The efficiency of spatial development represents a difficult theoretical task, at the same time in practice “on the place” this problem gains cross-disciplinary character. The strategy of spatial development of the Russian Federation until 2025 which was approved by the order of the Government of the Russian Federation on February 13, 2019 N 207-r. and creates certain prerequisites for use of effect of agglomeration for problems of regional development. The St. Petersburg and Kaliningrad agglomerations represent the most interesting object of a research, and their comparative analysis was never carried out earlier. In the article the attempt to formulate some theoretical and practical approaches to this problem is made.

The implementation of digital technologies in to the political and legal institutions of modern society has a complex effect on the system of traditional social values. Despite the obvious threats posed by the depersonalization of labor and the competition between man and artificial intelligence for workplaces, technical progress in the modern world has no rational alternatives. The study of political and legal issues of e-democracy development by methods of discursive and meta-theoretical analysis aims to develop proposals for state regulation of the participation of civil society institutions in the political life under the rule of law. Obviously, digital technologies, on the one hand, contribute to the dehumanization of political communication, on the other hand, they make direct democracy procedures more accessible. The consequence of saving time and money in the process of conducting electronic voting can be a decrease in the level of trust between the political class and ordinary members of society who are subject to marginalization in the context of the digital divide. Humanistic principles require public authorities to protect the interests of the individual in the process of interaction with civil society institutions such as trade unions and professional associations, since digital inequality is expressed in the systemic economic discrimination of the precariat. Humanism in a representative democracy requires effective legal guarantees and should remain the main paradigm at the heart of political decisions taken in a democratic way.

The article, based on the well-known parable of the immortal Dragon — the symbol of the Chinese nation, refers to the Chinese culture, which allows China to preserve its cultural and civilizational core for thousands of years, when falling to revive, gaining new energy and strength at various stages historical development. The essence of the ideology of modern China is in the greatness of the Chinese nation, through the implementation of the long-term strategic project “Chinese dream”, which provides: the creation of decent living conditions for citizens; the development of the creative initiative of the masses in mastering the trends of the modern era (“the Winner is not the one who plays well, but the one who plays better”), the expansion of the “living space” outside the national territory; the exponential growth of influence on the world through the integral power of the country; the extraction of wisdom and power in traditional culture; not adapting to the values of Western civilization in accordance with the principle of “getting along with the environment, not identifying with it”, spreading their own culture and views around the world. Apparently, the Dragon had never possessed such an impressive and awe-inspiring musculature, and the Chinese people had never been so proud of their country.

The author has attempted to investigate the regulation through constitutional norms of the status of a parliamentarian in member states of the Commonwealth of Independent States. In this paper, the concepts of “deputy” and “parliamentarian” are inherent in various constitutional systems. The study of the properties of “free”, “imperative”, “party”, “professional” mandates of parliamentarians (deputies); grounds for early termination of parliamentary powers. An optimal, in the author’s opinion, model of a document establishing the foundations of the legal status of a member of the CIS member state (Member of Parliament (chamber of parliament), member of chamber of parliament) is proposed.

The purpose of this article is to review the main problems of liability and jurisdiction in the collision of ships at sea. The collision of ships is one of the most common accidents at sea, entailing further legal consequences. A collision is the physical contact of vessels with each other as a result of the approach or incorrect maneuver of one of the vessels, as a result of which the other vessel, in order to avoid a collision, is forced to run aground. This article deals with the limitation of liability in the collision of ships and the distribution of liability between shipowners. The article contains an analysis of possible options for determining the jurisdiction in a collision of courts, as well as the specifics and features of the definition of such jurisdiction.

Ensuring economic activity with human resources in economy of market type is carried out by means of labor market. In the article features of the Russian labor market as in general, and at the regional level are analysed. It is shown that regional labor markets in Russia have the high level of asymmetry in development that affects regional development. The reasons of such situation which is defined as the general differentiation of social and economic systems of regions of Russia, and the created informal institutes are established. Authors proposed the measures of the state social and economic policy focused on leveling of the available distinctions of regional labor markets which realization will promote rapprochement of their characteristics.

