Home – Home – Jornals – Chemistry for Sustainable Development 2018 number 3

The measurements of CIMEL CE 318 sun photometer near Saint Petersburg within the International monitoring AERONET network are analysed. Typical regional aerosol optical characteristics (aerosol optical depth, Angstrom exponent, and single scattered albedo) and their variations are determined. Some regularities in variations in the aerosol parameters over the North-West region of the Russian Federation are revealed. The study is supplemented by the joint analysis of data from the nearby AERONET observation sites in Finland and Estonia, satellite measurements, and MERRA reanalysis data.

The variability of time series of the integral moisture content of the atmosphere and the surface partial pressure of water vapor for the territory of Europe over a long period have been studied. The main contribution to variance of moisture contents is given by seasonal variations; it is 60-70%. Mesoscale processes give 7-17%; synoptic processes give 17-27%. The linear trend contributes less than 1% to the overall variance of the variability of the atmospheric moisture content in Europe. It is shown that the interannual variability of the atmospheric moisture content is manifested both in the quasiperiodic variability of the annual mean values and in the variations in the intensity of the synoptic processes. The irregular coherence of variations in the circulation indices and surface partial pressure of water vapor in Europe with periods of 2-3 years, 5-6, 8-11, and 10-13 years is established.

Models of estimation of average and maximum concentrations of chemically active impurities in cross sections of plumes from remote stationary sources are suggested. Approbation of the models is carried out on data of aircraft sounding of multicomponent pollution of the winter atmosphere of the Norilsk industrial region. Process of active transition gas ® particle, observed at a distance of 58-103 km from a source of emissions, is numerically studied. Average and maximum sulfur oxidation rates in the winter polar atmosphere are estimated as 0.027-0.034 h^-1 and 0.055-0.07 h^-1, respectively.

We investigated the main precipitation modes over Mongolia and southern part of Eastern Siberia in midsummer. We used precipitation data from GPCC archive (1979-2013). The EOF analysis was applied to the interannual change in July precipitation for two areas: “big” (90-120°E; 35-70°N) and “small” (the Selenga basin, 96-110°E; 46-54°N). The total amount of precipitation within the Selenga basin in July was calculated. According to the obtained estimates two leading EOFs (EOF1 + EOF2) explains 32.3 and 48.9% of the total variance for the big and small areas, respectively.

Using the monitoring data of electrical quantities of a surface layer in Tomsk in 2006-2017, the their slow variations connected with passage of cumulonimbus ( Cb ) clouds and concomitant weather phenomena in the warm and cold seasons were studied. In total, 453 and 210 events for warm and cold seasons, respectively, were considered. A statistical analysis of these slow variations in the electric field potential gradient was carried out. The distribution of the total duration of the potential gradient slow variations is described by the power-series distribution (Pareto distribution).

The performance of a direct variational data assimilation algorithm with quasi-independent data assimilation at individual steps of the splitting scheme was evaluated in the realistic scenario of the air pollution assessment in the city of Novosibirsk. An algorithm with minimization of the spatial derivative of the uncertainty (control) function, which is adjusted to assimilate data, was considered in the case of sparse monitoring network. The use of the spatial derivative minimization allowed increasing smoothness of the uncertainty (control functions) reconstructed, which has a positive effect on the reconstruction quality in the scenario considered.

The work is devoted to numerical simulation of the hydraulic regime of the Lena River delta based on the system of Saint-Venant equations. This system describes the unsteady motion of the river flow in one-dimensional approximation. The numerical solution of Saint-Venant differential equations is based on the use of an absolutely stable implicit difference scheme and a specially developed method of Gaussian elimination for a “tree” graph of branched and looped sections of the river network. The calculated water discharge distribution over the main branches of Lena River delta and the comparison between modeling runoff at the Olenekskaya hydrometric cross sections with the field data in 2005 are presented.

