Articles

The Korean War was a multifaceted conflict in which the interests of the Korean states became intricately intertwined with those of the era’s major powers — the USSR, the United States and the People’s Republic of China. The involvement of these powers in the war, in various forms, diminished the roles of both the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) and the Republic of Korea (ROK) during the hostilities and in shaping the post-war armistice regime. From this perspective, the diplomacy and propaganda of the USSR, the PRC and the USA had greater significance for the course of the conflict than those of the DPRK and the ROK. This article analyzes the interrelationship between diplomacy and propaganda during the early months of the Korean War, focusing on the cases of the USSR and the PRC (June–July 1950). It examines the diplomatic measures undertaken by the Soviet Union and China at the war’s outset and the accompanying propaganda campaigns. The diplomatic efforts of the USSR and the PRC were aimed at justifying the DPRK’s military actions as defensive in the context of the war that had erupted on the Korean Peninsula, while officially adhering to a policy of non-interference in internal affairs. Concurrently, the Soviet and Chinese press published articles presenting evidence of the South Korean government’s preparations for aggressive war with US assistance. In both countries, mass campaigns were launched in support of the DPRK, which was portrayed as “resisting American imperialism and the Syngman Rhee clique”.

The article analyzes the views of the British colonial administration on the security system along the north-eastern borderland of India during the Second World War. It examines strategic projects developed by British officials in the early 1940s in the context of the Japanese advance in Burma and the reconsideration of the region’s future political and strategic configuration. Particular attention is paid to the concept of the “two rings of buffers” proposed by Foreign Secretary to the Government of India Olaf Caroe, according to which the defence of India in the North-East was to be based on a combination of an external belt of buffer states (primarily Tibet and Burma) and an internal defensive zone composed of the tribal areas of the North-East Frontier of India. The article shows that in British strategic planning of that period, the North-East gradually acquired increasing importance in the context of possible external threats to India’s security, the most significant of which was perceived to be the potential rise of China. At the same time, the political developments of the mid-1940s and the preparations for granting independence to India prevented the implementation of plans for the reorganization of the northeastern borderland, many of which remained at the level of strategic proposals.

The article examines the impact of World War II and the first post-war years on the activities of Russian spiritual missions of the Russian Orthodox Church in the Far East, in China, Japan, and Korea. It is shown that by the mid-20th century these missions already had a long history and performed not only religious, but also cultural translation, diplomatic, and communicative functions. In conditions of war, occupation regimes, changes in political authority, and the growing confrontation between the USSR and the United States, issues of support for Russian compatriots, the jurisdictional affiliation of church structures, and the property rights of the missions came to the fore. Based on Chinese material, the article analyzes post-war repatriation, the formation of the East Asian Exarchate of the Moscow Patriarchate, and the conflict over missionary property. The Japanese section considers changes in church administration, the impact of Japanese wartime legislation, and subsequent intervention by the American occupation authorities. The Korean section shows the consequences of the division of the peninsula, the conflict between supporters of different church jurisdictions, and the struggle for mission property. The article concludes that the post-war fate of the missions was determined by a combination of the geopolitical consequences of the war, the anti-religious policy of the Soviet state, local national interests, and the aspirations of Orthodox communities for independence.

Foreign direct investment has remained an important factor in the economic development of the Republic of Turkey for most of its history. This phenomenon has been evaluated in terms of the dynamics of FDI inflows, as well as their geographical and sectoral structure. In this article, we examine the relevance of foreign participation in the capital of the largest manufacturing companies in Turkey, which make up the list of the top 500 companies according to the Istanbul Chamber of Industry. We analyze both the scale of foreign investors’ presence in the capital of leading companies and their sectoral preferences, including from the perspective of the technological complexity of the most popular industries, as well as the main obstacles to expanding foreign presence in the most technologically advanced sectors.

This article aims to study the composition of modern Persian ghazals on the material of selected poems by Simin Behbahani, a master of this genre in Iran, who is rightfully recognized as “Mistress of the Modern Ghazal” (“Bānu-ye qazal-e mo‘aser”). The ghazal is the dominant form in Simin’s work. She has written more than six hundred poems in this form. Simin Behbahani not only demonstrates continuity with Persian classical poetry in her choice of imagery and poetic syntax, but also “modernizes” the ghazal with her own “invented motifs” (“ma‘āni-ye exterā‘”), which have no equivalents in classical literature. The changes that Simin introduced to the traditional form of the ghazal also affect the formal aspect — composition of the text. The classical Persian ghazal tends to be divided into two categories according to the nature of the connection between the bayts, which are referred to as mosalsal (“linear”) or parākande (“disparate”). Most of Simin’s ghazals belong to the first type and are characterized by a unity of theme and figurative-semantic structure. In her ghazals, Simin often prefers various variants of ring composition. There are few examples of this type of composition in the ghazals of the classical period. The purpose of this work is to use selected representative examples to show how Simin Behbahani develops this compositional model. This will allow us to take the first step in the theoretical understanding of the poetics of the modern ghazal (qazal-e mo‘aser) as the changes that have occurred in it at the current stage have not yet been studied properly. Using the example of three different texts, it is shown that, by working with the original methods of constructing a ghazal, Simin Behbahani as a poet who worked in the era of the individual creative type of artistic consciousness chooses a preferred compositional method for unfolding the lyrical situation in each poem.

