The article is dedicated to “A Secular Age”, the book written by Charles Taylor and recently released in Russian language, precisely to Taylor’s opinion of the deism role (distinctive to the outlook of many Enlightment thinkers) in transition from religious society. The article emphasizes not only a genesis of deism, but also on its influence on modern society formation and the role of religion in it.

This article studies the formation of female monastic tradition at the Daoist School of the Complete Perfection (Quanzhen) during the Jin (1115-1234) and Yuan (1271-1368) dynasties. The research is based on stele inscription with the epitaph to the Daoist nun, who brought a powerful contribution to the development of this religious movement. Important aspects of the female self-sacrifice are considered by the example of Wole Shoujian (1182-1251) hagiography. It also gives an information on the origin of the first female convent at the Daoist School Quanzhen in China in the XII-XIII centuries.

The process of modernization in contemporary education is accompanied with the occurring in the scientific community rethinking its own role and functions. The article focuses on the transformation of understanding of education as a factor of socialization and as a way of transfering the knowledge and of introduction to the cultural experience, to gaining insight into it as a resource/capital or investment in the future of individual social and professional status. The article analyzes main theoretical and methodological approaches to studying the phenomenon of educational capital in relation to the particular social group of intelligentsia.

The article reviews recent publications by Russian sociologists, proponents of theoretical approaches important for our science. In addition to their refutations of recent statements about the absence of theoretical sociology in Russia, they might be seen - for a first approximation, and with some reservations - as practical steps to build sociologic theoretical constructs. The six steps in theorizing are: 1. Accumulating empirical data; 2. Penetration into the position of sociological classics on this problem; 3. The use in research of advances achieved by adjacent disciplines; 4. The use of new, updated methods and techniques; 5. Models-building to look ahead for the future; 6. Introduction into theorization in categories of the temporality, time, as well as of modern historical sociology.

Russian pensioners in the last quarter of the century were and remain one of the vulnerable and numerous social groups. In the market conditions their consciousness, values and orientation are being transformed. At the same time, life experience of pensioners retains its relevance and importance. Hence there is a need for a comprehensive understanding of the basic characteristics that reflect the realities of their post-Soviet life, what is covered in the article.

Pensioners in modern Russia face many challenges which don’t allow characterizing their social position as favorable. However the analysis of satisfaction with their life doesn’t allow revealing essential differences from Russians in general. The tight financial situation connected with crisis scenarios in economy does not affects strongly the life satisfaction with both pensioners, and those who still works. It is as if both that and others don’t notice crisis, and are concentrated on other positive aspects of social reality.

The article, based on data of sociological researches, considers specifics in quality of life among the Russian pensioners. The consideration is made through a prism of social optimism that allows to reveal distinctions in various aspects of life for people with different vital meanings and views of reality. A comparison with data of the All-Russian polls representing the population of the Russian Federation gives an idea of quality of life specifics assessment of the social group and specifics of its perception of the world.

After a retirement people especially need support and attention from relatives and close friends. Finding of internal emotional and psychological wellbeing through interactions with a near circle of contacts which in turn creates awareness of participation with daily family everyday life becomes a life purpose for pensioners.

The article is devoted to revealing of gender peculiarities of retirement living. The main theoretical approaches to the study of gender and old age are considered. In the analysis, the author reveals gender similarities and differences that characterize life in retirement.

Based on the data of All-Russian Research “Life World-2014” and “Country Life-2015” the article analyzes the political participation of Russian villagers using such indicators as interest in politics, political competence and political involvement in the immediate kinds of political practices. The article attempts to identify the quality and meaning of social and political practices of the villagers in comparison with groups living in other types of settlements, the general and special features of political consciousness and behavior of the villagers.

In the article considers general principles of constructing the structure and content of an image in Old Russian art conditioned by the medieval worldview. The developed set of special techniques forms a complete structure of the visual image, which becomes the basis for a variety of artistic solutions.

The article is devoted to issues of the influence of elements of European jewelry art on the works of the Kremlin goldsmiths of the 16th century. The article deals with jewelry techniques - enamel on gold and silver scans and figurative niello, used in decorating many iconic settings in the second half of the 16th century, executed according to the royal order. Stylistic and technological comparison of the icon settings features and works of European applied art allows to draw conclusion that the jewelers from Italy and the Holy Roman Empire of the German nation worked in the Kremlin workshops.

The article analyzes a development of small plastic forms in Russian art using the example of Victor Neplyuev. It is proved that the serial principle allowed the artist to establish a special rhythmic system, which enhanced the expressiveness of works. The creative evolution of this artist shows the style potential in small plastic forms for the development of new plots.

The article is devoted to the consideration of one of the most important issues of the theory of cinematography. The author proceeds from the fact that the cinema from the first days of its existence was, among other things, a part of the mass culture. Even in the Soviet period, the cinema was allotted a task of filling the leisure sphere. In the context of the underdevelopment of that sphere, the cinema filled the society need. Hence - the increased audience demand for films. But here are the origins for problems that arose with the Russian films in a market economy, which historically coincided with the general commercialization of world cinema, that within the framework of globalization necessary affected Russian one.

The fate of jewelry in the first post-revolutionary decades was dramatic: from ignoring it in principle as a sign marking the bourgeois culture of the “old world” to its usage in the new Soviet culture as semiotic markers. The evolution of their status value most vividly was manifested in the Soviet cinema of the 1930s. In the second half of the decade, its role in the characterization of characters gradually increased and acquired symbolic significance in the complex with other functional signs that decipher the plots meaning of various genres in cinema art of those years.