The article examines the recently published documents on the priorities of the U.S. in the Arctic region. At the end of 2022, the U.S. Department of Energy published the document titled “Arctic Strategy”, and the White House released “The New National Strategy for the Arctic Region”. The latter strategic document presents the U.S. policy for the development of the Arctic over the next ten years. It addresses a number of issues, in particular rising geopolitical tension and the climate crisis, which significant effect the stable development of the Arctic re-

gion. In the time of global rivalry between Russia and the West, the United States has stepped up its policy in the Arctic. The creation of these documents confirms the willingness of the United States to strengthen own presence in the region. The key directions of the U.S. policy in the Arctic, as well as areas of greatest interest to the USA are clearly defined in the strategic documents. The development of naval forces, construction of new ships, and further study of the climatic features of the Arctic region are addressed. Moreover, the documents express the U.S. firm intention to continue development of energy projects in the Arctic, and deepen cooperation with allies and partners by using multilateral mechanisms.

Digitalization of the economy is proclaimed as a main target by  all countries of the Eurasian Economic Union. The official authorities are doing a lot  but  despite the efforts being made, the goals  have not been fully achieved. It is especially sensitive for traffic flows, which in modern geopolitical realities acquire a special role in the world trade operations. The EAEU countries started transition to modern technologies long before the events in 2022. The main aim was not only to create conditions for economic growth (reducing the terms of passenger and freight transportation, simplifying transit through the EAEU, reducing financial costs, creating a barrier-free trading environment), but also increasing the attractiveness of the economic union for other states.

Currently, digitalization processes have an impact on integration processes, determining the future of export-import operations. Building effective and technological supply chains increases the transport transit potential of the EAEU and its neighboring states, creates conditions for the implementation of large projects to modernize the transport infrastructure. The analysis of the state and role of information and communication technologies in the movement of goods inside and outside the EAEU, along existing and new logistics corridors, undertaken in the article, showed that the countries of the Union continue to create favorable conditions for business, gradually erasing the borders between states at the digital level, reducing the existing restrictions.

The article considers migration processes in the post-Soviet space, relative to the Russian Federation, as the main center of migration attraction. Empirical data are introduced into scientific circulation, characterizing some migration indicators in 2022 on the basis of which the features of external labor migration to Russia are revealed. The author analyzes quantitative and qualitative indicators of external migration on the basis of not only statistical data, but also regulatory legal acts, which makes it possible to determine the ratio of migration needs and migration challenges faced by Russian society, which generally negatively perceives the migration model implemented in the state. The conclusion proposes measures that allow, according to the author, to increase the effectiveness of the implemented state migration policy and reduce the conflict potential of external migration.

The article examines Russian-Chinese foreign trade relations, their origin, development and current state. The official approaches of the states to the organization, subsequent development and strengthening of foreign trade relations, established by Nerchinsky (1689), Kyakhtinsky (1727), Tianjin (1858), Beijing (1860), Moscow (1896) are given contracts and other documents. The current state, indicators of the Russian-Chinese foreign trade turnover in 2020–2022 are disclosed. and priority areas of mutual foreign economic cooperation between states. The main projects of investment cooperation are given. The conclusions summarize the impact of Russian-Chinese foreign trade cooperation on improving the efficiency of the implementation of programs for their socio-economic development.

A typologically significant characteristic of the Kazakhstan model of democratic transit is the creation in Kazakhstan of a system of “super-presidential” public, in which the constitutional and legal status, functions and powers of all branches of government act as a transformed form of implementation of the principles of identitarian democracy. One of the most relevant descriptions of the features of this form is Guillermo O’Donnell’s concept of deliberative democracy. According to G. According to O’Donnell, delegative democracies are based on the premise that election to the presidency gives the winner the right to govern without resorting to the mediation of representative institutions of power. After all, the president is elected in order to be the personified embodiment of the nation, to determine and protect its interests with authority, assuming full responsibility for the fate of the country and the people. Other political institutions, for example, parties with their factionalism and permanent conflicts, are often only hindrances in the implementation of this mission. This feature of the legitimization of the political regime becomes the ideological basis for substantiating the compatibility of liberal democratic institutions with the process of personification of a political system built for a specific person.

Russia’s special military operation in Ukraine caused mixed assessments in Central Asian countries both at the political and public levels. At the political level the desire of the Central Asian countries to adhere to a neutral position on the Ukrainian issue is traced. It is due to the peculiarities of their foreign policy behavior based on the principles of a multi-vector policy. Foreign policy balancing on the world stage allows the countries of the region to receive significant economic benefits. However, some countries in the region are not always consistent in their attitude to the Ukrainian conflict and demonstrate differentiated forms of neutrality. There are also different views on Ukrainian conflict in the societies of the countries of the region. The geopolitical opponents of Russia are trying to influence the political position of the Central Asian countries making attempts through various instruments of influence to persuade the ruling elite to pursue an anti-Russian policy. At the same time relations between Russia and the countries of the region have the character of a strategic partnership and alliance. Despite the difference in positions on the Ukrainian issue the desire of the political elite of the Central Asian countries to maintain positive relations with Russia is noticeable. The growing geopolitical confrontation between the West and Russia narrows the opportunities for foreign policy maneuver for the countries of the region. Unprecedented Western sanctions against Russia have a negative impact on the national development of the republics which established close and mutually beneficial cooperation with Russia over the years of independence.

The infinity of spaces, open spaces, the “White Silence” of the classical Arctic with a harsh climate, with its ice-bound Arctic Ocean, polar seas, archipelagos, islands covered with glaciers and snow, rocks breaking off into the sea, permafrost has always been a hostile environment, causing human fear. The icy Arctic desert on the shores turns into hard-to-reach areas of tundra, forest tundra and northern taiga. These are Siberia, Alaska, the Canadian Arctic archipelago, the Scandinavian-Icelandic polar regions. But it was their ignorance, their natural riches of furs, fish, forest, gold, and later oil and gas that attracted attention. With the advent of cinema, the Arctic and the North Pole crowning it, actually frozen ocean water, became the object of cinematographers. The whiteness of snow and ice refers us to the white sheet screen. The “white” polar nature appeared on it, affecting the destinies of people living in it, and those who came to master and transform it. The creators of cinema groped their way as well as the conquerors of the North Pole. At the beginning of the twentieth century . world directors Georges Milies, Bester Keaton, Lev Kuleshov, Charlie Chaplin have trodden the fantastic-comedy and dramatic silent cinematic Arctic path with their films. Then there were expedition documentaries, because the operators in the composition of the expeditions had to capture the historical events taking place in truly Arctic conditions, and a little later, feature films sometimes with world movie stars, in which, in accordance with the natural conditions of movement, new performers were introduced — animals, in particular dogs, deer, bears. The image, sound, and movement helped to enhance the demonstration of the color of Arctic landscapes and subjects on a white screen. Gradually, the Arctic occupied its niche in the panorama of world cinema not only as a decoration, but also as a full-fledged socio-geographical “actor”. However, the geography of film production of Arctic films is quite limited, although more than a hundred have been shot, which is explained by the few countries that surround the Arctic Ocean. The Arctic belongs to five states forming the Arctic Council — Russia, USA, Canada, Denmark, Norway. The article examines the history, genres, plot-thematic aspects of Arctic feature films.