The article examines pilgrimage in ancient Greece which was an important aspect of religious and social life combining faith, culture and politics. The article analyzes the origin and development of this phenomenon, describes visits to sacred places to perform rituals, receive revelations and heal. Numerous examples demonstrate the diversity and importance of pilgrimage, the system of rites and rituals in this pagan religion. It is noted that pilgrimage rituals reflected the synthesis of the rational and irrational in Greek culture. Particular attention is paid to the most visited pilgrimage centers: Delphi, Olympia, Eleusis, Epidaurus. The goals and motives of pilgrims are revealed. The most important rituals and practices are consi­ dered: purification, sacrifice, incubation, theatricalization of myths. The activities and legacy of pilgrims are significant material for the study of ancient culture. This work can be useful for understanding the religious consciousness of ancient society and its influence on the Mediterranean civilization.

The relevance of the use of a human-centered approach as an effective method of making management decisions and increasing the effectiveness of interaction between citizens and the state in the context of the digital transformation of the public administration system in the Republic of Belarus is proved. The essence and specificity of this approach are determined in comparison with product-centric and customer-centric approaches. In particular, it is indicated that the human-centered approach implies that the actions of the state represented by its bodies and structures correspond to the expectations of citizens, are in demand by them and satisfy their real needs. In turn, the result of the fact that management decisions are focused on the needs and interests of citizens, developed in the process of interaction between stakeholders and implemented by means of modern digital technologies, is an increase in the level of public confidence in government bodies, a decrease in the level of social tension, etc. The potential of a human-centered approach is analyzed through the prism of the application of AI technology in the public sector in the work of electronic governments. On the basis of an empirical study conducted by the Institute of Sociology of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus in January–February 2024, the view of the population of our country about electronic government are revealed depending on socio-demographic characteristics (gender, age, education, social status, type of settlement, area of residence).

This study examines the role of the religious factor in shaping national identity and Ireland’s struggle for independence between 1800 and 1949. General scientific and specialized historical methods are employed to analyze the evolution of religion’s role in political processes and the formation of national consciousness. Particular attention is given to the Roman Catholic Church as a key institution that constitutionally enshrined its influence in the 1937 Constitution. It is revealed that the loss of the Irish language and traditions during the 19th century amplified religion’s role as the primary marker of national identity. Religious antagonism between Catholics and Protestants contributed to the partition of Ireland in 1921, and the close relationship between the Irish state and the Roman Catholic Church, especially after 1932, became an important factor in consolidating society. The scholarly relevance lies in uncovering mechanisms of religion’s integration into national self-determination processes, which holds significance for studies on interfaith conflicts and church-state relations. The findings may be applied to analyze contemporary challenges in interreligious dialogue and strengthening social stability.

The article examines the significance of religious identity for the Bashkirs of Belarus, the degree of their observance of religious practice, attitudes towards ethno-confessional interaction, cases of religious conversion are considered. They are characterized by a high degree of religious tolerance, which is manifested not only in the attitude of the Bashkirs towards mixed marriages, but also in their prevalence. The majority of respondents consider it important to observe religious holidays and turn to the Almighty with a prayer, which is said in a free form. A special place in their religious identity is occupied by the tradition of voluntary donation (sadaka, haer).

The ethnosociological study conducted by the author showed that among the Bashkirs, religion does not act as a worldview system, but is part of ethnic self-awareness and traditional values. Many of them call themselves ethnic Muslims, as well as “Muslims by birth” or “Muslims by tradition”. They do not consider themselves deeply religious, since they do not adhere to many of the requirements of Sharia (they do not perform five daily prayers, do not observe fasting (uraza) and food taboos, etc.). An analysis of the information contained in historiography about the significance of religious identity among the Bashkirs of Bashkortostan and the regions adjacent to the republic allowed us to conclude that the tendency characteristic of the diaspora in this area is a reflection of the processes taking place there.

The work is based on the author’s field materials collected in 2021–2025 from representatives of the Bashkirs living in Belarus and natives of Bashkortostan. The survey data in the form of in-depth interviews are being introduced into scientific circulation for the first time.

The National Art Museum of the Republic of Belarus has the largest collection of Chinese porcelain in the country, but there is clearly not enough information about most of the exhibits on display. Based on the study of porcelain collections in Chinese museums and the analysis of special literature, the article provides comprehensive information about the history and technique of making 66 pieces of Chinese porcelain that are constantly on display in the museum. This will help the museum’s research staff to give interested visitors a more complete understanding of the technology, origin and date of creation of Chinese porcelain from the museum’s collection.

The almanac “Rubon”, one of the first collective literary projects in Belarusian history, was published in the 40s of the XIX century, thanks to the efforts of the creative elite of the Vitebsk province of that time. Belonging to the time and place in which the narrative of the Belarusian landmark originates makes it necessary to study the role of the almanac in the promotion and conceptualization of the Belarusian theme. The article examines the circumstances of the creation of the almanac, notes the conditionality of the publication initiative by the biographical origins of its authors: their living in the neighborhood and at the same time belonging to different historical and cultural regions – the Northeastern part of Belarus and Inflanty. The program texts of Rubon are characterized as an attempt to unite the creative forces of the province through the construction of the image of the “Naddvinsky region”, highlighting the natural dominant in it – the Dvina River and popularization of local heritage, including the pages of Polotsk history. However, the external reception of “Rubon” reveals the tendency to identify the publication primarily with its ethnocultural components and at the same time testifies to the popularity of the image of Belarus. The article reveals the influence of the almanac on the actualization of the issue of the peculiarities of the culture of the Belarusian people, indicates the contribution of the authors of Rubonu to the accumulation and expansion of knowledge about Belarus, the formation of its value perception.

The article is dedicated to the history of the origin and development of international scientific and technical cooperation. The author makes an attempt to periodize the development of cooperation in the field of science and technology. Special attention in the study is paid to the formation of the legal framework for interaction in the field of science and technology.

The article, taking into account the Chinese experience, determines the relevance of more active participation of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the development of interregional relations with other countries. In order to identify additional sources of increasing interregional cooperation in Belarus, the need to assess the degree of use of the existing regional potential by SMEs for the development of trade, production, investment, scientific and innovative interregional relations, as well as cooperation of regions in the field of culture, education and healthcare is substantiated. The existing methodological base for assessing regional potential, including for business development, is presented in a generalized form. The author’s methodological recommendations for assessing the degree of use of the potential of Belarusian regions for the development of interregional relations with the participation of SMEs, containing 11 consecutive steps, are proposed. The tools for conducting the assessment were the index method using statistical data and quantitative indicators; comparative analysis based on an integrated assessment of the level of development and use of the regional potential of interregional relations with the participation of SMEs in certain areas; the method of ranking regions, and the method of expert assessments was used to determine the weighting coefficients for the indicators used. Based on the results of testing the methodological development, the key trends in the area under consideration were identified: a) the prevalence of the tendency to fully use the existing regional potential in various areas of SME activity, while at the same time insufficient use of the business environment created in the regions was determined, with the exception of Minsk; b) the most complete use of the potential takes place in the production sphere in all regions, excluding Minsk region, the city of Minsk, where SME activity corresponds to the existing potential; c) industrially developed regions provide leading positions in the rating of regions in terms of SME participation in production, investment and foreign trade (Vitebsk, Gomel, Mogilev, Minsk regions); d) the leaders in the rating of regions in terms of the use of tourism potential by SMEs were Grodno, Brest region and the city of Minsk, etc.