The article emphasizes types of state-building strategies within multicultural societies. These types are based on specific policies vis-a-vis ethno-cultural and confessional minorities. Agency and structure factors underlining the choice of the policies are highlighted. The contemporary scientific approaches to the issue are discussed.

The article deals with how most distinguished present-day multiculturalists understand multiculturalism. The author outlines that however different their perceptions of multiculturalism may be, in their studies multiculturalists seem to share the same kind of methodological approach that tends to provide them with a more realistic picture of social reality than most social scientists have today.

The article addresses the issues of the Russian Federation national republics sovereignisation during ethnic mobilization in the 1990s and desovereignisation in the 2000s. Specifics of indigenous peoples' status in Russia and the Russian way of ethnic and cultural autonomy are outlined. Consequences of new national minorities emerging as a result of labor migration are discussed. An attempt is made to get a generalized understanding of modern mechanisms utilized in the federal nationality policy of the Russian Federation.

The first part of the article examines the historical roots of the dualism of identities and historical memories in Ukraine. The second part, based on the juxtaposition of the nation-state and state-nation models, suggested by Alfred Stepan, analyzes the detrimental results of the intensification of nationalizing policies of Ukrainian state under the administration of president Victor Juschenko.

The article focuses on the ability of the international community to maintain ethnopolitical stability/homogenization in the newly formed Balkan states: Bosnia and Herzegovina and semi-recognized «Republic of Kosovo». The international structures stressed the normative approach based on positive values and political rights of segments/minorities and ensuring their political representation rather than interaction. In BiH consociationalism covering foreign policy issues and territorial separation of communities was suggested as the institutional cure but it doesn't curtail the possibilities for exit. In Kosovo the location of Serb enclaves makes ethnoterritorial separation impossible and the only possible space for interethnic cooperation lies at the local level. So decentralization of power and enhancing the capacity of self-government form the current policy framework. The presence of
UNMIK and KFOR in Northern Kosovo also serves as a barrier to Serbia's interference. On the whole BiH and Kosovo remain fragmented societies with unclear long-term political status and effective international involvement will be a need to keep them on course.

The article is devoted to the formation of statehood of Macedonian republic from 1991 to the present. Special attention is paid to the so called Albanian factor, i.e. the role of Albanian segment in its struggle for the expansion of its political and social rights as a special and autonomous unit within the Macedonian state. The analysis of the demographic situation in the republic and of the constant rise of the Albanian community's demands in the light of creating the second Albanian state in Europe - Kosovo - suggests the possibility of Macedonia's federalization and the subsequent secession of Albanian-populated territories. The author links such scenario of development to a large extent with the interests and activity of supranational structures (EU and NATO) in the region.

The article by Irina Fan represents the theoretical model of Western European citizen of Modern epoch, its changeable and controversial character, as well as transformations of the institute of citizenship and its cultural basis under the influence of globalization.

This is a review of the scientific tendencies in research of western Muslim's integration into political space. Author analyzes the books of O. Roy (concerning Islam and secularism), and articles of F. Fukuyama (whose topic is the importance of self-esteem toward national identity and requesting the same respect from Muslims as citizens), J. Laurence (about managing transnational Islam within the borders of nation-state) and A. Sajу (the correlation of positions of Muslims and other political actors regarding the freedom of speech as cornerstone of European democracy).