Vestnik of Northern (Arctic) Federal University. Series "Humanitarian and Social Sciences"

History of the Russian Arctic

Vladislav I. Goldin — 2025-07-03

The article dwells on the All-Russian Conference “History of the Russian Arctic” that took place in Saint Petersburg in March 2025. The event’s organizers, aim and participants are listed. The author characterizes the reports of the plenary session, round table and sections as well as speeches of the key speakers and central problems of the discussions. The article analyses the significance and main results of this forum as well as prospects of work on a multi-volume edition and textbook about the history of the Russian Arctic.

The Work of State Authorities on Improving the Material Well-Being of Children and Families with Children in Russia in the Late 20th Century

Sergey A. Brazhnikov — 2025-07-03

Currently, ensuring the well-being and safety of the younger generation is a major focus of attention for public authorities in Russia. However, this area of activity requires some improvements. Therefore, it is objectively necessary to turn to the accumulated experience in the field of protecting the rights and legitimate interests of children. This article, from the standpoint of modern historical science, comprehensively examines the key material support measures that were developed and implemented by authorized government agencies in the framework of social assistance to children and families with children under specific historical conditions (during the establishment of the new Russian statehood), characterized by a radical transformation of almost all spheres of society, highly dynamic economic, social and political processes, a sharp decline in the standard and quality of life for the majority of the population, a lack of legal regulation, as well as ideological, spiritual and moral uncertainty. In the course of the research, general scientific and general historical methods were applied to ensure that the results obtained are reliable, comprehensive and concrete. The use of diverse historical sources, both published and archival, allowed the author to draw well-founded conclusions that in a condensed form determine and characterize the following: essence, content and effectiveness of material support for minors in the period under study; development of the legal regulation of public relations in the sphere of social protection of children; factors that had a negative impact on the development and practical implementation of measures of financial and other assistance for children and families with children.

Business Trips to Friedrich Krupp AG in the Late 1920s – 1930s: The Problem of Ensuring an Effective Adoption of Technologies in the Changing Political Conditions

Maksim A. Ganin — 2025-07-03

The article examines the role of foreign business trips of Soviet scientists, engineers and workers in the implementation of the technical assistance agreement signed with the German company Friedrich Krupp AG, Essen in 1929. The study is based on a wide range of archival materials and personal sources. For the first time, the 1933 “Report on the Inspection of the Contract with the Company Friedrich Krupp AG, Essen (Technical Assistance with High-Quality and Special Steels and Cast Irons)” is introduced, which is kept in the Russian State Archives of Economics. It is noted that, given the specifics of the terms of the agreement, the work of Soviet trainees, carried out under the supervision of commissioners authorized by the Metallurgical Bureau of Foreign Technical Assistance, was the main way of adopting Krupp’s technologies. Despite a number of problems related to the organization of the work of Soviet specialists, the goal of the agreement was achieved: Soviet industry mastered Krupp’s technologies for high-quality steel and cast-iron smelting. This was largely due to the systematic approach to the implementation of the transfer, as well as due to the fact that the position of commissioner was held by competent scientific and technical personnel with a successful track record of adopting foreign technologies. The author notes that cooperation with Krupp continued even after 1933, although the coming to power of the Nazis in Germany significantly complicated further contact with the German side. In 1934, the company set a course for terminating the contract. From then on, the intensity of cooperation with Krupp started to decrease. However, individual trips of Soviet specialists to Essen continued up to 1939.

