Home – Home – Jornals – Russian Geology and Geophysics 2022 number 12

The Tuvinian trough is one of the large grabens of the rift system formed in the Devonian-Carboniferous in the eastern part of the Altai-Sayan fold area. Based on the results of comprehensive studies, the age was refined, and the geochemical features of igneous rocks formed during two stages of tectonic and magmatic activity within the Tuvinian trough were studied. In the Early Devonian (397 Ma, Emsian), at the stage of the initiation of the Tuvinian trough in the stretching setting, the volcanic and subvolcanic rocks of the Kendei Formation formed, which make a bimodal series. The Early Devonian igneous rocks of mafic composition have geochemical features of both intraplate (low values of Mg#, high contents of K₂O (up to 2.9 wt. %) and TiO₂ (up to 2.2 wt. %), and enrichment in LREE relative to HREE) and suprasubductional (enrichment in Pb and Sr and depletion in Ta and Nb) formations and are characterized by high values of εNd(T) (+5.9 to +8.0). They are assumed to have formed from a mixed source including the depleted mantle and components modified by subduction. The Early Devonian felsic volcanic rocks, which are the extreme member of the bimodal sequence, also combine the geochemical features of rocks of intraplate (high Fe and low Sr, P, and Ti contents, Zr and Hf enrichment) and island arc (Ta and Nb depletion) origin. These rocks with εNd(T) values from +4.0 to +7.0 resulted from the melting of a heterogeneous source corresponding in composition to the lower continental crust. In the Middle Devonian-early Carboniferous (390-350 Ma), the Tuvinian rift trough evolved to a mature stage, at which the mafic rocks of the Torgalyk Complex were intruded. The Middle Devonian-early Carboniferous mafic rocks are similar in isotope and geochemical characteristics, including the Nd isotope composition (εNd(T) = +6.7), to the Early Devonian formations. In contrast to the Early Devonian rocks, the magmas for the Middle Devonian-early Carboniferous mafic rocks were generated from a relatively homogeneous mantle source without significant metasomatic transformations, the features of which are better manifested in the Kendei rocks.

Experimental studies and analysis of silicate inclusions testify to the magmatic genesis of part of chromian spinel from the Triassic deposits of the northeastern Siberian Platform. The compositions of melt inclusions in the chromian spinel show the participation of alkaline (potassic) magmas in their crystallization. Most data indicate the presence of magmatic systems similar to melts in the Guli ultrabasic massif in the northern Siberian Platform. Studies of the distribution of trace and rare-earth elements in the melt inclusions show the existence of several magmatic systems. These are, first of all, magmas that formed Guli-type ultrabasic massifs and gave rise to meimechites and picrites in the Maimecha-Kotui province. There are also plume-related magmatic systems with kimberlites, lamprophyres, and/or other continental “hot spots”. The composition of the melt inclusions suggests the existence of several types of the primary sources of chromian spinel in the northeastern Siberian Platform, which confirms the earlier data on the heterogeneous composition of the deposits of the diamondiferous Carnian (Upper Triassic) Stage. Applying computer modeling with the well-known COMAGMAT, PETROLOG, and WinPLtb programs as well as the Ol-Sp geothermometers based on the melt inclusions in chromian spinel from the Triassic deposits of the northeastern Siberian Platform, we have determined the P - T conditions of crystallization of minerals in the igneous rocks being the sources of the examined chromites. The temperature of liquidus crystallization of chromian spinel is 1324-1275 ºC. The P - T conditions of formation of olivine and clinopyroxene inclusions in it are estimated at ca. 4.5-4.1 kbar, 1510-1150 ºC and 3.2-1.0 kbar, 1285-1200 ºC, respectively.

Kuvaevite ((Ir,Rh)₅(Ni,Fe,Cu)₁₀S₁₆) forms small grains (up to 20 µm across) in globular inclusions hosted by grains of Os-Ir-(Ru) alloys (up to 0.5 mm) in ore occurrences along the Ko River in the Sisim placer zone, Eastern Sayans. Rh-bearing pentlandite or oberthürite (or both), the minerals of the laurite-erlichmanite series and Pt-(Pd)-Fe alloys are the main associated minerals. Kuvaevite is gray to brownish gray in color in reflected light. Its bireflectance is weak to absent. It is slightly pleochroic in gray to light brown shades, and slightly anisotropic, from gray to light yellow shades. Its calculated density is 6.37 g/cm³. According to results of microprobe analyses ( n = 3) carried out using wavelength-dispersive spectrometry, WDS, the composition of kuvaevite is: Cu 5.94 (4.39-6.89), Ni 13.95 (13.80-14.24), Fe 10.95 (10.18-11.97), Co 0.07 (0.06-0.10), Ir 32.38 (32.19-32.73), Rh 7.27 (7.22-7.31), Pt 1.91 (1.67-2.06), Os 0.05 (0-0.09), Ru 0.05 (0.04-0.05), S 27.06 (26.77-27.41), total 99.63 wt.%. The empirical formulae calculated using the mean results of analyses are: (Ir_3.22Rh_1.35Pt_0.19Ru_0.01Os_0.01)_Σ4.78 (Ni_4.54Fe_3.75Cu_1.79Co_0.02)_Σ10.10S_16.13 (WDS) and (Ir_3.23Rh_1.43Pt_0.25)_Σ4.91 (Ni_4.49Fe_3.57Cu_1.86Co_0.06)_Σ9.98S_16.11 (SEM/EDS; n = 56). These are based on a total of 31 atoms according to structural data obtained for torryweiserite, the rhodium-dominant analogue. Kuvaevite forms solid-solution series with torryweiserite, tamuraite and ferrotorryweiserite, all these being isostructural. The symmetry of kuvaevite was determined using the synchrotron Laue microdiffraction; the results are in good agreement with the trigonal crystal system and give the following unit-cell parameters: a = 7.079(5) Å, c = 34.344(12) Å, V = 1490(2) ų; Z = 3. The ratio c/a is 4.852. The probable space-group, R3m (#166), is based on structural results for torryweiserite. The strongest eight reflections in the X-ray diffraction pattern derived from the microdiffraction study [d in Å(hkl) (I)], are the following: 3.0530(20 1)(43), 3.0103(2 1 6)(100), 2.9962(1010) (53), 2.7991(205)(50), 2.4946(208)(31), 1.9208(3 1 10)(41), 1.7697(4 2 0)(73), 1.7582(20 16)(66). The results of the electron backscatter diffraction study (EBSD) of two kuvaevite crystals are well-indexed based on the R3m space group. Kuvaevite and related sulfides significantly vary in composition in the Ko River placer, in the entire Sisim zone, and in some other ore occurrences worldwide. Associations of platinum-group minerals observed in ore occurrences at Ko River and in the Sisim zone seem to be genetically related to bedrock zones of chromite-bearing ultramafic rocks (serpentinites) of the Lysanskiy complex. Kuvaevite and other minerals present in the polymineralic inclusions, hosted by Os-Ir-(Ru) alloys, formed from droplets of residual melt. This melt accumulated the “incompatible” elements, which could not be incorporated into the structure of the host alloy, including lithophile elements, chalcogens (S, Te), semimetals (As, Sb, Bi), base metals (Fe, Ni, Cu), as well as relatively low-temperature PGE species (Pt, Pd) and Rh. There are local data on metastable crystallization and undercooling of the silicate melt, as well as effective differentiation and fractionation of S and ore components during the crystallization of these inclusions. Kuvaevite is named after O.M. Kuvaev (1934-1975), a prominent geologist, geophysicist and writer.

