The article explores the role of ethnic diversity in the genesis of the Russian civilization. It also notes that the process of the civilization’s formation was accompanied by defining the boarders of other civilizations. West boarders were forming under the influence of economic factors which made Russia a center of world capitalistic superstructure in Western Europe. Southern boarders became a center of powerful military and political force made up of Muslim Turkish and Persian civilizations. However, the possibility of expansion to the northeast remained open. The expansion of Slavic people beyond the East European Plain contributed to the formation of Russian ethnicity being separated from the Old-Russian ethnos in the post-Mongol period. By exploring natural, climatic and landscape zones which geographically differed from the East European Plain, the Russian people absorbed previously existing forms of inter-ethnic integration beyond historical center of ethno genesis including social body of Finn and Ugric ethnic groups of forest and taiga zones, Turkic and Mongol people of steppe, circumpolar people of tundra. Northeast Eurasia becomes a geopolitical niche of Russian ethnos and other ethnicities of subcontinental macroregion while southeast becomes a mental region of the Russian civilization. The economic specialization of each of the designated ethnic groups like agriculturists (Eastern Slavic people), farmers (Turkic and Mongol nomadic people as well as Northern ethnic groups) and hunters (Finn and Ugric ethnic groups) aggravated the need of stable interethnic interactions formation. Common history of wars and migration and the need of mutual efforts coordination with the aim to ensure safe development of the communities made it possible to establish common social institutions, including the state as the most influential in the political sense.

The article considers the system of public administration and public self-government in the Bolshederbetovsky ulus in the context of administrative-territorial transformations during the second half of the XIXth century. Territorially, the Bolshederbetovsky ulus and a separate part of the Maloderbetovsky ulus belonged to the Stavropol province, but administratively they submitted to the Astrakhan provincial administration. This fact contributed to a collision between the two provincial governing bodies and generated a need of carrying out administrative-territorial reform which affected the system of public administration of the Bolshederbetovsky ulus, and, to some extent, public self-government as well. Land disputes of the nomadic peoples in the first half of the XIXth century in the territory of the Astrakhan and Stavropol provinces didn’t find any solution. It is necessary to assume that these circumstances were dictated by the deficiency of lands in the Stavropol province. On the other hand, the solution of a question in favor of one people would immediately infringe on interests of the other people living in the province. Administrative-territorial transformations of the second half of the XIXth century led to land losses which resulted in changing the ethnocultural situation in the considered area. Since Kalmyks had lost their numerical superiority in a separate part of the Maloderbetovsky ulus in the first half of the XIXth century, Turkmen gained the dominance in this region and gradually forced out Kalmyks over Manych. Due to this fact, the government was driven to a decision to turn over a part of the Kalmyk lands to the Turkmen nomads. It should be noted that despite the fact that the Bolshederbetovsky ulus began to submit to the other province, the former control system kept on functioning without any significant changes. The author comes to the conclusion that the transfer of lands of Kalmyk nomad area of the southern valley of Manych in the administrative subordination to the Stavropol authorities led to the elimination of dual control of this territory.

On the eve of the XX century one of the fastest growing districts of the Don Cossack Host province appeared to be Salskiy district which was rather young in comparison with others. It consisted of 12 villages, including 9 Kalmyk villages with a population of nearly 30 thousand people, i.e. about 50% of the district’s population. Kalmyks living in the district complied with corresponding Cossacks rights and obligations. The majority professed Buddhism and a small part - Orthodoxy. Despite diverse ethnic environment and changes in social status Kalmyks preserved their self-identity. The basis of the economic well-being of Kalmyks of Salkiy district who switched to a steady economic still was livestock breeding, mainly horse breeding. The Kalmyk people were actively developing farming as well. Kalmyk children also went to schools and colleges of stanitsas (villages inside a Cossack Host).

