Yeniseisk is an important cultural and historical centre of Yeniseisk region. It was the first stockated town on the Yenisei River in Russian colonization of East Siberia. Being directly connected with gold-mining of the taiga, fish and fur riches of Turukhano-Taimyrskii region, Yeniseisk had not only peculiar economical and geographical position but it was a unique socio-cultural place. One of the most important cultural features of Yeniseisk was its educational system. Characteristics of the  educational  system  of  Yeniseisk  at  the  end  of  the  XIX  –  beginning of the XX centuries are analysed from the point of view of the theory of modernization in this article. The dynamics of the development of the town has high profile. Educational system is an important component of the town cultural system. Using a systematic approach to research its conditions for the development, its characteristics and the analysis of the system as a component of the town cultural system is very effective.  The  results  of  this  article  can  be  used  for  a  comparative  research on the history  of  culture  of  Yeniseisk  and  Siberian  towns  and  cities  as  well as for an overall  research  of  socio-cultural  environment  of  Yeniseisk  in  the  late XIX – early XX centuries. 

The historiography of the non-ferrous metallurgy in Altai at the period of feudalism still remains under the old dogmata influence about crisis of the Russian state serfdom, resulting in the ideas about technical and technological backwardness in Altai. The article features the process of rapid technological growth of mining production  in  Altai,  thus  refuting  the  theses  about  production  crisis  or  stagnation on Kolywano-Woskresensk foundries. It is demonstrated that the Kachka-Chulkov modernization (named after the two main head officials) was conducted in three spheres at the same time: production, administrative and economical. The main aim of the Kachka-Chulkov modernization was not to get maximal profit but to stabilize production volume on the level of one thousand puds (16.000 kg) of silver per year. 

The article features the results of work in The Russian State MilitaryHistoric Archive (RGVIA) on identifying and making a list of all the Orlov noblemen who studied in the Land Gentry Military School in 1732 – 1761. It is revealed that in the military corps there were only 6 cadets by this name. According to some sources,  there studied  a  certain  Grigory  Orlov,  whom many researchers  identify as Grigory Grigorievich Orlov. In fact, as the archival data shows, it was Grigory Nikitich Orlov – the future chief Marshal of the court of Catherine II – who was trained at the Cadet Corps.  He was directed to the Cadet Corps December 2, 1742, and in February 1748 he was advanced to the rank of corporal at the age of 20. In 1749 G. N. Orlov was "excluded" from the corps for health reasons for two years. G. G. Orlov never studied at the Cadet Corps. 

The  article  studies  the  events  of  the  military  confrontation  between the Shibi Qaghan and Sui Dynasty in 609 – 615 AD. It shows the political situation in China whose deterioration led to the political upheaval in 617 AD and the young Tang Dynasty came to power. By the end of the Sui Dynasty period there were more than 200 organized armed gangs that were tearing the empire apart and often found support from the Turks. In 615 AD the Turks also surrounded Emperor Sui Yangdi in the fortress of Yanmen and thereby put an end to his political career. At the beginning of VII century the Eastern Turk Empire had a great military and political influence in Central Asia and posed a threat to its neighbors. Along with the separatists who  opposed  the  Sui  Dynasty,  the  military  governor  Taiyuan  Li  Yuan  sought the assistance of the Turks. He formed an alliance with them, and the Turks supported his nomination as the new ruler of China. Thus, in the events of 609 – 617 AD the Eastern Turks played a key role, and contributed to the deterioration of the situation at the end of the Sui Dynasty as well as to the ascent to power of the future first emperor of the new Tang Dynasty, Li Yuan. 

The article features the formation and development of state power in Siberia in the early XIX century. The authors conducted a comparative analysis of management tools formed as a result of the provincial reforms of Catherine II. In addition, the authors analyze the contradictory tendencies characteristic of the first phase of the reign of Alexander I. The special role of I. O. Selifontov and his project of administrative reform in the formation of management policies in Siberia is reported. It is shown that the result of the audit conducted by Selifontov was the formation in 1803 of a united Siberian General-governorship with the centre in Irkutsk and that, together with the new position, the new Governor-General received special instructions, which greatly expanded his powers. It is shown that the purpose of Selifontov’s administrative reforms was the expansion of the influence of the GovernorGeneral's authority on the financial and economic part of the local management. The article reveals the inconsistency of Selifontov’s successor B. Pestel and his administration. It is proved that Siberia got involved in the course of world history precisely because it joined the Russian State. 

