The Gora Dolgaya (Long Mountain) open-air site, part of the «Olonki Paleolithic stratum», is of key interest for studying the earli-est stages of the occupation of Baikal region by ancient humans. Although the site was discovered as early as 1969, its detailed analysis remained fragmentary for a long time. This study aims to introduce comprehensive data on the lithic composition, tech-nological, and typological features of the lithic industry into scholarly discourse to clarify its cultural-chronological status within the context of North Asian Paleolithic. Despite the fact that the collection was gathered from several points along the Lena-Angara Plateau's slope surface, an analysis of their spatial distribution, the correlation of finds, and the degree of artifact corrosion (wind abrasion) allows the materials, except for those from Point VI, to be considered as a single assemblage (n = 365) for the purposes of techno-typological analysis. Research indicates that the core reduction strategies of the complex are based on flat parallel flak-ing, radial flaking, proto-prismatic reduction of volumetric cores. Specialized Levallois techniques were not identified, though some radially prepared flakes could be tentatively interpreted as Levallois removals. Technological indexes by Bordes suggest that the assemblage is non-blade-based and non-faceted. The tool assemblage combines Middle and Upper Paleolithic morphotypes, including side-scrapers, end-scrapers, picks, chisel-like tools, and unique forms possibly linked to paleoglyptics (engraving or symbolic artifacts). Cultural parallels can be drawn with the lower cultural layers of Denisova Cave’s eastern gallery, and «Mamo-ny-type» Early Upper Paleolithic industries of the South Angara region.

In 2001 N.N. Kochmar organized an archaeological survey in the area of the Middle Lena from the town of Olekminsk to the village of Bulgunnyakhtakh in the Olekminsky and Khangalassky Districts of the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia) to inventory and search for petroglyphs discovered and studied in the 1920-1940s by G.V. Ksenofontov, A.A. Savvin and A.P. Okladnikov. The purpose of these works was to clarify the data, including the location, and assess the current state of the petroglyphs. In the terri-tory of the Olekminsky District, 3 new petroglyphs, 2 ritual sites with Mentaia-idols were discovered, and data on two points discovered by A.P. Okladnikov were clarified. Two of them were discovered 30-40 km from the town of Olekminsk, below the mouth of the Olekma River: the Meteger petroglyph, located on the left bank of the Lena River, and the Khara-Chai petroglyph on the right bank of the Lena River. The third new point - the Markhachanka petroglyph was discovered approximately 6,5 km below the mouth of the Markhachan River, near the former village of Markhachan, at the Markhachanka stream mouth, 20,5 km below the village of Markha in the Olekminsky District of the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia). The Markhachanka point is located near the petroglyphs “Markhachan, Magan-Chai” discovered by A.P. Okladnikov. Ritual sites with Mentaia-idols were also discovered here. All the sites are quite small in size. Meteger and Markhachanka are represented by fragmented rock paintings. The Meteger pet-roglyph with images drawn with black dye cannot yet be determined in age. Of particular interest is the Khara-Chai petroglyph, dating back to the Early Middle Ages, practically the only petroglyph on the Middle Lena, located on the right bank, which is graffiti with a combined technique of knocking out, rubbing and carving (scratching). The Markhachanka petroglyph is preliminari-ly dated to the Neolithic age. Of interest are the finds of the Mentai idols, encountered on the middle Lena for the first time. The idols are short sticks, with minimal processing, leaning at a rock.

In 1923, on the coast of Lake Khubsugul B.E. Petri conducted the first archaeological studies. Since 1999, the study of archaeological objects on the northern coast of the lake was continued by representatives of the Irkutsk Technical University. In 2006, they together with the archaeologists of the Ulan-Bator University began excavations of archaeological objects of the 1st millennium BC. - mid 2st ka AD in Khubsugul region. By 2024, 38 archaeological and 22 ethnographic objects were revealed in this part of Mongolia. Excavations were carried out on 9 of them. Most of them were on the coast of the lake. A significant part o f the Khanh Sum, located between the coastal part of the Khubsugul Lake and the state border of Russia 10-20 km wide, remained unexplored. In 2024, the archaeological detachment of the Irkutsk National Research Technical University conducted reconnaissance in the valleys of the Khanh gol and Toyin gol Rivers flowing from the north-eastern side into Khubsugul Lake. In the first valley 11 were identified, and in the second valley – 7 archaeological objects. They are mostly funeral complexes. New data significantly complemented the preliminary cultural and chronological scheme created for the sites of archeology of the northern part of the Khubsugul region. To date, four periods can be distinguished in it: sites of the Neolithic and the Bronze Age (end 7 - 1 ka BC); burial and memorial complexes of the Late Bronze - Early Iron centuries (end 2 - 1 ka BC); Burial of the end of the 1st thousand AD; burial grounds and ritual structures of the beginning - mid -2 thousand.

