Aim. To consider comprehensively the key directions of modern Russian policy in the field of higher education in Central Asia.

Methodology.Universal, general scientific, private scientific(political science)methods,aswellasspecialcognitivetools, were used in the research.Asystematicmethodology, a comparativepoliticalmethod,aswell as a regulatory approach toanalyzeexistingregulationsandlegaldocuments were applied.Thestudyalsousedcontentanalysisanddiscourseanalysisinreviewingofficialdocuments,expertpositionsanddirections of measures to supportCentralAsiain the field of highereducation,aswell as informulating the specifics of Russianeducationalpolicyin the region.Separately, an analysis of the work of branches of Russianuniversitiesandjointuniversities was conducted.

Results. It has been established that current Russian educational policy is aimed at addressing the challenges facing the Central Asian republics: training qualified personnel, improving the quality of education, preventing brain drain by creating jobs for local researchers and teachers at joint and branch campuses of Russian universities, and supporting educational infrastructure. At the same time, a crucial aspect of educational policy is the development and dissemination of a common, historically accurate view of past events, which can be interpreted as Russia’s “soft power.”

Research implications. The study provides an up-to-date understanding of the procedures and formats for obtaining higher education according to Russian standards by citizens of Central Asia, as well as Russia’s role in the higher education system of that region.

Aim. To reveal the idea content of a global society in Russian cosmism, to assess the importance of universal co-operation for Russian cosmists, and to reconstruct their social-political views.

Methodology. The main method is a political-textual analysis. The study is based on works of Russian cosmists (N. Fedorov, V. Muravyov and K. Tsiolkovsky) and modern research on Russian cosmism and global cohesion concept.

Results. In the article, Russian cosmism is described as a unique trend in social-political thoughts, and its key features are highlighted. One of these features is the emphasis on the importance of universal unity and cooperation. On example of the social-political ideas of Russian cosmists and their proposed ways to create a new global society, a critical attitude of Russian cosmism towards social stratification is demonstrated in the article.

Research implications. The research explores the ideas of Russian cosmists in the context of solving some of the most pressing modern issues, such as lack of cooperation among states and the extremely high level of social conflictogenicity. Thus, it demonstrates the relevance of Russian cosmism and underlines social and political content of Russian cosmists’ ideas.

Aim. To synthesise main sources of Metropolitan Philaret’s spiritual and political doctrines, containing his theological, social-political, and legal views on the state and government.

Methodology. The selection of texts was made considering the introduction of the concepts of “spiritual and political thought” and “guardianship” into political science.

Results. The synthesis of the main works of Metropolitan Philaret, containing his spiritual and political teaching, has been carried out. The main topics covered in each individual essay are summarized. An analysis of the sources made it possible to conclude that the basis of Metropolitan Philaret’s spiritual and political doctrines is the synthesis of theological and political systems through their concepts and structures.

Research implications. The synthesis of the main sources of Metropolitan Philaret’s spiritual and political teachings is a theoretical basis for analysing Metropolitan Philaret’s theological, social-political, and legal views on the state and government in order to differentiate, systematize, and subsequently conceptualize Metropolitan Philaret’s spiritual and political doctrines.

Aim. To study the essence of the Heartland phenomenon, the evolution of its forms of existence, as well as its role in the confrontation between land power and sea power in the process of the world domination gaining.

Methodology. The main content of the study is an analysis of the Heartland phenomenon in its two forms: the original, as a geographical and social political connection between Germany and Russia, and the current, legally formalized union between Russia and China. Systemic, comparative, and phenomenological research methods are employed. Contemporary interstate treaties and strategic planning documents of modern countries are analyzed through the prism of the topic under consideration.

Results. The geopolitical value of the Heartland can be explained by the fact that control over it is a necessary step in the process of achieving global domination. The analysis revealed that the Heartland phenomenon has not faded into history, but it still proves itself relevant in modern conditions as its essence is immutable, and only its forms of existence change depending on specific historical conditions.

Research implications. A certain contribution to the theory of political systems is made by the study of the forms and patterns of confrontation between states during their struggle for world domination.

Aim. To define the meaning of the Strategy of the State National Policy of the Russian Federation for the period up to 2036 and the related strategic planning documents, regulatory legal acts adopted within the framework of the so-called “Great November” of 2025, to ensure the harmonization of interethnic relations in Russia.

Methodology. A comprehensive analysis of policy documents and regulatory legal acts pertaining to the current state nationalities policy of the Russian Federation is provided. Their potential for addressing current and potential future ethno-confessional challenges is explored. Attention is paid to the unifying role of the Russian people as the foundation of the state and to the challenges of countering ethno-confessional extremism, the importance of which is emphasized in the State Nationalities Policy Strategy.

Results. It is shown that issues related to ethno-confessional issues are playing an increasingly important role in the Russian Federation’s public policy. The need for state and societal efforts to regulate interethnic relations is identified.

Research implications. The analysis conducted makes it possible to gain a deeper understanding of the complex processes currently unfolding in the sphere of interethnic relations and to substantiate possible directions for the development of the state national policy of the Russian Federation.