The influence of digitalization on the media market leads to the emergence of a new information space, but it creates a threat of a digital divide, which not only deepens information inequality, but also leads to complex socio-economic differentiation of individuals. In the institutions of the information society, the media business is divided into traditional and digital segments, where new consumer groups are formed, with access to Internet technologies, preferring active media consumption methods, capable of creating multimedia works through co-creation. The development of the media market leads to an increase in the number of media platforms with a wide range of content, as well as gradually introducing the rules of the advertising market into the system of consumption of intellectual property. If there are significant competitive advantages of interactive and digital media over traditional media, problems arise not only in the monetization of intellectual work, but also in the process of regulating competition between subjects of international journalism, including those caused by increased competition with media resources prevailing on the Internet. In the context of global changes in the media market, social inequality is increasing under the influence of Internet technologies, and the threat of economic discrimination for mass audience members arises.

The relevance of the economic issues discussed in the article is due to the high degree of interest of developed countries in the implementation of innovative projects. A competent approach to the analysis and evaluation of their economic indicators is the guarantee of their success. The article is devoted to the study of the analysis of existing approaches to assessing the economic efficiency of investment projects related to the introduction of innovations. The authors consider the key economic indicators of investment projects on the example of the implementation of innovative technology for the catalytic utilization of gas emissions from petrochemical enterprises. The descriptive-comparative, mathematical-statistical and economic methods for evaluating the results of the analysis of innovation performance indicators are used in the article.

The paper contains an analysis of the structure of the anti-Russian sanctions from the point of view of their goals and tools that are used. It is demonstrated that the sanctions aim at the limitation of capital inflow into Russia and at countering technological development of our country. The policy of substitution of import as an anti-sanction tool is analyzed. It is demonstrated that this policy is limited. Recommendations for the complex anti-sanction strategy are formulated.

Target. The purpose of this study is to trace the change in Russia’s position in world rankings in terms of humanitarian development, identify the main driving forces, as well as identify problems and suggest ways to solve them.

Methods: Methods of demographic and economic and statistical analysis.

Results and discussion: Characterized by the dynamics of the human potential of Russia — in 2018, the country first entered the group of countries with a very high level of human development.

Выводы: The main problems in human development in the Russian Federation are revealed: low standard of living, long-term permanent decline in real money incomes of Russians (2014–2018), a high degree of material inequality, low life expectancy of the population, high excess mortality of certain categories of the population, a sharp drop in the number of students enrolled in higher education programs, per 1000 people population.

Ethnic minority migration in Vietnam is a unique type of migration. It is the migration of individuals, groups (families, clans, hamlets), communities of ethnic minorities (to villages, communes, districts, provinces, intra-/inter provinces), regions; the migration could be in the Northwest — Central Highlands direction, or could be rural — urban, rural — rural, urban — rural, rural — industrial zones migration. It could be cross border migration (to China, Laos, Cambodia, Thailand, Myanmar; to Middle East countries). These migration could take various forms: spontaneous migration (free migration), organized migration (planned migration) for reasons such as migration to take refuge, for marriage with foreigners, for economic reasons, for labor export, for familial reunion.

The relevance of the topic of this study is determined by the need to form competent working teams participating in a merger (acquisition) transaction in the banking sector as an important factor in reducing the risk of a failed merger and increasing the efficiency of transactions.

The article contains a general analysis of the efficiency factors of merger (acquisition) transactions in the banking sector. Outputs have been made regarding the transfer factor of efficiency, covering all the main stages of the implementation of the M & A project (Mergers & Acquisitions — mergers and acquisitions). The groups of competences of working teams (project and integration) are grouped and described.

The subject of the research is the organizational and legal relations arising from the implementation of mergers and acquisitions in the banking sector.

