend of social and humanitarian studies. One of the important directions in the study of identity issues is the formation of identities of local scientific communities. Analysis of the formation and transmission of identity as exemplified by the Novosibirsk scientific center contributes to the solution of this problem. The Novosibirsk scientific center is viewed in the context of activities of SB RAS as a phenomenon of the XX century. This is due to the innovative principles of its organization which include the priority development of fundamental research, introduction of research results into practice, the integrated training of scientific personnel, a network of scientific institutions in the Urals. The formation of regional-local identity in Novosibirsk Akademgorodok was a result of creation of the appropriate socio-cultural infrastructure. Important components of academic identity was the freedom of debate, democracy in communication, the pride of the intelligentsia at the uniqueness of the Siberian scientific town. This is reflected in the series «Science in Siberia in faces». It includes dozens of books about famous scientists that determined the scientific image of Siberia. The Museum of SB RAS exhibited such projects as «The History of the Siberian Science in Persons»; «Five decades in the history of SB RAS», «Novosibirsk scientific center: live, work, rest». Approbation of new ways of museum communication in the «Museum of science and technology» has shown their effectiveness in the development of scientific heritage. Collecting and museum activities of the Akademgorodok residents have become one of the forms of manifestation of the regional-local identity. Digital photo archives and personal archives of the scientists provide a promising area of identity research. The analysis of experience of formation and transmission of identity in NSC allows to interpret it as a regional-local phenomenon. It is characterized by the integration into the regional socio-economic space and the global scientific community, a high level of culture of life, intelligence and tolerance of scientists of Akademgorodok.

The presented paper is devoted to the technology of making traditional Buryat bows and the archery competitions of Buryats. The author used the comparative-historical method to study in detail the bow manufacturing techniques in the past and today, to track changes in the use of different production techniques and materials. Thus, the author describes natural materials and requirements imposed by the Buryat masters which define technical characteristics of future bows and arrows. Process of preparation of materials for future bows, production of tendinous and fish glue is considered, the manufacturing techniques of traditional Buryat bows in old times thereby are in detail described. The article investigates the record of innovations in production of the Buryat bows, use of plastic slips, synthetic glue, i.e. those materials that appeared nowadays. Therefore, it delineates changes in manufacturing techniques of modern Buryat bows. In addition, the author compares characteristics of bows and methods of stretching bows made of natural and synthetic materials. The paper describes three types of competitions on archery which were carried out in the past. Today during summer holidays only one type of competition - leather target archery is carried out. This kind of competition is the most spectacular one and, most likely, this is the reason why it remained up to now. The author describes in detail the rules of competition and composition of participants. An interesting aspect of this research also lies in the fact that it has a practical character: the descriptions given in it can quite be put into practice. The article is written on the materials of the author’s field research conducted in 2014 among the Buryats living in the Aginsk Buryat District of Zabaykalsky Krai. Along with these data the archival materials concerning archery and rules of competitions were used.

On the basis of archival documents and periodicals of that time the artile analyzes the process of implementation of the Soviet food policy during 1920-1921 in Northern Kazakhstan which was administratively subordinate to the Siberian revolutionary committee. The author describes activities of food bodies designated to implement the prodrazvyorstka as the main method of the procurement of agricultural products. Under the policy of prodrazvyorstka bread, meat, oil, milk, eggs, vegetables, tobacco were requisitioned fr om the Russian-Ukrainian migrant peasant settlers engaged in agriculture. The Kazakh population with their nomadic cattle breeding filled quotas on meat, the local population was obliged to supply live cattle (cattle, sheep). Besides, they had to fill quotas on animal skins, horsehair, horns and hoofs. The prodrazvyorstka was an impossible task for the local population. Moreover, food bodies were supposed to exchange bread and other food products for manufactured products. However due to the industrial and transportation breakdown the Bolsheviks were unable to exchange commodities properly. In their turn peasants tried to resist the grain requisitioning, concealed bread, refused to accept the money which had no payment capability. The Kazakh population showed resistance by moving to the south wh ere the Soviet power had not been fully established. The prodotryads were the main force in implementing the food policy. Their main methods of work were the violent food seizure and suppression of resistance of people. The author reveals the data on the number of prodotryads sent to various uyezds; characterizes methods of prodotryad members aimed at violent withdrawal of the population’s “surplus” bread, meat and other foods; their moral character and misconduct. The high level of requisition quotas along with methods used by prodotryads provoked the peasantry and Kazakh population to the active resistance which turned into bloody revolt at the beginning of 1921. Besides, the prodrazvyorstka became one of the main causes of famine in 1921-1923.

The article deals with the inflow of migrants to the Kizbass industiral areas in 1921-1923 for the replenishments of labour resources. The study of this aspect of labor migration also implies addressing the issue of voluntary recruitment of workers in the provinces of the European part of the RSFSR, Siberia, the Far Eastern Republic and their organized displacement to Kuzbass for employment purposes. The author used a problem-based and chronological methods which allowed tracing the replenishment process of the workforce in Kuzbass in the early years of national economy reconstruction in Siberia under the conditions of NEP (New Economic Policy). On the basis of archival sources the author examined the progress and results of recruitment campaigns which bolstered the workforce of the Kuzbass coal industry; identified the areas of recruitment of manpower for the Kuzbass industry, the number of migrants and their distribution among the coal areas of the Basin. In 1921, 4396 people migrated from starving districts of the Tatar Republic into the Kuznetsk Basin as part of internal labor migration. The total rate of migrant workers from Kazan was about 31 %, which was due to the fact that during the recruitment of migrants the proportion was set - 1 worker to 3 mouths (to feed) including a worker himself. Recruitment campaigns of 1922 and early 1923 were conducted upon terms of economic accountability and showed a decrease in the number of migrant workers. As a result of recruitment campaigns, more than 5,000 people came to Kuzbass from outside of Siberia. At the end of the recruiting period, migrant workers returned to their places of permanent residence. The author emphasizes that the recruitment of workers allowed temporary filling the vacancies of workers in coal mines, but did not help to transform migrants in Kuzbass into core miners.