The article presents the works of modern researchers studying the history of the pre-revolutionary cooperative movement in the context of the issues of formation of the elements of civil society in Russia in the early XX century. The author traces the continuity in the evaluation of cooperation in various historical periods, makes conclusions on the formation of the new conceptual approaches in the 1990-2000s in the analysis of the historical experience of Russian cooperation.

The article deals with the role of the principle of integration in the process of formation of metasubject skills of students in teaching history. The types of metasubject skills and specific skills formed in historical education are analyzed. Special attention is paid to the principle of integration, to the functions and implementation of interdisciplinary connections that contribute to effective formation of meta-subject skills.

Based on the analysis of the works by N.P. Makarov, a scientist and a member of the cooperative movement of the pre-revolutionary and Soviet periods, thearticle deals with his contribution to the study of history and development of the theory of cooperation.

The article deals with the films of the Soviet and post-Soviet periods devoted to the Battle of Stalingrad. It is traced how military and historical feature films reflect the transformation of the collective memory of society about the events which changed the course of the Russian and world history. The authors reveal the potential and significance of this kind of film and photo documents for preserving the historical memory and expanding its social framework.

The article deals with the early phase of activities of the Constant Commission on affairs of consumer societies as the centre for promotion of consumer cooperatives. The Commission members are under consideration. The author characterizes the main directions of its work oriented at interaction with consumer societies and providing them with the instructor’s assistance in organizing their activities.

The article deals with the historiography of the issue of the use of special contingent labour in restoration of the Stalingrad region in 1943-1950. The notion “special contingent” is defined, the historiographic stages, their key characteristics, set of problems considered at the all-Russia and the regional levels are determined.

The article deals with the areas of interaction and forms of participation of the Volgograd youth in development of twin cities’ movements and people’s diplomacy in the conditions of the “cold war” policy in the 1960-1980s.

There is analyzed the condition of the culture sphere of Stalingrad and the region after the Battle of Stalingrad, given the assessment of the material and financial losses of the institutions of culture during the years of war, considered the problems in determination of the damage caused to the institutions of culture of the Battle of Stalingrad in the years of the Great Patriotic War.

В Волгоградском государственном соци-ально-педагогическом университете 29 - 31 октября 2014 г. состоялась Международная научная конференция «Хрупкая демократия: новейшие исследования о становлении Веймарской республики».

There are revealed the basic areas of publishing activities of the Moscow union of consumer communities, shown the role of editions of the biggest cooperative union in propagation of cooperative ideas, in propaganda of democratic principles of cooperative movement.

There is analyzed the contribution to the study of history of the Patriotic War of the 1812 by Professor B.S. Abalikhin, who introduced into the scientific knowledge many historical sources, developed a number of issues of the 1812 War history (the role of the Ukraine, strategic planning, press and agitation work of the oppositions and others).