The article reviews the history of creation and an establishment of the public prosecutor’s office in the territory of Kalmyk Autonomous Region in 1922. In the modern historical studies there is little data on the issue and this fact leads to different misinterpretations. The first part of the given article shortly describes the Soviet judicial system during Civil War of 1917-1921. It also analyzes its features, weak points and failures caused by the war as well as the reasons which led to the judicial reform in 1922 and contributed to the creation of public prosecution in Kalmyk autonomous region. On the basis of archive material, the most part of which is authentic in respect of the scientific value, the author reveals the features and peculiarities of prosecution activity in the region, analyses the results of the first month of its operation. A special attention is given to the work of prosecutor assistant Dmitry Elnitsky who executed the duties of regional prosecutor and greatly contributed to the formation and complementing the staff. Despite the fact that Elnitsky executed his duties on previous place of work in revolutionary tribunal he fulfilled faithfully his commitments in Prosecutor’s Office. Unfortunately, officially appointed Prosecutor Ivanov who wasn’t aware of the peculiarity of local nomadic way of life, ignored the results and achievements already made and started the implementation of his policy of prosecution which led to the dominance of bureaucracy and loss of an efficiency. Besides, he failed to get in contact with local Soviet Party organization and was given other job appointment as his successor. Only with a new local prosecutor the work of the prosecution office became efficient.

The article is aimed to analyze the organizational, legal and administrative decisions of the central authorities of the Soviet State and methods of their implementation on the territory of a certain region of the country as well as their impact on the historiography of the collectivization process during its years. The sources used for the analysis were based on the historiographical works published in the Soviet and post-Soviet periods written by the historians of the national republics, who discovered the regional and national specifics of socio-economic transformations in rural areas in 1928-1940. As a result of the research the author gives her own interpretation of the collectivization process in the autonomous Republic of Kalmykia. During that period, agriculture and peasantry of Kalmykia were evolving in line with socio-economic and political processes taking place in the country and they were not ready to move to a collective farming due to the lack of both economic and socio-psychological prerequisites. The «Continuous collectivization» of the national autonomy was not conceived as a voluntary and mass influx of peasants into collective farms. It was imposed on the peasantry from above, and for its implementation the government took various administrative decisions, used different methods, mainly, tight administrative control of agriculture. Despite the efficiency of individual farm labor, farms were completely eradicated and their owners were expelled from their homes or sent to prison. The collective farms were seen as the only feasible way for the agricultural recovery and improvement of peasants’ lives. Dispossession of kulaks, arm-twisting, administrative pressure became the most important constituent parts of the process of collectivization. Thus, the author concludes that the agrarian transformation of 1930s in the Kalmyk Autonomous Region was an act of forced collectivization and dekulakization. And the only alternative to the forced collectivization could be the intensification of market relations in agriculture by supporting small rural producers and providing them with greater autonomy, as well as introducing the elements of commodity-money relations, self-sufficiency etc. under the condition of a gradual, voluntary, industrial co-operation of the owners.

The article deals with the development of planning and statistics offices during the period of imminent threat of war which revealed the need to restructure the entire system of government bodies and institutions. Thus, in December 1939 local public authorities were created in Kalmykia. These elections marked the final stage in the creation of all public authorities under the Constitution of the Kalmyk ASSR and the 1937 RSFSR Constitution. As a result, 13 district (ulus) councils, 1 town, 3 village and 121 rural councils of Workers Deputies were elected. The main responsibility of the state and local planning commission was drafting plans for the development of national and local economy and the verification of compliance with these plans. The State Planning Commission of the KASSR was organized as follows: a chairman was to be appointed by the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the Kalmyk ASSR, a deputy chairman and other members were to be appointed by the Council of Ministers of the Kalmyk ASSR. They provided a guidance and monitored the activity of State Planning Committee departments as well as organized procedures in accordance with the approved provision of the Council of Ministers of the Kalmyk ASSR concerning the State Planning Committee. During 1930-1940s the Regional Planning Commission was not only a planning agency but the entity engaged in government statistics and accounting on the territory of the region. With the aim to carry out these functions two sections were created Planning and Economic Section and Statistics Section which consisted of the following groups: Exchange and Industry Statistics, Agricultural Statistics as well as Labour and Social Statistics.