We present results of mineralogical and geochemical studies (optical and electron microscopy, probe microanalysis, and LA-ICP-MS) of accessory apatite from the rocks of four ore-bearing massifs of the Khudolaz Complex: Vostochnyi Buskun, Severnyi Buskun, Malyutka, and Tashly-Tau. Two groups of apatite are recognized by morphology and chemical composition: (1) “magmatic” unaltered apatite (Ap-1) in unaltered and slightly altered rocks and (2) “metasomatized” apatite (Ap-2) surrounded by secondary silicates that replaced primary minerals. Ap-1 is represented by euhedral and subhedral hexagonal crystals with a high content of chlorine (0.7-1.2 wt.% Cl) and an extremely low content of sulfur (<0.05 wt.% SO3). It is enriched in REE (ΣREE = 2.2-3.0 wt.%), shows a pronounced negative Eu anomaly (Eu/Eu* = 0.36-0.58), and is depleted in Co, Ni, and chalcophile trace elements (Zn, Pb, and Bi). The distribution of major and trace elements in Ap-1 made it possible to identify its two generations, early and late, in the Khudolaz Complex. The early generation, characterized by a low content of Ca ( Т ≥ 1000 °C, CaO < 54 wt.%), crystallized almost simultaneously with Ca-plagioclase (An_81-61). The late generation, characterized by a high content of Ca ( Т ≥ 700 °C, CaO > 55 wt.%), is associated with Na-plagioclase (An_28-8), amphibole, and phlogopite. Ap-2 is represented by highly cracked grains and is characterized by a low content of chlorine (0.0n-0.5 wt.% Cl) and a high content of sulfur (0.06-0.93 wt.% SO3). The content of fluorine in both groups of apatite varies in the same range (0.6-1.7 wt.% F), which determines its relative inertness during metasomatic processes. Ap-2 is less enriched in REE (ΣREE = = 1.1-2.1 wt.%) and shows a less pronounced Eu anomaly (Eu/Eu* = 0.61-0.77) but has high contents of Co, Ni, and chalcophile trace elements. The Ap-1 and Ap-2 show different variations in contents of major elements (Fe, Mg, Na, etc.), which is due to the impact of hydrothermal fluid on the mineral at the postmagmatic stage. It is shown that the low content of sulfur in apatite from unaltered rocks does not indicate a low sulfide ore potential of the Khudolaz Complex. The Cu-Ni sulfide signature of the complex is more clearly evidenced by the composition of metasomatized apatite enriched in S, Co, Ni, and chalcophile elements as a result of their hydrothermal removal from primary sulfide minerals. The high Eu/Eu* value indicates an increase in oxygen fugacity at the postmagmatic stage.

The emergence of magnetic properties in nano-objects of non-magnetic substances based on silicon and transition metal (iron) is considered. An analysis of the literature showed that, for a monolayer iron coating on a vicinal silicon surface with (111) orientation after solid-phase annealing at 450-550 °C, a system of self-ordered two-dimensional nanorods with the α-FeSi₂ structure is formed, which has superparamagnetic properties. In this work, we study the transition to ferromagnetic properties in a system of α-FeSi₂ nanorods in the temperature range of 2-300 K with an increase in the iron coverage to 5.22 monolayers, which is important for creating spintronics devices in the framework of the planar silicon technology.

Structural, electric, and optical studies of silicon-on-sapphire substrates with silicon and hafnia nanolayers have been carried out depending on the substrate thickness. It is shown that the biaxial tensile stress induced in the intermediate HfO₂ layer - as a result of the heat treatment of such structures, due to the large difference in the thermal expansion coefficients between the layers of silicon, sapphire and hafnium dioxide, - stimulates the current hysteresis in the SOS-pseudo-MOSFET channel. It is found that a decrease in the mechanical stress in hafnium dioxide leads to an increase in the coercive field and ferroelectric switching at low fields in hafnia nanolayers.