Aim. To reveal key principles that contribute to increasing the effectiveness of the cultural integration of the territories liberated during the Special Military Operation into Russia.
Methodology. The study utilized retrospective, cultural, historical, and sociological analysis.
Results. The study established that the integration of the liberated territories of Novorossiya into the Russian Federation has deep cultural and historical roots, that the preservation and strengthening of the Russian World or Russian worldview is important for the self-identification of the Russian people in their relationship with the rest of the world, and that the cultural and historical heritage of the Luhansk region is a key element of the historical memory of representatives of Russian civilization. It is concluded that, amid tense political relations between Russia and the Western world, the cultural and historical heritage of the liberated southeastern territories of Ukraine creates a value-oriented foundation for the future of Russia and the Russian World as a whole.
Research implications consist in the development of recommendations for preserving cultural heritage and strengthening Russian identity.

Aim. To identify the specifics of the phenomenon of virtual politicians as a manifestation of the power algorithmizing.
Methodology. The main scientific methods are critical discourse analysis of specialized literature and case study analysis of the implementation of virtual policy projects. The criteria of the case analysis method were the connection of virtual politicians with elections, electoral, and electoral processes and the dependence of virtual politicians’ projects on candidates, parties, and politicized initiative groups. For a qualitative interpretation of the phenomenon of virtual politicians, the author’s model of digital adaptation was used, as well as models of the technological hype cycle and algocracy.
Results. The conducted case study analysis revealed that the overall trend shows an increase in the global adoption of virtual political technologies from 2000 to 2025, with this growth being oscillatory rather than exponential. It is noted that the power algorithmizing, manifested in the automation of collection and analysis of political information, forecasting, recursiveness, and the practice of rating people’s actions, has not yet led to the abolition of political representation and the traditional type of politician. The basic principles of representative public policy remain unchanged. At the same time, a close relationship between parties and virtual political projects has been established. Most likely, through such projects, parties are experimenting with provocative techniques for attracting voter interest in their activities. The prospects and challenges of the power algorithmizing for modern society, underlying the external effects of the proliferation of virtual political projects, are identified.
Research implications. The author introduces the interpretation of virtual politicians as specialized intelligent systems focused on interaction with the electorate. The proposed model of digital adaptation has practical significance for clarifying the prospects and challenges of implementing digital technologies such as virtual politicians in modern society. It is emphasized that digital adaptation manifests itself in the adjustment of the traditional “state – representative – voter” model to a new “state – representative – virtual politician – voter” model. An examination of virtual politician cases demonstrates the specifics of digital adaptation: on the one hand, political leaders, candidates, and parties are forced to adapt to the realities of digital communications, which are algorithmic in nature. On the other hand, parties and candidates, while creating virtual politician projects, still endow them with anthropological characteristics.

Aim. To identify psychological factors that influence the formation of readiness for volunteer activities.

Methodology. The main content of the study is the determination of personal factors that serve as the psychological basis for volunteering. The following methods were used for diagnosis: the Big Five Inventory-2 (BFI-2) method; the Moral Foundations Questionnaire (MFQ); and the Test of Life Orientation (LTO).

Results. It was revealed that the following factors determine the willingness to engage in volunteer activities: the “organization and personal responsibility” factor, which refers to a conscientious and responsible approach to work; the “locus of control and life meaning” factor, which refers to the desire to influence events in the long term or to follow external conditions in order to find meaning in life; the “moral foundations of social interaction” factor, which refers to the implementation of an altruistic mindset; and the “openness to experience and research activity” factor, which refers to the willingness to embrace new experiences and acquire new skills.

Research implication. The results obtained served as the basis for identifying the personality types of volunteers and formulating practical recommendations for motivating different personality types to engage in volunteer activities and maintaining their willingness to help people.

Aim. To analyse content and structure of contemporary social ideas of the essential characteristics of public service.

Methodology.Comparativeanalysis of scientificpublicationson the problem, a survey of participants in the selectionforregionaleducationalprograms, which areanalogues of the Federalprogram“Time of Heroes” (n=21489) were used.

Results. It was found that the core of perceptions of service in public administration consists of such semantic categories as “responsibility,” “honesty,” “dedication,” and “the ability to make quick and critical decisions under uncertainty and stress,” and its semi-periphery includes such semantic categories as “respect,” “cooperation,” “initiative,” “self-sacrifice,” and “altruism.” It was shown that group perceptions of service are conditioned, on the one hand, by the characteristics of the respondents’ professional education, and on the other, by the characteristics of their current life situation.

Research implications of the study lie in clarification and expansion of the content and structure of contemporary social understandings of public service. The findings can be used as part of personnel work in the sphere of state civil service.