One of the massive women’s mobilizations was organized for the Air Defense Forces. The peak of women’s mobilizations in Air Defense Forces fell on difficult crucial years in the history of the war, e.g. 1942-1943. In this period several battles were simultaneously taking place on the South of Russia: battle of the Caucasus (July 25, 1942 - October 9, 1943) and battle of Stalingrad (July 17, 1942 - February 2, 1943). Women mobilized on the south of Russia, mainly served on the fronts of the North Caucasus (GFR), Transcaucasus (ZakF), Stalingrad (STF): in the military units of Krasnodar, Grozny, Transcaucasus, Rostov, Stalingrad, Astrakhan divisional air defense areas. During the war more than 20 million women from Southern Russia were mobilized. The total number of women from other parts of the country who joined the battles of the Caucasus and Stalingrad made up over 30 thousand. The proportion of female staff in air defense forces amounted to 20-40%. Separate air defense units predominantly consisted of female staff. According to the command estimations women were not inferior to men in professionalism, courage, discipline and effectively approved themselves during the defensive and offensive operations in the region. With the active support of the air defense units during the winter operations of 1942-1943 Soviet troops have marked the tipping point change in the course of the war, liberated a large area of the region from the occupiers. From March to October 1943 Soviet forces breached one of the most powerful enemy defense lines - Blue Line as well as won the biggest during the war air battle.

The article deals with the history of the Pentecostal Movement in Kalmykia during the Soviet period on the basis of archival documents. Pentecostal organisations were first founded in the German settlements of the Bolshederbetovsky ulus in the 1920s. However, the authorities arrested the leader of the Pentecostals and the organization was soon closed down. The Pentecostal Movement continued to grow in the late 1950s, after the return of the German population to Kalmykia from places of deportation. In the 1950s and 1970s members of Pentecostal groups worked in 5 settlements, which were located in Gorodovikovsky and Yashaltinsky regions of the Kalmyk ASSR. Usually, the group consisted of 8-15 people, mostly persons of German nationality. By the end of the 1980s, the number of Pentecostals in Kalmykia had decreased and only one of their group had remained.  In the postwar period, the government had them merge with the Baptists and prevented them from registering. Therefore, they acted illegally.  The atheistic policy of the Soviet state caused the collapse of the Pentecostal Movement in Kalmykia which eventually resulted in the cessation of the influx of new members into a Pentecostal organization. Unlike the Baptists, the Pentecostals did not have the legal structures and were fewer in number, so most their groups disbanded. Although in the late 1980s the religious policy of the Soviet state underwent positive changes, the Pentecostal movement in Kalmykia did not revive, where it had once been suppressed and most of their groups by this time had ceased to exist.

The article investigates Mesolithic monuments in Western Kazakhstan. A mesolithic monument Ustyurt is represented by the monuments of Aydabolskaya group: Aydabol 6-7, 9-12, 14-16, 20-23, 25; Aktaylak 1 (layer 1), Aktobe 2, Tchuruk 2 (layers 1 and 2), Tchuruk 3 (layer 2), etc. The Mangystau Region is known for its Kyzylsu 1 and Shahbagatta 2 sites. Stone tools of the sites listed above are featured by a plate technique and such items as end scrapers, draw knives, asymmetrical and less symmetrical trapezoids, mini tool bits, tool bits, end-beveled barbs and plates with a straight truncated end. Items listed above are similar to those found in the sites of the Eastern Caspian Sea region and Southern Ural - the materials of Bilshoy Bugodak 4, Surtanda 6, Murat and Mys Bezymyanny. The similarity consists in vicinity of the trapezoids, ratio of plates and microplates with a blunt edge and end scrapers. Mesolithic of Volga and Ural interfluve of Western Kazakhstan is presented by such sites as Sar-Aydin 1-3, Mindali 1, 3, etc. They are located in the neighboring regions of Kamysh-Samar lakes. Lithic industry is platy. Stone tools include end scrapers, angular tool bits, incised drawknives, plates with beveled and straight truncated end. Among geometric figures a series of segments with unilateral and bilateral retouch is the most expressive. Less common are symmetrical trapezoid, including the “cornute” as well as parallelograms. The above materials demonstrate the cultural unity with Seroglazovka culture of the Northern Caspian. Summing up, it can be noted that in the West Kazakhstan region there are two Mesolithic sites. The first is located in the Ustyur which is culturally close to the Mesolithic Eastern Caspian and Southern Ural, and the second - in the neighboring Kamysh-Samar lakes which demonstrates the cultural unity with the Mesolithic Northern Caspian.