The present work analyses the reforms of cultural institutions financing system in Russia from the mid 1980s to the present time. A short review of the government’s  activities  is  given  in  respect  of  transition  from  purely  state  financing to multichannel system of forming cultural institutions’ budgets, changing their legal nature, and developing their commercial activities. Processes of management decentralization and reallocation of financing onto budgets of various levels are considered. Special attention is paid to introduction of market mechanisms into activities of such institutions, problems connected with their application are touched as well. Both positive and negative consequences of the policy pursued by the government in matters of financing the culture at different stages of the reforms are investigated. The analysis result  indicates  that  preservative  tendencies  prevail  in  the  government’s  activity in the cultural sphere, and budgetary funds still make the basis of the budget in the most part of cultural institutions, conservatism and inertness in their activities remain. 

The article features the problem of the relationship of sense of history with the meaning of human life in general, with the life of every human being. It analyses the search for connection between the meaning of individual human existence and the sense of history, the fate of the individual and of human destiny in the Russian philosophical tradition. The meaning of history (phylogenesis) is associated with the search for self-identity. The determination occurs through realizing one’s self from the other: an animal, the dead, space, nature, God, an angel, a thing. The  stages  of  one’s  self-differentiation  are  the  stages  of  one’s  self-revealing. The historical deployment of self-identification process begins with reflection: man as a beast and not-beast at the same time. It forms a view of the man as a beasthuman, a human-beast, a man-not-beast. Later, one’s comparison to nature extends to infinity,  beyond  the  Earth.  The  person  begins  to  identify  with  outer  space and the whole universe. One gets the notion of the universal man and the human universe.  One  begins  to  associate  "oneself with  oneself".  The  deployment  of  selfreflection allows one to differentiate  "Me" from "not-Me". There develops a vision of the God-man, the man-God (the Superman). The meaning of ancestral human history is the actualization of the individual stories of each person. The purpose of world history is "my" birth. 

The  article  analyzes  the  historical  experience  and  the  basic  stages of development  of  the  North  American  Arctic  states  in  the  twentieth  century. With the new data, and based on the historical method, the article reveals changing relationships of these states to the Arctic in their successive temporary development during the second half of XX – beginning of XXI centuries. The article features the evolution  of  the  position  of  the  authorities  in  Ottawa  and  Washington to the region in the context of developing and conducting them in the national interests and security policy.

The conclusion is that the policy of the US government and Canada to coordinate their  actions  in  the  region  under  the  pretext  of  defending  national  interests and to counter  external  threats,  has  some  historical  positive  outcome,  along with some  well-known  commitments.  Security  Policy  in  these  countries  limits the competence of the state threats to their territorial integrity, which does not give the  government  the  authority  to  undue  interference  in  areas  that  are  governed by market forces and civil society. In the light of the impending changes caused by the election of D. Trump, this circumstance should be exploited for excluding the very possibility of military conflict from the political process the Arctic countries. 

The article considers the main stages of the historiography of the ideological and political life of Russia in 1971 – 1991, the authors distinguish two stages of the  historiography  problems:  1971  –  late  1980s  -  the  beginning  of  1990s; end 1980s - the beginning of 1990s - beginning of XXI century. The first stage is characterized by methodological monism. The main attention of researchers was paid to the problems of propaganda of Marxist-Leninist ideology, ideological and political education of Soviet citizens. The second phase of historiography was methodological revolution when there a critical re-evaluation of the historical way the Soviet State had passed took place. The main focus of historical research during Perestroika was on such problems as: dissidence, protest movement, the activities of informal organizations. The article analyzes the historiography of dissidence and concludes that researchers created a scientific base that can serve as a basis for further study of this topic. 