The object of study is the project and integration teams involved in the implementation of the merger transaction.

This article is about protest sentiments of young generation in Russia and its self- and political identity in the age group between 16–30. The aim of this article is to show the relation of young people to protest actions and their participation in it. Statistics are taken from the All-Russian Public Opinion Research and the Economic and Politic realignments Centers; these are the leading analytical organizations in Russia. The Character of young people is shown from the perspective of social and psychological groups. As a result, protests affect the most on national development and future national communication policy in cooperation with young people. The article considers relevant questions of youth’s political identity, realized through participation in protest actions, realizes reasons for protest actions, and gives us a list of events, participated by young people in Russia. The main reasons for active participation are problems in such life spheres as social, economic and legal. It also should be mentioned their fewer concerns in law enforcement agencies, national and religious spheres. Therefore, it is necessary for the government to spend more finances and human resources on youth policy to accomplish the rights and interests of Russian young generation.

The article raises the issue of the mutual influence of national culture and state cultural policy and business models adopted in the state. Based on the postulate of a special cultural environment prevailing in Austria, the author analyzes how business develops in this environment, how brands and firms with global significance function. The article also attaches great importance to such topics as social responsibility of business, charity, international economic relations, the history of successful business projects. The author does not ignore the complex topics about problems in the economic and social spheres, offering to look for their solution in the same cultural policy. The main method for analyzing information is content analysis, and the Internet is used as the source of information — the most dynamic resource, reflecting all the changes in the studied areas, Russian-language journalism and literature. The main topic of the article is the proof of the possibility of coexistence of the strategy of preserving and multiplying cultural baggage with the desire to achieve economic benefits and personal success. The author gives various examples of the possibility of their coexistence in the framework of a single state policy, proposing the following thesis as the main conclusion from the article: “business is formed in a certain cultural paradigm that influences it, but which, when it reaches a certain value, begins to influence the environment”.

In the article views of antique authors of human aspect of a phenomenon of slavery are considered. The author recognizes that the importance of a similar research is connected with existence of archetypic layers in the most various cultures causing reproduction of a phenomenon of slave model of the personality and corresponding to it behavior forms.

The attention to three aspects in understanding of the bases of existence of the slave as special human type, recorded by antique authors is paid. It, first, slavery “under the law” according to which the captured captives are on sale in slavery. Secondly, this slavery caused by the human nature connected with ethnic origin on a formula “the barbarian and the slave by the concept nature identical”. Thirdly, this slavery in spiritual sense generated by the nature of activity in which the person is engaged. The types of activity forming the free person is for them philosophical reflection as disinterested search of the truth and also, according to Aristotle, political activity.

Views of antique authors correspond in the article to views of the Russian religious philosophers proceeding from other paradigm of the activity basis of free existence implanted in Christian outlook. Its essence is that the aspiration to the truth which is implemented in occupations by philosophy has to be directed deep valuable installation, which sense in aspiration to connection of the person good luck.

The relevance of this topic is due to the fact that in the face of threats and challenges, the Russian Federation and its Armed Forces face the task of ensuring the national security of the country, educating the young generation and society as a whole in the spirit of patriotism. One of the tools to achieve this strategic goal is the historical military experience of our Great country. Military history and the history of wars and military art indicate that the Battle of Kursk, in its results and the significance of the victory of the Soviet troops near Moscow and Stalingrad, became a powerful stage on the way to the victory of the Soviet Union over fascist Germany. If the Battle of Stalingrad foreshadowed the decline of the German fascist army, the battle of Kursk put it before a catastrophe. A great role in achieving victory was played by the unity of the front and rear, all-round assistance of the local population. In this article, extensive archival and documentary materials, memoirs of participants in the battle, newspaper materials reveal comprehensive assistance to the population of the front-line areas of the army in the field. The author emphasizes in the Battle of Kursk organizational activity, the role and place of government, military administration.

From the Chief Editor.