The article presents the results of an experimental traceological study of horn whistles, conducted to determine the technological methods in their manufacture in the Sayan-Altai in the 1st millennium AD. The main attention is paid to the creation of the internal cavity (chamber) of the whistle due to the use of additional tools in this process. Morphologically suitable tools for the experiment were made, which were made of iron rods of low-carbon steel, which could serve as a tool for creating whistles, their cutting part was made in the form of a straight blade, an awl and a curved blade. Based on the data known from th e scientific literature, replicas of whistles from roe deer horn were made using these tools. A comparative traceological analysis of expe rimental and archaeological data (traces of scraping the internal chambers of the original whistles) was carried out. The study was conducted on the materials of the Hunno-Sarmatian period of the site Oroktoy (Mountain Altai) and the ancient Turkic period of the sites Markelov Mys-2 and Bely Yar-2 (Khakass-Minusinsk Basin). This approach allowed us to compare the experimentally obtained information with archaeological materials. The article presents the results of the analysis of technological operation s for the manufacture of internal cavities of horn whistles. Characteristic traces on the surface were revealed, which mad e it possible to distinguish the tools used. The experiment confirmed the possibility of making whistles with various tools and revealed techn ological methods when working with a separate tool. The main stages of whistle production are highlighted: creating a blank, drilling holes, forming an internal cavity, finishing the holes and polishing the surface. It is concluded that the sequence of techno logical operations and the set of tools correspond to the level of home production.

Pskov was the political, spiritual, economic and cultural centre of North-West Rus'. Along with such cities as Staraya Ladoga and Novgorod, it was a major production centre in the Middle Ages, where artisans of various specialties lived and wor ked, satisfying the needs of the townspeople and the city district. The products of bone processing masters were in demand and were an integral part of everyday life. In the modern study of bone carving craft, one of the key aspects is the determination of the raw material and the reconstruction of the technological process of manufacturing an item based on archaeological data. Despite numerous publications on the production of various items made of bone material, there are still no special studies on the produ ction of knife handles from cattle metapodia, although such artifacts are often found at archaeological sites. The article presents the results of the analysis of 42 archaeological collections from 32 excavations within the city of Pskov. The archaeological mat erial accumulated over many years of studying the site made it possible to reconstruct complete technological chains, the specifics of the production process, and the variability of bone raw material processing forms. Two main production models were identified : 1 – producing with manual processing, 2 - producing with processing on a lathe. A large number of studied artifacts (3862) made it possible to describe the technical aspects of the production of knife handles and reconstruct the stages of processing the ra w material to the final product. The article provides both general characteristics of the handle production process and examines specific features of various production technologies in Pskov. The article also describes the sources of raw materials of Pskov manufa cturers and their routes of delivery. Attention is paid to the highly specialized inventory of bone carver masters. Our study allows us to improve understanding of the technological practices of medieval urban bone carving craft.

The article is devoted to the artillery of Nerchinsk fortress and Nerchinsk District in the second half of the 17th - early 18th centuries. Structurally, the study is divided into three parts. In the first part, based on a study of archival documents, the authors show how the artillery park of Nerchinsk developed from the time of the foundation of city until 1710. At the initial stage of development (1658-1684), only about 7 pieces (including “copper cannons” and iron wall guns) arrived in Nerchinsk District. In 1684-1685, due to the threat of a military conflict with China, the number of cannons sent to Transbaikalia increased sharply (abo ut 18 pieces), a significant part of them, including one mortar, were intended for subsequent shipment to the Albazin fortress in the Amur region. All these guns had a small caliber and weight. In 1686, a mortar and 20 regimental guns, with a caliber of 2 pou nds, were sent from Moscow to the south of the Far East as part of F.A. Golovin's regiment. These pieces, together with the artillery transported to Nerchinsk from Albazin, constituted the armament of the Nerchinsk District in 1690-1710. In addition to the data directly on the guns, the article provides information on the material base necessary for servicing the mortar, as well as supplies for the manufacture of explosives for its grenades. Data on the Nerchinsk gunners is also provided. The second part of the articl e examines 17th century cannons from the Military-Historical Museum of Artillery, Engineering and Signals Troops collection, brought to St. Petersburg from Nerchinsk in the 19th century (including those subsequently lost). Most of them are 2 -pound “copper” cannons, which probably were part of the artillery of F.A. Golovin's regiment. In addition, unique examples are described, such as the 15th-century arquebus by master Yakov, the copper cannon of Yakim Nikiforov, which probably participated in the defense of Alb azin in 1685, Venetian ship cannons, etc. Comparison of data from historical documents and museum descriptions allows us to correlate some of the real samples with documentary references. For example, the 3-pound cannon of Ivan Novgorodets with one of the two guns that became the first artillery of Nerchinsk in 1658. The third part includes the publication of the document “Reception list of various military equipment and supplies of the Nerchinsk, Telenbinsk and Eravinsky forts” (1690).