Policy of the Soviet Decision-Making Bodies in the Sphere of University Education in 1959–1969

Anton O. Gorbachev — 2025-07-03

Education plays a major role in the development of the economy, science and culture. Higher education occupies an important place in the educational system. Today, without training highly skilled professionals, it is impossible to imagine a progressive and dynamic development of society. Special prominence should be given to universities as institutions of higher education that retain a high status. This paper attempts to find an answer to the question of why university education continues to be at the core of the higher education system in Russia. To do this, the author studied the experience of Soviet tertiary institutions. In 1959–1969, the USSR was undergoing profound transformations, and universities played an important role in the modernization of higher education. Using both published and archival materials that had not been introduced into scientific discourse, the author analysed the regulatory framework of the higher education system in the Soviet Union and identified the key stages of the policy of party and state authorities on university education. As a result, the author came to the conclusion that in the late 1950s through 1960s the main areas of the work of party and state authorities were as follows: improving the management system of higher education; strengthening the link between higher education and industry and creating a practice-oriented educational system; attracting applicants for postgraduate study. Thus, the party and government leadership realized that Soviet university education was not perfect and that there were serious problems that hindered its development and, consequently, the development of the entire higher education system in the country. The decision-making bodies understood the importance of improving universities as centres for training highly skilled professionals in the humanities and natural sciences as well as in the technical field.

“Knowledge of the Fatherland... Is Very Necessary for All State Institutions”: M.V. Lomonosov’s Geographical and Statistical Programme

Andrey Yu. Skrydlov — 2025-07-03

The article examines the activities of Mikhail Lomonosov as head of the Geography Department of the Academy of Sciences, focusing on the “academic questionnaire” of 1760 as a pivotal tool for collecting geographical and statistical data on the territory, population, and economy of the Russian Empire. The questionnaire is analysed as part of a broader research programme that encompassed the processing of census data, the acquisition of information from central governmental institutions, the preparation of geographical descriptions and maps, as well as the active collaboration with local administrations and provincial intellectuals. The study highlights the methods of data collection and verification employed within the programme. These included not only questionnaires but also formal requests to state institutions, processing of information from cadastres and the establishment of a network of correspondents associated with the Academy of Sciences. The findings demonstrate that Lomonosov’s research programme played a significant role in the institutionalization of statistics in Russia, despite numerous organizational challenges and interdepartmental conflicts. The article concludes that Lomonosov envisaged the Academy of Sciences as the main centre for collecting and processing geographical and statistical information. His proposals were underpinned by a comprehensive approach to gathering and handling data, which relied on diverse sources, key among them being state authorities accumulating materials withing their areas of competence. Operating outside the formal framework of state administration, the Academy sought to develop effective mechanisms for interacting with central and local authorities. In this context, the Academy’s requests were sanctioned by an imperial decree formalized through a Senate order. The article emphasizes the lasting influence of Lomonosov’s research programme on the development of Russian geography and statistics as scientific disciplines.

Lexicography of Paroemias: The Problem of Interpretation (Based on the Russian Language)

Olga N. Ivanishcheva — 2025-07-03

The article describes the methods of interpreting paroemias in modern phraseological and proverb dictionaries. The paper aims to identify the principles of such interpretation. It is known that determining the meaning of a paroemia, which is presented in most phraseological and proverb dictionaries of the modern Russian language, is not enough for the correct use of the phraseological unit or proverb in speech practice. However, the question of selecting such information for dictionaries and its systematization has not yet been raised in scientific literature. The article studies the following methods of interpreting paroemias: determining their direct (if any) and figurative meanings, historical and etymological commentary, as well as situational and contextual characterization. As a result, it was established that historical and etymological commentary in the definitions of modern dictionaries explains the origin of a paroemia, taking into account regional specifics. Situational characterization is defined here as a description of a situation with the identification of its participants and their social and speech intentions, while contextual characterization is understood as the content of a formulaic reply to the interlocutor’s question. It is argued that determining a hierarchy of methods for interpreting paroemias accomplishes the main task, i.e. the actualization of the image underlying a paroemia and the presentation of this image in a dictionary. The theoretical significance of the paper lies in its contribution to the theory and practice of lexicography. In practical terms, the results can be used when compiling dictionaries of phraseological units and proverbs of different languages, including those with different structures, as well as when teaching Russian as a first and second/foreign language.