Scythian and Syberian animal style is a specific peculiarity of archeological culture in the Scythian era. The distinctive manner for animal representation is widely used in cultures of the late Bronze and early Iron Age. A special set of poses and images is the main feature of the Scythian style. At the moment the following groups of animal imaging have been defined: hoofed mammals, predators, birds and mythic animals. The given article investigates and describes a set of objects designed in animal style and used for bridle decoration, e.g. metal plates found in Adryg burial excavations in Oktyabrsky Region of Kalmyk ASSR in 1978. The article gives a full description of the burial as well as compares the findings with similar bridle sets from the burial near Khosheutovo settlement. The authors came to conclusion that the analyzed sets (from burials Adryg, Khosheutovo and Novoprivolnoye) are totally identical. It should be noted that the sets of objects from Khosheutovo burial are the most numerous on the territory of Kalmyk Republic.

Archeological excavations on the territory of the Republic of Kalmykia have resulted in a wealth collection of archeological findings which are stored in three museums. At the moment there is no precise information on how collections are distributed. The investigation of funds condition in the National Museum of the Republic of Kalmykia showed that the collections were separated and some findings do not have registration certificates. With the aim to solve the problem of findings registration it was decided to create a database according to the archeological excavations records. It will provide an opportunity to assess the damage caused to collections, as well as to identify some unregistered findings with the help of qualitative and quantitative indicators keyed into the database. The second goal of the paper is to develop database structure to register the archeological collections as a standard which will serve as a sample for creating databases on other burial grounds. At this point, Excel spreadsheet for archeological findings from the excavations of the Vostochnyi Manych Barrow Group was created. It takes into account data on the 329 mounds that contained 1539 burials. The number of findings made up 1657 descriptions that are more than 4,400 items. Well-organized information will allow entering any kind of queries thus making it possible to conduct a variety of studies, as well as will help museums to register archeological collections.

The article reviews the semantics of women's costume of the Oirat and Kalmyk people. According to the scientists this type of clothing is included into South Siberian group of clothing which is usually associated with economic and cultural tradition of nomadic herders. A similar type of women’s clothing was also typical of the Siberian people, especially among the Buryats and the Derbets, Bait, Zakhchin, Torguts, Uriankhaian people of Oirat origin. The specific style of sleeveless jacket “tsegdg” could be found among Mongols (“uuzh”), Southern Altai people (“chegedek”), the Tuvans (“chegedek”), the Khakas people (“sigidek”) and other ethnic groups. The author analyzes the main hypotheses proposed by Russian and foreign scientists.

The article is devoted to the integrated study of the system of prohibitions and precepts concerning the life cycle rites among the Tuvans and the Khakass. The relevance of the issue is determined by the need for its study and possible restoration of the progressive traditions connected with the pregnancy. Since this issue is poorly investigated, especially in relation to the Tuvan culture, it requires further research. Special attention is paid to the prohibitions and precepts with a psychological nature, peculiar to pregnant womеn regarding housing (rites concerning the space inside and outside of «yurta» (nomad’s tent)), clothing, household items, food, animals and plants. Birthing rituals of the Tuvans including comparative analysis with other peoples of the Sayan-Altai region have not been under consideration yet. So, this is the first attempt made in the article to undertake an integrated study of birthing rituals of the Tuvans and the Khakass. As a result of the research, the author has analyzed the attitude of traditional society towards woman’s pregnancy, delivery and birth of a child, has given the classification of ritual practices associated with woman’s pregnancy, and has distinguished some cycles of birthing rituals.

The article deals with the analysis of anthropometric materials collected from three regions of Kalmykia as well as morphological characteristics, somatologic features, epochal changes of morphological attributes. Sub-ethnic groups of Kalmyks, both men and women, can be differentiated with a different degree of certainty regarding body length and weight, transverse skeletal dimensions, chest, waist, shoulder and arm proportions, skinfold thickness, head and face dimensions. Men from Buzava ethnic group have the largest body size - i.e. macrosomia, the Derbets are characterized by microsomia and the Torghuts in their somatic status occupy intermediate position. A similar tendency in body dimensions can be observed among women, except body length among Buzava women. According to the head and face dimensions the subgroups differentiate as follows: the largest head size was observed among Buzava Kalmyks while the Derbets have larger values of cephalic index and the Torghuts are characterized by the lowest values of cephalic index. Buzava men have the widest faces while the Torguts the narrowest. The Derbet women have wide cheekbones and smaller faces. Secular variations of body length and head dimension over the past 40 years are common to all ethnic subgroups of Kalmyks and may be explained by different reasons - the influence of social and economic factors, acceleration and miscegenation processes.