Layered SnSe₂ 50 and 30 nm thick films are grown using in situ reflection electron microscopy on Si(111) and Bi₂Se₃(0001) substrates. The growth of films proceeds by a multilayer mechanism with the formation of pronounced mounds. The height of the atomic steps is measured by atomic force microscopy (AFM) and amounts to 0.6 nm, which corresponds to the thickness of the SnSe₂ layer. The ex situ AFM image of the SnSe₂ film grown on Si(111) shows a high concentration of screw dislocations in the film (~12 μm^-2) and the presence of domains with triangular step faceting having two types of orientation with respect to the substrate. It has been found that the SnSe₂ growth on the single crystal Bi₂Se₃(0001) surface occurs with the formation of hexagonal-faceted mounds equally oriented with respect to the substrate. The mounds are formed by a multilayer mechanism both in the places where screw dislocations come to the surface and due to periodic nucleation of 2D islands on the highest terraces. The sizes of the highest terraces are up to 1 μm. The spectra characteristics of the films are obtained using the Raman scattering method on both substrates and correspond to the 1T-SnSe₂ phase in both cases.

An interband photoluminescence (PL) of structures with multiple quantum wells (MQWs) with different contents of Ge and Sn has been obtained. The peak position on the PL spectra obtained from Ge_0.93-xSi_xSn_0.07/Si MQWs is shifted to longer wavelengths with the Ge content increase in the solid solution and is observed in the energy range of 0,85-0.68 eV for the Ge content from 30 to 78%. Thus, the peak shift over the wavelength from 1,46 μm to 1,82 μm was observed, and the total spectral range of MQWs luminescence covered by these structures was 1,3-2,1 μm. An even more significant shift of the MQWs PL peak to the long wavelength region is achieved by increasing the Sn content. The increase in the Sn content from 7% to 14% at a constant 30% Ge content leads to the peak shift from 0,85 eV to 0,75 eV. A simultaneous increase in the content of both tin and germanium in the solid solution (to 14% and 79%, respectively) makes it possible to obtain the PL peak with the energy of 0,58 eV, which corresponds to the emission wavelength of 2,14 μm. A sharp “red” shift in the position of the PL peak with the temperature increase is found. Its value is up to 50 meV at the change of the heating sample temperature from 11 K to 60-80 K. Such a significant shift in the position of the MQWs PL peak is explained by the model assuming that charge carriers are randomly localized on spatial inhomogeneities of the MQWs at low temperatures, whereas they are redistributed and transferred to a thermodynamically equilibrium state with the lowest energy as the temperature increases.

The kinetics of reflectivity signals from nanostructures including an equal number of quantum wells with an identical composition In_xGa_1-xAs (x=0.32) with GaAs barriers of 2, 4, 6, and 8 monolayers grown over a semiconductor reflector under identical conditions are investigated by the pump-probe technique. The tendency of recovery time shortening for thinner barriers is found. The prospects of further research and practical application of quantum wells coupled via charge carrier tunneling are under consideration.

An analysis of the structure of as-deposited films of nonstoichiometric germanosilicate glasses and the transformation of their structure under annealing is carried out using the Raman spectroscopy and IR spectroscopy. It is shown that the structure of the films is stable up to a temperature of 350 ^oC; under annealing beginning from 400 ^oC, amorphous germanium clusters are formed in the films. On the basis of these films, metal-insulator-semiconductor structures are fabricated, and prospects for their use in memristors and photodetectors are demonstrated.

This work demonstrates that digital technologies can be successfully applied to image analysis and prediction of the properties of functional materials. As an example, a new method is used to rapidly identify the crystallographic orientation parameters in multicrystalline silicon. The proposed method is based on machine learning technologies. The analysis of textured multicrystalline silicon wafers is carried out using the original single-crystal grain clustering algorithm, and the crystallographic orientation parameters are identified using a neural network model. The principle of identification is based on the correlation of the contrast of the macrostructure display associated with the reflective features of the grains and their orientation parameters. The architecture of the neural network - a multilayer perceptron - is chosen taking into account the restrictions on the number of input data. However, in conjunction with the algorithm, the optimal amount of training data satisfies the requirements of the neural network training process and ensures high efficiency in identifying orientation parameters on scanned images of textured multicrystalline silicon wafers.

The field dependence of the magnetization of a silicon nanosandwich, observed at room temperature, demonstrates a very complex character. The dependence is formed by the main contribution of the quantum magnetic effect, which is interpreted as the de Haas - Van Alphen effect with integer and fractional filling factors. Based on the previously found two-dimensional carrier density, the critical fields for the corresponding filling factors are calculated. Modeling of the de Haas - Van Alphen oscillations at a high temperature (T = 300 K) is performed according to a given distribution of the energy density of states of a silicon nanosandwich in the vicinity of Landau levels. The computational procedure is implemented on a supercomputer. The dependence of the carrier effective mass on the strength of the external magnetic field, previously discovered by us, is taken into account.

This work presents the Monte Carlo simulation results of gold droplet movement over a vicinal Si(111) surface during the gold deposition. The behavior of gold droplets on a singular silicon surface with (111) and (100) orientations is considered. It is found that the directional droplet motion on the vicinal Si(111) surface is caused by the asymmetry of lateral facets at the liquid-crystal interface. The asymmetry of lateral facets is caused by the presence of steps on the vicinal Si(111) surface. The reason for the gold droplet movement is the silicon substrate dissolution in the tendency to reach the Au-Si melt equilibrium concentration in the droplet bulk. The kinetics of Au-Si droplet movement on the silicon surface is analyzed.

One of the promising approaches to solving the problem of producing low-cost photodetector arrays is to develop diode arrays based on structures with PtSi/poly-Si Schottky barriers produced by standard CMOS processes. In creating such structures, several problems arise, and the present study is aimed at solving such problems. The diffusion of hydrogen atoms from a Si₃N₄ layer into a silicon film at room temperature at the step of formation of a Si/Si₃N₄ layer is detected and studied using Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy. In studying the formation of PtSi/poly-Si layers, it is found that an interface film consisting of Pt₃Si and Pt₂Si silicides is formed on the surface of poly-Si during magnetron sputtering of platinum. When the Pt/(Pt₃Si+Pt₂Si)/poly-Si structure is heated to ∼ 300°C for 30 min, the transition of the Pt₃Si phase to the Pt₂Si phase occurs. A further increase in temperature leads to the formation of the PtSi compound; at the temperature of 480°C, all silicides completely transform into the PtSi phase.