The Lexicon of Youth Subcultures in the Linguocultural Lexicographic Description (Based on Online Media for Gamers)

Irina S. Kochelaeva — 2025-07-03

The article presents a concept of linguocultural lexicographic description of the lexicon of modern youth subcultures. This type of vocabulary has been studied in linguocultural terms but has not received a complete and consistent lexicographic description. The purpose of the research was to develop a model of linguocultural representation of subcultural vocabulary based on the material of gaming culture. The texts of online media and gamers’ communication were used as sources. The development of parametric models of dictionary entries representing the lexicon and phraseology of gamers was preceded by a structural-semantic, etymological and linguocultural analysis of the material. The results of the analysis are reflected in dictionary entries illustrating the author’s concept. The study identified thematic groups of gamers’ lexicon: names of games, genres, game items, gameplay, etc. The ways of enriching this vocabulary were studied: borrowing and various methods of loanword adaptation in the Russian-speaking environment, as well as affixation and abbreviation. The contexts of use of subcultural lexical and phraseological units were analysed from the linguocultural and linguo-axiological points of view. Using dictionary entries by the author as examples, the paper demonstrates the comprehensive representation of the subcultural content of such units: the interpretation of the headword is culturally oriented; the etymological description provides its origin; the linguocultural commentary presents a variety of details of the gameplay related to the referent; the illustrative contexts expand our knowledge of the object of naming and convey the speaker’s attitude towards it. The proposed model of lexicographic description will allow us to present the youth subculture as a modern linguocultural phenomenon. The results of the research can be used in lexicographic practice and in studying the dynamics of young people’s speech.

Linguopragmatic Neutralization of the Gender Aspect in the Academic Discourse of English-Speaking Countries

Kseniya A. Melnikova — 2025-07-03

Nowadays, effective communication is one of the primary goals of a modern person. In particular, successful communication is determined by the pragmatics of linguistic means used by communicators. Despite the presence of neutralized vocabulary in all spheres of discourse, the phenomenon of linguopragmatic neutralization is still understudied. The use of neutralized vocabulary in the English-language academic discourse deserves special attention since the exchange of information and dissemination of scientific knowledge are not only major goals of education, but also guarantees of the progressive development of scientific and technological sector. This knowledge exchange is done primarily in English, which is a language of international communication. The author analysed authentic materials from official websites of Western universities containing recommendations on composing and writing texts that can be attributed to the genre of academic discourse (academic essays, graduate qualification papers, etc.). It was found that most educational institutions suggest using so-called inclusive language, based on the principle of political correctness. According to the results, the most effective ways of neutralizing discriminatively marked lexical units in academic discourse are the non-use of gendered pronouns, replacement of gendered pronouns with articles, use of passive instead of active voice constructions, use of plural pronouns to denote one person, use of gender-neutral pronouns, and transformation of gendered address. Thus, neutralization in academic discourse is primarily applied when dealing with gender identity, which may be due to the changes in the socio-cultural life of society and the attitude of society towards the problems of discrimination and social inequality.

The Phenomenon of “Blue-Green” Animals in the Yakut Language: Origin and Semantics

Aitalina V. Timofeeva — 2025-07-03

It is of interest for many linguists that in some languages animal coloration is described by colour terms that seem unusual at first glance, e.g. zelen konj in Serbian, голубой песец in Russian and blue fox in English, as there are no green horses or blue arctic foxes in nature. This issue is also relevant for the Yakut language, where not only horses (күөх бороҥ ат) and arctic foxes (күөх кырса) are associated with the blue-green colour through the colour term күөх ‘blue/green’, but also wolves (күөх бөрө), bulls/cows (күөх оҕус/ынах), squirrels (күөх тииҥ) and, presumably, the Yakut “green fox” (саһыл ‘fox’ < Old Turkic jašїl ‘green’). In order to explain the phenomenon, the author examined these lexical units using various linguistic research methods (lexicographic, component, cognitive and etymological analyses) and correlated them with objects of reality in synchrony and diachrony. Preliminary results demonstrate that in the cases under consideration, the Yakut colour term күөх expresses not a solid blue/green colour, but rather a grey shade of a complex, uneven coloration, which can be explained etymologically as a result of the complex semantic evolution of the syncretic Proto-Turkic *gȫk ‘sky; any colour of the sky; green, light blue, blue, blue-grey’. When it comes to the Yakut fox, it is probably “green” due to the fading of the green colour (light green – yellow-green – yellow – yellow-grey), similar to the colour of withered grass when animal fur is compared to grass.