The article features an analysis of projects of congresses of gold miners in Transbaikal and correspondence concerning the organization of these congresses in 1898 – 1919. It is the first time a number of documents of the State Archive of Irkutsk region and the State Archive of the Transbaikal region have been examined. The article describes the history of the origin and development of the Congress of prospectors, as an independent institution. It illustrates the evolution of the role of the Congress as a body representing the collective interests of gold industry entrepreneurs. The article reveals contradictions between the gold miners they faced in addressing the issues. The research identifies the key interests and problems of gold miners at the turn of XIX – XX centuries On the basis of documents on the organization of congresses it examines the situation of workers, development of medical Affairs, the condition of routs of communication in the mines. The conclusion is made about the value of the documents of the congresses for the study of issues of social, technical and financial challenges of gold mining. The archival data reveal the effect of Russia's participation in the RussoJapanese and First World wars on its gold production. The obtained results allow a more detailed study of the gold mining past of this region. 

The study of history of cultural and educational society’s activity, as well as the way they influence the socio-cultural space of provincial towns, contributes to holistic perception of cultural development of Siberia as well as Russia in general. Some  issues  relating  to  creation  and  development  of  Barnaul  Society  of  Care for Elementary Education and its educational activity through libraries are considered in the article. The society was founded due to the selfless work of such an outstanding public person as V. K. Shtilke. Shtilke’s initiative as well as the initiative of other members of the society contributed to the opening of schools for children and weekend schools for adults, strengthening of public education through library organization, public readings, lectures, accessible performances. The main directions, methods, forms and results of educational work identified in the course of the study have led to the conclusion about the leading role of the Society in extracurricular education in Barnaul in 1880s – the beginning of 20th century. The conclusion about the significant influence of libraries of the Society on the dissemination of book culture among the broad masses of the population is justified. 

The article presents the analysis of faunal collections obtained during the excavation of the Kuznetsk in 2012 and dated to the XVII – XVIII centuries. There were studied 1534 remains of domestic and wild mammals, birds and fish. The result shows the similarities and differences in the structure of asynchronous zooarchaeological assemblage, synchronous of household buildings and cultural layers outside, peculiarities of formation of bone-bearing sediments at different sites and zoogenic impact on these processes. As for animal remains, cows and pigs prevailed; as for fish, the leading role belonged to the sturgeon. It is assumed that the main elements of the economic structure of the settlers were house cattle breeding, fishing and occasionally hunting for moose, bear, fox, hare, and wild birds. The settlers also had dogs, cats, sheep, horses, chicken. The analysis results are discussed  in  the  context  of  distinctions  of  life  of  separate  microsocieties,  vertical and horizontal relocation of bone residues and their transformation. 

The subject of the research is the analysis of economic and structural changes  in  the  country  and  the  autonomous  republic  in  the  examined  period with the use of the systemic and comparative approaches, as well as institutional research method. When planning the economic reforms, the USSR and the Buryat ASSR bodies of state power and control did an active and purposeful job to implement them and carried out an effective personnel policy. In 1965 – 1966 the territorial management system was abolished in industrial production. Branch management was passed on to newly created ministries, the role of state committees increased. These facts created auspicious conditions for scientific and technical progress development. Moreover, the main purpose of the production was the course on development and inculcation of economic management methods, independence of enterprises, and reduction of administrative regulation of their activity. The results of economic development during the 8th five-year plan were the best for the whole Soviet period. At the same time, macroeconomics still maintained an extensive character. The provided materials interpreted in a modern light can be used for reconsideration of state governing bodies’ formation and evolution. 

The  article  substantiates  the  relevance  of  studying  the  everyday  life of the Siberian journalists in the second half of XIX – early XX centuries. The authors offer approaches to its study, determine the content of basic concepts.

A combination of several not internally contradictory approaches to the study of everyday life of the professional community of journalists in the provinces of the Russian Empire located behind the Urals seems to be productive.

First, we relate the topic of our research interests with subject field of anthropology of  professions,  which  are  characterized  by  attention  to  issues  about  the  criteria for belonging to the professional community, assessment of the status of the profession by professionals and society, relations between different actors within the professional group, conflicts and forms of self-organization of professionals.