Aim. To study in theoretical and practical ways femininity in the paroemiology of English, German and Russian languages based on the identification and analysis of gender stereotypes reflected in the proverbs and sayings of the languages under consideration.
Methodology. The descriptive method (to consider specifics of the parpemiological units of English, German and Russian in terms of their cultural and historical functioning), the structural method (to reflect the analysis of the essence of linguistic elements and their interrelation in reflecting gender stereotypes), the method of component analysis (to identify semantic elements of paroemias, to establish their semantic features and the disclosure of the essence of the gender stereotypes reflected in them), comparative method (to identify common and specific features in the reflection of femininity in the paroemiology of the studied languages) were the main methods used in the research. 
Results. According to the research algorithm, the analysis of the paroemiological fund of English, German and Russian languages was carried out, with an emphasis on identifying gender stereotypes associated with femininity. Based on the identified paroemias, their classification according to semantic and thematic criteria is carried out, which makes it possible to determine their function and significance within each of the cultures studied. The role of paroemias in the formation of cultural and social norms and the dynamics of their change depending on historical and social factors are established.
Research implications. The theoretical significance of the research lies in expanding the understanding of the mechanisms of representation of gender stereotypes in the studied languages in the aspect of femininity, in the development of the theoretical foundations of phraseology and gender linguistics. The practical value of the research is based on the possibility of using the results of the work in the process of teaching practical courses in English, German and Russian, general and comparative lexicology, stylistics, gender linguistics, in the practice of intercultural communication, as well as in translation activities.

Aim. To establish the universality and uniqueness of verbal and non-verbal means of expressing gender in Russian, English, and German advertising texts. 
Methodology. The article uses a comparative-contrastive method, a method of component analysis, and statistical calculations to identify the features of expressing gender in advertising texts in different languages, which is necessary for building high-quality communication in the study of foreign languages.
Results. Based on the conducted linguo-statistical review, it has been described and proven that the verbal means of expressing gender in advertising tend to be unique for each language, while the non-verbal means of expressing gender tend to be universal.
Research implications. The theoretical significance of the conducted linguo-statistical review lies in the fact that it makes it possible to expand the theoretical understanding of the influence of gender stereotypes and representations on the creation and perception of advertising in different countries and the development of the theory of gender. The practical value of the work lies in the fact that the results of the study can be used in university courses on functional stylistics, sociology, as well as for the development of special courses on gender linguistics and media analysis.

Aim. To analyze the linguistic hedging devices in doctor-patient communication to express caution or mitigate statements regarding the patient’s treatment. To achieve the aim, such objectives were set as identification of linguistic hedging devices in doctor-patient discourse, determination of the key characteristics of hedging in spoken medical discourse, and analysis of hedging devices used by doctors to convey information.
Methodology. Hedging devices and their functional features in doctor-patient discourse were described, identified, and analyzed based on a corpus of 172 doctor-patient conversation scripts from polyclinics and hospitals in Astrakhan. Observation, pragmatic analysis (to identify the speaker’s goals and intentions when using hedging devices), as well as traditional descriptive and classification methods, which facilitated the structural and functional analysis of the identified hedging devices, were employed in the research.
Results. The analysis revealed that hedging in spoken medical discourse functions as a multifunctional strategy – it influences patients, provides doctors with a protective communicative tool in conflict situations and is an effective argumentative device in doctor-patient interactions.
Research implications. The study identified functions and features of hedging that help to mitigate negative information, obscure the true meaning of utterances, maintain the dialogue, create distance, and enhance empathy. These findings can assist doctors in making well-grounded decisions and engaging patients in the treatment process.

Aim. To examine a scientific foreword as a form of paratext, to study its functional, compositional, and communicative features and to describe the ways in which it realizes its advertising function.
Methodology. The forewords to monographs on ecology were analyzed, their varieties were determined, an analysis of forewords was carried out using the comparative-contrastive method, the method of interpretative and linguistic pragmatic analysis of the text.
Results. Based on the implementation features of the advertising function in forewords, a classification of forewords was proposed in terms of the presentation of review and narrative elements in them, and a pragmatic linguistic analysis of three groups of prefaces was given.
Research implications. The results of the study can be used in clarifying forms of paratexts and further exploration of their pragmatic and functional characteristics. The use of interdisciplinary knowledge on advertising, reviews, and narrative can contribute to the development of narratology, textual criticism, and communication studies, as well as enrich the theory of reader perception of text. The results of this study can be applied in further research on paratext and narrative as means of persuasion.

Aim. To determine the degree of possible preservation of culturally marked units during the translation of animated films.
Methodology. The research used such stages as selection of material (animated films and their official translations), identification and classification of culturally specific elements in the original, comparative analysis of the original and translated versions, as well as identification of the degree of possible preservation of culturally marked units using methods of analysis, synthesis, generalization, semantic analysis and linguacultural description.
Results. An analysis of the original scripts and texts of the translated animated films “Shrek” and “Masha and the Bear” revealed that a loss of distinct cultural specificity often occurs at the linguistic level. Culturally marked units are not compensated for in the translated version if they are phenomena associated with deep mental culture, allusions to cultural phenomena of a specific historical period, and especially transformed precedent statements. In these cases, the use of cultural adaptation is appropriate.
Research implications. The identified patterns of preserving the cultural component in the translation of animated films are significant for the theory and practice of audiovisual translation and can be used in classes on the practice of translation from English into Russian and from Russian into English, in linguistic-stylistic analysis of the text, and in seminars on comparative lexicology.