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This article examines the causes and consequences of national conflicts in the North Caucasus. It addresses issues related to the sources of ethnic conflicts in contemporary times. The significance of the North Caucasus as a bridge connecting north to south and west to east is emphasized, highlighting its immense importance for the Russian Federation. From a geostrategic perspective, this region serves as a gateway to Central Asia while also providing access to Western markets. The paper pays particular attention to events that have transpired since the late 1980s in the Caucasus, where some of the most acute ethnopolitical conflicts and wars have occurred. Six out of eight armed ethnopolitical civil conflicts in the post-Soviet space unfolded in this region. The article raises the issue that, as a result of these events, the Caucasian region has become a battleground for separatist organizations within the post-Soviet context. Armed conflicts have led to numerous human casualties, material losses, economic downturns, and other tragedies. Based on the materials studied, it is concluded that ethnic conflicts are diverse in their manifestations. The conditions for the politicization of ethnic conflicts in the North Caucasus are also explored.

The authors investigate the problem of reflecting the Caucasian local wars of the turn of the XX and XXI centuries in the essays by E. Goryukhina included in the books “The teachers journey to the Caucasus” and “Don’t divide us, Lord, don’t divide us”. The purpose of the study is to analyze the author’s disclosure of the peculiarities of interethnic relations during military conflicts in the Caucasus and to identify the value meanings of the lessons of the events that took place. As a methodological basis, a literary analysis of the content and form of the texts studied, a comparative analysis of documentary-historical and essay literature is chosen. The genre originality of E. Goryukhina’s essays is substantiated, the author's position on the raised problem and the position of the peoples involved in the military conflict are identified, the alienness of war to the genuine interests of the people is shown, the mental features of the concept of “Caucasian man” are revealed, the influence of war on the specifics of historically formed national relations between the peoples of the Caucasus, the Caucasus and Russia is discovered. Conclusions are drawn about the high importance of E. Goryukhina’s essays for understanding the humanistic psychology of the Caucasian peoples and establishing mutual understanding between peoples, for overcoming stereotypes. The complexity and depth of historically formed relations between ethnic groups requiring consideration and careful preservation are disclosed.

Introduction. The principle of aesthetic transformation affects not only the functioning of fashion, but also a range of problems related to the worldview and world perception of a person, which are relevant for any time. Aesthetic problems have a deeper foundation than the change of images of vestimentary fashion, and lie in the sphere of social and cultural life of society. Theoretical analysis. At certain points in history, the aggravation of social and cultural aspects of public life causes a change in the spiritual values developed over the centuries, followed by a revision of aesthetic ideals. In the period of the 1920s, youth became the dominant age category in the society, and the cult of youth appeared. The theoretical basis of this phenomenon was provided by T. Parsons, K. Mannheim, Х. Ortega-y-Gasset, J. Huizinga and others, justifying it by the conflict of generations, the lack of continuity between them. Conclusions. An attempt has been made to take an integrated approach to the analysis of a number of aspects of a socio-cultural nature in a certain time period, which served as the starting point for the emergence of the cult of youth. The phenomenon led to the reassessment of aesthetic ideals. Fashion reacted sensitively to it, youth images inspired bold new directions and determined its development for decades to come.

Within the field of conflict and violence studies, there exists a range of subtle yet profound forms of violence that often remain underexplored. This paper addresses the concept of semiocide, which refers to the destruction of culturally significant signs, stories, symbols, and narratives. Through unpacking of the theoretical foundations of semiocide, the study highlights its distinct nature and potential for further exploration in cultural violence and conflict studies. Utilizing content analysis of various media sources, the study examines the semiocidal practices perpetrated against the Baha’i community in Iran. The findings illustrate the systematic erasure and manipulation of the Baha’i cultural identity through three semiocidal mechanisms. These insights shed light on the complex dynamics of cultural violence, not only within the specific context of Iran but also providing valuable implications for understanding similar phenomena in other socio-cultural contexts. By bridging the gap between theory and practice, this study offers a nuanced discussion of semiocide, contributing to a broader comprehension of cultural violence and cultural hegemony, and thereby enriching the discourse in conflict and violence studies.

Introduction. This article deals with the issues of ethno-confessional interaction between migrants and local citizens when clashes of traditions and confessional attitudes become a source of conflict and threaten the preservation of ethno-confessional peace in Russia. Materials and methods. Empirical methods of collecting and analyzing factual data and a socio-typological approach were used. Numerous examples were considered using the case analysis method. To analyze various types of conflict interaction between migrants and locals, case method was used. Results. Due to the diverse inter-ethnic and inter-confessional relations the following types of conflict interaction between migrants and the local population in the Russian territory can be identified: interethnic, inter- and intra-confessional. Interethnic conflicts between migrants and the local population are particularly acute among teenagers. Examples of each type of conflicts from different regions of the country are given. Discussion. Over centuries, the RF nations got used to peaceful coexistence based on respect for the national and religious customs of their neighbours. At the same time, it is necessary to note obvious contradictions between the Orthodox autochthonous population and migrants of various confessions. In this case, the conflict is getting the features of an interreligious clash. This is also facilitated by members of ethnic diasporas, who are turning into a separate influential structure. Ethno-confessional conflicts are particularly acute when they are not only between representatives of different faiths but also of the same denomination when migrants and locals with different interpretations of religious doctrine and different national traditions clash in the same territory. Conclusion. State and municipal government bodies are required to take serious preventive measures to ensure conflict-free coexistence of the peoples of Russia. To resolve the existing social conflict between migrants and the local population, it is necessary to set up a special government authority to deal with the problem comprehensively.

The relevance of the topic of the study lies in the fact that the problems of hybrid warfare, hybrid operations, hybrid influence have become especially important in the context of the complicated geopolitical situation in the world after February 2022. In the author’s opinion, Russia’s forced conduct of the Special military operation is one of the tools of the US hybrid influence on China. In the study several methods were applied: the content analysis of conceptualdoctrinal and normative documents, analyzed the views of Chinese scientists, political and military figures on hybrid warfare and operations, as well as publications of authoritative media on this issue. As a result, it is concluded that in the Chinese understanding hybrid wars and operations are becoming the main form of confrontation between states and blocs of states. At the same time, the hybrid impact is exerted on the national security assurance system, which should effectively counter “traditional and non-traditional” threats and challenges, that are hybrid. Chinese experts note that there is a risk of underestimating the responsibility for a possible global conflict, which may be caused by inadequate projection of hybrid threats onto a country or group of countries. The author also concludes that we may be witnessing one of the last stages of the unfolding U.S. hybrid war against China.