Second, the topic requires an appeal to the works of historians of everyday life. The definition   of   the   subject   area   of   everyday   life   by   N.   L.   Pushkareva and S. V. Ljubichansky  as  well  as  theoretical  provisions  by  A.  Ludtke  are  used as a baseline. In relation to the reality under study, the concepts of «journalists» and «Siberian journalist» are revealed, come conclusions about the specificity of formation of socioprofessional group of Siberian journalists in the second half of XIX – early XX centuries are made. 

The article attempts to evaluate the mobilization opportunities of the labor potential of Siberia on the eve of the Great Patriotic War. For this purpose, based on the materials of  All-Union census of 1939, the research identified the demographic, socio-economic and socio-cultural features of the formation of the population aged 15 – 59 used later in the military economy of Siberian rear. It was concluded that from the point of view of intensive economic use of the strengths of the human array was the high proportion of youth, intense dynamics of migration and economic activity, low level of industrial employment, the existence of large reserves of female labor force in urban and rural areas. Weak sides of this array were the disperse nature of population distribution, low fixability of migrants in large cities, a significant share of male reservists, higher overall employment, low levels of literacy and education. In general, these quality characteristics in wartime conditions had an ambiguous and contradictory effect on the mobilization of human resources in Siberia in the industry of defense significance. 

The article considers the socio-political life of the workers and employees of the military-industrial complex in Western Siberia, which is one of three such complexes  in  the  USSR  that  supplied  the  Red  Army  with  military  equipment and ammunition. It was established that the Central Committee of the All-Union Communist Party of Bolsheviks (CPSU (b), giving great attention to the regions of their location, in the Propaganda and Agitation Department of the Central Committee  added  some  new  structural  units,  whose  influence  embraced  all  aspects of socio-political life of the workers and employees in these regions. Propaganda and Agitation Department of the Central Committee promptly controlled and supervised the work of local Party and Soviet bodies, organizations and institutions in this direction.

The major focus is on the study of the activities of the Soviet Information Bureau (Sovinformbureau), press, radio, cinema, lecturers, propagandists and agitators, who informed the workers and employees about the most important events at the front and in the rear, formed the social and political attitudes. It was found that the greatest role was played by outstanding artists, theatrical, musical and artistic intelligentsia who, through their presentations, shows and performances of the anti-fascist orientation raising the spiritual forces of workers, engineers and technicians, inspired people to labor feats. Through the combination of these events, organized by the central and local Party authorities, the government and local executive authorities shaped social and political consciousness, patriotism of workers, engineers and technicians, to forge the weapon of victory over fascism. 

The article researches the design and the purpose of the lower tier chamber in the Bent Pyramid of Sneferu in Dashure. The review of the earlier archeological research materials has shown that the purpose of the chamber has not been determined. In the process of the current research a technological link between the lower and the upper tiers of the pyramid has been found. It has been proven that the lower tier elements (the chamber itself, the shaft, and the chimney) all together comprised an ancient furnace – a CO/CO2 gas generator. Its purpose was to produce a mixture of carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide gas to fill the space of the upper tier of the pyramid. The goal of the architect or was to make the pyramid chambers deadly for burglars.  Constructive  similarities  between  the  furnace  in  the  lower  tier of the Sneferu Pyramid and the modern CO/CO2 gas generator have been established. A theory about the presence of the secret chambers in the pyramid, including the  chamber  containing  the  Sarcophagus  of  the  Pharaoh  has  been  substantiated. A theory  explaining  the  purpose  of  changing  the  shape  and  the  construction of the Bent Pyramid specifically has been proposed. 

The article examines the socio-economic, socio-cultural and epistemological reasons of actualization of research interest to the humanitarian aspects of health and well-being. It analyzes the main theoretical models of psychological health arising from the recognition of the determining influence of social factors and the importance of cultural determinants in the analysis of the humanitarian aspects of health; particular attention is paid to the modern status of a special area of knowledge of health psychology. There are three main levels of factors affecting psychological health and subjective well-being: 1) macro, which includes a number of objective and subjective indicators (the level of economic development of the region, and subjective economic well-being of the population; the level of social protection of the population  and  its  subjective  evaluation,  etc.);  2) social-psychological,  among  which the structural and dynamic features of social networks, the stylistic characteristics of the communication opportunities of social support; 3) the personality, including resilience, the nature of self, dominant emotional state, the characteristics of personal and social identity. It is emphasized that although among the criteria of psychological health of particular importance is the degree of integration of the personality and its focus  on  self-development,  the  nature  of  psychological  health  is  closely  linked to socio-psychological   aspects   of   human   existence:   a   harmonious   integration in the society, successful socialization, the presence of strong social ties and social support are integral to psychological health. 

