The article is considered the activities of public authorities of the North-West Federal District to ensure information security. Highlights the issues of formation and functioning of the information security system in the North-West Federal District. The main attention is paid to the state information systems, control and monitoring of security information by the FSTEC Office for the North-West Federal District.

The article analyzes the world experience in the development and implementation of state policy in the sphere of tourism and recreation. Basic approaches common to all countries with a developed tourism industry have been identified, and priority areas for tourism activities have been formulated by governments of different countries. The measures of regulation and stimulation of development of the tourism industry in France and China are considered. The analysis of the best world practices of state policy in the sphere of tourism and recreation allowed us to draw the following conclusions. Direct borrowing of the best practices of France, China and other countries, which are the headliners in the development of the tourism industry, without the adaptation of appropriate tools to the Russian realities is impossible. It is advisable to consider the following proposals as rather promising: development of research and development in the field of tourism and recreation using marketing technologies; legislative consolidation of the need to develop and implement the state tourist “image” strategy; the creation of foreign offices of the Ministry of Culture of the Russian Federation in foreign markets with the purpose of promoting and marketing the domestic tourist product; development of special regional programs to support entrepreneurship in the field of tourism and recreation.

The article analyzes modern concepts of international security; the system of the law of international security is investigated in the light of the expansion of the subject of legal regulation, institutions of branch are determined. The study of the content of the sectoral principles of the international security law is conducted and it is justified that a new principle of the international security law is being formed: the principle of providing protection assistance (the principle of protection) against extremist (terrorist) actions, threatening the sovereignty of the state.

The article is devoted to the development of ecological tourism on the territory of national parks of Russia. The development of ecological tourism can be a factor of economic growth, because it leads to replenishment of local and regional budgets, creates new jobs, promotes economic growth of depressed regions. The article gives an analysis of the state, outlines the problems and suggests directions for the development of ecological tourism on the territory of the national parks of Russia.

The transition to a market economy entailed the emergence of depressed regions, the development indicators of which lag significantly behind similar indicators in other regions of the country. Such regions are not able to generate the financial flows necessary for economic development. For the most part, such regions are not attractive for private business. A number of such regions is occupied by the North Caucasus Federal District. Subsidies of the federal budget reach 60% of local budgets in the region, which is 1.5 times higher than in other regions of the country. At the same time, the federal budget funds are primarily directed to support the social sphere but much less to develop the real sector of the economy. The share of the agrarian sector in the region’s economy reaches 22% while the average for Russia is 5%. The share of processing industries does not exceed 15%, while the average for the country is 19%. The region is characterized by extremely high unemployment, the level of which varies from 8% to 55% for the subjects of the federation included in the North Caucasus Federal District while the average for the country is 7%. The state is making certain efforts to raise the regional economy. Several programs for the development of the region and individual constituent entities have been developed. The disadvantage of all known programs is the poor financing of projects: 70-75% of the required funds should be provided by local budgets. World practice shows that for the development of depressed regions state corporations are effective, which are created to solve a specific problem and are endowed with broad powers and preferences, are provided with state funding. The paper proposes the framework conditions for the establishment of the Russian state corporation for the development of the NCFD and shows the potential effectiveness of the creation of such corporation.

Innovative activity determines the ability of an enterprise, region or country to occupy leading or profitable positions within the global economic system. To understand and interpret the situation of the country in the context of world innovative economic growth, it is necessary to develop a system of criteria and indicators for assessing innovation activity. The definition of the criteria will allow both an assessment of the existing situation and the effectiveness of the programs being conducted, so the research main purpose is to develop a system of indicators of innovation activity and to increase the effectiveness of government programs that are aimed to support and to stimulate innovation activities at the regional and national levels. Given the complexity, diversity and versatility of innovation and of functioning of modern economy, the most effective approach to solve this problem is the use of modern technologies, in particular, artificial intelligence to solve this problem. In this regard, in this article, based on the theoretical analysis of existing approaches to the definition and evaluation of innovation activity, a structured system of characteristics of innovation activity developed for the authors to prepare machine learning and to develop a system of analysis and making decision in the innovations’ sphere is proposed. The necessity to develop the characteristics of innovation activity includes both statistical and economic characteristics, as well as wider possibilities for processing large data with the use of neural network technologies, namely, analysis of weak signals from various sources, taking into account industry specific features and analysis of the dependence of innovation activity on Demand by local, regional or national populations for innovative products and services. This determines the multidimensionality of the set of characteristics of innovation activity, which is effectively solved with the help of neural network technologies, in particular, system of analysis and making decision.

In the article on the basis of the analysis of features of activity of the marine transport of Russia in 2010-2015, dynamics of its key economic indicators are defined tendencies of development of the marine transport in general and its structural components in the fast-changing environmental conditions.

The article is dedicated to the prospects of development of tourism sphere as one of factors of regulation of a state and conditions of regional labour markets. The clause broaches a point of connection perspective and a role of the tourism sphere and a state of regional labour market in processes of ensuring sustainable development of the region, that in long terms creates prerequisites to increase in level of economic security of the region, decrease in social tension and realization of opportunities of purposeful regulation of human recourses use in the region.

