It is the 70th anniversary of the birth of one of the most prominent Russian Africanists - Doctor of Historical Sciences, Professor, Honored Worker of Science of the Russian Federation Igor Vasilyevich Sledzevsky.

His academic career began in 1963 at the Institute of Africa of the USSR Academy of Sciences, where he joined after graduating from the History Department of Moscow State University. He enthusiastically studied the history, socio-political system and economic life of the Hausa emirates of Northern Nigeria - a hobby that began in his university years, when he additionally studied the Hausa language. Defense of his PhD thesis in 1967, publication in 1974 of the book "Hausan Emirates of northern Nigeria. Economy and socio-political system", participation in the fundamental collective monographs "Africa: the emergence of backwardness and ways of development", "Community in Africa", "The history of Nigeria in modern and modern times", "Problems of socio-cultural inversions", "Bewitched reality: the world of the African village", the emergence of an individual monograph "The formation of socio-economic development".- economic structure of modern Nigeria" (1984), defense of his doctoral dissertation in 1990 - this was the creative path of Igor Vasilyevich in the Soviet period.

But even then, from the late 1970s, a gradual transition from socio-economic to socio-cultural themes began. In the 1980s, the gap with formational theory as a universal one became meaningful. I. V. Sledzevsky had previously questioned the total application of the formational approach, especially in Africa, and in the 1980s the search for a new theoretical basis for research began. This is evidenced by the sections in the collective monographs " Traditional and Syncretic religions of Africa "(1986), "Islam in West Africa" (1988), " Modern Africa: results and prospects of development. The Evolution of Political Structures " (1990), in which he led a team of authors who fruitfully analyzed the political processes and structures of African states not on the basis of a formative model, but based on new principles and concepts of political science. Here is what the head of the author's team wrote in the introduction of this pioneering work:: "From a methodological point of view, there is a question about the possibility of interpreting political processes in Africa solely on the basis of the category "political system"... All the more so within the framework of rigidly dissected and opposed to each other formation options (socialist and capitalist. - ed.) such systems".

And in the 1990s, when there are opportunities to get acquainted with Western and domestic developments in the field of civilizational research, it becomes clear: here it is, the desired methodology! One that allows us to analyze African societies, explain their features and forms, and to some extent outline the prospects for their evolution on a truly scientific basis! It is in these last twenty years that the main achievements of I. V. Sledzevsky as a scientist and organizer of science fall, which brought him fame thanks to his work on the methodology of historical, cultural, and political research in African studies, Oriental studies, and the study of Russian civilization. One of the last major works in this series was the collective monograph "Socio-cultural borderlands as a phenomenon of world and Russian Transformations" prepared by the Center for Civilizational and Regional Studies under its scientific supervision (2008).

During his scientific life, he published about 200 papers with a total volume of about 130 author's sheets, including in the most authoritative journals. And for about 20 years he has been a member of the editorial board of the journal "Orient (Oriens)" and for about 50 years - Deputy Chairman of the Specialized Academic Council of the Institute of Africa for the defense of doctoral and candidate theses in the field of history and political science.

The name of I. V. Sledzevsky is well known both in the circles of orientalists and among Russian scientists-researchers of civilizational problems of Russia. He made a significant contribution to the development of a number of new scientific directions in both African studies and historical-cultural and philosophical-historical thought in general: the formation of civilizational theory, the revival and development of neo-archaic and non-traditional socio-cultural formations in the modern world.

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civilizational process, socio-cultural inversions as a special type of cultural logic and social development, colonial and postcolonial societies in Africa. On the basis of these directions, a scientific school has developed, the main content of which is to study the mechanisms of civilizational shifts in critical epochs. Among the achievements of this school are the study of the foundations of civilizational theory, the study of patterns of inversion development, modern forms of neo-archaic studies, the peculiarities of changes in consciousness and behavioral models during acute cultural crises, the analysis of the spiritual and religious foundations of civilization, the role of Islam in the history and modernity of Africa, Russia, and Central Asia.