The article presents the studying of psychophysiological adaptation features results of primary school age pupils, enrolled in innovative educational institution. Comprehensive survey of elementary school students, which was held during two years of study (the first to the second year of study), presupposed a research of psychophysiological indicators and assessment of the regulatory systems of the body. It was found that by the second year of study the students are improving developmental quotient of cognitive performance by increasing the pressure in the cardiovascular system regulation. Those students who had low performance indicators in the beginning of the education program showed more prominent dynamics of psycho-physiological functions during the two years of study, compare to their peers with ‘good" or "excellent" marks. The boys had greater dynamics in the amount of attention compared to girls. Adaptation process of students with high academic performance, accompanied by increased sympathetic activity in heart rate regulation, is accompanied by a greater physiological "cost" that the body pays for the effectiveness of implemented activities. 

The article presents the results of empirical studies of successful performance in students with different types of attachment. The following research methods were chosen: conversation method, questionnaires, projective technique and testing method represented by the following procedures: "Adult Attachment Interview", projective drawing techniques, "Mother and Child". A significant difference between the successes of training in high school students was noted with avoidant type of attachment  with  respect  to  students  with  reliable  and  ambivalent  types.  Students with a reliable and ambivalent attachment styles are more successful in their performance, those with avoidant attachment style are less successful. The worst performance of students with avoiding attachment types can be explained by the fact that they are unlikely to perceive criticism positively, it is difficult for them to build trust relationships with adults and peers, they have inherent infantile behavior. The results of the study provide a basis for the development of programs aimed at preventing school failure prospective students and increase the success of learning in students who are in the learning process. 

The article is devoted to the role of increase of junior schoolchildren’s cognitive activity as an important condition for the development of cognitive abilities of  learners.  Psycho-pedagogical  support  should  be  focused  on  the  development of cognitive functions of junior schoolchildren, and psychologists and parents should be involved in this process, as well as the teachers. Traditionally, psycho-pedagogical support at primary school focuses on the child's adaptation to the new educational environment.  We  consider  that  a  child  needs  the  same  support  in  the  process of mastering  the  curriculum.  There  is  no  true  support  without  an  emotional involvement and empathy, and as a result cognitive activity of a child might suffer greatly. It was proven by empirical results obtained in an ordinary school, where no innovative teaching methods are used. At the end of primary school pupils have a significantly reduced motivation, teachers express no serious interest in problems of junior high school students. Not entirely satisfactory educational environment also could not provide a positive influence on the development of cognitive sphere. 

This   article   presents   a   topical   issue   of   impression   management of the teacher in professional activity. This paper presents the results of the diagnostic study, which was undertaken among Pedagogical University students. The aim of the study was to identify the representation of students about the teacher's selfpresentation. The study describes the findings. There were revealed students’ representations about the teachers’ self-presentation of the older and younger generation, as well as problems of self-presentation experienced by students, characteristics related to composing of culture of the teacher’s self-presentation. Among the characteristics relating to the teacher’s impression management, students single out external (verbal intelligence, behavioral pattern, feeding themselves and form, etc.) and internal ones (politeness, openness, self-awareness, etc.). The conclusions of the authors points at the importance of consideration of representations of students about teacher’s self-presentation in their training, which can be taken into account in higher education.  Ignorance  of  these  representations  of  students  in  the  educational process makes it difficult to establish contact and to solve pedagogical matters for high school teacher, etc. 