In 2023, Germany, in the context of the ongoing conflict around Ukraine, continued to follow the postulate formulated by Chancellor O. Scholz about a «change of eras» in relations with Russia. If in 2022 some stabilization was achieved in a number of areas, the next year was marked by a number of targeted steps by official Berlin, which led to a deepening of the crisis in bilateral relations. At the initiative of the German side, the expulsion of Russian diplomats was organized, followed by a mutual reduction in the number of consulates. The Russian Embassy in Berlin and its employees were subjected to unprecedented pressure from the German Foreign Ministry. The me- dia continued to put pressure on German companies, which continued to do business with Russian partners in the face of ever-increasing sanctions restrictions. Negative trends continued in January- February 2024. They were based on Berlin’s comprehensive support for the Kyiv regime. The au- thor analyzes the anti-Russian vector of German foreign policy and gives a forecast for the devel- opment of German-Russian relations in the coming years.

The aim of the article is to substantiate the importance of individual psychological qualities in the interaction between employees and evaluate their impact on the nature of interpersonal relations. The importance of certain individual psychological qualities for the emergence of sympathies between participants in the interaction is substantiated, namely: empathy; communication skills; tolerance for differences; ability to cooperate; responsibility. A methodical approach to assessing the presence of these qualities in team members has been developed. It involves identifying the most common manifestations of individual psychological qualities important for relationships, as well as assessing the degree of their expression in employees. A methodology for assessing the potential for improving interpersonal relations in an organization has been proposed. To determine the potential, the percentage of employees who chose the «no» option is multiplied by +1, and the percentage of employees who chose the «difficult to answer» option is multiplied by +0.5. Further, the results of the calculation for all questions about the nature of interpersonal relations are summed up and the percentage by which the nature of interpersonal relations can be improved is determined. According to the results of a survey of employees of one of the domestic research organizations, the most relevant areas of their improvement have been identified as follows: firstly, it is necessary to develop such qualities of employees as: empathy, communication skills and the ability to cooperate, and maintain all other qualities at a high level; secondly, to create conditions for informal communication; thirdly, to develop the ability to resolve conflicts between employees; fourthly, to promote employees’ understanding of their own contribution to the work of the organization; fifth, establish change management processes in the organization.

The study deals with the problems of linguopragmatic description of virtual discourse. Particular focus is paid to the discursive activity of the participants of literary competitions who participate in discussions and evaluate each other's stories. Cooperative and confl ict interactions of commentators and authors of literary stories are characterized. A typology of communicative strategies in the virtual discourse of a literary competition is proposed, with a breakdown of those used by senders and recipients. It has been proved that the strategies of commentators gravitate towards a cooperative type of communication, while the strategies of authors in response to criticism trend towards a conflict type of communication. The linguistic features of the the ways each group implements their respective strategies are traced, and the main tactics of their representation in the discourse of the virtual discussion of literary stories are determined. The illustrative material was collected from the transcripts of discussions at the Ukrainian-language fantasy short story competitions Litavytsia and RBZh Azimut for 2021.

The authors discuss both the main approaches in existing media and conflict studies that examine the relationship and interaction between media and conflict, and using theoretical mapping construct the media conflictology as a field of knowledge. The conceptual blocks of media conflictology as an integral field of research are defined and its structure is proposed. Thus, media conflictology as an emerging field of research includes the study of groups involved in media conflict, counting various Internet communities and other subjects of media communication; the stages of conflict represented in the media and the influence of media communication on the “life cycle” of conflict; the totality of the causes of media representation of conflict, with political, ideological and ethno-cultural factors; the analysis of the external context of conflict representation in the media, as well as the national media system, politics and regulation, communication culture and axiological aspects of conflict. A key feature of media conflict studies is the focus of academic attention on media representations and media effects of conflicts, rather than on the conflicts themselves.

The research is devoted to the phenomenon of emotional and conflict-generating communication. Pragmatic information was chosen as the object of study, which is based on the intention of implication, the hidden intention of the addresser. The subject of the study is special, provocative speech genres, regarded as tools for presenting pragmatic information, their system and typology. Provocative discourse is considered in the work as a special type of intentional discourse, and provoking is understood as the infection of the interlocutor with the real or imaginary (skillfully imitated) intentional state of the speaker. Provoking, therefore, is a typical example of emotional contagion, emotiogenicity. The material for the analysis was mass communication texts; the body of the study consisted of the headlines of direct mail advertising texts. Two basic provocative genre strategies - confession and concern - are identified, each of which includes, as identifiable elements, the (elementary) provocative genres of confession, presentation, maxim, demonstrative, complaint, advice, notation, reproach, provocative question, propheseme.

The Russia-Ukraine conflict in 2022-2023 unfolds against the backdrop of a rapidly evolving military technological landscape, characterized by advancements in artificial intelligence, cyber capabilities, and autonomous systems. This abstract delves into the intersection of these technological developments and their profound implications on the dynamics of the ongoing war. The study examines the role of emerging technologies in shaping the strategies and tactics employed by both Russia and Ukraine. It explores how artificial intelligence-driven command and control systems, unmanned aerial vehicles, and cyber operations have altered the traditional balance of power, offering new opportunities and challenges for both belligerents. The research draws on a comprehensive analysis of open-source information, military doctrines, to provide insights into the ways in which military technological revolution has influenced the Russia-Ukraine war.

The Russia-Ukraine war that started in 2022 has affected the education system of Ukraine. It was preceded by a period of pandemic. The impact of war on education goes beyond a humanitarian crisis; It also threatens the future of the entire generation of Ukrainians in terms of education, because education is a priority direction that has no alternative. An educated generation creates a strong future for the country. In this sense, war has no winners. The hostilities disrupt the normal rhythm of life, which affects all spheres. The emotional state of war children is very significant and attention-grabbing. It is a pity when in the 21st century war is no stranger to children. Children have to overcome difficulties in front of this harsh reality.

In the field of political theory and philosophy, the concept of political has undergone a complex evolution over the past century. Since its inception in the pioneering work of K. Schmitt in 1927, this term has become a deeply controversial concept, the interpretation of which was carried out by the most significant political theorists and philosophers of the twentieth century. However, Carl Schmitt, Hannah Arendt, Jürgen Habermas, and John Rawls made notable contributions to understanding the term. This article aims to reveal and analyze the three main approaches to the conceptualization of the political and to identify the differences/similarities between the three formulations. Each conceptualization of the political is explored through the prism of three components: the perception of the other; the principle of building political relationships in society; and the nature of the conflict and the forms of its resolution. Based on the comparative method and cognitive analysis, the essence laid down by each author is derived: political as an existential confrontation between friend/enemy of K. Schmitt; political as an activity that realizes human freedom in the interpretation of H. Arendt; and political as the space of rational consensus in J. Habermas and J. Rawls. Nevertheless, common elements or consequences can be traced even in radical different formulations. The critical importance of the dynamic and evolving nature of the concept of the political is recognized, however, the explanatory power of each concept of the political reality of the present is questioned. In conclusion, a new level of conceptualization of the political is proposed, which considers the instability and uncertainty of the modern world.