Hydrochemical studies were carried out on the territory of oil-production enterprises of the Tomsk region located in the floodplain of the Ob and Vasyugan rivers. It was found out that oil products whose concentration exceeds the MPC value by 3-5 times are rated as the largest contributors to the pollution of rivers flowing through the territories of oil fields. The contents of chlorides, sulfates, calcium, salts of heavy metals, and magnesium exceeds the maximum permissible levels by several tens of times. The most dangerous for human health aromatic compounds were identified among oil pollutants, including pyrenes, fluoranthenes, chrysenes, benzanthracenes, which constitute a group of carcinogens. The main impact on water quality is exerted by surface runoff from the oil-polluted territory of the river watershed. For the spring period of 2014 the volume of oil products removed to the network of the Ob river was 3.2 tons on the territory of the Sovetskoye oil field, while the annual runoff was 4.9 tons. Geochemical data could be successfully used for mapping oil spill using GIS technologies and planning preventive measures for localization and restoration of contaminated sites in areas of oil and gas producing complexes.

A modified beam-splitting algorithm for solving the problem of light scattering on atmospheric concave ice crystals being typical for cirrus clouds is developed. It is based on the beam-splitting algorithm for convex crystals that was created at Institute of Atmospheric Optics SB RAS. The algorithm is used for the solution of the light scattering problem for hollow-column particles and hexagonal column aggregates. The algorithm is on open access with open source code.

The adsorption and photosorption properties of plasmatronic ZnO particles under ambient air are investigated. The composition analysis of surface layer adsorbed on microparticles is carried out. The kinetics of desorption and adsorption processes on microparticle surfaces under darkness and illumination are studied. The quantum yield and spectral dependency of quantum yield of NO photoadsorption are determined.

A four-channel photoelectric counter has been worked out and manufactured for the measurements of saltating sand concentration fluctuations and size distribution function of particles with diameters > 30 mm over desertified areas. The measurement results are given. It is shown that the vertical profile of the saltating sand concentration does not change on average in the altitude range from 3 to 7 cm over a desertified area in the neighbourhood of Volga. The distribution function of saltating sand particles over the desertified area is approximated with satisfactory precision by the lognormal distribution near the distribution maximum. Noticeable distinctions between above mentioned distributions for large and small sand particles are observed.

The technique and results of an experimental study of the disperse composition of a liquid-drop aerosol in the nozzle spray cone are presented. To determine the particle size in the spray cone using the method of measuring the small-angle scattering phase function a new experimental setup was used. The parametric analysis is carried out. The criterion relations for the maximum diameter of the particles in the spray of the centrifugal nozzle are presented. It is shown that the particle size spectrum in the spray cone corresponds to the gamma distribution.

Dynamics of layer-by-layer variability of aerosol contamination of snow cover in circulating conditions in winter period at the experimental site of the "Fonovaja" observatory (Institute of Atmospheric Optics of SB RAS) in the Tom-Ob interfluve 60 km west of Tomsk is analyzed. The chemical composition of the snow cover at the point of observation is characterized. It is established that in the elemental composition of the aerosol substance accumulated in the snow layer, a typomorphic association of indicator elements associated with coal mining is steadily manifested. The conclusion about the seasonal impact on the aerosol field of the "Fonovaja" observatory of enterprises of the coal-mining complex located to the south of the investigated territory is geochemically substantiated. It has been shown that the detection of remote sources of aerosol contamination of the snow cover is expedient to base on the morphometric analysis of the terrain and a retrospective estimate of the temporal variability of the indicators reflecting the effect of meteorological factors (dispersion ratio of surface aerosol, wind regime, snowfall intensity) and in context of the analysis of the features of the layered distribution of indicator groups of typomorphic elements, characterizing specific types of enterprises, in the snow layer.

Different ways of dispersion of solid-phase particles are considered: pulse, electrostatic, and pneumatic. The model experiment on sedimentation of fine airborne particles of polymeric substance kollidon is made. A change in the concentration of the studied aerosol particles at ultrasonic sedimentation is analysed. The pilot study has shown that electrostatic generation of aerosol considerably increases the speed of sedimentation of particles with application of ultrasound.

The paper presents the long-term investigation of biogeochemical regularities of the ingress, distribution, and accumulation of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) in the basin of Lake Baikal and the Selenga River on the territory of Russia and Mongolia. Academician V. A. Koptyug became the initiator and head of these works since 1994. The research was co-carried out by staff members of the Novosibirsk Institute of Organic Chemistry and the Baikal Institute of Nature Management SB RAS within Russian and international expeditions. The GC/MS data of the qualitative and quantitative composition of POPs in environment objects and biota may be used for regional ecological-geochemical and ecological-hygienic assessments of the environmental state, effective identification of sources and areas of anthropogenic environmental impact strengthening and weakening, design of bioaccumulative POPs models for aquatic ecosystems and environmental risk assessment.

