This article presents a detailed analysis of a complex of stone sculptures dating to the Early Iron Age discovered in the Saryarka region. The morphological and iconographic features of the sculptures are described using newly obtained archaeological data, while the context of their placement and the cultural and chronological scope of the finds are also clarified. Two main groups have been identified according to the manner in which the stone statues were installed: sculptures directly associated with funerary monuments, and those used for ritual purposes. The results of radiocarbon dating and typological studies date these sculptures to the 8th—5thcenturies BCE. This artistic style is distinguished by simplicity, symbolic precision, and the presence of iconographic details such as the “topknot” (kaz. aidar). It is further noted that the tradition of stone carving originated in the Late Bronze Age and continued into the Kipchak period. The research highlights the continuity of the artistic tradition that developed in the Saryarka within the Tasmola cultural horizon (8th—5thcenturies BCE) as a distinctive regional phenomenon, identifying stone carving as an indigenous cultural trend. The stone sculptures of Saryarka, characteristic of the Saka period, represent not only an element of funerary rites but also a complex cultural and ideological phenomenon that reflects the social structure, religious worldview, and artistic ideals of early society.
Національний пантеон героїв є невід’ємною складовою нематеріальної культурної спадщини. Повномасштабне вторгнення путінської росії в Україну 24 лютого 2022 року обумовило серйозні світоглядні трансформації українського соціуму, у тому числі – зміну уявлень про тих, кого вважати героями, а кого – злочинцями. За даними довоєнних соціологічних опитувань, єдиний національний пантеон не був остаточно сформований, регіональні уявлення про його склад значно відрізнялися один від одного. Певну консолідуючу функцію в цьому плані виконав медіапроєкт «Великі українці» (2008).
У статті наводяться результати експертного опитування 2022 року, що порівнюються з аналогічним дослідженням 2024 року, проведеним з метою виявлення динаміки суспільної думки у зв’язку з початком війни. Констатується, що до війни верхівку національного пантеону складали історичні правителі Української держави: Богдан Хмельницький, Ярослав Мудрий, Володимир Великий, Михайло Грушевський та поет Тарас Шевченко. У 2024 р. експерти зараховують до першої п’ятірки героїв Валерія Залужного, Богдана Хмельницького, Ярослава Мудрого, Степана Бандеру, Павла Скоропадського. Наводяться відповіді експертів щодо визначення головних злочинців та жертв в історії України. Рейтинг антигероїв української історії до війни очолювали Йосип Сталін, Володимир Ленін і Віктор Янукович, після російського вторгнення поповнили володимир путін і Віктор Медведчук. Експерти висунули парадоксальну гіпотезу про історичний віктимблеймінг, коли українці не хочуть ототожнювати себе з жертвами, вважаючи, що жертви самі винні в своїх бідах. Розкриваються основні тенденції змін у суспільній думці, пов’язаних із фактором війни в Україні. Прогнозовано національний пантеон розширюється за рахунок залучення героїв сучасності – учасників спротиву російській агресії. Зроблено висновок, що регіональні відмінності в оцінках історичних постатей вже не виглядають радикально амбівалентними, тобто за два роки війни українське суспільство стало більш гомогенним.
Мета статті – з’ясувати значущість гімназійної освіти як складника підготовки єврейських дівчат кінця 19 – початку 20 ст. в Україні за їхніми автобіографіями. Зокрема, виявити чинники й обставини, що у(не)можливлювали здобуття повної середньої освіти, реконструювати ставлення батьків до ґрунтовної освіти доньок, з’ясувати важливість навчання в гімназії для самоідентифікації єврейських дівчат.
Наукова новизна результатів дослідження полягає у з’ясуванні ролі гімназійної освіти як складника підготовки єврейських доньок через деконструкцію їхньої автобіографічної свідомості, що поглиблює соціокультурні характеристики жіночої особистості модерної доби.
Висновки. Нові погляди щодо соціалізації доньок поширюються в єврейських родинах України, професійна підготовка яких мала стати підсумком їхнього навчання й основою самостійних заробітків. Загальна стратегія акультурації реалізується частиною юдейських родин через навчання доньок у найближчих закладах початкової освіти – народних училищах. Результатами початкового навчання єврейських учениць було поглиблення внутрішнього потенціалу, формування дисциплінованості, навичок соціальної взаємодії з іншими.