I. V. Sledzevsky is an outstanding organizer of science. The social development research group created by him in 1989 was transformed in 1998 into the Center for Civilizational and Regional Studies at the Department of International Relations of the Russian Academy of Sciences, which immediately turned into a leading scientific unit offering new approaches, directions and topics for studying the African continent, the Caucasus and Central Asia regions. Prerequisites, factors and results of the regionalization of Russia and the Central Asian republics of the CIS, changes in the geopolitical, geo-economic and cultural reality in the Caucasus, the revival of Islam and the emergence of new political phenomena in Central Asia and the Caucasus, and the identification of new characteristics of modern civilizations are the main areas of the center's activities. For the head of the center himself, priority is given to research in the field of the theory of civilizations, civilizational alternatives and vectors of modern global development, the generalizing possibilities of which I. V. Sledzevsky especially clearly revealed when studying the cognitive strategies of the civilizational approach.

His contribution to comparative studies of cultures and civilizations as forms of self-identification of civilizations, comparative study of civilizational and alternative methodologies (world-system, geocultural, geopolitical) is indisputable. The authority of the head of the Center for Civilizational and Regional Studies, his human charm, and attention to aspiring scientists contributed to the growth of staff at the expense of young specialists, who now make up at least half of the staff.

Igor Vasilyevich is an organizer and active participant of international and All-Russian scientific conferences and seminars. From 1999 to 2009, he headed the organizing committee of the international conference on Historical and Social anthropology "Hierarchy and Power in the History of Civilizations", organized by the center together with the Russian State University for the Humanities. It has received permanent status and gained fame and popularity in the international scientific community. During this time, five scientific forums were held, usually bringing together at least 200 scientists, and the last two - about three hundred, including about a third-from abroad. For 20 years, he has been leading the preparation and conduct of the readings in memory of the founder of the Soviet/Russian science of Africa, D. A. Olderogge, which are held annually in St. Petersburg, and since 2005-every two years. I. V. Sledzevsky is no less an ideological inspirer of the organizing committee of the annual conferences-Schools of young Africanists, which are held with 2001 in Moscow, St. Petersburg, Yaroslavl and Saratov with the participation of local universities. Their participants discuss serious scientific problems, usually formulated by AND. V. Sledzevsky. Both events always publish collections of papers - for postgraduates and students, the most important argument in the defense of a dissertation.

Since 1992, he has been leading the international scientific conference "Islamic-Christian Borderlands: History, Modernity, Prospects"for 10 years. The work of this conference, which took place in Moscow, Birmingham, Skopje, Bishkek, Kazan, Astrakhan, and Saratov, contributed to the rapprochement of scientists from the East and the West, as well as to the cultural dialogue between Christian and Islamic civilizations.

Under the chairmanship of I. V. Sledzevsky, the Scientific Council of the Russian Academy of Sciences on African Culture is working fruitfully. Igor Vasilyevich was a member of the governing council of the Russian-French scientific expedition "Nomads of Africa and Eurasia", in the organization of which he was directly involved and contributed to the establishment of a permanent Volga ethnosociological expedition. He gave several years of work to a group of experts formed by the decision of the Committee for Public and Interregional Relations of the Moscow Government as part of the development of the Moscow law on interethnic relations in the metropolitan metropolis.

Another area of its activity is scientific and pedagogical work, primarily in the field of interethnic relations and civic education. For six years, he was at the head of the permanent scientific and practical seminar "Capital and Regions: the humanitarian aspect of cooperation".-

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International Relations", which was held by the Moscow Center for Interethnic Education "Ethnosphere" on the basis of a decree of the Moscow Government. Seemingly far removed from the general school turnover in his academic activities, I. V. Sledzevsky quickly realized the urgent need for the development of the country's civil education and became one of the initiators of the preparation of a new federal package of civil studies textbooks "I am a citizen of Russia" for students of grades 5 - 9 of secondary school. The concept of civic education proposed by him formed the basis for the work of the author's team, consisting of teachers and scientists, who prepared the corresponding set of textbooks.

