DOI: 10.3792/3033-6015-2026-1-7-9
THE TRANS-BOUNDARY “PANORAMA”:
FROM MODERN ECONOMICS TO ETHNIC HISTORY
«ПАНОРАМА» ТРАНСГРАНИЧЬЯ:
ОТ СОВРЕМЕННОЙ ЭКОНОМИКИ ДО ЭТНИЧЕСКОЙ ИСТОРИИ
In terms of its themes and issues, the first issue of 2026 turned out to be very diverse and multifaceted. Economists focused on discussing the pain points of regional economic development; sociologists, on the contrary, identified and analyzed practices of positive activity in the field of social policy; and the authors of the ethnological section became engrossed in historical excursions into the past of national communities and cultures.
The section “Economics. Specifics of the Development of Depressed Territories” raises a pressing issue for the Russian Federation: the economic development of territories that are in a crisis state and lack sufficient resources. The article by Z. B.-D. Dondokov is devoted to the issue of identifying such territories, which include not only entire regions but also individual municipalities that typically have a single-industry specialization. Analyzing the reasons for their emergence in Russia and foreign countries, he pays special attention to the dynamics of development of old industrial regions as a classic example of such territories. The main conclusion reached by the author is the blurring of the primary characteristic of a region’s depression, which consists of a sustained stagnation of socio-economic development. A more appropriate definition for modern realities is determining a territory’s depression based on its development dynamics lagging behind the national average and the lack of sufficient opportunities and resources for endogenous growth. This highlights the need to expand the currently insufficient measures of federal support for such territories.
Continuing this theme is the article by D. B. Dugarzhapova, which raises issues of strategic planning for the development of problem regions in the Russian Federation. The existing methodological uncertainty in managing the socio-economic development of a problem region negatively affects the effectiveness of the strategic planning process. Based on an analysis of its regulatory and legal framework, as well as methods and tools, the author substantiates the need to increase the coordination of actions of state authorities, reduce the centralization of decision-making, and strengthen the role of the regions themselves in the process of developing and implementing strategies and individual development programs.
One example of a problem region in Asian Russia is the Republic of Buryatia. The article by B. A. Tsybenov is devoted to the study of an indicator summarizing the economic development of the region, namely the gross regional product (GRP). The author reveals its dynamics in Buryatia over a fairly long period from 2005 to 2023 in comparison with indicators of the Far Eastern Federal District (FEFD) and its constituent regions. A lag in the growth rate of GRP volume and a decrease in its contribution to the total indicator of the FEFD and the Russian Federation were identified. Moreover, in recent years, Buryatia has ranked last among the Far Eastern regions in terms of GRP per capita. The structure of the republic’s GRP is undergoing transformation, driven by changes in the economy and market conditions, as well as methodological changes.
The focus of research in the section “Sociology. Social Well-being of the Population of Inner Asia” turned out to be topics related to the study of various aspects of quality of life among different social groups in Mongolia, China, and Russia.
The article by colleagues from the Far Eastern Federal University, A. V. Vinokurova and A. Yu. Ardalianova, reveals the complex nature of the influence of the digital environment on the social well-being of the younger generation based on an analysis of the results of interviews with parents of older preschool and younger school-age children and data from surveys conducted by the Higher School of Economics and the Public Opinion Foundation. The authors found a predominance of direct and restrictive measures in parental control practices, with fragmentary use of specialized software tools. At the same time, a trend was identified of a gradual transition from prohibitive strategies to forms of parental mediation based on trust, collaboration, and the development of self-regulation skills in children. The researchers draw attention to the pronounced process of the digital environment spreading into all spheres of life of the younger generation, while the family, with the support of society and the state, retains a key role in shaping a culture of conscious and safe use of digital technologies.
Attention of colleagues from the National University of Mongolia (Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia) is drawn to a diametrically opposite age group—the elderly. Tongalga Bao and Otgonbayar Yadamzhav in their article examine the evolution of institutional policy on social participation of the elderly in China from 1982 to 2025 against the backdrop of the demographic crisis, which is relevant in the context of global population aging. The share of elderly citizens in China is growing and reached 21.1% in 2023, leading to a transformation of policy. While previously a model of aging population management based on «protection» was used, a model focused on «development» has now become widespread. Social participation of the elderly has become not only a practical response to population aging but also a key factor in social innovation and vitality. The authors see further resolution of the aging problem in creating a sustainable system that provides elderly people with opportunities to contribute to China’s prosperity.
