JPRS-UIA-90-001: USSR Report - Union of Soviet Socialist Republics: International Affairs

This document is a compilation of translated articles published by the Joint Publications Research Service (JPRS) in January 1990, focusing on various academic and political topics within the Soviet Union and its sphere of influence. The articles cover a broad range of subjects, including the economic policies of socialist-oriented countries, the historical analysis of Stalinist diplomacy regarding the Truman Doctrine, and the study of pre-Moslem Turkic religious and mythological concepts. Additionally, the document includes academic discourse on the political views of the medieval lawyer Al-Mawardi and a theoretical examination of historical processes by G.S. Pomerants. Of particular note is a brief section titled 'UNIDENTIFIED FLYING OBJECTS (UFO) IN ANCIENT CHINA' by A.D. DIKARYOV. This section notes that in the 1980s, the study of UFOs in China became a subject of interest for some researchers, with the author stating that while some modern versions of historical materials exist, they do not necessarily dispute the modern concept of UFOs as alien entities. The document serves as a snapshot of the intellectual and academic climate in the USSR during the late 1980s, reflecting on both internal Soviet economic struggles and broader historical and cultural research.