Two main groups of environmental problems of the Kuzbass Coal Basin are discussed, the first group being the study of the current state of the pollution and its monitoring, and the second group scientific research and technologies for the pollution abatement. The substantiation and development of methods, approaches, and instruments providing complex and systematic determination of toxic substances having an adverse effect on the environment during extraction and processing of coals are described. The presence of 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene, and its metabolites in the environment objects are studied in detail. The contents of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in coals of various metamorphism are determined by the use of modern analytical methods. The composition of solid wastes of extraction and processing of coals and the distribution of mobile and water-soluble elements and organic substances in them are studied. The problem of toxic finely dispersed coal materials formed upon the extraction, transportation, enrichment, and processing of coals is examined. The composition of polluting gas emissions released from coal seams into the atmosphere is studied. For the solution of the problems of pollutants abatement a number of catalytic processes are proposed: among them catalytic combustion of fuels including low-rank coals in a fluidized catalyst bed in catalytic heat generators for the decrease of emissions of toxic nitrogen oxides and products of incomplete combustion; and technologies based on the use of monolithic catalysts for the neutralization of nitrogen oxides emissions from fuel burning plants. Main results of research of a wide number of chemical reactions of coal seam methane processing into value-added products are given: methane dehydroaromatization, oxidative coupling of methane, methane autothermal reforming and synthesis of carbon nanofibers and hydrogen from methane. Results of the study of formation of methane hydrates and approaches to their utilization are briefly discussed. The review of works devoted to the creation and study of carbon sorbents prepared from Kuzbass coals and intended for the solution of environmental problems of the Kuzbass region is presented.

The main problem of exploitation of deposits with hard-to-recover reserves, including deposits of high-viscosity oil, is a low oil recovery factor (ORF) in the development of the basic impact - injection of the displacing agent and heat transfer agent. The review examines trends and prospects of physicochemical methods for enhanced oil recovery of heavy, high-viscosity oil fields developed on natural conditions and in combination with thermal methods. The main sources of current information are the materials of world congresses and annual international conferences on the problems of heavy oil production in countries that have significant geological reserves of heavy oils and bitumen. As one of the solutions to this problem, the creation and application of physicochemical methods of enhanced oil recovery based on nanoheterogeneous chemically evolved systems based on surfactants, both in the form of "cold" technologies and in conjunction with steam-thermal action on the formation are promising. The prospects for the concept of chemically evolving oil-displacing systems are confirmed by the results of field tests of technologies for enhanced oil recovery, created in the Institute of Petroleum Chemistry SB RAS.

To create innovative complex seed protectants, a mechanochemical method for obtaining intermolecular supramolecular complexes of tebuconazole (TBC) was used. The use of polysaccharide arabinogalactan, glycyrrhizic acid and its disodium salt, as well as a dry extract of licorice root as substances forming supramolecular systems, including TBC molecules in their structure, made it possible to obtain preparations of seed disinfectants with improved ecological and biological properties. The obtained TBC-based compositions showed high efficacy against pathogenic microflora in laboratory and field conditions in the treatment of spring wheat and barley seeds, in suppression of the development of ordinary root rot, the absence of a retardant effect and a positive effect on the productivity of these crops. In addition, the compositions can reduce the rate of discharge of TBC up to 2 times.

The paper presents the results of studies of natural gas hydrates in water-in-oil and water-in-asphaltene-resin-paraffin deposits (ARPD) emulsions conducted in the laboratory of technogenic gas hydrates of the Institute of Oil and Gas Problems, SB RAS. The kinetic aspects of the hydrate formation process in the selected emulsions, the prevailing mechanisms of hydrate crystals formation, the effect of the medium on the morphology of the formed hydrates are described in detail. The study of gas hydrates growth was carried out using the differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), as well as synthesis in a special high-pressure chamber.