The article is devoted to the study of a possible genre classification of Sanskrit one-stanza poetry, using Bhartṛhari’s Śatakatrayam (3rd–4th centuries AD) and Vidyākara’s Subhāṣitaratnakośa (11th century AD) as examples. The existing division only by the genres of anthologies (śataka and kośa) seems too general. The article shows that several distinct genres can be identified among the poems ncluded in the anthologies, including blessings (nandī), panegyrics (praśasti), didactic maxims in their various forms (ascetic and urban didactics), compliments to a beauty (cāṭu), poems about canonical love situations, and seasonal landscape lyrics. Thematic and, where possible, structural and stylistic features of these genres are briefly described. A connection is established between the composition of blessing stanzas and the archaic ritual riddle (brahmodya). Features of developed literary panegyric poetry are demonstrated in single-stanza verses praising kings or allegorically censuring them. The question is raised about the connection between panegyric and love poetry of small forms and the court poem mahākāvya due to the commonality of style and imagery. Prospects for comparing minor genres with larger genres of Sanskrit literature are outlined.

This article analyzes the structure of original folklore texts (folktales) from several small, unwritten ethnic groups in the southeastern regions of Tanzania in terms of their lexical and stylistic features. These texts are introduced into scholarly circulation for the first time. Particular attention is given to folktales in the Vidunda, Luguru, Ngindo, and Ndonde languages, which were transcribed using native-speaking informants. Various lexical and stylistic devices that give a certain emotional and expressive coloring and markedness to narratives are examined, such as reduplication, the use of ideophonic vocabulary, and interjections.

This article examines the diplomatic activities of the English nobleman Anthony Shirley (c. 1565–1635) in Iran. It analyzes his negotiations with Shah Abbas I (r. 1588–1629) of the Safavid dynasty and his subsequent stay at the Shah’s court. Plans for creating an anti-Ottoman coalition and establishing bilateral economic ties are presented. An analysis is provided of how Shirley contributed to shaping the image of Persia in Renaissance Europe.

The present article is focused on the Interregnum of 1727–1757 in Morocco — a controversial and turbulent period that followed the death of Moulay Ismail (1672–1727). This ruler who was the third sultan of the Alawi dynasty (1631–present time), consolidated the power and laid the foundations of the precolonial Moroccan state. He adopted a policy of strict centralisation towards the Berber-speaking tribes of the Atlas Mountains who always tried to maintain their independence from the state. The incursion of these tribes into the Atlantic plains had traditionally played a disruptive role for social, economic and political life in Morocco, and Ismail was able to stop this process. However, after his death a struggle for power began between his numerous descendants, and the political and economic crisis was followed by a new wave of tribal resistance. The author concludes that the crisis of the Interregnum could be seen as an inversion of the strict tribal policy pursued by Moulay Ismail. Based on the Moroccan annals and city chronicles, the paper analyses different approaches of Alawi sultans to the resolution of the crisis during this period. Special attention is paid to the role of Moulay Abdallah, who was able to find the way out of the crisis. The comparative analysis of the Moroccan chronicles shows that the solution laid not in the fight against Berber tribes, but in the search for compromises between them and the throne. Moulay Abdallah’s strategy in dealing with the tribes established a new policy of Moroccan rulers in the XVIIIth and XIXth centuries, which meant a greater use of arbitration and reliance on different tribal forces.

In recent years, global and regional crises have prompted Japan to strengthen its defense capabilities, deepen military alliances, and develop a network of strategic partnerships both within the Indo-Pacific region and beyond. A country that for decades relied primarily on its alliance with the United States is now seeking to become a more active and autonomous regional actor that helps shape rules and build coalitions. Despite a growing body of research on Japan’s foreign policy strategy, the implications of the course toward strengthening Japan’s international role in the field of security remain insufficiently explored, particularly in terms of how this approach influences regional cooperation frameworks such as QUAD and Japan’s engagement with ASEAN countries. The article examines Japan’s use of the FOIP and QUAD frameworks as instruments of foreign policy influence and advancement of strategic interests in the Indo-Pacific region. The relevance of the topic is underscored by the intensifying geopolitical tensions in the Indo-Pacific, the escalating situation around Taiwan, and China’s increasing military and political activity. Japan’s shift toward a more active role in regional security highlights the internal contradiction between its constitutionally enshrined limitations and the growing need to contribute to the regional security order. This tension presents a key challenge for the current cabinet: to maintain economically beneficial relations with China while adhering to a security discourse centered on military buildup and responding to U.S. demands for a greater Japanese contribution to regional defense.