The article reviews a group of terms for wild prey and fur-bearing animal nominalization with the aim to identify their Turkic roots. The investigation is based on the materials of the Khalkha-Mongolian, Buryat, Kalmyk and Old Mongolian languages. For more convincing evidences of the fact that the given Turkic parallel does have a Turkic character the material was taken from «the Ancient Turkic language». The authenticity of the Turkic character is confirmed by initial forms and etymology of Turkic parallels. The Mongolian languages have a significant number of common Turkic-Mongolian terms for wild prey and fur animals. The analysis showed that in many cases these Turkic-Mongolian terms are of Turkic origin due to their Turkic etymology. This issue requires a special research. As the article notes, some words came to the Mongol language during the pan-Mongolian period of development, others - after these languages began to develop independently having their own contacts with the Turkic tribes. The presence of numerous correspondences with the Mongolian terms is an evidence of contacts between the ancient Mongols with Turks and later contacts of individual Mongolian people with specific Turkic tribes.

The article investigates the terms for cattle and small ruminants on the material of the modern Khalkha-Mongolian language and compares them with the corresponding names of animals in the ancient Turkic language. Khalkha Mongolian animal names are compared with the Buryat, Kalmyk and Old Mongolian names. It allows pointing out their archetypes for their Turkic correspondences based on the information in these Turkic terms taken from etymological dictionary of the Turkic language. The article also reveals general Turkic character of corresponding lexeme and its Turkic protoform from comparative historical grammar of Turkic languages (the volume dedicated to the lexicon) which allows to conclude that relevant terms for cattle and small ruminants in the Mongolian language are of Turkic origin as a result of borrowing from the ancient Turkic people of Bulgarian group by ancient Mongolian people in an era when the ancient Mongols presented a unified society far from disintegration.

The article is devoted to the study of the key issue connected with the conceptualization of the semantic structure (semanteme) of a polysemantic verb as a system of sememes of the polysemant in general aimed at developing an algorithm for finding out word’s initial meaning and methods of its model description. The issue raised in the article is rather important not only for lexicography of the Mongolian but also for the Altaic languages. Theoretical and typological aspects of the article are also valuable for general linguistics. By analyzing the corpus of electronic texts of the Kalmyk heroic epic “Jangar” the researcher reviews polysemantic verbs of directed movement such as irh ‘to come’, odh ‘to go away’, orh ‘to enter’, gharh ‘to go out’. Various lexical-semantic variants (LSV) of the given verbs are included into lexical-semantic groups (LSG). The author examines their main and derived meanings. The article uses a systematic approach to analyzing “verbs of directed movement” by investigating lexical and semantic variants of a polysemantic word (entry word) within certain lexical and semantic groups (LSG).

The article describes genre features of the written monuments in «Сlear Script». In the 17th century, along with the translated works in “Clear Script” there appeared original works of various genres, so that folklore texts were also literary edited. Because of the syncretism of many works of written literature (and written monuments) of the Mongolian peoples, it is rather difficult to define their genre precisely. Scientists, considering the genre characteristic of “early” texts, revealed its conditional character and concluded that the variety of the written heritage of the Oirats and the Kalmyks can’t be limited by any gradation of genres. Thus, all original works of the past centuries, primarily historical essays, formal written documentation, as well as folklore works will be selected as the text sources for the subcorpus of the “early” texts. These valuable works convey a vivid world of the Oirat and the Kalmyk people’s way of life in the XVII-XIX centuries. Handwritten historical essays, business letters, namtaru and other works of original genres are of special cultural value, as they reflect, albeit in a limited way, the state of the Oirat-Kalmyk language of its time and carry information about the grammatical system of the Kalmyk language. The language evolved and became what we call today “modern Kalmyk language”.

The article deals with the analysis of the principles of the technical terms coining process. The hypothesis is that some common and particular linguistic features of technical terms such as term formation types, peculiarities of structure and semantics, the choice of specific term elements to coin new technical terms in certain cases for some terminologies may stem from and be a result of causes that have extralinguistic nature. The latter presumes the specificity of various sciences that makes them unique in their historical development and the adjacency to certain spheres of academic knowledge, as well as the peculiarities of objects that are studied or produced and types of notions that predominate, etc. Consequently the main goal of the study is to detect and describe the most common extralinguistic factors that have a strong potential to influence the technical terms coining process. To define the extralinguistic factors a comparative analysis of contemporary developing terminologies and the spheres of academic knowledge they express that are among the most promising fields of contemporary science is carried out. These include space research, information technology, nanotechnology, military science, ecology, genetics and some others from which the author draws most of the examples to illustrate and support his point of view. The study helped to define 8 extralinguistic factors. Among them are the place of origin and active development of science in the course of history, unique peculiarities such as size when objects under study have small dimensions, the degree of novelty and uniqueness of newly defined notions, theoretical or applied character of a science, cataloging and serial production, principles and methods of dealing with objects including observation and production, the adjacency and interaction of certain sciences that results in borrowing of technical terms as term elements. The article discusses the correlations between the extralinguistic factors and linguistic aspects of technical terms formation.

