The article reveals the essence and content of the concept of anthropology in the context of culture as a social system. The article highlights the role and importance of anthropology in the sciences, the basic directions of study of anthropology, the characteristics of the content object and purpose of anthropology as a science, including interdisciplinary and comprehensive anthropological research. The authors pay attention to the fact that the anthropological problem is currently engaged in more than 200 sciences. The paper highlights two main areas of anthropological science which are physical anthropology and cultural anthropology. The subject of the first is associated with the natural characteristics of the person, and the second thing is formed around the social characteristics of the people who, in one way or another are connected with the culture as a basic human activity. The article notes the components of physical and cultural anthropology, highlighting the most interesting problems associated with these areas. Separately considered is the fact that the man, anyway, is always connected with the surrounding culture, and that the man, anyway, a cultural being. The paper presents 12 anthropological characteristics, formed in humans as a result of interaction with the culture. So, the following cultural aspects of human life and activity are stressed: education, socialization, purpose, self-realization, creativity, self-development, procreation, creating own cultural trail and others. The work is based on the author´s research through the study and synthesis of scientific information. The article may be interesting and useful to the scientific activities of anthropologists and cultural scientists as well as economists. The article may be of practical interest for the leaders of organizations in the management of personnel and formation of organizational culture.

This article is talking about theoretical and practical problems in development of modern towns. Particularly it is marked, that the most important modern problem is defi nition of the town’s mission. The importance of culture policy, public art and the sights of Russian towns are also mentioned in the article.

The article raises a range of issues concerning innovations and their contribution to the development of modern society and presents the author’s stance in the debate on the importance of freedom of creation for the development of culture and innovations, as well as the role of innovation policy in the development of various aspects of creative activity in Russia. Innovations are defined as new developments or pioneering work that are applicable, valuable for the consumer, obviously productive and utilitarian, and commercially feasible. The author emphasizes that the major essence of innovations lies in their exclusiveness, orientation on and commitment to future market development, as, in the author’s view, it is the only approach to defining innovation that spares national economies the also-ran status by enhancing their competitiveness in the global goods and services market. The author gives special focus to the role of higher education in the process of knowledge production and innovations, stressing the need for a reappraisal of values and a shift of emphasis – from the degree run-of-the-mill towards knowledge production and innovations. The article dwells on the current philosophical perspective on innovations as an individual’s isolated actions, processes and an activity outcome, rather than an individual’s immanent need and the ends and means of life. The author pays special attention to innovations in the humanities, whose in-demand rating in the spheres of public production and consumption is frequently higher than that of innovations in technology and engineering. In this regard, the author emphases the role of culture, which, along with science, serves as a foundation for innovative and creative components of the economy of knowledge (or, the new economy)

Relevance and novelty of the work. The article discusses approaches to supporting rural areas in the countries of the European Union, provides examples of areas for supporting rural areas in different periods. An overview of the objectives of the Common Agricultural Policy in the European Union from the 1950s to the present is presented. Researchers note unsatisfactory living conditions in rural areas of Russia, a large territorial differentiation of the quality of life. The authors reveal the main mechanisms of the integrated development of rural areas in the Russian Federation. Based on the analysis of the modern socioeconomic situation of rural areas in Russia and foreign practice, they consider the potential opportunities for rural development in the future and the feasibility of diversifying the rural economy for the sustainable development of rural areas in Russia; give proposals for urgent actions that contribute to the formation of an active position of the population in rural development and the massive involvement of the rural community in activities aimed at the integrated development of rural areas. Objective. Based on the analysis of the agricultural policy of the European Union and the current socio-economic situation of rural areas in Russia, develop proposals for involving the rural community in the development of initiative projects within the framework of the Departmental target program "Modern appearance of rural areas" and for their implementation. Propose topical directions for diversification of the rural economy as a mechanism for an integrated approach to the development of rural areas. Materials and research methods. The materials of our own research, regulatory documents, scientifi c publications, the Internet were used. In the course of the study, general scientific methods were used: monographic, analysis, comparison. Research results. Proposed and substantiated activities aimed at attracting the rural community to the implementation of initiative projects within the framework of the Departmental target program "Modern appearance of rural areas", on the development of new types of economic activities for the socio-economic development of rural areas, preserving the rural population, improving their quality of life and intensifi cation of the process of counter-urbanization.

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