The author’s idea for the Master’s photo art project was to create a photo project about the elderly who are over 80 years old. It was based on the desire to reveal the inner world and life experience of the elderly. The photo project reflects not only the external beauty of the aged but also the deep emotions captured in the eyes and expressions of the characters. The series consists of portraits of both men and women that become a kind of story, telling the story of the courage, resilience and inner strength of those who witnessed the remarkable historical events over many decades. These photographs, which convey expressive emotions of pain and fatigue, try not only to capture the physical appearance of the heroes but also to convey their experience, courage and unwavering belief in peace and justice, even in the most challenging times for Ukraine. Through the details on the faces, one can feel the deep emotional grief and the burden of life experiences placed on these people’s shoulders over the years. The eyes are the centrepiece of the photographs and attract special attention. They are imbued with pain and sadness from having to relive the war period. The deep wrinkles around the eyes add to the intense expressiveness, showing that time has taken its toll and left its marks on the faces. The sad eyes and closed lips express fatigue and exhaustion, indicating the burden of the years behind the characters. Some of them still have hope for liberation from physical or emotional suffering, while others are depressed and hopeless.

The last decade has seen an increasing focus on the involvement of the private sector in international sustainable development, particularly in high-risk jurisdictions. This involvement encompasses a broad spectrum, incorporating innovative private sector instruments—now acknowledged as ODA-eligible by the OECD—as well as traditional tools of external official support to developing countries, which remain the primary contributors to ODA flows. This literature review aims to consolidate the academic exploration of the enduring classic foreign aid tools' impact on the political risks associated with foreign direct investment (FDI), and identifies prevalent limitations while suggesting approaches to overcome these challenges.The first section delineates the central theme and rationale behind the literature selection process, utilizing the Google Scholar database to contextualize the research within a comprehensive framework. The subsequent section categorizes and compares the most relevant studies based on formal criteria and methodological parameters. Sections three and four critically assess the scholarly contributions in conceptualizing the mitigating influence of foreign aid in general, focusing on its impact on specific political risks such as expropriation, terrorism, and corruption. The concluding section delves into studies that explore foreign aid and foreign direct investment flows from China, the largest non-Western donor.A bibliometric analysis reveals a noteworthy disparity between research attention and policymaking focus on the subject matter. Notably, the selected papers fail to comprehensively cover the full spectrum of primary extra-legal and legal-governmental political risks for transnational businesses. Scholars' assessments of foreign aid's mitigating effect often lack differentiation between grants and loans or between flows directed to different sectors, as well as the distinction between aid routed through public institutions and bypassing them. Notably absent is a comprehensive analysis encompassing the complete range of 'established' Western and emerging non-Western aid providers, or an exploration of aid flows from non-OECD countries other than China. Most research focuses on Africa and fails to differentiate between recipients based on fragility, income levels, or other relevant categorizations. Moreover, the researchers have yet to delve into data post the COVID-19 outbreak, a critical period that significantly altered perceptions of political risk, foreign aid, and FDI flows. The literature review illuminates a research gap awaiting substantial exploration.

Peace pedagogy or peace education appeared after World War II primarily for bringing up German children and youth in line with a new ideology. Since the 1980s, peace education has been oriented mainly at developing countries with permanent armed conflicts often involving children as active participants (soldiers). This article focuses on the basic concepts (peace, aggression, man, etc.), which have been framed in German peace education theory since the 1950s. It is revealed there were the following philosophical and anthropological concepts of peace pedagogy in West Germany at the initial stage of its development: eccentric positionality of man as a living being (Helmuth Plessner); aggression as an innate instinct and its complex relationship with bonding and cooperation among humans (Konrad Lorenz); and man as a biologically deficient being (Arnold Gehlen). In East Germany, education theories were based on the Marxist interpretation of the human essence. After the unification of Germany, peace education theory underwent some significant transformations, which marks the second stage in its development. Man is understood as a living being that, although being connected with nature, is shaped by culture to a greater extent. In this regard, what comes to the fore is the part of Plessner’s theory that deals with the shared world (Mitwelt) and human spiritual activities. The concept of the Other has also become meaningful. Recognizing the anthropological laws of eccentric positionality, natural artificiality, and mediated immediacy, the researchers also emphasize the need to take into account the influence of culture, which determines man’s uniqueness.

Institutions are often rooted in violence and power, and war is one of them. At the same time, war continues to be one of the most important institutions that ensure the long-term unity of a group, albeit at the cost of confrontation with another, rival group. Therefore, an important role in cessation of violence is played by how fair new institutions are. It is the justice of post-conflict institutions that makes it possible to achieve sustainable peace. The article considers the features of social and asocial acts that strengthen or undermine relations in a group or between groups and affect the justice of institutions. Cessation of destruction and violence ends the period of forced unification of a group and opens up opportunities for finding other common purposeful activities. The content of this activity is the essence of the project, in which the most important activity in terms of fostering peace is human change. The significant problem for this is when and how war should be stopped, and whether it can be done at the desired time. During the transition from war to peace, various obstacles arise, which often do not depend on the evil or good will of the participants in peace establishment. The author comes to the conclusion that the end of war always faces the problem of fictitious construction of the main enemy, done by each party of the conflict to motivate its population. This fictitious enemy is always presented as the source and cause of the coming total extermination. To establish peace, it is necessary to debunk this fiction.

The use of Russian-language social networks by migrants from Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan, primarily on VK, has increased significantly in recent years. This network has enabled easy communication both within and between ethnic communities. It has become a social space of ethno-national discourse with its own laws and rules of social interaction, including conflictogenic one. At the same time, publications on ethno-national discourse of Tajik and Kyrgyz migrants in social networks are practically absent in Russian scientific literature. In this regard, the authors have set a goal to identify the features of ethno-national discourse of Kyrgyz and Tajik migrants in the VK Russian-language social network during the conflict on the Kyrgyz-Tajik border. The empirical basis of the study was the results of online questionnaire survey of 400 migrant respondents from Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan and qualitative analysis of their posts with a vivid news agenda about the relationship between the two countries. The peculiarities of ethno-national discourse of migrants in social networks between Tajik and Kyrgyz virtual groups consisted in an attempt to understand the ongoing conflict. As a rule, the discussion has come down to finding someone to blame or calling for the cessation of hostilities. The analysis has showed that hating had been actively developing in virtual interaction between migrants. At the same time, conciliatory actions on the part of both diasporas have been observed. The results have showed the need for constant monitoring of ethno-national discourse of Tajik and Kyrgyz migrants in social networks, as virtual interaction can very likely lead to real conflicts between representatives of Tajik and Kyrgyz diasporas in Russia.