The article presents the results of studies on the relationship of formation of security concepts and individual psychological characteristics, such as intelligence, character traits, internality of person, value-semantic sphere of the person described as psychological factors of representations. The subjects were students of Military Institute of the Russian Federation of the National Guard troops, whose training involves the formation of military-professional competences directly related to security. Representations about security are considered as a complex semantic construct in the minds of students, is one of the basic elements of professional representations system. According to the results of statistical data, we found significant correlations between the characteristics of security concepts and the level of intelligence, lack of cusps  of  character  traits,  a  meaningful  life,  internality  personality,  maturity of the system of value orientations. It is suggested that security representations is a complex construct in the mind, which is closely integrated in the individual relations, emerging in connection with the development of the whole person. It is concluded that the educational process should be improved in respect of the formation of the security concepts in military education. 

The article features the analysis of features of physiological adaptation and the rate of physiological development in boys and girls of preparatory kindergarten groups and 1 – 2 grades of grammar school. The analysis points out the differences of neurodynamic indicators, physiological adaptation and the degree of activity of the autonomic nervous system among 6 – 8 year-old boys and girls. It has been found that, regardless of age, boys are characterized by a lower level of development of mental   functions,   lower   balance   of   processes   of   excitation   and   inhibition in the central nervous system, with faster visual-motor response. They are characterized by a higher degree of tension of regulatory mechanisms. Individuals with symptoms of attention deficit and social-psychological deficits are often detected in this group. Girls display neurodynamic indicators that are most optimal for the corresponding age period, a high level of mental functions development; in this group we observed mainly balanced or parasympathetic influence on heart rate and more satisfactory functional state. 

The article addresses the issue of perception and processing of ambiguous information. Experimental effects of understanding of polysemantic stimuli (homonyms, reversed figures) on conscious and unconscious levels have been analyzed. It is shown that implicit awareness of several meanings occurs before the explication of one meaning of stimulus take place. The aim of the current research is to discover the effect of asymmetry of semantic activation in unconscious perception of ambiguous information (in homonyms). The  procedures  and  results  of  the  two  conducted  studies  are  fully  described. In Experiment 1, technique of priming was used, in which ambiguous words were used as prime stimuli. Participants were randomly divided into four groups (two experimental and two control groups). Unconscious primes with visual mask were demonstrated to participants of experimental groups. Then, two words were demonstrated, only one of which had semantic relation to one meaning of the prime stimulus. The sets of stimuli in the experimental groups differed only in the words that were semantically related to the meaning of the ambiguous prime. The words that were not semantically related to the prime stimuli were identical. Then all partici pants (including participants in control groups) were told to choose as quickly as they could one word of two, using keys “left” or “right”. The results supported the hypothesis about the asymmetry of semantic activation in general. Participants did choose words related to particular meaning of prime stimuli more often.

In Experiment 2, participants were asked to write down associations with the same words that were used as primes in Experiment 1. The results have shown that stronger association between prime and ambiguous stimuli facilitates priming-effect, while weaker association makes priming-effect insignificant.

The present research supports the proposition that all alternative meanings of ambiguous words are more or less actualized implicitly, which influences further cognitive activity. The described phenomenon was labeled as the effect of semantic activation asymmetry. On the unconscious level, this asymmetry shows up as quantitative difference between priming-effects. On the conscious level, this asymmetry shows up as easiness  and  accessibility  of  verbal associations  on  corresponding  meaning of the ambiguous word.

The article is devoted to the relevance of special linguistic knowledge in legal discourse and the determination of the competence of an expert linguist. It features the analyses of the basis for the use of linguistic expertise in the aspect of the legal discourse. Special attention is given to the analysis of the relation between the concept of juridical discourse and the legislative discourse, law enforcement discourse, court discourse. The problem of classification of linguistic expertise with application of methods of the theory of classification and an example of subsumption classification division of linguistic expertise are considered. The problem of classification of linguistic expertise can be solved only through a systematic approach. It is shown that one of the most important issues of modern linguistic expertise is the problem of the choice from a wide range of experts as well as the interdisciplinary competence of the forensic linguist. The article includes analysis of the requirements to the experts. It is demonstrated that integrated (inter-disciplinary) investigations may be carried out, as it often happen in current practice, by a single examiner possessing all the necessary qualifications. The study is based on the general scientific dialectical method. The author uses the following special methods: systemstructural  method,  logical  method,  comparative  method,  as  well  as  induction and analysis. The presented results provide ideas for further discussion on the problem of classification of linguistic expertise and interdisciplinary competence of the linguist-expert. 