Linguistic Mechanisms for Generating Fake News Using Artificial Intelligence

Roman V. Trofimov — 2025-07-03

Since 2022, there has been an active integration of artificial intelligence into all areas of human activity. This phenomenon, on the one hand, has facilitated the simplification of many tasks; on the other hand, however, humanity is now faced with new challenges. The use of generative neural networks for instant creation of texts and media content increases the risks of spreading false information and exacerbates problems with the verification of presented data. This paper aims to examine the process of creating fake news in the media space. The research is focused on the linguistic mechanisms for generating fakes using artificial intelligence (AI). The material for the study consists of texts created by neural networks in Russian and Spanish. The research methods include an experiment involving fake news production using AI, as well as discourse analysis, contextual analysis, and comparative analysis of the generated texts. The results of the study demonstrate that producing false information about a person is possible for any generative model that only considers keywords. To create a news event, networks utilize generally known information of different years, thereby violating the principle of chronotope. In the “news” text, networks employ mechanisms of invoking authority and anonymous scientific studies, as well as use scientific terminology, making the information appear plausible. Russian neural networks Shedevrum and GigaChat place their own limitations, for instance, on creating fake content about political figures, both Russian and foreign. ChatGPT has an Us vs Them recognition system, meaning that the training program of OpenAI’s generative neural network incorporates a subjective assessment of sensitive political topics shared by most countries of the collective West.

Literary Text in Time and Space

Tatiana N. Fedulenkova — 2025-07-03

Review of the book: Lunkova L.N. Worlds and Spaces of a Literary Text. Moscow, 2020. 160 p.

This review gives a high assessment of the monograph written by Larisa N. Lunkova, Doctor of Philology, Professor of Kolomna Theological Seminary. In terms of the scale and analytical depth of the problems under consideration, the book is essentially an original linguistic work that can serve as a solid basis for further research in the field of linguistics, literary studies and translation theory.

The Transfinity of Culture and the Culture-Forming Features of Cyborgization

Vladimir S. Varakin — 2025-07-03

The article analyses, from the philosophical and mediological standpoint, the phenomenon of cyborgization as a total cultural form. In addition, the paper dwells on the theoretical approaches to understanding cyborgization and characterizes its current state and prospects. The author postulates that, in a general sense, cyborgization can be interpreted as a practice of merging humans with machines, devices and things. At the same time, it is argued that cyborgization most explicitly embodies such a feature of the cultural system as transfinity (overcoming the boundaries of human abilities and capabilities) and thereby actualizes the status of culture as an enhancement, i.e. strengthening or expansion. Asserting that transfinity is determined by such a feature of culture as mediality (ensuring continuity in preserving human acquisitions), the author emphasizes that cyborgization accompanies mediation, which is another total sociocultural phenomenon. In other words, cyborgization contributes to the continuous transmission of traditions of human technical and technological self-creation over time. The study raises the issue of the relationship between the ideas of a cyborg as a “partial android” and as a “techno-expanded” human. In addition, the concepts of posthuman and transhuman are expanded on; it is indicated that the most accurate concept is human technologizing, or technohuman. Further, the author describes 4 models of cyborgization: classical, neoclassical, pre-classical and non-classical. They are combined into two hypermodels – (post)modern and archaic – that demonstrate the presence of cyborgization proper and everyday androidization (human-thingness) in the cultural system. It is emphasized that the (post)modern hypermodel puts forward a conventionally moderate version of totality of cyborgization (totality of the past and the present), while the archaic hypermodel puts forward a radical version of totality (totality of the approaching future). In conclusion, the author notes that while the classical and neoclassical models of the symbiosis of humans and machines seem teratological, they constitute the vector of development of the cultural system.