Introduction: the article is devoted to the analysis of the state of victimity and its internal conflictogenic potential. Victimity is considered as a factor of penitentiary conflictogenity. Development of the conflict at its various stages is analyzed and, in this regard, the state of conflictogenity as a trend of penitentiary relations is characterized. It is argued that partnership and conflict in the conditions of the penitentiary life activity can equally be assessed from the point of view of both legal normativity and deviance. The opinion is substantiated that victimity is a reaction of the subject to the danger produced by almost all types of penitentiary communications. Purpose: to conduct a comprehensive intersectoral analysis of the institute of crime as a factor of conflict-prone public relations in the field of penitentiary life. Methods: the research methodology is determined by the specifics of the penitentiary environment, characterized by a high degree of conflictogenity due to the antagonisms in goal-setting, value priorities and behavioral motivations of administrators (“jailers”) and special agents (“prisoners”), collectively forming the “penitentiary population”. The article uses a complex of general scientific (dialectical, analysis and synthesis, system-structural) and special methods of cognition. Results: representing a specific social environment of a significant number of Russian citizens, the penitentiary system operates on the basis of two main regulatory and protective systems: legal and criminal. The antagonism of these systems causes a high degree of conflictogenity of penitentiary relations and, as a consequence, entails victimization of their participants. Conclusion: having conducted research, the author comes a conclusion that all penitentiary relations can be conditionally divided into partnership and conflict. At the same time, both partnership and conflict can equally be assessed as normative and deviant. Victimity, representing the subject’s potential predisposition to the state of a victim should be considered as an element of the socio-legal status of the conflict participant. At the same time, subjective victimity is directly related to the change of conflict stages, within which the aggressive impact can be unilateral (unilateral victimization) or bilateral in nature.

Introduction. The article uses a concrete historical example through an anthropological approach to make one of the first attempts in Russian historiography to highlight the problem of the place, role and position of women within the family and intra-church relations of the early XX century. Materials and methods. The analysis of archival material demonstrates a complex system of communication and deep psychological and cultural contradictions in the environment of the provincial parish clergy of the period under review. A woman was assigned a subordinate role in it, while her violation of the traditional order turned into adverseconsequences. Results. The increase in the level of education of women and, as a result, the strengthening of their intellectual, legal and cultural emancipation in the post-reform period, ran into patriarchal attitudes of the church environment. The clash of tradition and innovation resulted in acute interpersonal and intragroup conflicts, during which the parties often annihilated basic ethical rules. It is noteworthy that, acting as an arbiter in the clashes of subordinates, the hierarchy sought to counteract the penetration of cultural and psychological innovations into the Orthodox community. It happened that such protectionism went against the canons and legislation of the church, turning into a violation of the key principles of justice. Nevertheless, thanks to this orientation and practical approaches, the church sought to achieve mental homogeneity of the clergy and internal stability of the system in conditions of external social turbulence. Conclusion. The author comes to the conclusion that the church society was a closed system with a very peculiar matrix of norms and rules, hanging in a stable disequilibrium between traditionalism and post-reform modernism. The church, which was based on a patriarchal way of life, was not ready for the correction of gender roles in the conditions of innovative changes, even where this did not pose a direct threat to its cultural tradition.

Article is devoted to the problems of development of private military companies in Russia. It shows the practice of private military companies in the current political situation in the world. The phenomenon of private military companies (PMCs) is a rather controversial and ambiguous topic. Over the past more than thirty years, PMCs have played an increasingly important role in local wars and regional conflicts. With further globalization of the world economy, the role of PMCs in future wars and armed conflicts will be increasing. The authors study international documents regulating the activities of these organizations. They point out the necessity of adopting a law to allow this type of activity on the territory of the Russian Federation. Private military companies actually exist within the country and their legalization would allow to introduce their activities into the legal field. Private military companies influence the sphere of human rights, is connected with corruption and dishonest performance of obligations in implementation of contracts. The penalties for establishing and participating in illegal armed groups are shown. The possibilities of their application, both in Russia and abroad, are highlighted.

The article deals with the topical socio-philosophical and socio-anthropological problem of restoration of the matrix of traditional consciousness in modern Russian society. With the help of structural and functional analysis of Russian traditional consciousness and socio-anthropological model of 10 degrees of freedom as autonomy the system of basic practical principles is presented. These principles are actualized precisely in emergency situations and contribute to the reduction of the degree of freedom of the whole society. Restoration of the matrix of traditional consciousness becomes a complicated, dialectical problem for the Russian power (“paternal”) vertical, since it requires a significant restriction of opportunities for free self-realization of most citizens and even comes into conflict with the basic values of the “mother vertical” - preservation and continuation of the race. The long-term presence of society in such forced tension can cause social upheaval, while the short-term experience of an emergency situation suggests the development of ways of ideological adaptation in the form of such practical attitudes as “moderate fatalism,” “personal non-resistance to evil,” “harmony with nature” and “I can be useful to others. These attitudes allow us to build our own variable model of adaptation to the sharp decrease in the degree of personal and social freedom and to preserve the inner potential for a further return to a full creative life. The article also considers the possible prospects of the modern implementation of the updated principles of the matrix of traditional consciousness, and identifies the most problematic and dangerous trends.

The relation between Kant’s philosophy and the “philosophy of balance” as it is described in the report Come on! Capitalism, Short-termism, Population and the Destruction of the Planet, delivered to the Club of Rome in 2018, requires some analysis. The authors of the report consider Kant to be a philosopher of European Enlightenment which laid the foundations of the modern world, but also proved to be the source of global problems. The report characterises the philosophy of the Enlightenment as lop-sided rationalism which dismisses everything that does not possess desirable properties. In exchange, the authors offer a philosophy of balance, described in several points as the balance between conflicting values. The overarching problem of the philosophy of balance is the restraining of egoism. For this reason I first examine the relationship between duty and human inclinations in Kant’s ethics. I then demonstrate that the topic of political forecasts and the recommendations which Kant prescribes both in his philosophy of history and in his reflections on politics, right and justice, essentially boils down to three points of the philosophy of balance: the balance between development and justice (Kantian republicanism), between the speed and stability of development (external policy, the Kantian peace project), and between the short-term and long-term perspectives (reform policy). I then touch upon the problem of the implementation of Kantian principles in politics in the light of the reception of Kant in the modern theories of social conflicts, the communication theory of J. Habermas and the justice theory of J. Rawls. The overall conclusion is that Kant’s philosophy is not a philosophy of exclusion, capitalist values and utilitarianism and is not their ideological basis.