The article presents an overview of the conceptual prerequisites for the study of the relationship of ethno-cultural diversity with the social mechanisms of economic life. It highlights the ideas of classical political economy on the subject with the emphasis on “nation-centeredness” that establishes the defining influence of climatic conditions, type of economy, cultural specifics and features of national character of the population on the economic specialization of nations. Ethno-cultural diversity is viewed as an additional economic resource. It also singles out the ecological and economic concepts of stability and productivity of ecological communities, which are used to interpret the role of ethno-cultural diversity in the socio-economic development of interethnic communities and ensure their social stability and economic productivity. The analysis of the geographically localized economy as an interethnic community allows to conclude that ethno-cultural diversity has a beneficial effect on the economic development and interethnic relations, provided successful integration of other non-ethno-cultural groups into the host community is achieved.

The paper testes hypothesis about higher ethnic and religious heterogeneity of Siberian population. Estimations of the national and religious diversity for the Siberian regions are obtained based on the census of 2002 and 2010 years and data on religious preferences for 2012 and 2015 years in Russian and in Siberia. The analysis is based on the indexes of diversity and polarization. The resultsdo not confirmed the assumption that Siberia has high national diversity; moreover the region demonstrates more rapid decrease of the ethnic heterogeneity comparing with Russia. Heterogeneity of the religious structure of the Siberian population is higher than in the whole country, but tendency toward homogeneity is more pronounced.

The potential of the ethnoeconomic structure for the development of models of regional economies, as well as the specific forms and practices of ethnoeconomical non-traditionalism in the life activities of the ethnic groups of the Republics of Tyva and Altai are considered. Specific ethno-cultural traditions and traditional management of Tuvinians and Altaians are considered, on the one hand, as resources of increase of the economic stability of the regions. On the other hand, analysis of the forms of non-traditionalism allowed to record such non-traditional trends as the rationalization and commercialization of the traditional, the tendency to replace the authentic culture with ersatz forms. Specific spheres and mechanisms of monetization of traditional are revealed: ethnotourism and traditional nature management, ethno-cuisine and ethno-fashion, throat singing as a brand and low competitiveness of national languages.

The article raises the problem of reducing ethno-cultural diversity in the Republic of Tyva. Data are given that attest to the migration outflow of the Russian population outside the region. It is shown that the factors contributing to the monoetinization of the republic include the economic backwardness of the subject, the unsatisfactory social state of the Russians who are in the status of an ethnic minority. It is concluded that monoetanization has an unfavorable effect on the titular ethnos. In particular, the reduction of interethnic cooperation on a professional basis hinders the enrichment of Tuva residents with the skills necessary for the effective conduct of economic activity in modern conditions. Regional authorities recognize the current situation as unfavorable, and take non-standard solutions for its correction. Positive factors include the feeling of pride of Tuvinians for preserving traditional culture, the possibility of developing ethnoeconomics.

The article considers the main sources of contradictions in relations between indigenous communities and business entities in Ugra.Based on the individual case-studies, it is concluded that new actors such as public associations and non-government organizations are involved in the conflict genesis processes.It is concluded that it is necessary to expand a practice of social partnership to resolve contradictions, and that ethnological examination has the significant role in disputes settlement.

The article analyzes the changes in the national composition of Western and Eastern Siberia and the Far East in the period 1926-1989 on the basis of the data of all-Union population censuses. The influence of the main historical events on the ethnic picture of Asian Russia is revealed. Differences in the national composition of large economic and geographical regions are traced. Features of settling of the main ethnic groups of Siberia, their inclusion in modernization processes are described. The conclusion about the key role of migration and assimilation processes in the formation of the national structure of the population of the region in this period is made. Special attention is paid to the development of autochthonous peoples.

This article presents the results of the fourth step of the scenario forecast of Russian economy development with the use of expert-statistical Bayesian method, which was designed for conditions of fundamental uncertainty. Several steps of research give us an opportunity to monitor modifications in expert’s opinions about a future of the economy according to current changes. Bayesian method also enable us to estimate scenarios’ chances from the different points of view, to make an accent on different problems. At this stage, the model was based on a regional problematic in Russia. Numerical modeling shows us a tendency to a more pragmatic and administrative way of the economy development.

The article substantiates the need for Russian economy to enter the neo-industrial development path, the driver of which should be the import substitution. Its typology is examined and the role of the Government in ensuring the exit from institutional traps of neo-industrial import substitution is shown. On the example of the analysis of the basic industries import dependence problem in industrial region (Kemerovo region), recommendations are given for development of machine building as an industry whose import substitution can speed up Russian economy competitive manufacturing sector’s reconstruction on a new technological basis, relying on the potential of the mining complex.