Based on a substantive analysis of historiography, the author identifies and examines a number of key approaches related to the study of the largest Haidamak uprising of 1768-1769 – Koliivshchyna (Koliiv Riot). The uprising swept Kiev region, Bratslav region, Volhynia and Podillia. It is stipulated that an extremely small number of historical publications are devote d to the Koliivschina, which changed the geopolitical situation in Europe and led to the partition of Poland in 1772. The main conclusions of the author of the article are as follows: pre-revolutionary historiography began to study the problem and formed several methodological approaches: according to Russian authors, the Gaydamak uprisings occurred due to a complex of factors, the key of which was religious. Polish researchers, on the contrary, ignored the consideration of socio-economic and confessional reasons, assessing Gaydamaks as bandits and robbers. Over the course of 100 years, both of these approaches have evolved. The newly introduced sources allow us to consider not only and not so much the religious factor as one of the causes of the Kolivism, but to actua lly delve into the problem. The authors of recent publications tend to consider the events of 1768 not in isolation from each other, but in a complex: both the domestic political situation in the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, aggravated by economic and confessional disagreements, and foreign policy conditions related to conflicts with neighbors. The study of the uprising itself is similar: if S.M. Solovyov described the Lordly Confederation and Kolivshchyna separately, then modern authors tend to study these events and phenomena in a comprehensive manner. They also pay more attention to the interaction of representatives of different faiths among themselves and with the governments of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth and the Russian Empire, and also touch on the problem of historical memory of the Koliiv Riot in detail.

The paper analyses the discourse on the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth division in the domestic socio-political thought of the post-reform Russian Empire. The research is based on the analysis of the 19th century periodicals, as well as the contemporaries’ memoirs. It is noted that Russian thinkers and publicists of post-reform Russia constantly turned to the origins of the Russian-Polish conflict, trying to find those responsible for its aggravation. At the same time, criticism of Poland partition was often divorced from historical realities and determined by a priori hostility to the government policy. In the second half of the 1860s - 1870s, Russian conservative and liberal journalists often pinned their hopes onto the integration of the Kingdom of Poland into the Russian Empire, similar to the unification of Scotland with England. By the early 1880s, even some conservatives beg an to look at the Kingdom of Poland as a “cut slice”. While journalists, especially of the Slavophile persuasion, were unstoppable in denouncing partition as allegedly a result of a “German conspiracy” which brought the insoluble “Polish question” to Russia, Ru ssian diplomatic circles expressed a completely different view: Catherine II, who achieved “natural borders” for Russia, was opposed to Alexander I, who annexed “ethnographic”, Catholic Poland to Russia, inaccessible for sustainable integration into the Russian E mpire. The author comes to the conclusion that Russian pre-revolutionary journalism was sensitive to the three partitions of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. The slogan of restoring “historical Poland”, put forward by almost all fractions of the Polish n ational movement, has become tragic for the inhabitants of this country. Maximalist calls for the return of Year 1772 borders precluded any compromise with any influential Russian political movement, even those sincerely sympathetic to the fraternal Slav ic nation. Of course, political romanticism can be admired for its heroism and sacrifice, but setting itself deliberate ly impossible goals, it can become a suicidal choice. This is exactly what happened with the Polish nationalists of the 19th century.

Necrological sources, such as epitaphs on gravestones and death records in registers, are valuable material for historical research in demography, sociology, ethnography and cultural studies. Epitaphs and registers contain information about the social origin and status of the deceased, the date of death, age, parents' names, place of birth and other important data, which allows us to reconstruct the overall picture of the era through the prism of individual destinies. Epitaphs and birth records are essential sources for studying the lives of prisoners of war in the First World War, as they shed light on the conditions of their detention, their interactions with the surrounding society, and the factors influencing their adaptation to new conditions. Resear ch into the lives of prisoners of war through necrological sources contributes to the development of interdisciplinary approaches, combining history, anthropology, sociology, and cultural studies. This creates a deeper understanding of the impact of war and capt ivity on individual and collective destinies. Information on burial sites and burial methods provides insight into the extent to which local authorities and communities respected the traditions and customs of prisoners of war of different nationalities and faiths. D ata on dates of death and causes of death help to assess the level of medical care, sanitary conditions and the general attitude towards prisoners. This study is devoted to the study of epitaphs and metric records of death of prisoners of war of the First World War of Jewish origin in the city of Irkutsk, to reconstruct the conditions of their detention in captivity. The obtained results can become the basis for further studies of the stay of prisoners of war of Jewish origin in the territory of Eastern Siberia and their inte raction with local Jewish communities.