Mediation is considered in the article as part of a conflict management theory, which, in turn, is interdisciplinary in nature. The logical chain is presented, according to which it makes sense to conduct theoretical and applied conflict management analysis, plan conflict-regulating actions, as well as build the teaching of conflict management theory. There are four main links in this chain: the methodology of the analysis of social conflict, its situational analysis, the definition of the technology of influencing the situation and the procedure for implementing the chosen technology. It is in the final link that the problems of mediation, or mediation, are present, which is the subject of research in this work. The purpose of the article is to analyze the development of the main directions of non–jurisdictional mediation in Russia and its role as a social regulator, when the parties of civil society follow the law, but have the opportunity to develop broader, diverse and acceptable conditions for resolving disputes. The review of historical prerequisites, the level of modern institutionalization, socially significant functions of the mediation process is carried out. The characteristics of the development of mediation in the state, commercial and civil sectors of society are given. The ways of development of mediation as a professional, educational and educative social resource are discussed. The obstacles to such development are fixed in the form of dominant state regulation of mediation activities, disproportionate use of mediation services and their weak market demand, scattered teaching of mediation-related educational disciplines, negative realities of the world experience. Conclusions are proposed about the need for a more harmonious state-legal regulation of mediation; the importance of developing communication competence, including a unified presentation of the disciplines «Negotiation – facilitation – mediation» in the educational process; the relevance of the education of conflict management literacy as a culture of behavior in conflict situations and the ability to manage them.

Introduction. The emotional sphere of a personality is shaped under the influence of the system of public relations, which has its own specifics in the universities of the metropolis. Modern conditions have a limited amount of data on the development of the emotional and personal sphere and the possible risks of socio-psychological maladaptation of medical students studying in a megalopolis. For the first time, the emotional sphere of personality is considered in the context of manifestation of possible social maladaptation (conflict, stress, anxiety, neuroticism) of medical students in the conditions of the educational process in the megapolis. The aim of our work was to look into the emotional sphere of the personality of urban medical students in the conditions of the educational process drawing on their conflict, anxiety, neuroticism. Materials and Methods. 105 medical students of various years of studies, living and studying in the megapolis, took part in the survey. A set of diagnostic techniques was used. The cross-sectional method was used to collect data. The results were processed using the SPSS program. Results. Significant differences in the assessments of neuroticism among students of different years were found. There was a significant difference in stress assessments between first and last year students. The results differ significantly among students from different clusters based on cluster analysis of stress, anxiety and neuroticism assessments. The assessment of anxiety, stress and neuroticism makes it possible to talk about certain types of students in the context of maladaptation: type 1 – adapted, type 2 – have risks of development of maladaptation, type 3 – prone to maladaptation. It was also noted that the conflict of girls is expressed higher than the conflict of boys. Discussion and Conclusion. The conclusions made by the authors contribute to the development of psychological and pedagogical knowledge that improves the training systems in a medical university. The materials of the article can be useful for teachers and administrators when interacting with students of all years of study. The assumption of a combination of all social maladaptation on a certain year of study is refuted, which indicates the need to continue the study.

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The article deals with the management of hidden conflicts at the enterprises of the aviation industry. At present, a topical issue for the management of companies is the resource effectiveness of personnel, obtained as a result of the development or implementation of a management decision. The author emphasizes the importance of the conflict management process as a key tool for personnel management, on which the success of the company and sometimes the very existence of the enterprise, largely depends. The purpose of this work is to describe the conflict management methodology at the enterprises of the aviation industry by developing a model for identifying conflicts at an early stage. The main aspects of identifying conflict situations on the basis of modern theory and practice of conflict management are revealed. In this regard, the necessity for the top management of enterprises to make competent, economically sound management decisions is substantiated. A model for identifying hidden conflicts between employees is proposed.

The purpose of this paper is to explore perceptions of theoretical foundations of nonviolence theory by modern students and their willingness to apply ideas of nonviolence to everyday life. The study problem lies in the fact that, in general, the scantily explored phenomenon of nonviolence is mostly studied in the context of philosophical and ethical understanding, ideology, and politics. While the values of nonviolence individual understanding, their local application in everyday life is still remain unexplored. Research design: focus group methodology. In this study, the focus group method was used as the main one for data collection, as it gives participants the opportunity to explore the topic in a focused discussion. Also, a phenomenological or «lived experience» approach was used since it would allow an exploration and understanding of the opinions of student. The focus group topic template included two parts, in the first part the participants discuss and interpret the ideas about the theoretical foundations of the concept of nonviolence, in the second part the focus group members share their own experiences and discussed the possibility of implementing the ideas of the nonviolence concepts in everyday life. The focus group discussions were audio-recorded and transcribed verbatim with the permission of the participants. When notes were summarized and analyzed, which allowed researchers to identify five key topics to draw conclusions about the place and role of violence and nonviolence in students’ daily lives. The article shows that the focus group participants mostly share the conceptual ideas of the nonviolence theories, but allow situations in which the use of force is necessary. The conclusions from this article can be used in further research aimed at studying the forms and strategies of conflict resolution in the daily life of youth.

The article considers the problems of choosing the optimal management style of service teams and improving management personnel in the internal affairs bodies of the Russian Federation. The aim of the research is to study the relationship between the management style and the socio-psychological climate in the team as the basis for the effectiveness of the operational and service activities of the Internal Affairs Bodies. The authors have summarized current scientific and practical research in the field of management style. The classical typology of management styles by K. Levin has been analyzed, which made it possible to develop the most effective leadership style in the internal affairs bodies, ensuring the achievement of the necessary results in the management of collectives. The theoretical material is supplemented with empirical data obtained in the course of annual studies of the socio-psychological climate in the teams of the territorial bodies of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia. Opinion polls of police officers have showed that the highest degree of satisfaction with the service is experienced by those of them who work under the leadership of a democrat leader, focused not only on the performance, but also on creating favorable conditions for the activities of the entire team. The direct dependence of the socio-psychological climate on the management style chosen by the leader has been proved. It has been concluded that it is necessary to implement the mechanisms of the formation of an effective management style existing in the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia. For current leaders, it is advisable to envisage an in-depth study of the problem in the classroom for service training, for future leaders - as part of an additional professional program for professional retraining of employees of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia included in the personnel reserve.

Backround. Against the background of the conflict between the director of the Kuibyshev Aviation Institute F.I. Stebikhov and Associate Professor S.S. Mezhevikin, the article examines the role of informal connections in the Soviet academic circles during the Second world war. The purpose of the article is to study the activities of the “most active members of the institute” – the dominant group that controlled the process of distribution of scarce goods and took part in solving the most significant issues facing the team. Materials and methods. The basis of the study was unpublished archival documents located in the funds of the Samara Regional State Archive of Socio-Political History and the Samara National Research University. The methodological basis of the study is the principles of historicism, objectivity and consistency. Results. The phases of the conflict are consistently studied, starting from the sending of the teachers to public works and ending with the dismissal. Strategies of behavior of the participants were identified, including complaints to officials and letters to the editorial offices of newspapers. Conclusions. In addition to the formal hierarchy, the institute had a system of informal relations. The most active members of the institute, which had weight and authority in the eyes of the staff, formed a common position on a number of significant issues and largely determined the attitude towards each member of the team. The authors come to the conclusion that it was the most active members of the institute that played a decisive role in the development and resolution of the conflict.