The article presents the results of the frame analysis of the situations of such acts as “help”, “benefaction”, “heroism”, “exploit”, “prank”, “antic”, “trick”, etc. The research is based on the idea according to which the conceptualization of acts is linked with the invariable frame, which is a structure built by the following elements: aim, action, subject, object, valuation, result. The aim of the paper is to show how the names of the acts represent this invariable frame model of an act. In the analysis of the names of acts and their cognate words in speech it was revealed that  the  elements  of  the  slots  are  interrelated  and  characterize  different  aspects of the situations of acts. The conclusion was made that in different situations various elements of the invariable frame can come into the focus of attention. The research shows that the frame of act is a complex, multidimensional category, which reflects the world and relations between its elements. 

The  paper  proposes  an  analysis  of  the  idioms  that  have  reference to the modus of gustatory perception. The main goal of the paper is to study structural and semantic features of the idioms belonging to this group as well as to consider cognitive and stylistic characteristics of their representation in English literary texts, specifically in W. S. Maugham’s novels “Theatre” and “The Razor’s Edge”. The classifications of the idioms according to the perceptive predicates and to their abilities to characterize either a perceptive subject, or a perceptive object, or perceptive activity itself are presented. The features of their usage in fiction are in the focus of attention. 

The article discusses the play by contemporary playwright Yuri Klavdiev "TheYakuza Dogs." Here is a detailed (but not exhaustive) analysis of the cultural codes. According to the author of the study, the languages of animation, cinema, classical  and  fictional  literature,  computer  games  and  eastern  philosophy  form in the play, a specific "dialect" addressed to its teenage reader. The article emphasizes that a reading teenager is different from a child-reader and an adult reader: their receptive capabilities are largely defined by puberty crisis. On the one hand, in fiction a teenager looks for dynamics and heroics, and, on the other hand, they are eager to face  the  social  reality  fierce  with  its  innumerable  conflicts.  In  the  first  case, the teenagers manifest  themselves  as a  child-reader with  their interest for action and the  struggle  between  good  and  evil.  In  the  second  case,  on  the  contrary, as an adult, since the ability to see the border that separates the tale from life belongs only to a well-formed reader. 

The  paper  deals  with  specific  features  of  representing  German  cities and towns   in   Russian   travelogues   at   the   turn   of   the   XIX century   written by V. N. Zinov'ev,  D. I. Fonvizin,  N. M. Karamzin  and  F. P. Lubyanovskiy.  These texts reflect pursuance of Russian self-identity on the basis of comparison with Western Europe, in particular, with Germany. The Russian authors focus on culturespecific elements of the represented locuses. Cleanness, comfort, space limitation and closeness should also be mentioned as characteristics of the German urban chronotopos. The urban locus is represented from two points of view: as a space of cultural artifacts and as an anthropic space of citizens. The second aspect is important for N. M. Karamzin and F. P. Lubyanovskiy’s sentimentalistic texts but can hardly be found  in  works  by  V. N. Zinov'ev  and  D. I. Fonvizin.  The  urban  descriptions in sentimentalists’ travelogues are more voluminous, filled with figures of speech, different historic and contemporaneous realia. 

The article takes cognitive approach  to  precedent phenomena studies. The sources of precedentiality in detective discourse are Greek and Roman mythology, the Bible, folklore texts, Shakespeare’s texts and classical European literature. In the analyzed texts universal-precedent and national-precedent phenomena of all the types are presented. Precedent names actualize precedent situations or act as namessymbols, precedent utterances appeal to precedent texts as reference standards. The analyzed material lets us deduce that incorporating Shakespearean, biblical and mythological topics, characters and images into detective texts is determined by authors’ intention to improve the status of their works as well as by universality of these topics and their criminal nature. Analyzing the sources of precedentiality within the cognitive approach may be of interest for studying transformations that take place within the genres based on the system-forming concepts. 