During the 12 years of its existence, the center has defended five doctoral and one and a half dozen PhD theses, in the fate of which I. V. Sledzevsky has the most direct participation. His students (and under his only official guidance, 25 graduate students were defended) now teach at universities and research centers in Moscow, Yaroslavl, Kaluga, Canada, Israel, and Nigeria, holding prominent positions in the system of science and public administration.

What distinguishes I. V. Sledzevsky as a scientist and a person? First of all, perhaps, the ability to see the problem, the discrepancy, the opposition of elements, in seemingly familiar phenomena and concepts. And having revealed the internal contradictions of the phenomenon, the process, - to state their nature, character, outline the possible evolution of society. Sometimes this revelation of the nature of a phenomenon or concept took place literally in front of the public. For example, when he submitted a manuscript for approval by the Academic Council or acted as a reviewer at the discussion. And then the authors often discovered such deep problems in their own monographs, which they did not even know about. We can say that our colleagues almost physically observed the miracle of the birth and development of thought, moreover, clothed in the chiseled, complete forms that distinguish a genuine, profound scientist. A rare quality... Let's note the second: the most attentive attitude to young people-graduate students, students, which can be called guardianship with great reason: how many times he had to reread the manuscripts of beginners, meticulously edit, advise, convince, sometimes accepting dissertations on the topics that would seem to be far from the problems of the center. But he, as it turned out later, already saw in the presented text such hidden opportunities that other participants in the discussion, and the authors themselves, did not notice for a long time. At the same time, inspire confidence in the dissertation's own abilities, faith in the success of the case. At the same time, Igor Vasilyevich makes the most severe critical remarks. But fair enough. Therefore, they never take offense at him.

Long-suffering and justice are not the last qualities of a leader, including a scientific one. In I. V. Sledzevsky's case, we dare say, they may be redundant. It is not an easy fate for the current head of a research department at an academic institute, who is forced to "step on the throat of his own song", to devote the lion's share of effort and time to preparing collective works to the detriment of his own creative plans, his books, which are postponed for "later". Perhaps Sledzevsky has a particularly difficult time, because this diverse team created by him, in which everyone has individual not only topics, but also directions, even areas of research, only he can connect a single goal, a common methodology. Respect for him in the center, in the Institute - a well-established recognition of these qualities of a person and a scientist.

Happy birthday, Igor Vasilyevich! Health, happiness, creative success!

FRIENDS AND COLLEAGUES

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MAIN SCIENTIFIC WORKS OF I. V. SLEDZEVSKY*

Feudal relations among modern Hausa of Northern Nigeria / / Problems of Africa, Moscow, 1966. pp. 151-172.

The community of the U-Hausa (Northern Nigeria and Niger). Sovetskaya etnografiya [Soviet Ethnography]. 1966. N 3. pp. 48-59.

Public sector in Nigeria // Economics of Africa, Moscow, 1973, pp. 3-23 (together with V. N. Portnov).

Hausan Emirates of Northern Nigeria. Khozyaistvo i obshchestvenno-politicheskiy stroy [Economy and socio-political system]. 1974. 272 p.

Colonial societies. Nekotorye voprosy razvitiya i vosproizvodstva mnogoukladnosti [Some issues of development and reproduction of multiculturalism]. Afrika: vozrozhdenie otstalosti i puti razvitiya, Moscow, 1974, pp. 291-426.

Nigeria: 15 years of Independence: Results and prospects of development / / Asia and Africa Today. 1975. N 10. pp. 33-34 (together with L. N. Pribytkovsky).

Afrikanskoe krestyanstvo [African peasantry] / / Social shifts in independent African countries, Moscow, 1977, pp. 29-58 (together with Yu. M. Kobishchanov).

Agricultural community in West Africa / / Community in Africa: problems of typology, Moscow, 1978, pp. 61-132.

New Phenomena and Tendencies in Nigeria's Social and Political Development // Economic Relations of Africa with the Socialist Countries. Vol. 2. Budapest. 1978. P. 50-57 (together with L. N. Pribytkovsky).