Problems of development of the documents of strategic planning concerning spatial development at the federal level are discussed. It is shown that the strategies of long-term development of federal districts accepted by the federal government in 2010-2011 did not become the real tool of the solution of problems of spatial development.Analysis of official documents accepted by the Government on the basis of which Strategy of spatial development is developed now is carried out. Theoretical prerequisites of the Concept of strategy, and problems which follow from their use are discussed. The central idea of the Concept is definition of perspective economic specialization of regions without interregional interaction. It is shown that the typology of regions offered in the Concept does not consider modern trends of development of regions. The offered directions of change of structure of regional economies have no convincing scientific justification.It is shown that if in the long term low development rates of the Russian economy remains, then possibilities of purposeful impact on proportions of spatial development are small. There are considerable risks of preservation of the developed trends. It is offered to enhance attention to activization of factors of endogenous growth of regions.

The report reflects the practical issues of planning spatial development of the territory when developing a long- term municipal strategy. The example of the municipal district «Lensky District of the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia)» is given as one of the resource centers of Russia of “new development”. It is discussed the necessity of rethinking the historically developed social and economic space of the Lensky region in the process of changing its economic specialization. Perspective specializations of the populated areas are proposed from the point of view of accommodation, priority directions of the social and economic development of the «raw» area with the application of the principles of «inclusiveness» of local communities in the management of economic development aredeveloped. The report was prepared with the financial support of the «Program for Comprehensive Scientific Research in the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia) for the period 2016-2020».

The concept of spatial development of the Russian Federation until 2025 (approved in May 2017) proposes a partition of national territory on some macro-region’s. For the new areas will be identified priorities of economic development and industry specialization and eventually an appropriate place in the national and global division of labor. The author examines one of the proposed approaches to the allocation of macro-regions based on social-economic principles. The views of participants of the Krasnoyarsk Economic Forum 2018 are given. They criticized the proposed concept, outlined the fundamental points that need to be addressed. The discussion continues.

The article highlights the project of creation of the macro-region “Yenisei Siberia”, which was presented at the Krasnoyarsk economic forum of 2018. The leaders of the Krasnoyarsk region, the republics of Tuva and Khakassia have initiated the coordinated development of infrastructure and joint promotion of large investment projects of interregional character. The author briefly introduces the three regions-participants, presents investment projects included in the pool of “Yenisei Siberia”, suggests that a strategic hierarchy of the investment program would be useful, cites the opinion of experts-participants of the KEF on the macroregion’s prospects.

Issues of state policy in the sphere of spatial development are raised in an interview with Eugenia Buharova, Siberian Federal University. Professor Buharova is engaged for a long time in a study of spatial development and regional security. She discuss the advantages and disadvantages of Soviet-administrative and market-oriented approaches to the development of territories, examines the prospects of the project for the creation of the macro-region «Yenisei Siberia» comments on the new strategy of spatial development of Russia.

The article presents the results of the analysis of the implementation of projects of the Lower Angara region, the idea of the development of which has been discussed since 1935.it is Revealed that the difficulties in the implementation of many recent decades are associated with the orientation to market criteria for the effectiveness of many projects, the lack of economic approach to the evaluation of infrastructure projects. It is shown that the value of competitiveness of the resources of this region in the absence of modern transport communications is greatly exaggerated. The authors suggest that the emphasis in the new strategy of development of such territories is not on finding competitive advantages with other regions, but on their interaction, complementarity with the mandatory integration of their projects into the long-term development strategy of the whole country. Unfortunately, today more attention is paid to the commercial interests of companies - investors, but not to the interests of the country.

Institute of Economics and industrial Engineering SB RAS celebrates its 60th anniversary this year. Director of IEIE Prof. Dr. Valery A. Kryukov during his interview talks about the fate of scientific schools that have contributed to institute’s fame around the world in the Soviet period, reflects on IEIE’s place in the history of modern economic science, formulates his position with regard to competition and collaboration with national and foreign scientific organizations, tells about the most promising modern developments of the institute.