Prezentul articol conturează geneza conflictului transnistrean, concentrându-se pe percepțiile în interiorul și în afara Moldovei și pe un proces de reglementare care nu a adus rezultate substanțiale. Lipsa unei soluții privind problema transnistreană ridică întrebări mai ample cu privire la utilitatea formatelor și proceselor existente de soluționare a conflictelor. Abordările pentru soluționarea conflictului au creat o poziție înșelătoare conform căreia problema este pur internă a Moldovei, Rusia jucând rolul de mediator imparțial și furnizor de forțe de menținere a păcii. Experiența Republicii Moldova arată că o soluție durabilă a unor astfel de conflicte, bazată pe respectarea dreptului internațional și a principiilor și angajamentelor Organizației pentru Securitate și Cooperare în Europa, este imposibilă fără un accent mai mare pe responsabilitatea Rusiei. Astfel, cheia pentru soluționarea conflictului, în conformitate cu dreptul internațional și principiile OSCE se află la Moscova și mai puțin la Chișinău sau Tiraspol.

Agresiunea militară a Federației Ruse asupra Ucrainei din 24 februarie 2022 a accelerat nu doar relațiiile dintre Republica Moldova și Uniunea Europeană, dar și relațiiile Republicii Moldova cu România. Deși pe parcursul celor trei decenii de independență Republica Moldova a avut cu România relații dinamice, ,,operațiunea specială” dusă de Federația Rusă în Ucraina a condiționat accelerarea dialogului politic moldo-român. Astăzi, accelerarea relațiilor dintre Republica Moldova și România este dictată, în special, de evenimentele din Ucraina, care au orientat vectorul politicii externe a Republicii Moldova către Uniunea Europeană ( UE). Prezentul articol are drept scop reliefarea principalelor aspecte prezente în relațiile dintre Republica Moldova și România în contextul conflictului din Ucraina. De asemenea, neam propus să reliefăm principalele aspecte ale dialogului moldo-român în contextul invaziei Federației Ruse în Ucraina pe toate dimensiunile: politico-diplomatic, comercial-economic, energetic, de apărare, și, inclusiv, dimensiunea socială. Evenimentele din Ucraina au condiționat fortificarea relațiilor moldo-române nu doar din perspectiva trecutului comun, a afinităților de neam, limbă și cultură, dar și din perspectiva orientării ireversibile a vectorului de politică externă a Republicii Moldova către Uniunea Europeană.

The main research objective is to analyze behavioral styles of members of the enterprise development project team in conflict situations using the Thomas-Kilmann method and graphic techniques to show the importance and value of such analysis for preventive conflict management in business entities. The work has been performed in the following logical sequence: characteristics of behavior styles; survey of members of the project management team using the Thomas-Kilmann method; description of data using graphic techniques; context diagram of the process of analyzing the behavior styles of project team members in a conflict situation. According to the results of the survey of the project team members on the manifestations of a particular behavioral style in a conflict situation based on the Thomas-Kilmann method, diagrams and analysis (“petal” and “bubble”) have been presented. The diagrams allowed: to compare scores of the project team members demonstrating different behavioral styles in a conflict situation; to evaluate the ratio of project team members behavioral styles, identify the dominant style; with the help of visual aids to find out which group includes a particular behavioral style in terms of the level of its manifestation (weak, medium and strong. The obtained results indicate the feasibility of testing employees to determine the prevailing behavioral styles in a conflict situation for further consideration of data in the personnel management process. A matrix of project team members behavioral styles in a conflict situation and their characteristics in terms of cooperation and assertiveness have been presented. Radar charts, scatter plots and comparative histograms of the behavioral styles of the project team members in a conflict situation have been designed. The contextual diagram with the analysis of the behavioral styles of the project team members in a conflict situation has been given. This study has been conducted in the specific Ukrainian cultural and organizational context. The results of the research can be useful for Ukrainian industrial enterprises in order to achieve projects results for enterprise development.

An overview of domestic publications on conflictology in the field of linguistics is provided in the article. A quantitative analysis of linguistic works on the problem of conflict from 1990 to 2022 is carried out. The linguistic features of the study of conflict in dissertations, monographs, articles and textbooks are evaluated. Leading research methods: bibliometric analysis, publication method, classification method. The relevance of the study is related to the objective need to understand conflicts in different areas of scientific knowledge, as well as the need to study the contribution of the philological sciences to the development of modern conflictology. Monitoring of linguistic works on conflict shows that linguistics is beginning to take a strong place in the theory of conflictology. The analysis of bibliographic information allows us to characterize the main directions of the problem of conflict study in linguistics: contradictions in language and speech, conflict of language norms, conceptual essence of the conflict phenomenon, verbalization of the concept CONFLICT, objectification of reality conflicts in texts, language markers of conflict potential, destructive practices of conflict, ways of communication optimization, legal dimension of linguistic conflict, linguistic ways of conflict prevention. The author’s diversification of linguistic works by types of conflict is presented in the article.

This article examines the dramatic narrative model of the animated series Arcane, which was a significant success with a wide target audience. The author identifies the main characteristics of the narrative model: a variety of interpretations, thematic diversity, a complex and contradictory conflict tangle, ambiguity of characters’ motives, and active inclusion of elements provoking the audience into the figurative system of the series. Emphasis is put on the complex and polemical topic of revolutionary violence — both its positive and negative sides — addressed in Arcane. This theme is the basis of the mythology of the series, in which an important place is taken by a polemical attack on the contemporary media, which offer a traditional and very simplified interpretation of revolutionary phenomena in the world. On the one hand, violence is presented as an unambiguously negative change in culture and society, and in the narrative it boils down to a harmless brawl. On the other hand, violence is naively portrayed as a predominantly positive phenomenon that can justify almost any changes in social, political and other spheres. In Arcane, social struggle takes on special significance: it represents the only way for the characters to form and maintain their own identity.