In the article questions of creation and use of various instruments of state policy used for development of certain territories are considered. The conclusion about inefficiency of various tools of the federal and regional measures of support of business and improvement of business climate which are carried out due to providing preferences (privileges) and construction of infrastructure for increase in investment attractiveness and providing favorable conditions for conducting business activity existing the practician of application is drawn. It is formulated offers on development of the complex system of creation and functioning of instruments of territories development including requirements to the content of justifications of expediency of use of instruments of territories de velopment within one or several territorial subjects of the Russian Federation, criteria for evaluation of efficiency of their functioning taking into account multiplicative effect of complex use of instru ments of development of territories.

Outsourcing is widely included in the practice of Russian companies, but a certain negative attitude towards such technology has not yet been overcome. Shareholders and management have a poor command of methodology of outsourcing, not fully take into account the risks of outsourcing, Weakly investigated the effectiveness of the outsourcing process: a well-known evaluation methods based traditional benefits, such as lowering costs and improving the quality of products or services, optimizing the number of staff. Often the methods of evaluation of effectiveness include additional indicators, reflecting industry-specific organizations. Such indicators include the reduction of logistics costs, reducing the cost of maintenance of warehouses, reduction in seasonal staff. The traditional criteria of efficiency of outsourcing is simple in definition, but have several serious short comings that limit their use. Universal and understandable for investors method of assessing effectiveness is a calculation of the comparative effect of outsourcing, assessing its feasibility, in terms of the impact on the financial results of the company (via FCF), capital structure (WACC) and the value of the company.

Now tourism represents one of the most perspective and dynamically developing branches, both world, and domestic economy. Tourism as it is noted in the Strategy of development of tourism in the Russian Federation until 2020, has to become the engine of development of regions, a link between the commercial interests of various spheres of business, priorities of state policy and cultural requirements of society. The important factor influencing social and economic develop ment of the region is increase in investment potential, decrease in risks of investors, as defines investment attractiveness both territories, and its separate branches. For many regions the sphere of a recreation and tourism plays the leading role in increase in their investment attractiveness. In the article the problem of search of mechanisms of increase in investment attractiveness of the tourist and recreational sphere at the regional level, on the example of the Leningrad Region is considered: the current state, tendencies of development of the sphere of a recreation and tourism is analyzed, problem places, points of growth come to light and the offers directed to increase in investment potential and decrease in risks of investors are formulated.

Various making tactics of transportation of freights on Northern Sea Route are given in article. Offers on distribution of innovative ice breakers on routes Northern Sea Route are given.

The article deals with the teleological aspects of the national-state development of modern Scotland. The author expresses the idea that the teleology of the Scottish political course is a kind of antidote to British exclusiveness. Since the relationship between the state and society has always been difficult everywhere, there have always been various forms of statehood in history. Therefore, the author argues, as applied to the realities of British statehood, both unionist and nationalist teleologies mislead the researcher, as well as explanations of the internal and external determinants of the possible disintegration of Britain. It is concluded that the teleology of the political course of Scotland encourages the researcher to analyze the Union from comparative positions. The author believes that a more accurate and comprehensive analysis is needed to track integration and disintegration trends, as well as the revival of national identities over time. In the author’s opinion, such an analysis will allow the Union to be examined at four interrelated levels: functional changes, mass perception, elite strategies and the role of socio-political institutions. None of these levels is decisive, but they all interact and mutually affect each other. Thus, the place and role of Scotland in the evolution of the Union should be studied in a historical context with the involvement of the Scottish statenational experience in all its interpretations.

In spite of the economic globalization the geographic location of a company retains one of the main factors of the competitiveness. This phenomenon is connected with the formation of territorial clusters including industrial enterprises, R&D organizations, educational institutions, and state agencies. The article deals with the clusters formed in St.Petersburg by now. The problems, specific, and general structure of the innovative clusters in the educational sphere is considered.

One of the goals of social and economic development of the territory is the preservation of its historical and cultural heritage. At the same time, effective socio-economic development of the settlement, fuller use of its historical and cultural potential requires an integrated approach, taking into account possible development prospects, which is impossible without the use of spatial planning and programming tools. The decision of the tasks of territorial planning at different levels of management is considered in the documents of strategic planning, regional and municipal development programs, resolutions and orders of territorial administrations in the sphere of culture.

The article discusses the historiosophical journalism of V. S. Solovyov 1890’s. It is proved that V. S. Solovyov to the historical experience of the Asian states (China and Japan) was necessary in order to show the perniciousness of the policy of isolationism and the beneficence of the civilizational dialogue and the borrowing of the achievements of European culture. Historical examples served VS. Soloviev basis for historiosophical generalizations and criticism of the Slavophil philosophy of history, in particular, the concept of N.Ya. Danilevsky. A comparison of the views of V. S. Solovyov with the historical concept of his father S. M. Solovyov. It is shown that, in part, an assessment of the historical role of Asian peoples and the characteristics of the Slavophil movement V. S. Soloviev borrowed from his father.

The Easter world of Nicholas II, the so-called family world of the Russian tsar brought him rest, happiness, love. A special role was played by two types of traditions in days of the Easter holiday: “aristocratic” when the tsar gave to beloveds (mother and the wife) precious eggs of the famous jeweler Karl Faberge and “national” - the tsar as “owner” of all Russia in day the Saint Easter paternally kissed relatives and soldiers, that is on orthodox custom exchange a triple kiss with citizens and gave porcelain eggs from Faberge. The Easter world of Nicholas II is reminiscence of happy moments in life of his family and triumphal events in days of his rule.