Більшість єврейських дівчат (61,1%) оминули етап відвідування початкової школи. Батьки націлювали доньок на вступ до закладу середньої освіти – жіночої гімназії, чому передувала ґрунтовна підготовка до вступного іспиту. Доведено, що близько ⅓ єврейських доньок змогли скористатися повним курсом гімназійної освіти (І-VІІ класи). Встановлено чинники, що скорочували перебування дівчат-юдейок у гімназії. Зокрема, непланована батьками гімназійна освіта доньки; проживання у віддаленому містечку; труднощі зі вступом до місцевої гімназії; провал на вступному іспиті до закладу.
Автобіографічна свідомість єврейських дівчат підтверджує усвідомлення ними панівних культурних патернів епохи щодо необхідності вчитися, а цілеспрямовані дії на здобуття гімназійного свідоцтва через самоосвіту засвідчують його високу соціальну мотивацію та культурну значущість. Омріяний атестат жіночої гімназії ставав перепусткою до іншого, кращого світу, і символізував для його власниць дійсний духовний прорив – не лише за смугу постійної єврейської осілості, а й за рамки традиційного світу, обмеженого для жінки лише домом і дітьми.
Kamilla Waszczuk, Daniel Żychliński, Aneta Kuzioła
During research at an early medieval site located 11 km away from Poznań’s Ostrów Tumski (Cathedral Island), a set of tools for weighing bullion was found, consisting of balance scales, 10 standardised weights, and a decorative copper alloy necklace clasp. Due to the state of preservation, mechanical features and the place of uncovering, these artefacts prompted a multi-faceted analysis of the possible reasons why such valuable objects were left in one of the sites of the extensive settlement, located by the Kopel and Michałówka valley. As a result, new evidence has been obtained on the links between the main strongholds of the Polish state and the subordinate settlements, as well as on the existence of possibilities of communication between them (hitherto unconsidered) and on local variations in social stratification. At the same time, the need to carry out methodical research on archaeological sites and to exercise conservation protection over them was stressed, in the face of a threat of losing ample interpretative opportunities when the sites become victims of illegal forms of exploration
History of Eastern Europe, History of Central Europe
The aim of this study is to present the results of an analysis of selected archaeological sources from early medieval functional-stratigraphic units discovered at site No. 1 in Santok (Poland, Lubusz Region), within are No. 297 (trench II). The finds come from archaeological excavations carried out between 1958 and 1961 of a multi-stage market settlement from the late 8th and 9th centuries, transformed into a fortified settlement in the late 9th or early 10th century. A comparative analysis of the individual sets of exclusive material culture has resulted in classifying the luxury objects discovered at Santok into several distinct macro groups of finds, differentiated in terms of chronology and cultural-spatial relationships. During the operation of the three oldest ‘open’ settlements in Santok (late 8th-2nd half of the 9th century), these relations were marked by contacts with the cultural population of the Feldberg-Bardy-Kędrzyno zone and with the artisanal and trading settlement at Menzlin (Germany, Mecklenburg NE).
From the late 9th century onwards, contacts with Wolin started to prevail in Santok’s network of trans-regional links, evident in the material culture of Santok settlement No. IV. In the 10th century, it was probably extended to include relations with Szczecin. From the late 9th century onwards, in the elite culture of the Santok people relatively few exclusive objects marked their presence, typical of the culture of the Tornow-Klenica settlements, especially from the area of the middle Oder basin and the neighbouring Obra basin. On the other hand, finds from the relics of a younger castle stronghold in Santok – probably a Piast investment made after 970 on the remains of the so-called fortress No. 1 – document chronological and cultural similarities both with economically developed settlements in the Oder estuary region and with early Piast strongholds in central Wielkopolska (especially Poznań).