For the Christian understanding, life is a period of time presenting trials and leading to eternity. Any instant of life is a reminder of death and at the same time it contains the potential for transfiguration. From this point of view, the “last minute” of life becomes decisive. In the Gospel, the last words of one of the villains crucified with Christ opened the way for him to forgiveness. The heroes of the novel The Idiot are immersed in “last minute” situations through the processes of telling, listening to stories about death penalty. Prince Myshkin, Nastasya Filippovna, Ippolit: each of them “feels a knife over his head.” Time turns into a continuous torture: they either bring the end closer, or seek to escape from it, becoming prisoners of the present. Ippolit, for instance, seeks to fix all the events of life into a calendar, however, he constantly makes mistakes, setting the dates of the phenomena of reality that have occurred incorrectly. The true meaning of any historical moment is the possibility of decision in a demanding situation, to establish one’s position regarding good and evil. The freedom granted to a person is a blessing and infinite mercy, one of the manifestations of which is the sympathy for others. In his “Explanation,” Ippolit tells two stories, combining them in time: “Around the middle of March.” The hero of the first one is Ivan Fomich Surikov, the “noble” eternal debtor; in the second we see a doctor who came to St. Petersburg “to explain himself,” whose second child had just been born. The sudden appearance of Ippolit in their family can be described by the simple formula “sent by God,” as he meets the circumstances and helps the young family. The maneuvering between good and evil manifests the duality of his personality. The foreboding of death turns out to be a test of faith, as it reveals the true value of a person’s life and his place in the space of time.

The huge changes that took place after the domestication of the horse at the beginning of the paleometall in the field of material and spiritual culture, in the social organisation of societies, undoubtedly affected the production of various tools. There were new types of tools that could be used as weapons. The tips of spears, arrows, darts, knives, harpoons, hammers, bolas and other artifacts from more than two hundred sites of Northern Kazakhstan, related to the Atbasar (7000–3000 BC) and Botai (4000–3000 BC) cultures give an opportunity to consider questions of forms of early militarisation of ancient societies. Some tools, their seriality and significant standardisation indicate that they could be universal and complex, they were used in agriculture, as well as in military clashes. After the domestication of the horse, the world of paleometall entered a new generation of wars aimed at the direct destruction of the enemy by cavalry. This is a fundamental change in the nature of armed conflicts, the transformation of the content of war or armed struggle in Antiquity. If the hostile conflicts among hunter-gatherers, which were the bearers of the Atbasar culture, are primarily local, then for the Botai people they are already reaching the interregional level.

This paper explores the ways in which metaphors and other distinctive patterns of speech influence our understanding of conflict. It is argued that metaphors and other distinctive patterns of speech can do so in several ways: They can portray different sides of a conflict in either positive or negative light, downplay the seriousness of violence and conflict in our minds, and dehumanize people. Because of the use of such language, violence can be normalized. Yet metaphors can constitute new/different ways of looking at (and “manufacture” our perception of) conflict, war, violence, and other related concepts that hold the keys to building empathy for others.

The article deals with historical, legal, sociological, psychological and other aspects of conflict resolution in society and social groups. The results of a survey of undergraduate students of the State University of Management are presented. On the basis of the study, strategies for resolving conflict situations among future leaders of various religious orientations, and means of resolving interpersonal and intergroup conflicts, were identified. Using methods of expert analysis, by comparing respondents’ opinions with those of researchers, it is concluded that digital training should be introduced to acquire online knowledge on preventing and dealing with controversial situations. In this way, Russia’s future leaders could be trained in appropriate reactions in conflict educational situations, learn how to apply different styles and strategies of communication, and to identify conflictogens at the first and second stages of conflict development to promptly transfer such situations to a peaceful course. The practical significance of the study is in the implementation of the results to test students for the level of emotional intelligence, to improve their competencies, and to resolve conflicts in different ethnic environments.

The article analyses the problems of the formation of conflict interactions and relationships caused by the influence of conflictological culture and competence of the individual, which in recent years has become a priority. The article is based on the methodology of an integrated approach and system analysis. The theoretical basis of the article was the publications of Russian and foreign researchers devoted to conflict-related issues. The research methods used were a review of theoretical works and empirical research, comparative analysis, expert assessments, normative and logical methods. The analysis of methods, mechanisms, tools and other aspects of effective conflict management was carried out. Based on the results generalisation, the main directions of influence of conflictological culture and personal competence on the confrontational mode of conflict relations have been formulated. The conflict consequences determination by personal components of the participants in the conflict interaction is considered separately. In conclusion, the conflict management matrix is presented.

What matters is the fact that mediation is a powerful possibility to cover human requirements, using a very fast, very effective but also relatively cheap solution to close the conflict. It raises the question of the existence of social justice which is closely related to the fact that mediation can bring individuals from a strong community to the same table. Mediation has the extraordinary ability to transform conflictual interaction into strengthening the relationship between the parties, including the society of which the parties are a part. However, we cannot deny the negative aspect of mediation, its harsh but also oppressive character that can increase the power of a state over individuals, respectively of the strong over the weak. The timely resolution of the conflict is the main beneficial effect of mediation as an inexpensive and fast alternative to the legal process, but it thus denies the right of the poor parties to compensation, to the legislation on the protection of human rights, although speed is guaranteed. The purpose of deepening the notion of mediation is to show its potential both from a legal point of view and in society, in the resolution of minor, traditional conflicts.

Disputes arising from the execution of administrative contracts constitute a continuous challenge to the social actors involved. The Republic of Moldova could take advantage of Romanian legislation if it started from the assumption that the theories and principles that govern administrative contracts in Romania are valid for it. In the case of Romania, the reconsideration of art. 8 para. (2) of the Administrative Litigation Law no. 554/2004 which requires a legislative intervention in order to cancel the negative consequences for the private entrepreneur, part of an administrative contract, as a result of the procedural defect of not invoking, ex officio, by the court, at the first term, of functional material competence. After such an approach, the legislature of the Republic of Moldova could also be inspired, and could improve and harmonize the provisions of the Administrative Litigation Law no. 793 of 10.02.2000 and the Administrative Code no. 116/2018. Anyway, in The Republic of Moldova, by virtue of its status as a candidate country for the EU, many legislative harmonizations will take place, and Romania’s experience would help.

In the Republic of Moldova, we believe that the institution of mandatory mediation in certain categories of disputes could be given a chance of success because, in the current crisis that European states are going through due to the armed conflict in Ukraine, it is justified, all the more, for it to it is given a real chance to prove itself, this time from the position of compulsory mediation for a series of minor disputes carried out by mediators and not by other legal professionals. In our opinion, the obligation of mediation can be instituted in all categories of disputes listed in art. 25-30 of the mediation law, but in order to help the Moldovan society through the institution of mediation to overcome these prolonged crises, we propose the legislator to be inspired by the experience of the Italian legislator who found a way to penetrate the national and European legislation.