The Problem of Uncertainty in Social Sciences (Exemplified by Economics and Sociology)

Marina V. Nenasheva — 2025-07-03

A characteristic feature of the modern world is the speed of the changes taking place. This increases the likelihood of random, unexpected events, which makes people’s lives less predictable and raises the issue of human adaptation to accelerated development. The article focuses on the philosophical analysis of the category of uncertainty in the context of existence of humans and the world. Ontological and epistemological ways of understanding uncertainty, which have both subjective and objective dimensions, are presented. The ontological status of uncertainty is determined by the characteristics of the object. Epistemological uncertainty is associated with the imperfection of human knowledge or the unknowability of the object of knowledge. The paper demonstrates a conceptual link between uncertainty and risk. It is argued that in a dynamically changing world, all the risks cannot be assessed, which highlights the importance of understanding the nature of uncertainty and identifying its parameters and attributes. Further, the theoretical approaches to the study of uncertainty in economics and sociology are analysed. In economics, uncertainty is viewed through the prism of probability theory (J.M. Keynes, F.H. Knight), expected utility hypothesis (J. von Neumann, O. Morgenstern) and prospect theory (D. Kahneman, A. Tversky). According to the scientists’ findings, economic processes can be assessed using probabilistic methods. However, some events cannot be predicted in a scientific way due to factors that are impossible to foresee. In addition, people’s decisions are often irrational, which makes it more difficult to predict their behaviour. In sociology, the concept of uncertainty is considered in connection with the category of risk (U. Beck, N. Luhmann, A. Giddens, M. Douglas). The researchers believe that risks are class-based and institutional in nature and are associated with making decisions aimed at preventing them. The author concludes that solving the problem of risk management can help reduce uncertainty in the modern world.

The Ister (Film) as an Experience of Visual Philosophizing: Ethical Aspects of Technology in M. Heidegger’s Philosophy

Olga V. Konfederat — 2025-07-03

The article dwells on the heuristic potential of cinematography as an experience of visual philosophizing. The documentary film The Ister is constructed as a journey to the source of the Danube in the company of such modern philosophers as B. Stingler, P. Lacoue-Labarthe, J.-L. Nancy and others, interpreting Heidegger’s philosophy and related topics: technology and culture, Heidegger and the Jews, Heidegger and the question of technology. The theoretical significance of this paper lies in the dialogic comprehension of Heidegger’s philosophical texts and the cinematographic text by D. Barison and D. Ross. The practical significance lies in the fact that the philosophical dialogue of two cultural eras on the key anthropological and cultural-philosophical problems of humans and technology, constructed by means of cinematography, becomes a methodological material and a didactic tool that can be applied in university seminars when considering the burning issues of modern philosophy. The authors investigate the methodological potential of using the documentary film in philosophy seminars with the aim of introducing students to the process of philosophizing and study the modes of philosophical reflection in the logical (linguistic) and phenomenological (optical and sensory) aspects. When analysing the film, students are suggested to test the hypothesis about the risks of the “technological” basis of identity (national, political, religious, ethnic, professional, etc.) in the context of an unclear basis for the concept of human. As a result, it is asserted that a cinematic work can serve as a tool for understanding complex philosophical concepts and be an experience of philosophizing as a thinking practice. Following the structure and content of The Ister, we can pose and discuss at a philosophical level current socio-cultural problems, such as the relationship between humans and technology, the philosophical foundations of politics, the issue of human identity in a globalizing culture, the structure of historical time, marked by humans according to their ideas about what is right and proper. Further studies are relevant due to the diversity of modern philosophical films, requiring a creative approach to the methodology of their use in the educational process.