Phraseological units with component “animal” are widely used in the English language. The image of animal helps to create the picture of moral qualities of a man. Zoosemiya of the English language is rich and varied. The images of domestic and wild animals, birds, and insects are widely used in phraseological units. The aim of the article is to give structural classification of phraseological units with component ‘animal’. Phraseological units are divided into 2 groups: those having communicative function and not. The given classification is based on the structural classification of phraseological units with component “animal”. The group of verbal phraseological units is prevalent. The majority of verbal phraseological units refer to a man, characterizing his appearance and moral qualities. In this research phraseological units with negative evaluation are predominated over positive ones. The specific feature of nominal phraseological units with component ‘animal’ in the English language is a great number of prepositional combinations in their structures. Paremiological units with the structure of complex sentences present compound, complex and conjunctionless sentences. The most common type for the English language are paremiological units with the structure of complex sentences. Among the English proverbs, used as complex sentences, complex sentences with subordinate clauses of condition, time, place, and also with attributive and concessive subordinate clauses were mainly found.

The article attempts to give a classification of Kalmyk fairy tales from the repertoire of the storyteller Sandzhi Butaev according to the «Comparative index of plots» compiled by L. G. Barag, I. P. Berezovsky, K.P. Kabashnikov, N. V. Novikov. The given index summarizes the results of previous works in the field of systematization of Russian, Ukrainian and Byelorussian fabulous material. Comparing plots of Kalmyk fairy tales with those of the Index, the author found out some correlation between the plot types of Kalmyk fairy tales and those of the East Slavic fairy tales: «The Miraculous enemy» (300-399), «The Miraculous spouse (wife or other relative)» (400-459), «The Magic task» (460-499), «The magical helper» (500-559), «The Magic object» (560-649), «Magical power and knowledge» (skill) (650-699), «Other magic motifs» (700-749). Of special scientific value are the texts of tales recorded by the researchers of the Kalmyk Research Institute of Language, Literature, and History (KNIIaLI) such as E. Ch. Bardaev (1967), N. D. Muchkinova (February 1971), N. Ts. Bitkeev, B. B. Okonov (September 1974) and B. E. Mutlyaeva (June 1978). After transcribing tape recorded fairy tales, the researcher published the book «Buutan Sanjin tuul’s» («Sandzhi Butaev’s Tales») in 2008. As a result of the analysis, the author revealed some specific features of the interpretation of plot types within the Kalmyk fairy tale and their differentiating elements associated with the originality of the artistic traditions of the Kalmyk people.

The given article investigates four tales of fabulous folklore of Western Mongolian peoples taken from “Essays of Northwestern Mongolia” by G. N. Potanin (1835-1920) and “Examples of Mongolian Folk Literature” by B.Y. Vladimirtsov (1884-1931). Plots of the analyzed tales originate from Tibetan collected Buddhist Jatakas „Sutra of Wisdom and Foolishness“ („Dzanlundo“). It was a widely recognized monument in the literary tradition of the Mongolian peoples. At present there are five translations of the work to the Mongolian and Oirat languages which are analyzed in the book “Tibetan and Mongolian Narrative Literature of XVII-XVIII centuries” by D. N. Muzraeva. Plots of the essay gained popularity in folklore traditions of the Mongolian people as well. Referring to the comments provided by G. N. Potanin and B. Y. Vladimirtsov for their works concerning the connection between the plots of collected tales and “Dzanlundo” stories we investigated plots of the four tales and made an attempt to find original plot lines in Tibetan literature. These are the tales “Burkhn-bakshi” (version d), “Burkhn-bakshi” (version i) collected by G. N. Potanin and «Muhr modn kebtā hān köwün» «Caһān bös orāksn okn» collected by B. Y. Vladimirtsov. The article describes the similarities and differences in the plots of the original text and the folklore example. Tales collected B. Y. Vladimirtsov differ from fairy tales presented in the G. N. Potanin collection and are featured by greater adherence to Tibetan texts and the presence of small differences in the narration. Plots of Potanin’s fairy tales sometimes significantly differ from the Tibetan original. We also made an attempt to find similar stories in the Kalmyk folklore. We have discovered a legend «In honour of Buddha’s victory” (version 1) which is a shortened version of «Chapter Thirteen. About confounded six teachers from “Dzanlundo».