The article investigates the phenomenon of verbal representation of a work of fine arts in literature known under the term of ekphrasis. The object of investigation is ekphrasis as presented in the novel by S. Maugham “The Moon and Sixpence”. Specific features of ekphrasis, its functions and linguistic means of expression are subjected to analysis. The novel contains five ekphrastic inclusions – descriptions of the pictures painted by the main character: a full-length portrait, a landscape, a wall-painting, a fruit-piece, a family portrait. Being different in genre, these pictures share some common features typical of ekphrasis. The description, given in the form of a dialogue or a monologue, includes the invariable features characteristic of an archetypal scheme of ekphrasis. Linguistic manifestation of these archetypal features is connected with visual perception, with strong emotions, with the notions of  beauty,  miracle,  mystery,  singularity, spirituality,  looking  life-like.  Ekphrastic descriptions reflect the impression the pictures have made on a certain character, his/her being either an art connoisseur or an ignoramus. Ekphrasis fulfils various functions:  an  aesthetically-appreciative,  a  descriptive,  an  emotionally-expressive, a character-drawing and a hermeneutic function. 

The current approaches to teaching of foreign/second language listening offered by foreign researchers are considered in the article: cognitive and social dimensions of the process; two main strategies of foreign language listening: top-down and bottom-up approaches; metacognitive approach to teaching listening and its advantages. The following innovations can be creatively used by teachers in the educational process: the formation of students' ‘perception base’ and ‘perception automatisms’  for  distinguishing  and  recognizing  foreign  spoken  speech  units;  using the method  of  interaction  and  active  negotiation  of  general  meaning  and  details of the text among students; regular administration of the Metacognitive Awareness Listening Questionnaire to teach students different strategies of foreign language listening comprehension; teaching students to develop their own strategies for foreign language listening. The analysis of modern approaches to teaching listening suggests that metacognitive approach is aimed to develop not only students’ language skills but also their reflective thinking abilities; it provides students’ personal involvement in the learning process and has a positive effect on their motivation. Foreign language teachers can use the research results to create their own system of teaching foreign language listening comprehension. 

The  article  examines  the  combination  of  the  German  verb  lassen with an infinitive as an entire infinitival structure, where each component influences the creation of grammatical meanings of the whole structure. On the basis of this point of view the structural components which determine the meanings are analysed and described. Such factors as the lexical realization of a subject, presence and the lexical and morphological  realization  of  an  object,  as  well  as  the  transitivity  of  a  verb in an infinitival form are recognized to be significant. These characteristics of the structure-building components allow us to single out six models of the infinitival structure with lassen and describe their meanings and their forming mechanisms. The research has shown that the main modal meanings (causativeness, permissiveness and possibility) are specified according to structure-building components,  such  as:  verbal  and  non-verbal  causation,  permissiveness,  intentional or involuntary allowance of action, order, wish and reason. Some of them combine with the passive meaning.

The article is devoted to the interpretation of the phenomenon of death in contemporary  American  literature  on  the  example  of  Ch. Palahniuk’s  novels. The article analyzes the approaches to the phenomenon of death in different fields of knowledge such as philosophy, sociology, medicine. We describe the overview of the “life after death” theme in native and foreign literature. The place of the phenomenon  of  death  in  the  artistic  world  and  the  influence  of  this  phenomenon on the attitude of the characters to each other are in the focus of our attention. Death in the artistic world defines the characters’ relations, their presence / absence on different levels of the artistic world, the process of transition from the world of the living  to  the  world  of  the  dead  and  vice  versa.  The  process  of  heroes’  formation in the world of the living and in the world of the dead depends on the representation of the phenomenon of death in the works of Ch. Palahniuk. The boundary between the world of the living and the world of the dead is almost invisible and the transition between the worlds is done according to certain laws of the art world, followed by the characters of the novels. This article discusses several Ch. Palahniuk’s novels written  in  different  periods  of  his  oeuvre.  The  article  examines  the  differences and similarities  in  the  author's  interpretation  of  the  death  and  its  significance in the early (“Fight Club”, “Lullaby”) and the latest (“Damned”, “Doomed”) novels. In the early novels of Charles Palahniuk death is a physiological process with anatomical details, but at the same time dying is the soul leaving the body. The latest novels of the author differ from the early ones as they demonstrate to the reader not only the life and its ending, but also the life after death.