The article investigates the spatial development of the urban system in Russia. Results of the largest cities evaluation in terms of their economic functions performance allowed to conclude that existing disproportions hinder innovation and economic development of the urban system as a whole.

The paper dwells on testing the express-evaluation methodology for assessing effectiveness of realizing socio-economic development strategy by the example of the Polessky municipal region of the Kaliningrad province.

The authors consider scientists’ theoretical approaches to forming the concepts of “institution” and “development institution”, they propose to introduce the concept of “institution for strategic development of singleindustry areas” as well as mechanism for effective formation of singleindustry areas strategic development institutions.

Oil prices forecast for the period from September 2014 to December 2015 prepared by the Institute of Energy Strategy in collaboration with the Institute for Economic Strategies.

The paper considers changes of the “Economic Strategies” opportunistic index (OIES) in January-July 2014. The contribution of supply and demand indices into OIES is estimated. Industrial production analysis is performed.

In our country, according to the law, parents have got the right to educate their children on their own, in the form of a family education. Studies in the countries, where this form of education is quite developed, prove its success and effectiveness.

Innovative development of modern nuclear power production systems make this industry a significant source of commodities, and to neglect it is inadmissible luxury.

A new world war for developed countries is a versatile tool solving the problems of the current global financial and economic crisis in the world economy. Under these conditions, the world’s actors, especially the United States, extremely need permanent “enemy-ally”, whose role before was traditionally played by the Russian Empire, later on — the USSR. This explains the feverish attempts by all means to draw Russia into a military conflict in the Ukraine.

Opening address of editor-in-chief.

The article deals with the problem of assessing competitiveness of projects on equipping health institutions with high-tech medical devices, for example — medical devices for active-passive mechanical therapy, taking into account their price characteristics, functional and operational capabilities as well as the type of health care institution and patient population needing rehabilitation with the use of such high-tech products. To assess the competitiveness and financing of such projects it is proposed to apply the expertise method and principles of project financing, widespread in the economy.