The effect of coatings containing dysprosium or erbium ions on the properties of photosensitive structures based on porous silicon is investigated. The current-voltage, capacitance - voltage and spectral characteristics of structures with a p-n junction and films of erbium or dysprosium fluorides, as well as structures with an oxide layer of a complex composition containing erbium ions, are measured. The effect of X-ray radiation with a quantum energy of 6.9 keV on the photoelectric properties of structures with a porous layer and a coating of erbium fluoride is studied. A noticeable effect of the coating on the characteristics of the structures is shown.

The photoluminescence of float-zone silicon irradiated with high-energy xenon heavy ions (167 MeV) has been studied. In the photoluminescence spectra at low temperatures, in addition to the known X, W, W’, and C lines, a wide band appears in the region of 1.3 - 1.5 µm. With an increase in the irradiation dose in the range of 5·10¹⁰ - 10¹³ cm^-2, a decrease in the intensity and narrowing of the photoluminescence band is observed with a simultaneous shift of the maximum to the long-wavelength region. During subsequent annealing at temperatures of 400, 500, and 600 ^oC, changes in photoluminescence spectra are observed, associated with the transformation of the structure of defects in silicon. The temperature dependence of photoluminescence in the range from 10 to 170 K is studied for samples after irradiation with various doses and annealings.

The knowledge of the photoresist refractive index is useful for a number of applied tasks of controlling microelectronics technological processes, as well as for experimental studies of the characteristics of prototyped diffractive and micro-optical structures with deep microrelief. As this optical parameter depends on the photoresist treatment conditions, the spectral dependences provided at times by manufacturers may be insufficient. Research results of determining the refractive index dependence of positive photoresists S1818 G2 (MICROPOSIT) and FP-3535 (FRAST-M) in the wavelength range of 500-1600 nm on preliminary heat treatment conditions in the range of 15-30 min and exposure to actinic radiation are presented. The treatment of the investigated photoresists to obtain the refractive index within 1.61-1.64 in the visible spectral range and 1.59-1.61 in the near infrared spectral range of the emission spectrum is provided. An anomalous dispersion zone in the 570-640 nm wavelength range has been detected in films of the S1818 G2 dyed photoresist, which is often used in experimental characterization research in diffractive optical element prototyping. The dispersion curves for the Russian photoresist FP-3535 have been obtained for the first time.

Three-dimensional periodic contact problems on infinite straight chains of punches acting on the face of a transversally isotropic elastic layer, the other face of which is under conditions of a sliding embedment, are studied. The isotropy planes are parallel or perpendicular to the layer faces. To solve contact problems, the method of nonlinear boundary integral equations is used, which makes it possible to simultaneously determine the contact area and contact pressures. Calculations are performed for known transversally isotropic materials.

The structure of foam materials is analyzed. It is noted that foam materials under uniaxial tension and compression have different strain diagrams. A simplified physical model for a heteromodular foam material in the form of a steel ring is proposed. The model was tested on a Walter + Bai AG LFM-L-1 test machine. The deformation of the model was analyzed using the ANSYS Workbench software package taking into account the contact interaction between its elements. The calculation results were compared with experimental data.

The Spatial Development Strategy of the Russian Federation until 2025 provides Russian regions with the choice of prospective economic specializations, which are often summarized in the concept of “smart specialization." One of such prospective specializations is financial and insurance activities. An analysis of existing approaches to defining regional specialization has revealed the possibility of including financial and insurance activities as specializations of Russia’s individual constituent entities. Detailed statistical material on prospective economic specializations, including financial services and insurance, is defined in the Atlas of Economic Specialization of Regions. The object of observation is the Siberian Federal District and its five constituent entities (Altai Republic, Altai Krai, Krasnoyarsk Krai, Kemerovo Oblast, Novosibirsk Oblast), which have chosen financial services and/or insurance as their branches of specialization. We propose a methodology for ranking the capabilities of financial market participants in these constituent entities of the Rassian Federation. Based on the developed methodology, the city of Novosibirsk has been considered a potential capital of the regional financial market of Siberia. Using the main elements characterizing institutional and instrumental approaches to the formation of the financial market, we suggest the ways of creating a regional financial center in Novosibirsk.

The digitalization of organizations, households, and management is accelerated by information and communication technology (ICT), which leads to the economic growth of countries and regions in the knowledge economy. Russia is inferior to developed countries in investing in the knowledge economy sectors and in how much these sectors contribute to GDP. Although ICT has a decisive role in the digitalization of regions, digital heterogeneity and fragmented knowledge economy at the mesolevel hold back the growth. This paper aims to assess how regional economic growth is impacted by expenditures for developing the knowledge economy, including the ICT sector, and the digitalization indices of households and organizations. We propose and test an econometric model of endogenous growth using data from Rosstat and the Higher School of Economics. Digitalization indices of households and organizations in 80 regions have been generated for 2017. The top five regions in terms of the highest household digitalization index are as follows: Moscow Oblast, the Republic of Tatarstan, Tyumen Oblast, Moscow, and St. Petersburg. The same ranking for the organization digitalization index would be Moscow, St. Petersburg, Leningrad Oblast, Stavropol Krai, and Tambov Oblast. Many Asian Russian and Transcaucasian regions lag significantly behind. We confirm a hypothesis that spending on ICT leads to an increase in GRP per capita by 1 p.p. and is complementary to the higher education spillover. Digitalization indices have positive but statistically insignificant regression coefficients. Expenditures in other knowledge economy sectors, such as science, higher education, and healthcare, which form human capital, were not able to affect regions’ economic growth meaningfully in 2017, possibly due to their “underfundedness" (compared to developed countries). The article concludes that there is a need for systematic actions in managing all knowledge economy sectors, knowledge spillovers, domestic science and ICT breakthroughs to ensure the economy of Russian regions grows under digitalization. Our findings may be useful for managing the knowledge economy in digitally transforming Russian regions.

