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The Annual 2015 continues the series of books under this title which is being published since 2012. A specific feature of the current issue is that a number of articles appears to be the materials presented by the participants of the International scientific conference ´Minorities and Conflicts: Asian and African States in the Modern World´ hosted by the Department of Asian and African Studies and the Centre for Asian and African Studies at the Higher School of Economics - St. Petersburg on October 9-10, 2015. Along with that, the Annual retains its traditional sections. With the greatest pleasure we present to the readers´ attention an article in the ´In Memoriam´ section devoted to an outstanding orientalist, arche-ologist and historian Alexander M. Belenitski (1904-1993) who was the head of archaeological excava-tions of ancient Panjakent for 15 years. His work ´Mittelasien. Kunst Der Sogden´ published in Germany in 1980 is still recognized as an invaluable in its scientific significance research of Central Asian culture.

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