The scientific-practical conference «To the 80th Anniversary of Victory in the Great Patriotic War: Victory over Fascism in the Context of Modern Challenges to Russia,» organized by the Academy of Military Science and MGIMO University, was held as part of the international forum «International Business Trends: Challenges or New Opportunities?» (IBT-2025), hosted by the Faculty of International Business. The event was a continuation of the military-scientific conference «80 Years of the Great Victory. For a World Without Nazism,» held by the Research Institute of Military History of the Military Academy of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation and the Academy of Military Science. In the year of the 80th anniversary of Victory in the Great Patriotic War, Russia is facing new challenges: a hybrid war is being waged against our country, in which Russia’s opponents are using all means, from information-psychological influence and sanctions pressure to the support of a «hot war.» In this context, the scientific field has seen the emergence of a need for a thorough study of the experience already accumulated by Russia during the Great Patriotic War in conducting combat operations, developing the military industry and military technology, diplomatic settlement and ideological counteraction to destructive hostile propaganda, as well as researching the possibilities of adapting this experience based on the demands of the present day. Conference participants assessed the prospects for applying the experience of confrontation during the Great Patriotic War in the conditions of 21st-century warfare. Particular attention was paid to issues of historical memory: it was noted that the conflicting parties in the current conflict demonstrate differing perceptions of the lessons and outcomes of the Second World War. Researchers paid tribute to the memory of the heroes of the Great Patriotic War: soldiers and officers, military doctors, scientist-engineers, physicists, and power engineers. The conference contributed to the deepening and detailing of scientific knowledge in the study of modern hybrid warfare and post-conflict settlement. The practice-oriented component of the conference was especially valuable: through their research, the participants demonstrated that the experience of the past is applicable in modern conditions, albeit with adjustments for objective changes in the world order and the entire way of life caused by the scientific and technological revolution, shifts in thinking paradigms, and the key political actors who now wage and sponsor wars and conflicts.

ABSTRACT In the historiography of the initial stage of the Second World War, the Soviet-British relations of 1939-1941 are often viewed through the prism of ideological confrontation and geopolitical rivalry. However, in this article, the author suggests rethinking the importance of Soviet diplomacy in maintaining a communication channel between Moscow and London in conditions of high tension between the two countries. The analysis of archival materials makes it possible to identify previously underestimated aspects of the activities of Soviet diplomatic circles aimed at preserving the possibility for future cooperation, despite tactical differences and strategic contradictions, which ultimately contributed to the formation of the Anti-Hitler Coalition and the victory over fascism.

This paper analyzes the visit of Harry Hopkins, the official representative of US President Franklin D. Roosevelt, to Moscow in late July 1941. It should be noted that the «Hopkins mission» is viewed both as an individual diplomatic visit and as a component of the long and multifaceted process of forming an anti-fascist bloc. The author concludes that the negotiations between Stalin and Hopkins in the summer of 1941 had a significant impact. The results of this meeting consisted not only of coordinating the actions of the USSR and the USA on future deliveries under the Lend-Lease program and discussing and clarifying the weapons, equipment, and other items needed by the Red Army. It was the conclusions reached by Harry Hopkins following his visit to Moscow that convinced Franklin Roosevelt and many members of the American political establishment of the Soviet leadership’s readiness to continue the fight against the Third Reich. In this work, the author highlights the changing views and assessments of Western politicians and members of the diplomatic corps regarding the readiness and determination of the Soviet leadership, and Joseph Stalin personally, to continue the fight against Nazi Germany, despite several severe defeats in the initial period of the Great Patriotic War. Particular attention is paid to the positive impact of the «Hopkins mission» on bilateral Soviet-American relations during World War II.

This study is devoted to the analysis of the diplomatic confrontation between the USSR and Germany for influence over Turkey in 1939–1941. The objective of the work is to analyze the dynamics of SovietTurkish and German-Turkish relations, taking into account the economic, military-political and diplomatic factors that determined Turkey’s foreign policy on the eve and in the initial period of World War II. The objectives include the analysis of the evolution of Soviet- and German-Turkish relations in the 1930s, the study of the struggle of the great powers for the Turkish Republic and the assessment of the consequences of this rivalry for regional security and Soviet interests. The scientific novelty lies in the comprehensive and comparative approach to the analysis of the strategies of the USSR and Germany, including informal channels of influence — economic dependence, military cooperation, the presence of military advisers and propaganda campaigns, which distinguishes the work from isolated studies of Soviet- or German-Turkish relations. The methodology includes qualitative and quantitative content analysis of documents, diplomatic negotiations, publications and modern historiography. The study shows that despite Germany’s economic dominance in the 1930s, its political influence was limited by diplomacy, while the USSR, relying on historical friendship from the War of Independence, lost Turkey’s trust after making unacceptable demands for control of the Black Sea straits in 1939. After the defeat of France in 1940, Turkey moved towards a pragmatic rapprochement with Germany, seeking to maintain formal neutrality and avoid being drawn into the war. Soviet attempts to negotiate spheres of influence with Germany in 1940 failed, as Germany was unwilling to share influence in the Balkans and Turkey. By 1941, with the signing of the German-Turkish NonAggression Pact, Germany achieved de facto neutrality for Turkey, depriving the USSR of strategic advantages on its southern flank. Thus, Turkey, skillfully balancing between the blocs, retained its sovereignty.

The study analyzed the international activities of the Russian Orthodox Church. These activities were considered in the context of Russia’s humanitarian policy abroad. Key areas and priorities of these activities were identified. These included participation in international interfaith dialogue, cooperation with international organizations, and efforts to establish and maintain spiritual ties between Russians living abroad and the Russian Federation. Their application on the African continent was examined, and these activities were classified by regional focus (in Africa and Russia) and primary target audience (Russians and Africans). The study examined the role of WWII memory in the context of Russian foreign policy, particularly international historical discourse. Conclusions were drawn regarding the significant role of WWII memory in shaping Russia’s foreign policy identity and the priority of this area in the country’s foreign policy. The Russian Orthodox Church’s activities in preserving the memory of the Great Patriotic War were studied, and their main areas were identified: media coverage of church activities, the construction of churches commemorating the war, the canonization of war veterans as new martyrs, the restoration of the biographies of WWII veterans, the creation of museums and exhibitions dedicated to the events of the Great Patriotic War, the participation of Church hierarchs in various Victory Day events, and assistance with the work of the Russian Peace Foundation, holding religious events in memory of those who died in the war, and organizing events on the theme of the Great Patriotic War. The study concluded that the Exarchate’s activities in preserving the memory of the Great Patriotic War were focused on the priority of Russians as the primary target audience, as well as, the limitations of the image conveyed by the Russian Orthodox Church for Africans to perceive and the lack of a developed strategy for disseminating the memory of the events of the Great Patriotic War.