Kaliningrad Oblast is an exclave region of the Russian Federation, which means its vulnerability in political and economic terms, as well as in self-sufficiency in basic foodstuffs. Low investment attractiveness of the farming industry, staff shortage and many other issues jeopardize food self-sufficiency in the region. The aim of our study is to assess the current state of food self-sufficiency for Kaliningrad Oblast at the municipal level and to identify bottlenecks hindering its achievement. The indicator of self-sufficiency in basic foodstuffs is taken as the most representative one. The author has proposed an adapted method for calculating municipality self-sufficiency. We use calculated indicators of the required production volumes in accordance with rational consumption standards. This made it possible to obtain an objective assessment of how the municipal formations in Kaliningrad Oblast can provide their residents with basic types of products. The results obtained have showed that the region as a whole has a rather low level of self-sufficiency in the primary agricultural produce. At the same time, several districts have not achieved self-sufficiency in any of the foodstuffs under consideration. However, we believe that many municipalities have the capacity to increase agricultural production, as evidenced by the growth of self-sufficiency indicators over the studied period. The decision-makers regarding the development of agricultural production and food industry in Kaliningrad Oblast should strengthen the support for agricultural producers in promising municipalities.

The problem of demographic development in Russia and its regions has been a pressing one for many years and is likely to remain such for the foreseeable future. Moreover, a set of heterogeneous factors leads to a worsening of the situation in the field of fertility. The hypothesis of this study is that the level of development of social infrastructure largely determines the dynamics of the fertility indicator. The aim of the research is to analyze the changes in the level of fertility in the regions of Russia and to form a forecast for the medium term. The article reviews relevant scientific works, analyzes the level of fertility and changes in domestic reproductive behavior, groups and ranks the regions, develops an econometric model to describe the impact exerted by the level of social infrastructure development on fertility, and forms a scenario forecast for the fertility situation in the Russian regions. It is shown that the decline in the birth rate is due to a range of reasons, many of which can be adjusted to a very limited extent. The forecast of the situation development according to different scenarios assumes that the relatively low birth rate will remain until 2024 even in the most favorable conditions. Combined with other factors, this increases the threats to the sustainable demographic development of the country overall. The proposed toolkit can help make evidence-based decisions in public administration practices when implementing regulatory measures in social and demographic policy.

One of the reasons for the outflow and decline in the quality of human capital in Russian regions is educational migration, which is influenced by many factors, including the geography around schoolchildren’s educational choices (which university and where it is located) and further non-return of university graduates to their place of origin. The article considers the spatial features of schoolchildren’s educational choices in the region, using the Republic of Bashkortostan for a case study. It identifies how much highly qualified personnel leave the republic by comparing the attractiveness coefficients of Russian universities with the share of highly qualified personnel in the in- and out-migration. Spatial aspects of educational choices are analyzed through a questionnaire-based sociological survey of schoolchildren attending 10th and 11th grades in urban and municipal districts of the Republic of Bashkortostan as regards their selection of a place of study. We investigate the results of such a choice depending on the student’s place of residence, class profile, and family wealth. The territorial distribution of schoolchildren’s preferences by municipal and urban districts is studied in relation to the ratings of universities in neighboring regions and their geographical proximity.

The article examines the admission tracks of master’s students at the Southern Federal University (SFedU) in 2020 when Russian universities implemented the distant format of initial testing. The purpose of the study is to test hypotheses regarding the admission tracks to the master’s degree programs at SFedU and to analyze the most popular specialties in terms of admission strategies. Based on the admission data and a sociological survey of SFedU students, we outline the admission strategies according to the following criteria: break in study, change of university, moving to another city for bachelor’s studies, moving to another city for master’s studies. The study has shown the most and the least demanded areas of study and built up a potential master’s degree student profile. The master’s target audience could vary in age, strategy for selecting areas of study, and motives for enrollment. The hypothesis that the most popular track for master’s degree students is to continue their education at the same university without a break has not been confirmed. Admission strategies, including changing regions to get admission to a university, are typical of master’s students who choose unique programs. The study estimates that admission tracks outline more about the strong academic school these programs follow rather than target admission levels. We prove demand for individual educational routes among master’s students.

The article is dedicated to studying the phenomenon of decay (loss of relevance) of strategic documents at the regional and municipal levels in Russia. By analyzing major news sources, we show that Russian strategic planning documents are static, “sluggish," and unable to respond to rapid changes in the social, economic, political, and cultural environment (as in the case of the coronaviruspandemic). This leads to their rapid semantic degradation, the loss of their connection with current socio-economic challenges. It has been revealed that the duration of decay time differs among regions and municipalities, as well as among individual cities and regions, depending on local conditions. According to our estimates, a regional strategy decays and fully dies out within two to three years, while the same period is one to one and a half years for a municipal one, which is, in fact, equal to the time these strategies are drafted.

The article presents an analysis of the state and trends in the development of interregional relations of the Republic of Belarus with the regions of the Russian Federation and China. It elaborates proposals on how to form an institutional framework for deepening interregional interactions within the Union State of Belarus and Russia, which includes establishing legal support institutions, expanding the powers of the Union State of Belarus and Russia’s governing bodies, local self-government, coordination, and developing integration environment. The article highlights the main provisions of the draft Strategy for the Development of Interregional Cooperation Between Belarus and the People's Republic of China that contains recommendations for increasing the positions of non-potash commodity exports, taking into account such factors as the demand, price competitiveness of Belarusian products, expanding the export positions of high-tech products and goods of regional specialization, partnering with SMEs, cluster structures, etc. The format of regional associations has been defined as a practically untapped reserve for the growth of interregional relations between Belarus, Russia, and China. The main drivers that build up the capacity for interregional cooperation in the context of regional integration are considered to be as follows: creating an information and analytical database on the status of and current changes in the foreign economic strategies of the regions of China and the EAEU countries; using the potential of the digital logistics corridors project in the EAEU; establishing trade and marketing alliances; working out a joint action plan to include megalopolises and agglomerations, innovation zones, industrial parks, and border areas in interregional interactions.