The author analyzes the works of the famous «The Sea of Parables» essay translated from Tibetan and recorded on «Oirat clear script» by a Kalmyk Buddhist priest Tugmyud-gavdzhi (O. M. Dordzhiev) as well as provides a list of chapters (garchak) to each of the four notebooks of the manuscript. Garchak publication shows that the author’s intention was not simply to arrange the text of the translation properly but also to systematize an extensive material. There is no doubt that Tugmyud gavdzhi was preparing his translation for the reading by the general public and not only for representatives of the scientific circles.

In Mahayana Buddhism there are several sutras devoted to the doctrine of Prajnaparamita, (the perfection of wisdom). One such sutra is «The Sutra of Golden Light». It was translated from Tibetan into Oirat by Zaya-Pandita in the middle of the XVIIth century. Today there are about 50 manuscripts’ copies in «clear writing» stored in scientific archives, and private collections in China, Mongolia and Russia. Mahayana texts of Prajnaparamita are based on teachings of emptiness. Chapter VI „About Emptiness“ and Chapter XXI «Final» of the text of «The Sutra of Golden Light» are devoted to this theme. The main idea of Chapter VI „About Emptiness“ is that a larger part of what is considered by a person as an obstacle, stems from the deep-seated grasping at his own existence and self-centeredness that it generates. The doctrine of emptiness is presented in this chapter in a clear and concise form for ordinary believers, untrained in the philosophy of Buddhism. The article contains the transliteration and Russian translation of the sixth Chapter «About emptiness» from the Oirat translation of «The Sutra of Golden Light».

The main feature of the genre of the poetic form in question is an appeal to the addresses. The article defines the typology of addresses, including addresses to a recipient who is by default unable to response - as in A.S. Pushkin’s Address “To a Kalmyk Maiden”. The poem specifics is analyzed with respect to its constituents: the genres of epigram and madrigal. The analysis is aimed at finding links within the motives of its creation, the correlation between the meeting the Kalmyk maiden by the poet and the moral and psychological collision of the characters in the last chapter of “Eugene Onegin”.

Museum reconstruction of traditional Kalmyk culture contributed to the creation of an exhibition which brought together religious objects and artworks. The KIH RAS Buddhist collection has a form of museum publication: its character is reflected in approaches and features of Kalmykia’s cultural heritage exhibiting. By museum’s funds time and space of traditional culture were structured in qualitatively new exhibition content. The latter opens the possibilities for analyzing the traditions of art. Cultural concept of Buddhism art expresses the evolution of ethnic culture which is clearly demonstrated in collection’s exhibits. Expressive means of icon-painting and sculpture as a whole unit of diverse exhibits recreate a symbolic worldview. Having a mythopoeic archetype of tradition, works of late XIX - early XX century according to the canon reproduce a vertical structure of universe image. The synthesis of plastic arts (painting and sculpture) hierarchically identifies a number of characters in plane and volumetric expressiveness of altar composition. A diverse pantheon of scientists led by Shakyamuni Buddha is a Buddhist model of universe as a spiritual center of life of the Kalmyk ethnic group. The structural and functional analysis of religious works that illustrate principal ideas of the doctrine, the studies of Tibetan iconography are of particular importance being fundamentally significant for the Buddhist art perception by the Mongolian people. The experience of scientific museum collections cataloging and Northern Buddhism pantheon systematizing in the works of domestic and foreign researchers is equally important in this respect. Art is a way to set the laws of the historical process in the analysis and reconstruction of artistic image formed by such functions of traditions that contribute to ethnic differentiation and integration. Culture and art are interdependent in their historical development as traditions promote the continuity of cultural heritage.