Nigeria. Current stage of development. M., 1980. - Ed.: The traditional sector of the economy at the present stage of development. P. 122-138; Changes in the structure of the private capitalist economy. p. 139-174; The role of the public sector and its socio-economic nature. p. 175-223.

History of Nigeria in the new and modern times. Moscow, 1981. - Author: Introduction. pp. 8-16; The uprising of Osman dan Fodio and the formation of the Sokoto caliphate. pp. 62-75; The emergence of new social structures in Southern Nigeria. pp. 110-117; The development of colonial capitalism. P. 144-151; World War II and its impact on the rise of anti-colonial struggles in Nigeria. p. 186-198; Shifts in the development of colonial society in the post-war period. p. 193-208; The oil Boom and the new National Development Strategy. p. 286-290;

The crisis of the military regime. Transition to Civil Administration. pp. 290-300 (co-authored with L. N. Pribytkovsky).

The formation of the socio-economic structure of contemporary Nigeria. M.: GRVL. 1984. 300 S.

Syncretism of Islam with traditional religions / / Religions in the XX century. Traditional and Syncretic Religions of Africa, Moscow, 1986, pp. 417-457 (together with Yu. M. Kobishchanov, V. R. Arsenyev).

Development of national private entrepreneurship in the countries of Tropical Africa M., 1986. - Author: Introduction. pp. 6-10; Conditions for the formation of national private entrepreneurship in Tropical Africa. pp. 11-46; Market mechanism for the development of national private entrepreneurship. pp. 47-66.

Property and power in Nigeria / / Nigeria: Power and Politics, Moscow, 1988, pp. 5-32.

Nigeria: from Muslim Communalism and Regionalism to Islamic Nationalism / / Islam in West Africa, Moscow, 1988, pp. 59-96.

Transnational Monopoly Capital and Africa, Moscow, 1989. N 6. pp. 31-32.

On the question of the general theory of developing countries / / Peoples of Asia and Africa. 1989, N 6. pp. 31-32.

Evolution of political structures. Sovremennaya Afrika: itogi i perspektivy razvitiya [Modern Africa: Results and Prospects of Development], Moscow, 1990, Auth.: Introduction, pp. 5-11; Stanovlenie natsionalnogo gosudarstva (sotsial'no-politicheskiy aspekt), pp. 45-59; Revolyutsionnye rezhemy: protivoroshiia stanovleniya i mekhanizma vlasti, pp. 138-155 (co-authored with A.M. Vasiliev et al.). Conclusion. pp. 258-265 (together with K. M. Truevtsev).

Mezhukladnye kompleksy i mezhklassovye obshchnosti v Afrika [Inter-class complexes and inter-class communities in Africa]. Afrika: klassovye obshchnosti i obshchestvennyj progressj [Africa: class communities and social progress], Moscow, 1990, pp. 31-40.

Mir prostranstva i vremeni kak spetsificheskaya forma arkhaicheskogo kul'turnogo teksta [The world of space and time as a specific form of the archaic cultural text].

Probabilistic character of development / / Capitalism in Africa. Features and contradictions of development, Moscow, 1993, pp. 27-43.

Influence of the basis on social processes / / Social structure and social development. Modern Africa: results and Prospects of Development, Moscow, 1993, pp. 10-47.

* Comp. by A. D. Savateev.

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Modeling principles of the traditional worldview // Enchanted reality. Mir afrikanskoi mentalnosti [The World of African Mentality], Moscow, 1994, pp. 10-19.

Revival of the Islamic-Christian Border in the Modern Caucasus: The Struggle for Ethnopolitical Space // Islam-Christian borderlands: results and prospects of study. Kazan, 1994. pp. 73-74.

Mythologeme borders: origin and modern political manifestations // Modern Political Mythology: Content and mechanisms of functioning, Moscow, 1996, pp. 7-16.

Post-Communist Traditionalism in the North Caucasus: Correlation of communal, Ethnic and confessional Identities / / Opyt resheniya natsional'nogo voprosa (Teoriya i praktika. CIS and developing countries). Moscow, 1996, pp. 31-40.