For decades, transforming the economy of Kuzbass (Kemerovo Oblast) has been presented in the region’s strategic planning documents as the most important method to ensure accelerated economic growth. The authors of this article prove that, unfortunately, there have been virtually no qualitative changes in the Kuzbass economy over the past twenty years and give reasons why this has occurred. Kuzbass is currently facing the difficult task of choosing a long-term development model. On the one hand, despite the existing internal challenges and risks, the government is targeting businesses and society at accelerated growth, relying primarily on opportunities to increase coal production and advance SMEs. On the other hand, a critical mass of subjective and objective circumstances is gradually accumulating in Kuzbass, which in the medium term may radically change the situation, and the transformation of its economy will be the only possible model of economic growth. The main problem is the prospect of coal being displaced from the global economy under the pressure of decarbonization trend. Russia lacks a generally recognized systematic approach to the structural reorganization of coal-producing regions under the decarbonization policy. Having studied some relevant practices abroad, we offer an original concept of transforming the Kuzbass economy on the principles ofjust transition, used by the European Union. The prerequisite for its successful implementation must be a dialogue between the authorities, businesses, and society in elaborating and coordinating the corridors of the region’s future development.

This article calculates the true savings of single-industry towns in Siberia and the Far East between 2011 and 2018. We propose a new classification of single-industry towns based on their results, considering sectoral specialization and true savings levels. Our viewpoint is that to make effective management decisions with regard to each single-industry town, it is necessary to organize field monitoring and investigation. The article suggests a possible structure of the field team report. The author’s proposals on differentiated lines of state policy for each group of single-industry towns, which take into account the level of true savings in a single-industry town, sectoral specifics, distance to a major city, and strategic importance for the Russian Federation, have become the result of this research cycle.

The article considers certain guidelines for establishing a Siberian scientific school of regional and municipal government, including research on the issues of regional reproduction, regional economic independence, regional preplanning, a program-target approach to managing the regional economy, comprehensive regional planning, the study of regional competitiveness, patterns of interaction mechanism between economic entities in the territory, and the objective conditions and principles of social and economic management in a region. By analyzing and summarizing the institutional aspects involved in the activities of state and municipal governments, schemes and procedures of regional planning and forecasting, the paper has identified the features of modern management structure and proposed directions to form an integral system of regional and municipal development management, as well as core elements of the state and municipal management mechanism under the new terms of Russia’s socio-economic development. We review the basic provisions contained in the concept of regional and municipal government under present-day conditions, including consideration of economic interests and contradictions in the development of regional economy, interactions between state and market structures, working out an institutional system to manage regional development, evaluation of the effectiveness of regional economic management, establishing a socio-economic environment to ensure the competitiveness of the urban and regional economies through increased investment attractiveness and effective use of budgetary funds, which will create prerequisites for the transition to a management model enables the substantial economic independence of municipalities and enhances their role in the economic strategy of regional development.

Introduction. The theory of modernization, the neo-institutional concept of world culture and the world-system approach explain the current world situation in different ways and offer different ways to change it. The article discusses the theoretical and methodological advantages of the world-system approach, as well as how these advantages are reflected in the field of comparative education and critical pedagogy. Methodology. The idea of the paradigm development of science by T. Kuhn and the idea of I. Lakatos about the commensurability of the empirical bases of research programs formed on the basis of paradigms were used as a methodological basis. Discussion. The world-systems approach has a larger empirical base than competing paradigms. The ontology and methodological base available in the world-system approach allow in the field of comparative education to raise and resolve issues related to social conflicts, inequality, and anti-systemic processes. In contrast to the theory of modernization and the neo-institutional concept of world culture, the world-system approach breaks with Eurocentrism, opening up new perspectives for studying the development of education systems, taking into account their diversity. The appeal of the supporters of the world-system approach in comparative education to critical pedagogy is a consistent transition from solving theoretical problems to the practice of the educational process. Conclusion. The comparison of the three paradigms is incomplete and in the future can be continued on the basis of the methodology of the research programs of I. Lakatos. However, already at this stage, the advantages of the world-system paradigm and the prospects for its use in the field of comparative education are clearly visible. The authors express the hope that the pedagogical projects of critical world-system education will find wide support and humanity will have the opportunity to choose the path to a less repressive form of social organization.

The third part of the paper “On the way to the health of society” discusses the problem of developing the foundations for the healthy existence of society as a complex sociosystem with a full-fledged public consciousness, where the subjects of society are people capable of value-oriented systematic, purposeful, independent cognitive activity. In order to formulate ideas about the axiological social basis, the forms of social consciousness that correlate with value-based instrumental and educational practice are studied, allowing substantiating the principles of healthy existence of society in theoretical and applied aspects. Methodology. The socio-philosophical analysis uses: system-philosophical and dialectical methodology; the principle of integrity (holism); socio-cultural approach to the disclosure of the axiological social basis. The problem of ontological and epistemological foundations of social existence in relation to the fundamental role of education is revealed. Discussion. The general structure of an active social system includes three main parts or substructures: perceiving (external), transforming-conducting (middle) and concentrating (central, or the core of the system). The concentrating substructures (the core of the sociosystem) are: territorial-metropolitan cities, in structural and functional terms - the governing bodies of the sociosystem, in content terms - the value-significant spiritual and material foundations of the sociosystem. From the standpoint of the element-system organization of society, the basis of a healthy sociosystem should be spiritual and material, holistic (integral), axiological (value), and not partial (one-sided, for example, only material). The axiological basis of society should correspond to a healthy holistic, spiritual and bodily essence of a person. In such a basis, the sphere of education acquires a fundamental, attributive role, since it is in it that the elements of this society are formed - people of an ennobled image, and the latter form a creatively creative public consciousness. The axiological dialectic of society and education is associated with a new trajectory of activity-instrumental improvement of both the subject and the object of the educational ecosystem. Conclusion. The essence of a healthy society is predetermined by its axiological basis in relation to the fundamental role of a new educational axiosystem that forms a whole person.