After the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1990s and catastrophic social and economic crisis afterwards, the vast majority of Russian families were at a severe disadvantage. The institution of the family in this period was also influenced by various demographic indicators and phenomena: declining birth rates, increasing mortality rates, population ageing, decrease in the number of marriages and, on the contrary, an increase in the number of divorces. Such social phenomena as unemployment, unpaid wages also had a negative impact on the family institution functioning. The article studies the archival documents which reflect the changes of the family institution in Kalmyk Republic taking place during the given period. Data of the archival materials was introduced into a scientific circulation for the first time.

As a result of 1990s and 2000s reforms rural areas have dramatically changed in quantitative and qualitative terms. The given article analyzes statistical indicators that characterize the life of rural inhabitants of the Republic of Kalmykia. The data reveals the ageing of rural population: agricultural sector employs mainly people over 50. Young people leave rural areas settling outside Kalmykia. The main causes of migration are low income, lack of jobs and a lack of social infrastructure. Rural population decrease on the territory of Kalmyk Republic in 2010s is uneven and varies on a village and social and demographic group size. Gender disparity as an object of investigation of the article (in a village there are more working-age men than women) exacerbates not only demographic processes but also various social problems associated with deviant behavior (alcoholism, crime). The number of unmarried male village inhabitants is prevalent that female of the same group. The author raises urgent issues with an acute social orientation as their solution will have an impact both on rural inhabitants and ethnic group as a whole.

Due to the high mortality rate of the population and its laboring part the problem of infant mortality in Russia is given inadequate attention. The study of infant mortality is complicated by the lack of comprehensive statistic data. This is a topical issue for the Republic of Kalmykia as well. The article analyzes the statistical data of infant mortality for the 2002-2013 period published in annual abstracts of statistics, on the official website of the Territorial Department of the Federal State Statistics Service for the Republic of Kalmykia provided to the author by the agency. Mortality rates indicate a favorable tendency - a reduction of mortality among children under the age of 17 years between 2002 and 2013. Considering the structure of mortalityб it is possible to point out one of the main reasons - «external causes of death». It is also possible to talk about the predominance of the following causes of death: diseases of the nervous system and respiratory diseases. The analysis of age-specific mortality rates in different age groups suggests a high level of mortality among children under 1 year and children aged 15-19. The main causes of infant mortality can be infectious and parasitic diseases, diseases of the nervous system, respiratory diseases, congenital abnormalities, conditions originating in the perinatal period, accidents, poisonings and traumas. The latter group is one of the leading causes of death among children under 1 year. The study of infant mortality in Kalmykia allows to outline positive and negative tendencies. The former include infant and child mortality rate reduction in general. The negative tendencies are characterized by a high mortality rate among children aged 15-19 and high ratio of mortality from external causes.

The article deals with the issue of using modern communication technologies for education process. It considers the practical use of communication facilities of the National Program „the Gymnasium Union of Russia“ on the example of the activities of the Municipal Budgetary Educational Institution "Elista Lyceum" and other educational organizations of the Republic of Kalmykia. Being based on the ideology of open learning and education, such form of network interaction of participants as a network resource is the most promising mechanism of communication technologies in the context of network interaction of educational institutions of the Russian Federation. The author notes that the use of the resources of other network participants of the program expands the boundaries of the communication between students and society providing additional opportunities for their development and self-fulfilling let alone teachers who can test and implement some innovative education models, management of the education system and experience of using modern educational technologies due to which educational organizations can dynamically develop. As a result there appears a shared semantic communication field for all the participants of the network interaction. Thus, communication technologies of education by means of communication facilities of the all-Russian national program „the Gymnasium Union of Russia“ taken from the practice of educational institutions of Kalmykia contribute to substantial enrichment of the educational environment for development of student's personality, improvement of a professional competence of a teacher and his willingness to implement innovative educational technologies.

The article examines the social processes taking place in today’s regional labor market. It describes the basic structure of the current migration trends and also its main quality characteristics. The author investigated the social and cultural expectations of migrants and described some aspects of the possible social tensions. The article analyzes the impact of labor migration with special quality characteristics on the labor market regions, considers possible development of labor migration. The author evaluates the prospects of small and medium-sized businesses development in terms of particular qualitative characteristics of labor migration as well as offers a suggestion about the impact of migration on social trends among indigenous population. The article contains an estimation of the prospects of socio-cultural assimilation of migrants among the indigenous people. Keywords: labor market, social stability, labor migration, assimilation, indigenous people.