The Asia Zero Emission Community (AZEC), launched by Japan in 2022, represents a new platform for regional cooperation in the fields of decarbonization and green energy. The article examines the key parameters of AZEC’s formation, its institutional characteristics, and the preliminary results of its implementation in 2023-2024. At this stage, AZEC functions as a flexible coordination framework without a strict international legal basis, which allows adaptation to diverse national contexts but simultaneously creates risks of limited long-term sustainability. Particular attention is given to the analysis of projects implemented in Southeast Asian countries and Australia, including hydrogen and ammonia technologies, biomass power generation, microgrids, and energy management systems. Case studies from Indonesia, Vietnam, Thailand, Malaysia, the Philippines, and other participants highlight the multi-level nature of cooperation, encompassing energy, industry, and the agricultural sector. Despite its modest quantitative impact (approximately 0.0785% of the region’s total installed capacity by the end of 2024), the initiative’s qualitative significance lies in piloting innovative technologies, shaping the institutional foundations of climate policy, and strengthening a regional “ecosystem” structured around Japanese technological solutions. At this stage, AZEC functions primarily as a mechanism for demonstrating and testing models of low-carbon development, as well as a channel for the transfer of norms, knowledge, and governance practices. Its contribution to the energy transition in East Asia is therefore less about immediate capacity expansion and more about creating the conditions for future scaling of Japan’s energy sector in the region and deepening of green cooperation.

The People’s Republic of China and the Republic of India have traditionally shared similar economic development goals, but their principles for achieving them differ. While both countries initially relied on five-year plans, their paths began to diverge by the end of the 20th century. China continued to refine its system of prescriptive five-year plans, building on its accumulated experience. Meanwhile, India abandoned this approach by creating the National Institution for Transforming India (NITI Aayog). The new model is based on a series of coordinated plans of varying timeframes, fostering cooperative federalism and the development of grassroots innovation that more closely responds to local needs. Thus, China’s centralized model and India’s decentralized system represent contrasting governance philosophies. Despite this, both demonstrate a key capacity for adaptation, ensuring resilience and technological transformation. The experiences of China and India, their ability to flexibly respond to global challenges and long-term risks, serve as valuable guidance for other developing economies.

The article examines how the theme of World War II is reflected in modern Turkish literature, using as an example Z. Livaneli’s well-known novel “Serenade” (2011). The focus is on the perspective from which this theme is presented in the novel - the genocide of the Jewish people during the war, as expressed in the plot and the system of images. Particular importance is attached to the documentary factual material used by Z. Livaneli. Real facts from the wartime past are woven into the everyday life of contemporary Turkey in the novel, helping readers to better understand the tragedy of the protagonist and to appreciate his contribution to the anti-fascist struggle. The article also highlights markers of the belletristic code employed by the writer: the intertwining in the novel of the classical tradition of “high” literature with the templates of popular fiction.

The article examines the terminological apparatus of the grammatical description of the Chinese language (wenyan) in Zhong deng guo wen dian (1907). This textbook was written in the initial period of developing approaches to describing the native language in China. During this extremely significant period, basic terms, which are also used by modern linguists, were formed. The study revealed that: 1) Zhang Shizhao distinguishes between words and morphemes, designating them as ci and zi; 2) the author sees understanding of word structure as an integral part of the study of grammar, and therefore introduces the corresponding terms; 3) since ci and zi are strictly distinguished, the variant ci is used to name classes when classifying vocabulary; 4) in the field of sentence analysis, the new terminology reflected: a) a different approach to describing the system of sentence parts; b) the need to describe the types of sentences; 5) the system of parts of speech has not undergone any fundamental changes compared to “Ma shi wen tong” (1898), although some terms have been reworked. Zhong deng guo wen dian is oriented toward the European canon of grammatical description of language, which is reflected in the author’s concepts. While earlier works introduced new terminology very cautiously, Zhang Shizhao, on the contrary, is not afraid to propose new interpretations and terms.

This article examines the main principles for describing the broken plural as presented by Ibn Yaʿīsh (13th c.) and notes the main differences between his treatment and that of Sībawayhi (8th c.), the author of the earliest extant grammatical treatise, which makes it possible to gain an idea of how this topic developed in traditional Arabic grammar. The broken plural is of particular interest because of the large number of patterns (more than 30) and the rather complex algorithm for choosing a broken-plural form for a given singular form, and it is precisely this type of plural that receives the most attention in the treatise Sharḥ al-Mufaṣṣal.