Introduction. The image of modern society is largely determined by information technology. The global Internet network has an ambiguous impact on society. On the one hand, it contributes to the spread of mass culture, which creates risks of intellectual degradation and spiritual impoverishment of users, and on the other hand, by erasing physical and geographical boundaries, it provides ample opportunities for communication, knowledge, education and self-development. In such conditions, the problem of identifying the role and nature of education in the information society, as well as studying its transformations in connection with its differentiation into offline and online, is actualized. Methodology. Within the framework of postmodern concepts of social reality, the sociocultural conditions for the existence and development of modern education are revealed. The socio-phenomenological approach serves to interpret the relationship and mutual influence of society and the individual at the level of social and individual consciousness. The sociocultural approach makes it possible to single out informal education as a special social phenomenon. Discussion. The contradictory nature of the impact of digitalization on modern society is revealed. It is indicated that the blurring of both public consciousness and the simplification of its content leads to similar changes in the consciousness of the individual. The role of education as the most important institution for the transmission of socio-cultural experience and socialization is highlighted. The transformations of education under the influence of digitalization are highlighted: individualization, the development of online learning, the division of education into formal, non-formal and informal. The essence of informal education is revealed. The importance of both strengthening formal education and the formation and development of the cultural and educational environment where informal education is carried out is discussed. Conclusion. The conclusion is made about the change in the nature of the social distribution of knowledge under the influence of the Internet in the direction of increasing their availability with a simultaneous decrease in their quality. It is indicated that in the context of digitalization, education is undergoing dramatic changes: a significant part of the educational process is being transferred to the online spaces of the Internet, and the understanding of education is expanding to the level of distinguishing formal, informal and informal types within it.

Introduction. Socio-ideological and socio-structural factors consist in that a rural small school is not only an educational institution, but also a social institution with a multidimensional and concentrated influence on the rural areas development, solving demographic problems, strengthening youth, improving cultural and professional level of rural society. In this regard, the issues of centralized resource support and professional development of newly-hired teachers of small rural school are being updated. Professional support programs (induction programs) for novice teachers in small rural schools are the key ones in the modernizing education strategy in foreign countries14. Methodology. A comparative analysis of the content of induction support programs for small rural schools teachers in foreign countries is used as a methodological basis. Discussion. The international experience of professional supporting young teachers of small rural schools is presented. The tasks and characteristic features of induction programs’ content to support teachers of small rural schools in foreign countries are revealed. Pedagogical and methodological means that provide compensation for deficits in the educational process in small rural schools in foreign countries are analyzed. Conclusion. On the basis of a comparative analysis, data are presented on possible programs to support small rural schools in foreign countries, natural conditions and opportunities for building a career route, professional and personal development, psychological microclimate and well-being of the newly-hired teachers.

Introduction. The information revolution that unfolded in the era of globalization has further aggravated the problems of education, laying the foundation for radical changes in the educational system, in its value foundations. What is the essence of these changes? There is a variety of points of view, concerning this question, and they are reflected in the article. Globalization has the character of Americanization, strengthening the dominance of Western Europe in the educational sphere. Internationalization, as a counter-globalization opponent, is looking for effective ways of mutually beneficial international cooperation. Internationalization and globalization of education are different concepts, despite the fact that they are often used as synonyms. They are different in their essence, since both phenomena, leading to greater interdependence and interconnection of universities, have different goals and value bases. The research methodology uses general philosophical methods of world-system comparative analysis in the axiological unity of historical and modern. Discussion. The difference between internationalization and globalization of the educational sphere, their interrelation and fundamental differences are emphasized. The convergence of various types of education, including eastern and western, generates a change in national educational paradigms, the formation of a new axiosphere of the educational space. Conclusion. Internationalization of education can be a response to globalization in the aspect of a soft synthesis in national education systems of global and regional, special and individual, national and world. It is not possible to break away from global problems, but there is a certain synthesis that, based on progressive development, will create conditions for the formation of a universal educational axiosphere.

Introduction. The development of post-industrial society entails the intensification of the functioning of the entire sphere of technical production. Freedom and responsibility of production activity of individuals are actualized. The problem of developing the methodological basis of moral and ethical competencies of a graduate of an engineering university, which was little emphasized before, becomes significant. The impetus for solving this humanitarian problem was the result of an empirical study of the level of the actual significance of the educational goals of preparing university graduates for engineering and technical activities of the car service profile. Methodology. The appeal to the provisions of metaethics (analytical and philosophical methodology of logical positivism and essential characteristics of labor), which regulates the ethical sphere of educational goals with the help of logical and deontological attitudes, requires both differentiation of moral and ethical competencies of the engineering profile, and the search for new information and semantic forms of objectification of metaethics. Discussion. A group of competencies that are traditionally formed during training sessions and presented to students only declaratively, without intrusion into their individual world, is highlighted. The high level of relevance of the ethical sphere of modern engineering training, revealed on the basis of the results of the study, served as an impetus for the development of a methodological guideline for the formation of educational goals adequate to the needs of the specialized technical sphere of production and society as a whole. The necessity of differentiation of moral and ethical competencies of a graduate of a university of cognitive and non-cognitive forms of objectification, fixing the effectiveness of their practical development by students, is substantiated. The structural complexity of the practical formation of these competencies depends on the ambiguity of the ethical issues of engineering. In accordance with the theoretical concepts, the deontological conditions for the development of moral and ethical competencies as educational values by students of the engineering profile are determined. Conclusion. The applied and theoretical levels of research allowed: 1) to involve analytical and philosophical methodology for objectification of moral and ethical educational goals of the engineering profile; 2) to divide the moral and ethical cognitive according to the signs of unconditional necessity and empirically relative regulated by the features of the profile sphere of production; 3) to identify the degree of relevance for the auto-servicing sphere of production of the development of ethical elements of engineering activity by students of the motor vehicle profile.