The article analyzes the activities of the judicial system of Tomsk Oblast as part of the regional law enforcement sy stem in the period from 1944 to 1953. The court, being a law enforcement agency, was of exceptional importance in Soviet times. Judicial activity acquired particular significance in the post-war years, when there was an increase in crime, a large circulation of illegal weapons among the civilian population, an increase in the number of gangs and groups, etc. Such problems existed in the regions as well. In particular, Tomsk Oblast, formed on August 13, 1944, was no exception. In order to administer justice, th e Tomsk Regional Court and people's courts were formed in the region, which were subordinate to the Supreme Court of the RSFSR. Judges of the Tomsk Regional Court performed a variety of work. The areas of activity included: consideration of criminal and civil cases of particular complexity, including at off-site sessions; consideration of complaints and protests; control over the activities of people's courts of the region; generalization of judicial practice; resolving organizational work issues. People's courts were mainly engaged in considering cases of various categories. The article presents the judicial practice of the Tomsk Regional Court and the people's courts of the region, as well as statistics on the consideration of criminal and civil cases and cases in which complaints an d protests were filed against sentences and decisions of the people's courts. Information is provided on the punishments applied by the Tomsk Regional Court to convicts. The features and shortcomings of the work and functioning of the judicial system of the Tom sk Region are analyzed.

Construction was proclaimed the symbol of the Soviet period - the construction of Communism, a new type of man, industry, and “new cities.” Angarsk is both an original and a typical example of a Soviet settlement, born of the decisions of the ruling Communist Party. The economy of the Irkutsk region developed dynamically in the post-War period, receiving capital investments and managerial attention from Moscow as a matter of priority. An overview of historiographical achievements and “finds” is given, as well as the most productive research concepts for a comprehensive understanding of the problems of creating and dev eloping “new cities”, taking into account both Angarsk's past and the general background of the socio-economic transformation of a certain area. Publications can be divided into six blocks according to the degree of conceptuality and information content: p ublications by architects; small in volume, but mass-produced Soviet-era publications - peculiar “booklets”; Soviet scientific and practical works on new urban planning; domestic research literature on the socio-demographic development of Siberia; publications of the post-Soviet period on the history of individual enterprises and organizations; post-Soviet studies of the housing policy of the Soviet state and domestic everyday life. Over the past 100 years, the population within the borders of the Irkutsk region has increa sed 4 times, while in the Russian Federation as a whole it has increased only 1.5 times. The mechanism and “inner kitchen” of such dynamics based on the Angarsk material is discussed in this article. To ensure new construction in the Irkutsk region, the netw ork of correctional labor camps and colonies has been expanded since 1945. The prisoners created an urban environment for future A ngarchans. And people were more willing to move to a “forced” habitable place, already voluntarily. Angarsk is equally a “City born of Victory” and a “City born of the Gulag”. The significant release of prisoners after 1956 required the adjustment of approa ches to the organization of construction in Angarsk. Subsequently, Angarsk developed dynamically (between 1957 and 1987 the p opulation doubled).

The article examines the socio-political conditions of teaching philosophy and logic in Soviet universities in the 1920s and 40s, highlights the role of ideologization and politicization in teaching social and humanitarian knowledge. The id eology of Marxist-Leninist philosophy is a direct consequence of the understanding of philosophy by the founders of Marxism. There are external and internal levels of politicization of philosophy. The first is the officially propagandized importance of the est ablishment of a new proletarian philosophy, the second, hidden, level of politicization of philosophy was that philosophy in its various manifestations was involved in the struggle for power. The influence of V.I. Lenin's attitudes towards non-Marxist philosophy and science and the exaltation of the role of Hegel's dialectic as the basis of a new, “anti-bourgeois” philosophy are shown. It is noted that the teaching of traditional logic as a university discipline in Russia and the USSR at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries underwent serious changes due not only to socio-political processes, but also as a result of a rethinking of the understanding of the nature of logical laws and logical thinking, which was associated with the clarification of the foundations of mathematics and the development of mathematical logic. The main problematic issue determining the attitude to traditional logic in the context of the fo rmation of a new ideological and political system is the question of the relationship between dialectical logic and formal logic. If in the 1920s the attitude towards formal logic was sharply negative, then the situation is gradually changing, against the backg round of the lack of sufficiently educated scientific, military and technical personnel, the importance of traditional logic as a “thinking tool” is realized. The result is the formation of the Central Committee of the CPSU(b) on the introduction of logic in second ary schools, a brief analysis of the reasons for the low effectiveness of this resolution is given.