The article is devoted to the analysis of the population’s adaptation behavior appeared in the period of 2015-2017. The author studies the population’s ideas about economic growth perspectives; the level of resources development; current adaptation strategies. The informational base of the study is monitoring research “Subjective well-being”, conducted annually by INSAP Ranepa in the form of 8 waves of representative surveys with a sample of 1,640 respondents. It is shown that the population perceives the current economic situation without alarmism, but does not see the prospects for its improvement. In such a situation adaptation means getting used to new conditions by reducing consumption standards for the majority of people. Only one fifth of the population has a high resource potential, allowing to create a variety of adaptation strategies, while twice higher number of those who is characterized by the low resource potential. The main adaptation strategy for the group with low resource potential has become the use of a private subsidiary farm. Active forms of adaptation dealt with the implementation of various resources characterize the behavior of the third of the population.

The article is devoted to the problem of evaluation of efficiency of municipal investment policies and perspectives of investment development of the municipalities in the North and the Arctic. Objectives of the study included issues of budget security and investment opportunities of municipalities in crisis, as well as assessment of effectiveness of measures undertaken by state and municipal authorities in creating an enabling investment environment. It is concluded that the growth of investments and the intensification of investment activities on the territory of the municipality largely depends on the commitment of the Federal and regional authorities, as well as the position of core enterprises, so the main prospects for development and investment in the Northern regions are connected, primarily, with the stable operation of oil-and-gas and single-industry settlements.

To obtain a retrospective aggregated estimates of greenhouse gas emissions in the Russian regions, it is possible to use the Fuel and Energy Balance, which includes data on the final consumption of fuel and energy. Retrospective assessments allow to analyze the influence of various socio-economic factors on the dynamics of emissions through correlation regression analysis. In Yakutia, there is a direct correlation between anthropogenic emissions of greenhouse gases and economic growth, as well as the quality and standard of living of the population. It is recommended to use cautiously the Russian statistics before 1995, because at that time the economy was strongly influenced by multidirectional processes, which affects the comparability of data. The indicators of carbon intensity and energy intensity of GRP are closely interrelated. At the same time, carbon intensity is more sensitive to changes in the volumes and structure of fuel and energy resources consumed in the region, i.q. energy intensity to socio-economic dynamics. Northern specificity and severe climate determine a higher level of greenhouse gas emissions in Yakutia compared with the world average. However, the region and Russia as a whole have quite large reserves in reducing emissions. Data from other northern countries can be used as targets of regional programs.

The article deals with the establishment of the Russian National Payment Card System (NPCS), which is demands special care. The purpose of this article is studying implementation stages of the first independent payment system in Russia. The key indicators of the NPCS contemporary development have been thoroughly investigated. It is concluded that to ensure the fair competition in the market of payment cards it is vital to pay attention on improving the payment infrastructure and implementation the economic insentives for the «Mir» payment system participants. The authors consider that in the long-term period the Russian NPCS would be able to compete with international payment systems in case it got ready to implement innovations and offer price and functional advantages of the pruposed products. It is expected that the results revealed can be used by economists-researchers, credit institutes and national regulating authorities for improvement of the NSPC development in the conditions of economic sanctions and also for stimulation of cashless payments growth in the country.

Historical conceptualizations of one of the biggest Soviet trials (Shakhty, 1928) transitioned from “well founded” to “fabricated”, which demands careful rethinking of its reasons, purposes, means and results. Shakhty trial formally was stacked against “specialists-wreckers” but in reality it was a way out of deep systemic crisis: legitimacy decline, growth of negativity towards the government institutions, social unrest. Taking the model of conflict mobilization («us - they») as a basis for show trials, Stalin government not only sacrificed interests and status of the engineers, but also pragmatically used disaffection of the working class with the «delay» of privileges promised for them. Retargeting remonstrative energy of workers towards “spetseyedstvo” (bashing non-party engineers) and encouraging public mood of social revenge of «lower classes» against intelligentsia, the regime evoked new crisis situations (deformation of social and labor relations, extending repressive measures over management and economy).

The paper discuss the concept of the system of socio-economic relations derived from the relations of power (domination - subordination). The author of the reviewed book develops a system of categories of political economy, based on the methodology of Marx, bringing in a number of new elements and removing from it those elements that, in his assessment, are not significant. Critical review of the book shows its strengths and weaknesses. The author’s concept is evaluated from the point of view of correctness of methodological requirements, as well as by comparison with alternative approaches. The activity approach, which is the basis of the study, leads the author to original results, different from the generally recognized ones. The review discusses the explanatory power of the concept proposed by the author, its completeness and consistency.