History of Eastern Europe, History of Central Europe
ABSTRACT Fire has been part of the natural environment of south-eastern Australia for tens of millions of years. Aboriginal people used fire selectively, with skill, for many reasons. The removal of Aboriginal people from most of the region after European settlement changed fire regimes and the composition and structure of vegetation. This study explores the history of fire in south-eastern Australia, describes the development of prescribed burning as a forest management tool, and discusses the factors that have influenced changes in fire regimes. It draws on published and unpublished literature and data held by the Forest Fire Management Committee of the Institute of Foresters of Australia. The study finds that the use of prescribed burning in south-eastern Australia in the past 100 years has been driven primarily by political and legal factors. Since 1939, more than 50 public inquiries, reviews and royal commissions have been held into matters concerning the management of fire in landscapes, including prescribed burning. Prescribed burning has been used for wildfire mitigation, agricultural practices (such as stubble reduction and grazing land management), property protection, the maintenance of ecological processes and biodiversity conservation. Prescribed burning in the region has only ever been practised on a small percentage of forest and land each year. The study finds that a substantial body of fire and ecosystem science has been generated in the past 50 years, with rapid technological developments to support prescribed burning and fire management. Research has provided tools and methods for broadscale prescribed burning, but negative public perceptions of fire have prevented the deployment of comprehensive fire management programs in the region. Although much has been achieved, considerable changes are still required in fire management for it to be sustainable and optimal in protecting economic, social and environmental values. The risks to human lives, property, biodiversity and the environment associated with wildfire are increasing in south-eastern Australia due to climate change, and the wider use of prescribed burning is essential for managing these. The increasing extent and occurrence of wildfire disasters in the region indicates that current fire management will not sustain the full range of ecosystem processes and biodiversity, nor reduce to an acceptable level the impact of wildfires on human lives and property. There is compelling evidence for the greater use of prescribed burning to reduce wildfire risks and impacts, rather than committing increasing resources to wildfire suppression. The potential negative impacts of prescribed burning can be managed effectively using existing knowledge and tools. Clear communication of the benefits of prescribed burning can influence political and public opinion in its favour. More investment in training, human capacity and supporting resources is required to safely and effectively deploy prescribed burning more widely to reduce future wildfire risks.
During the past three decades, within the main currents of historical thought, world, transnational, and global history gained special importance. Starting from the long tradition of writing world histories, in the context of social and intellectual changes since the 1980s, especially the end of the Cold War and the strengthening of the globalization process, the paper analyzes the origin of these disciplines, their characteristic theoretical and methodological features, the main research topics and their most significant results. These approaches have in common the search for alternative spaces of historical analysis that would not be connected to the traditional framework of the nation-state. As a result, there is an inherent stimulus to overcome methodological nationalism and Eurocentrism in historical research. Therefore, they represent at the same time an attempt to write history not only for contemporary, globally more tightly integrated ’network societies’ but also a type of historiography less marked by nationalism. However, world-, transnational-, and global history also have inherent limitations. Firstly, there is a danger that they will become the ideology of the ongoing process of globalization and, secondly, that people as creators of their history will be suppressed in favor of social and economic structures and processes. Finally, the paper analyzes the opportunities that world-, transnational- and global history provide to smaller national historical cultures. In this sense, it seems that a ’glocal’ approach – which observes the global aspects of phenomena from local, regional and national history and their feedback influence on global currents of history – would be particularly useful. Ultimately, although world-, transnational-, and global history will become neither the only nor the dominant paradigm in historical thought, their insights undoubtedly represent a welcome counterbalance to the (still prevailing) national historical narratives.
Jewish humour with a rich repertoire of forms is an integral part of Jewish culture. The article summarises the typical features of Jewish humour and presents an outline of its history from its beginning at the turn of the 19th to the 20th century in the countries of Central and Eastern Europe, through the times of immigrants to Palestine, from the first Aliyah (1882–1903), until the establishment of the state of Israel in 1948, to the humour of modern Israel. The humour of Anna Fein – one of the important representatives of Russian-Israeli literature – is situated at the intersection of traditional Jewish humour, Israeli humour, and the mentality of a repatriate (the writer left Russia for Israel during the so-called Great Aliyah), creating an interesting Russian-Israeli version of Jewish humour. Fein’s humour fits in with the exemplary tone of archetypal Jewish humour. At the same time, referring not to the emotions, but to the recipient’s intellect, together with the assumption that humour must have pragmatic values, understood as the implementation of a utilitarian function, it brings the recipient closer to the postulates of Henri Bergson’s theory of laughter.