The authors consider the educational process at the Irkutsk Mining and Metallurgical Institute in 1945-1960 in a substantive and broad context. A historiographical review which highlights the significant conceptual and factual achievements of the predecessors is given. The main part shows in details the close connection of pedagogical activity with students' tuition fees as well as with the intense scientific work of teachers, with the state of interuniversity cooperation, with regular dissertation defenses, and with multifaceted and very close interaction with mining and metallurgical enterprises. The Institute's staff, combining pedagogical, administrative, and socio-political work, provided systematic and diverse assistance to industrial enterprises in all republics and regions of the Soviet Union without exception. Public organizations of the higher educational institution have achieved success in developing and improving educational and socio-political work. The reflection of post-War social processes on the collective is shown. Physical education and amateur artistic activities were widely and thoroughly developed, and local organizations were assisted in conducting various socio-political campaigns. The statistics of the graduation of highly qualified specialists in various engineering specialties are given: geologists, mining electromechanics, metallurgists, concentrators, economists, etc. Since 1944, the Military Training Department of the Institute has been training platoon commanders of ground artillery. For a more complete reconstruction of the educational routine, for the first time, factual information from internal documentation is being massively introduced into wide scientific circulation, including detailed data on the places of students' production practices and the topics of the diploma design carried out before graduation. In general, the revealed material allows us to form a reasonable idea of the significant contribution of the staff of the Irkutsk Mining and Metallurgical Institute to solving problems of a governmental nature.

The article analyzes the images of entrepreneurs of the post-Soviet period based on the materials of artistic works by Far Eastern authors. Writers pay close attention to the origins and the process of formation of this social group, which l argely determined the attitude of the general population to the so-called New Russians. In many texts we see unscrupulous businessmen who use various fraudulent schemes, engage in black business, profit from the natural resources of the country or steal the i nheritance created by previous generations: such activities have no moral justification in the eyes of ordinary citizens. The authors of literary works broadcast the rejection of the absolutized principle of market efficiency, unencumbered by ethical requirement s, and state that the collapse of social differentiation during the period of market reforms leads to an increase in conflict and criminality of society. At the same time, literary characters-businessmen are also presented in artistic texts, having a neutral and positive connotation. These are people who put honest work, professionalism and market knowledge at the forefront, they are the engine of economic development, they perform important social functions, arousing the reader's respect. The writers explore the risks asso ciated with business and the personal qualities that lead to success, not demonizing entrepreneurs as a class, but portraying each of them as a living person acting in specific socio-economic realities. In literary texts, entrepreneurship is also considered as an effective survival practice in an era of change, which is used by people of various specialties who were left without jobs and livelihoods during the years of market reforms.

Professor V.V. Grishaev has passed the glorious path of a historian, scientist, teacher-mentor and citizen. He is an outstanding personality of national importance. Having chosen the path of a historian, he did a lot in the scientific field: for more than 40 years he led the work of the Department of History of Krasnoyarsk State University, organized the Institute of Humani ties of Siberian Federal University, trained dozens of candidates and doctors of sciences, organized famous historical media, numerous conferences, and the publication of collections of articles and abstracts. His scientific interest was undoubtedly determined by his peasant origin, pain and hope for the fate of the Russian countryside. In 1967 in Moscow, V.V. Grishaev defended his PhD thesis “Building Soviets in the countryside in the first year of the Socialist Revolution”, in 1979 in Novosibirsk - his doctoral thesis “Agricultural communes of Soviet Russia (1917-1929)”, which became one of the first substantive scientific studies of this topic. Vasily Vasilyevich showed an unusually warm relationship with both his colleagues, graduate students, and young teachers. Under his lead ership, 28 candidates of sciences were trained. For example, this article lists dissertations prepared under the supervision of V.V. Grishaev and whose defense took place at the Dissertation Council for Historical Sciences at Irkutsk State University. His st udents continue their fruitful teaching and research work in many higher educational institutions of Eastern Siberia. Many of his former graduate students have defended their doctoral dissertations and head historical and other humanitarian departments. V.V. Grishaev is not with us, but the bright memory of his teacher, scientist, colleague, friend, wise senior remains with us forever.