Introduction. The challenge for modern humanity in the development of ideological, patriotic and civic positions is the appeal to the problems of the ideal and utopian. The paper has a polemical focus, the purpose of the paper is to distinguish the concepts of “ideal” and “utopia” through the prism of dialectical categories (necessary - accidental, possible - valid). The research methodology includes historical and philosophical reconstruction of the concepts of “ideal” and “utopia” in the samples of classical art. The phenomenological analysis of the ideal and utopia is carried out through the prism of the categories of modality: necessary, possible, real bifurcation and attractor. Discussion. The focus of the study of the concepts of “ideal” and “utopia” was aimed at analyzing: the status of the phenomena of the ideal and utopian as a source of self-movement of contradictions of the necessary - accidental; the polyvariance of processes in the ideal and utopian through the possible - real as a special form of social consciousness. A generalization is made that, unlike utopia, which is capable of obscuring and replacing reality in a negative sense (unrealization, as well as realization of negative quality), the ideal does not just allow consciousness to create images corresponding to it on the inner plane, but contributes to the transformation of reality to one degree or another. Conclusion. The dialectical approach to understanding the phenomena of the ideal and utopia allows concluding that without these phenomena, the meaning of civilizational progress is lost. Utopia is an integral part, a bifurcation state of the ideal as a possible ideal. The ideal is understood as a kind of attractor and only in line with the value-positive, practically transformative potential. Embodied to one degree or another by a person, the ideal is objectified in reality, and the unembodied remains a utopia.

Introduction. The transition from secondary to higher education is not a natural step for many first-year university students. There is a significant difference between studying at school, university or college. The main task of a higher or specialized educational institution is to train competitive specialists who are able to adapt to the requirements of the employer and are ready to adequately respond to the unpredictable challenges of the time and the needs of society. The purpose of the study is to detect problematic circumstances in modern educational requirements for the development of methodology in self-education/self-teaching; to identify the causes of socio-educational maladaptation. Methodology. Review of domestic and foreign publications on the problems of adaptation to the requirements of self-education of pupils and students. Using the methodology of humanitarian expertise of questionnaires on a sample of students/pupils and teachers/teachers on self-didactics. The study revealed the difficulties of adaptation to the process of self-education at school, college and university, and also considered the possibilities of overcoming them. Discussion. The problem of adaptation of pupils and students in domestic and foreign scientific and pedagogical publications draws attention to the lack of a clear understanding by teachers of the processes of self-education/self-teaching. A working definition of the concept of “self-didacticsˮ has been developed. The analysis of the humanitarian expertise of the questionnaires revealed a low degree of adaptation to the requirements of self-didactics in school, special educational institution and university. The ability to change and adapt in a professional or social environment is associated with the development by teachers of the methodology of self-teaching for students and students. In conclusion, it is concluded that the modern axiosystem of the educational space is increasingly dominated by the phenomenon of “self-didacticsˮ, which requires the ontology and axiology of education to develop new humanitarian and educational strategies.

Introduction. The article actualizes the problem of the manifestation of universal, national (all-Russian) state and service-professional values, which guarantee responsibility and the development of patriotism in the process of fulfilling multifunctional duties in life and in the service of each law enforcement and special services officer in Russia. The purpose of the article is to substantiate the conceptual provisions of the problem of state-patriotic education of law enforcement officers and Special Forces of Russia, to identify key groups of values and value orientations, to highlight the main principles of educational activities, to determine the methods and forms of purposeful and systematic educational work. Methodology. The study was carried out because of the implementation of the axiomatic approach, which serves as a methodological basis for the formation of the national-patriotic worldview of law enforcement and special services of the Russian Federation. Based on the foundations of axiological pedagogy, the main conceptual provisions and ideas of state-patriotic education are considered. The effective application of the provisions of pedagogical axiology to state education and patriotic activity requires the creative application of the structural components of state patriotism by the leadership and employees of law enforcement agencies and Special Forces of Russia: knowledge, motivation, values, positive and behavioral training. Discussion. The author substantiates a set of values that embody moral and patriotic ideals and serve as standards of decency and patriotism for young people, conditionally classified as fundamental values (Motherland, Fatherland, patriotism, loyalty, culture, language, history, traditions, faith) and professional values. The mechanisms for the implementation of state-patriotic education are considered: goals, categories of social values of employees (including the dominance of patriotism), principles (science, humanism, consistency, priority, continuity, an integrated approach, positive action, and a differentiated approach), forms, methods (training and upbringing). Conclusion. The presented results of the study are of significant importance for law enforcement agencies and special services in the framework of ongoing organizational and staffing reforms.

Introduction. The task of Russia’s achieving technological sovereignty is connected with the necessity of training of mathematically educated scientists and engineers. This paper is intended to contribute to the discussion of ways to correct the situation with mathematical education. The thesis is emphasized that a simple return to the ideas and methods of mathematical education in the USSR will not solve the problem, since the tasks of mathematics, the areas of its applications have changed, social and cultural values have changed, students and their teachers have changed. All this requires discussion of some ideas regarding the dynamics of the movement of mathematical knowledge. The purpose of this paper is to analyze the current state of mathematics teaching in schools and universities, to identify the problems of modern education and outline the prospects for their solution. Methodology. The need to expand the context of the topic under discussion required access to general philosophical questions about the universal mechanisms and patterns of human cognitive activity within the epistemological approach to understanding mathematics, regardless of its specific forms and types. For this purpose, the methods of historical and comparative analysis are used in the study of scientific and methodological literature. Discussion. From the point of view of the epistemological approach, the issues of constructive expansion of knowledge about mathematical education and the connection of its characteristic features with the ontology of social cognition are revealed. The role and significance of the “human dimension of mathematical materialˮ are revealed. Conclusion. Recognizing the epistemology of education as a methodological regulator in the development of algorithms for evidence-based reasoning and the desire to revive, spiritualize the “dryˮ mathematical reality, the necessary provisions have been developed for the constructive expansion of knowledge about mathematical education in connection with the ontology of social and individual cognition.