The article by Mongolian researchers from the National Academy of Public Administration (Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia) has great practical significance, consisting of an assessment of public transport accessibility in the capital of Mongolia. This problem is highly relevant in light of the high transport load resulting from the concentration of half the country’s population in Ulaanbaatar. Based on an analysis of the opinions of city residents (n = 445) and experts (n = 27), Narantulga Baatarzhav, Ariunaa Erdenekhuyag, and Erdenechimeg Chogdon developed recommendations for government authorities and transport service operators aimed at the systematic development of public transport taking into account the needs of city residents.
In the section «Ethnology. Historical Retrospective,» the authors focus on historical aspects of the development of ethnic communities and cultures. It opens with an article by I. R. Garri, which presents the biography of Buddha Rabdanov—a man of an extraordinary fate, whose life and activities had a very noticeable influence on the formation of the intellectual elite of Buryat society in the late 19th – early 20th centuries. A traveler, public figure, and politician, a participant in the «Great Game,» he tilled the fertile soil on which prominent representatives of the Buryat people grew. His students—Tsyben Zhamtsarano, Bazar Baradin, Gombozhab Tsybikov—are people who later determined the strategic course of development of the Buryats, their culture, and identity for many years to come.
Almost the first event that publicly manifested the desire of the Buryat intellectual elite to develop such a strategic course was a most interesting discussion at the beginning of the last century that flared up on the pages of the journal «Siberian Questions.» Its participants—Ts. Zhamtsarano (a student of B. Rabdanov) and M. Bogdanov—actively discussed options and scenarios for Buryat nation-building, and their ideas became the conceptual basis of the Buryat national movement and largely determined the format of the national autonomy created in 1923. The analysis of this discussion is the subject of an article by Mengentsan (Inner Mongolia University, Hohhot, PRC)¹. This text is also interesting because it shows the ethnic issues of the Buryats from the perspective of foreign specialists and once again proves that these issues remain relevant to this day.
The section concludes with an article by B. D. Tsybenov about the Buryat Khamnigans, in which the author sheds light on some aspects of the ethno- and politogenesis of this sub-ethnic group, and also describes the forms of involvement of the Khamnigans in the social policy of Tsarist Russia. The author studies the practices of collecting donations among the Khamnigans during the First World War, as well as the requisition of lamas and monastics from six Khamnigan datsans for rear-area work in 1916–1917.
In the section «Scientific Life,» a collective article by staff of the IMBT SB RAS is presented, devoted to a review of the institute’s scientific events for 2025, highlighting their topics and goals. The list is distinguished by a variety of forms and content and includes 7 scientific conferences and seminars, 5 round tables, monthly scientific reports at the Academic Council, and a scientific session of the institute, which indicates the breadth of its scientific interests, confirms its status as one of the leading Oriental studies centers in Russia, including serving as a coordinating center for humanitarian research in the east of our country. In addition, the institute strives to preserve historical memory and continuity of generations of researchers by organizing a number of events dedicated to memorable and anniversary dates. In this regard, the authors emphasize that such work creates a solid foundation for further research and strengthening the status of Russian science in world Oriental studies.
An article by E. V. Nolev is dedicated to the 175th anniversary of the founding of the first research institution in Siberia and the Far East – the East Siberian Department of the Russian Geographical Society. The author provides an overview of the Department’s activities in studying the historical and cultural heritage, ethnography, and geography of ethnic Buryatia at various stages of its history. Its role in the comprehensive study of the history and ethnography of the peoples of ethnic Buryatia, as well as the geography and economic potential of the region, is invaluable. The Department’s support spurred the development of scientific research by outstanding scholars and local historians, whose works were included in the golden fund of Russian science.
The research topics collected in this issue demonstrate how broad and inexhaustible the journal’s scientific scope is. We invite humanities scholars to the pages of our publication!
Sincerely,
Member of the Editorial Board, Doctor of Social Sciences,
Leading Researcher at IMBT SB RAS
Yu. G. Byuraeva,
Member of the Editorial Board, Candidate of Historical Sciences,
Senior Researcher at IMBT SB RAS
P. K. Varnavsky