Mifologii i politika [Mythologies and Politics], Moscow, 1997, in: Sociocultural foundations for the formation of political Myths, pp. 9-12; Neoarchaics: A post-civilizational challenge to the world and Russia, pp. 11-13.

Heuristic possibilities and limits of the civilizational approach. Issue 4. Moscow, 1997, pp. 7-19.

The concept of "sociocultural inversion". Interpretation experience. // The problem of sociocultural inversions. Saratov, 1998, pp. 17-24.

Rossiiskie kontseptsii politicheskoi transformatsii: real'nost ' cherez prizmu avtomodeli kul'tury [Russian concepts of political transformation: reality through the prism of the auto - model of culture].

Fenomen politicheskogo soznaniya v situatsii sotsiokul'turnogo krizisa [The phenomenon of political consciousness in the situation of socio-cultural crisis].

Chelovek v situatsiakh vzaimodeystviya kul'tury [A Person in situations of interaction of cultures]. Chelovek v sotsiokul'turnom i politicheskom prostranstve [Man in socio-cultural and Political space], Moscow, 2001, pp. 9-17.

An elusive research object. Cognitive crisis in African studies / / Orient (Oriens). 2002. N 2. pp. 5-18.

Globalist metatheory: Epistemological difficulties. Issue 5. Problemy globalistiki i global'noi istorii [Problems of Global Studies and Global History], Moscow, 2002, pp. 62-82.

Criminal Structures and Normative Society in Russia Today: A Growing Interaction // Community, Identity and the State. Comparing Africa, Eurasia, Latin America and the Middle East. L. - N.Y., 2004. P. 69 - 73.

"Strangers are coming..." Archetypal border motif as a source of irrational xenophobia and a factor in overcoming it / / "Strangers" don't go here. Radical xenophobia and political extremism in the socio-cultural space of modern Russia, Moscow, 2004, pp. 23-38.

Models of chaos in the global and civilizational vision. Rubezh. Perekhod [Transition], Moscow, 2005, pp. 89-99.

Civilizational risks of modern world development / / World Order or Disorder, Moscow, 2005, pp. 42-62.

Kul'turno-filosofskaya traditsiya tolerantnosti: ideal 'i real'nost' [Cultural and philosophical tradition of tolerance: ideal and reality].

"Cosmos of Life". Afrikanskie kul'tury kak tsivizatsionnyi tip [African cultures as a civilizational type]. Based on the conference materials, Vol. I. M., 2006, pp. 6-44.

Challenges of modern multiculturalism. Almanac. 2007. N 1. pp. 135-149.

Razvitie afrikanskikh stran kak problema teoreticheskogo znaniya [Development of African countries as a problem of theoretical knowledge]. Problems of socio-political and cultural transformations of African societies in contemporary domestic African studies. M., 2007. Page 21 - 73.

Obraz Rossii kak smyslovoy konstrukt (semanticheskaya sostavlyaya "glavnogo russkogo spora") [The image of Russia as a semantic construct (semantic component of the "main Russian dispute")]. 2007. N 4. p. 9-103; N 5. P. 103-113.

Mental images in international comparisons and modeling of the global future / / Social Sciences and Modernity. 2008. N 4. pp. 69-85.

"Borderlands without borders". Global uncertainty of the world and its reflection in knowledge and culture / / Sociocultural borderlands as a phenomenon of world and Russian transformations. Interdisciplinary Research, Moscow, 2008, pp. 11-99.

Using symbolic and linguistic signs in non-written African cultures: automatism of behavior or a special logic of understanding the world? // Custom. Symbol. Power, Moscow, 2010, pp. 121-154.

Civilizational foundation and cultural logic of transformation of the British world into an Empire / / British Empire in the XX century. Moscow, 2010. pp. 24-45.

Dialogue of civilizations as a semantic field of world politics // Dialogue of Civilizations in the polycentric world: philosophical, cultural, historical, political and communicative problems. Moscow, 2010. pp. 136-174. (Ed. by Ed. 250 p.).

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