History of Russia. Soviet Union. Former Soviet Republics, Literature (General)
Ethnopharmacological relevance Currently various scientific and popular sources provide a wide spectrum of ethnopharmacological information on many plants, yet the sources of that information, as well as the information itself, are often not clear, potentially resulting in the erroneous use of plants among lay people or even in official medicine. Our field studies in seven countries on the Eastern edge of Europe have revealed an unusual increase in the medicinal use of Epilobium angustifolium L., especially in Estonia, where the majority of uses were specifically related to “men's problems”. The aim of the current work is to understand the recent and sudden increase in the interest in the use of E. angustifolium in Estonia; to evaluate the extent of documented traditional use of E. angustifolium among sources of knowledge considered traditional; to track different sources describing (or attributed as describing) the benefits of E. angustifolium; and to detect direct and indirect influences of the written sources on the currently documented local uses of E. angustifolium on the Eastern edge of Europe. Materials and methods In this study we used a variety of methods: semi-structured interviews with 599 people in 7 countries, historical data analysis and historical ethnopharmacological source analysis. We researched historical and archival sources, and academic and popular literature published on the medicinal use of E. angustifolium in the regions of our field sites as well as internationally, paying close attention to the literature that might have directly or indirectly contributed to the popularity of E. angustifolium at different times in history. Results Our results show that the sudden and recent popularity in the medical use of E. angustifolium in Estonia has been caused by local popular authors with academic medical backgrounds, relying simultaneously on “western” and Russian sources. While Russian sources have propagated (partially unpublished) results from the 1930s, “western” sources are scientific insights derived from the popularization of other Epilobium species by Austrian herbalist Maria Treben. The information Treben disseminated could have been originated from a previous peak in popularity of E. angustifolium in USA in the second half of the 19th century, caused in turn by misinterpretation of ancient herbals. The traditional uses of E. angustifolium were related to wounds and skin diseases, fever, pain (headache, sore throat, childbirth), and abdominal-related problems (constipation, stomach ache) and intestinal bleeding. Few more uses were based on the similarity principle. The main theme, however, is the fragmentation of use and its lack of consistency apart from wounds and skin diseases. Conclusions Historical ethnobotanical investigations could help to avoid creating repeating waves of popularity of plants that have already been tried for certain diseases and later abandoned as not fully effective. There is, of course, a chance that E. angustifolium could also finally be proven to be clinically safe and cost-effective for treating benign prostatic hyperplasia, but this has not yet happened despite recent intensive research. Documented traditional use would suggest investigating the dermatological, intestinal anti-hemorrhagic and pain inhibiting properties of this plant, if any.
A widely used concept, urban resilience, cannot remain a metaphor or just a theoretical view on the ability of cities to overcome perturbations, but it also needs to be operationalized and to become a useful tool in deciphering the complex and very dynamic urban realities. The present study investigates the resilience of 76 selected cities from Central and Eastern Europe from the point of view of socioeconomic indicators (socio-economic resilience), as well as from the point of view of morphological and functional indicators (spatial resilience). The methodology is quantitative, based on statistical analyses which link the socio-economic evolution of the cities to the spatial one in order to observe the disturbances. The results show us a territory of Central and Eastern Europe at several speeds. The differences exist because of a differentiated structural change that took place after the collapse of communism (depending on the proximity or distance to the border with Western Europe), but also linked to the existence of different socio-economic resources (Western cities vs Eastern cities of Poland, Romania, Bulgaria), based on their different history and the trajectory taken since the fall of communism.