The change in the balance of power in Ukraine in February 2014 not only changed Ukraine’s foreign policy course, but also marked the beginning of a new Western policy toward Kiev. Political support for the Ukrainian authorities was expanded. Ukraine’s involvement in the sphere of Western interests intensified. Western countries used multilateral mechanisms to form new interstate relations with Ukraine. The Ukrainian army was actively modernized. The West supplied Western equipment. The U.S. and the EU have been closely following the conflict in Donbass. While publicly supporting a peaceful solution to the conflict, the West did not take real steps to resolve it. Advocating a violent solution to the conflict, nationalist forces became actively involved in the country’s domestic politics. Kiev was encouraged to take steps to curtail trade and economic cooperation with Russia and to sever ties between businesses. The IMF was actively pursuing programs and consistently demanding reforms in the social and economic spheres. In the political sphere, the West supported Ukraine’s policy, which led to the aggravation of political relations between the countries. After Vladimir Zelensky came to power in 2019, the West intensified its support for Kiev. Western authorities bet on a forceful solution to the conflict and provoked conflict between Ukraine and Russia. In February 2022, anticipating Ukraine’s actions, Russia launched a special military operation. It called into question the further development of Ukraine and, at the same time, led to an adjustment of Western policy. The U.S. and EU stepped up military support for Kiev and significantly expanded financial aid. This policy of the West has created certain risks for Russia, which has entered the phase of acute geopolitical confrontation with the U.S. and the EU.

The subject of the study of the article is the legal foundations of the institution of legal responsibility and the features of its interaction with legal consciousness and legal culture. The goal is to substantiate the need for effective legal regulation of legal liability, taking into account the existing forms of interaction with legal consciousness. The work carried out a comprehensive general theoretical analysis of the institution of legal responsibility and its role in the process of formation and development of the legal consciousness of citizens. The team of authors in the process of studying the place and role of legal liability in the legal system came to the conclusion that there is a relationship between the category under consideration and legal consciousness in the process of implementing legal acts that provide for measures of legal liability. The problem of a low level of legal culture can manifest itself not only in legislative and law enforcement activities. Shortcomings in the implementation of the official interpretation of legal norms and execution of the relevant act in some cases can also cause unlawful consequences, among which are: unlawful prosecution, exemption from liability in violation of established procedures, etc. In the course of the study, a whole set of methods of scientific knowledge was used, among which one can single out: the formal-legal method, the method of comparative legal analysis, systemic, dialectical and others. As a result of the research, it was found that there is a direct connection between the signs of positive responsibility and legal consciousness. In the absence of a high level of legal awareness, which would include both intellectual (views, ideas) and psychological (emotions, feelings) aspects, the implementation of the positive aspect of legal responsibility becomes impossible. It has been proven that positive responsibility, together with legal consciousness, contains volitional and intellectual aspects. The team of authors put forward an opinion according to which the positive responsibility of the individual can be represented as a mental attitude in the form of a sense of duty and the need to fulfill the existing duties to the required extent. Such a sense of duty will be available to the subject only in the absence of a struggle of motives, which is excluded in the developed general legal culture of the individual and society as a whole. Assimilation of the requirements of the law is a prerequisite for the presence of responsible behavior and legal awareness. Based on the results of the study of legal responsibility and legal culture, a conclusion is made about the close interaction of these categories and the need for the legislator to take into account such a connection when exercising his law-making powers. A brief description of positive legal liability with the establishment of its characteristic features is also given. Thanks to the study of the relationship between legal responsibility and legal consciousness, it was revealed that the level of culture will grow if the ideas of social justice, democracy and the rule of law are reflected in law.

The article is devoted to the consideration of modern methods used in the process of resolving political conflicts. The subject of the study is conflict as a political and legal phenomenon. The purpose of the article is to consider legal methods of resolving political conflicts as the most effective and civilized ways to achieve peace.The following scientific methods were used in the work: system, structural and network analysis, which allowed us to consider the totality of the main modern methods of resolving political conflicts, their potential and limitations. Psychological, philosophical, political and legal approaches were also applied in determining the category of "conflict" and its main characteristics.The study reveals the features of modern political conflicts, taking into account which the need to consciously approach the search and practical application of certain methods of their resolution is formed. It is emphasized that a special responsibility lies on the nuclear Powers, as well as on the leading world states and international organizations that create and maintain stability and unity of the global space of the modern world.As the results of this study, the most optimal, effective and rational methods of resolving political conflicts were noted as the most destructive and destructive types of confrontations. Their potential and limitations are highlighted. These methods are in demand in the plane of real conflict-prone realities and do not lose relevance in the modern world. Thus, such methods of resolving political conflicts as the game method, coercive diplomacy, civilizational approach, socio-cultural integration, structural functionalism and the network method were identified and analyzed. Also, legal methods were considered separately, which, according to the results of the study, were recognized as the most fair and consistent for a number of reasons. Among them, negotiations, mediation, arbitration (arbitration), the method of institutionalization of political conflict, political mediation and judicial proceedings are considered. The appeal to legal methods of resolving political conflicts becomes particularly relevant during the wartime period, when the threat of the use of nuclear weapons increases and war crimes are committed.According to the results of the study, it was concluded that legal methods of resolving political conflicts are the most effective and civilized among others. They are structured, clearly formulated in the form of regulatory legal acts, some of them can be implemented in the form of procedures with mandatory execution of the decision, are politically neutral, are carried out with the support of professionals and based on previous constructive experience.

The article examines how the modern position of the peace arbitrator, the idea of which was borrowed from the ‘court of arbitration’ functioning in the Western world, emerged and was used in the governance structure of the Russian Empire. It reveals the role of the peace arbitrator in the administration and transformation of the post-serfdom village in the governorates of Vilnius, Kaunas, and Hrodna. The following stages in the activities of peace arbitrators are distinguished: (1) 1861–1862, when local landowners chosen as peace arbitrators managed the post-serfdom village, and (2) the time after the 1863–1864 uprising, when attempts were made to turn the Russian peace arbitrators, who had replaced the landowners in this role, into a tool of the Russification of the village. The analysis reveals the independence of the activities of peace arbitrators, which used to cause conflicts with the governorate authorities, police, and military structures.

Scholarly works on pipeline vandalism have paid extensive attention to empirical questions of causes and consequences. But there remains a dearth of studies on the representation of the acts of vandalism in newspapers, which is necessary for evaluating what message about the problem is being disseminated to the citizens and how that could contribute to resolving the problem or sustaining it. This paper examines the identity construction for critical social actors in Nigerian newspaper reports on pipeline vandalism. Sixteen –news samples were purposively selected from three newspapers: The Tide, New Waves, and The Guardian published between 2015 and 2019. Theoretically, the study is anchored on a combination of Fina’s (2011) identity process and van Dijk’s (1995, 2006a, 2006b) in-group/out-group description. The analysis involved accounting for the deployment of group self-schemata (van Dijk, 1995, 2005) and ideological strategies (van Dijk, 2006) in realising the three identity processes of indexing, positioning, and local occasioning established by Fina (2011). The study finds that through a combination of media identity ascription and social actors’ positive-self description in the news reports, each of the major stakeholders in the conflict assumes an identity of innocence and responsible entity while shifting the blame to others. It concludes therefore that this could be responsible for the difficulty in ending the conflict.