Abstract: The authors of the article describe the main targets, methods, achievements and unresolved issues in historical and legal researches at the initial stage of development of the Soviet system of political control. Being an essential function of the government, political control is being developed as the social life becomes more complex. According to the authors of the article, today we can talk about a new scientific field where historical, legal, political and social researches are combined. The authors agree with the point of view that the main purpose of political control is to provide the government with valid information about political attitudes of the population. The authors also describe the role of V. Izmozik, V. Krivoruchenko, N. Volodina, S. Dianova, A. Katkov, R. Nikulin T. Goryaev, N. Ofitserov, S. Maysheva, A. Demina and E. Lapatukhina in developmet of the Soviet system of political control. 

Keywords: history, historiography, political control, censorship , secret service, totalitarianism, Soviet period, New Economic Policy (NEP), youth, communist organizations

Abstract: The process of development of historical geography as a branch of science and academic discipline hasn't been easy. It has taken quite a long time to define the subject matter of historical geography which can be explained by specific features of the subject and interdisciplinary nature of research in historical geography. The XVIII century is believed to be some starting point for historical geography in Russia. However, this branch of science started to develop only in the second half of the XIX century. This is when a long process of accumulation of knowledge, introduction of new sources  of science and experience of historiography has allowed to define the main paths and basic trends in historical geography. At the turn ofthe XIX - XX centuries historical geography became an academic discipline. The author of the present article also describe the main milestones of development of historical geography and summarizes the experience of teaching historical geography at universities in pre-revolutionary Russia. 

Keywords: Moscow University, archeological conferences, archeology, historical map making, source studies, interdisciplinary research, historical geography, history of science

Abstract: Throughout the period of teaching historical geography there has been a very important problem with study materials. At the beginning of the XX century a few study books were published. However, researchers noted that those study books had a weak conceptual framework, mostly due to a weak definition of the subject matter of historical geography and undeveloped methods of research. During the 20's - 30's of the XX century historical geography was forgotten as an academic discipline. Researches were mostly conducted within the framework of history studies. Historical geography was not taught at schools for almost 30 years. The author of the present article describes how the academic community came back to studying and teaching historical geography in mid XX. The article also contains the description of the place and role of historical geography in modern world and reviews of study books and study materials in this sphere. 

Keywords: history, history of science, historical geography, teaching, Department of Source Studies, auxiliary disciplines, Moscow University, study materials

Abstract: The article reveals certain chapters in history of German peasantry in Russia, from involvement of German labour resources pursuant to the Manifesto of Ekaterina II (in 1973) until events of the XX century. Based on the analysis of documents, the authors of the article study participation of German peasants in the land development at the Volga Region and Novorossiysk Region during the XIX century and development of land resources in Kazakhstan during the XX century. Special attention is paid at active participation of Soviet germans in developing economy of the Soviet Union during 1940 - 1980. Previous articles were mostly devoted to forced migration of Soviet germans but in this article the authors focus on their life style in Siberia and Far North as well as Kazakhstan and Middle Asia. The authors describe their role and contribution to development of the economic potentials and spirits in the region. The authors provide names of Germans who were involved in different fields of industrial production, agriculture, state management, education, health care and sport. 

Keywords: deportation, Germans, autonomy, colonization, migration, migration policy, Ekaterina II, history, Russian Empire, patriotism

Abstract: The author of the article offers a concept of the 'two-stage funeral ritual'. The author of the article was the first one to introduce this term to Russian academic community. The two-state funeral ritual includes a whole set of funeral and commemorative traditions an customs. The phenomenon of such rituals used by traditional societies is viewed as a historical and cultural issue based on the example of Japan and Ryukyu (Okinawa), China and other Asian Pacific cultures.  Based on the ideas of such famous European scientists as R. Herz, Arnold van Gennep and Lucien Lévy-Bruhl, the author of the article uses reseaches of Japanese philosophers and his own pilot researches carried out in Japan and Ryukyu.  The author of the article iews the period between preliminary (temporary) and permanent (final) funerals as the most important element in the structure of individual life cycle and society functioning. It is shown that in traditional societies of the Asian Pacific region (Japan, Ryukyu, China and others) one's body and relics are presented as symbols of cultures of these societies.  The author of the article makes a hypothesis that such a two-stage funeral ritual is not an exception but known behavior in many traditional cultures and societies. This allows to define new approaches to studying these cultures.  The article is illustrated by the photographs made by the author himself. 

Keywords: Asian-Pasific region, China, Ryukyu (Okinawa), Japan, traditional societies, funeral ritual, ancestors, gods, soul, body