Common walnut (Juglans regia L) is an economically important species cultivated worldwide for its high-quality wood and nuts. It is generally accepted that after the last glaciation J. regia survived and grew in almost completely isolated stands in Asia, and that ancient humans dispersed walnuts across Asia and into new habitats via trade and cultural expansion. The history of walnut in Europe is a matter of debate, however. In this study, we estimated the genetic diversity and structure of 91 Eurasian walnut populations using 14 neutral microsatellites. By integrating fossil pollen, cultural, and historical data with population genetics, and approximate Bayesian analysis, we reconstructed the demographic history of walnut and its routes of dispersal across Europe. The genetic data confirmed the presence of walnut in glacial refugia in the Balkans and western Europe. We conclude that human-mediated admixture between Anatolian and Balkan walnut germplasm started in the Early Bronze Age, and between western Europe and the Balkans in eastern Europe during the Roman Empire. A population size expansion and subsequent decline in northeastern and western Europe was detected in the last five centuries. The actual distribution of walnut in Europe resulted from the combined effects of expansion/contraction from multiple refugia after the Last Glacial Maximum and its human exploitation over the last 5,000 years.
Within the global context, Eastern Europe has been repeatedly identified as the area with the highest levels of alcohol-related health harms. Although the Berlin Wall fell in 1989, and the Soviet Union collapsed soon afterwards, alcohol-related mortality in Eastern Europe remains far higher than in Western Europe. However, despite the high burden of alcohol harm and mortality in Eastern Europe, with the partial exception of Russia, relatively little is known about the country-specific impact of alcohol on health and mortality and the various policy responses to it. In response to this, an international symposium was held in Vilnius, Lithuania in June 2017 entitled Persisting burden of alcohol in Central and Eastern Europe: recent evidence and measurement issues. This special section of Drug and Alcohol Review is based on a selection of the papers presented at this symposium, providing for the first time a broad overview of the problem of alcohol-related mortality in a diverse range of Eastern European countries linked to a description and analysis of alcohol control initiatives that have been developed. While there is strong evidence of the influence of history, culture and education across European countries having a profound and persistent effect on differences in drinking patterns and preferences, there is, nevertheless, evidence that effective policy responses have been mounted in a range of countries.
Our ability to examine genetic variation across entire genomes has enabled many studies searching for the genetic basis of local adaptation. These studies have identified numerous loci as candidates for differential local selection; however, relatively few have examined the overlap among candidate loci identified from independent studies of the same species in different geographic areas or evolutionary lineages. We used an allelotyping approach with a 220K SNP array to characterize the population genetic structure of Atlantic salmon in north‐eastern Europe and ask whether the same genomic segments emerged as outliers among populations in different geographic regions. Genome‐wide data recapitulated the phylogeographic structure previously inferred from mtDNA and microsatellite markers. Independent analyses of three genetically and geographically distinct groups of populations repeatedly inferred the same 17 haploblocks to contain loci under differential local selection. The most strongly supported of these replicated haploblocks had known strong associations with life‐history variation or immune response in Atlantic salmon. Our results are consistent with these genomic segments harbouring large‐effect loci which have a major role in Atlantic salmon diversification and are ideal targets for validation studies.
Soviet diplomacy interpreted Yugoslavia’s position as a result of the process that happened from its origin and place and role in the new system of international relations guided by France and Great Britain. They thought – after the fall of France, Italy’s entry into the war, and the growing German pressure on the Balkans – that Yugoslavia had found itself in a kind of foreign policy isolation and was forced to sign a series of unfavorable economic agreements with Germany. According to Soviet sources, the German influence was also manifested in the political sphere by the actions of prominently politically motivated politicians and journalists, as well as “numerous German agents.” They viewed the policy carried out by the previous government as a “concession” policy, and its decision to join the Tripartite Pact as the result of German pressure and the inability to provide resolute resistance to German demands. The new government was seen as a conglomeration of representatives of various political ideas, still dominated by the supporters of the new course of Yugoslav foreign policy in relation to the members of the shadow government that found themselves in the new one. Soviet diplomacy worried about the position of Croatian politicians in the new government, since the leadership of the Croatian Peasant Party stood firmly in the position of joining Yugoslavia in the Tripartite Pact. The Soviets encouraged the measures taken by the Yugoslav Government to arrest politicians and journalists, remove pro-German officers from important command positions and mobilize the military. Regarding the further development of events, Soviet diplomacy estimated that the United Kingdom would strive to exploit the uprising in Belgrade in order to form a Balkan front, which would include Yugoslavia, Greece, and possibly Turkey with British support.