Russian/Soviet imperial conception of historical development of Donbass: formation, development and significance in the modern Russian-Ukrainian war

In the article was research the evolution of imperial ideological conception Russian empire/Soviet Union on the civilized development of Donbas on the basis is historiographical analysis of the works of Russian and Soviet scholars and memoirs of contemporary figures in various fields. The author analyzed the main components of the royal imperial myth about Russia's leading contribution to the civilizational development of the steppe «Wild Field», which were considered modern Lugansk and Donetsk regions of Ukraine before the arrival of the Russian Empire. Also given the detailed analysis of the Soviet «international» concept of Donbas development. The author notes that in Soviet times, Donbass became a «pearl» within the USSR. Among other things, are also considered modern imperial concepts of Putin's regime regarding Donbas, which, according to the author of the article, represent an ideological mixture of tsarist and Soviet imperial doctrines.