Background. The topic of the psychological consequences of mass disasters for children and adolescents (victims of natural and man-made disasters, military conflicts, terrorism), and also the corresponding risks, threats to their mental development is insufficiently covered in modern psychology. Difficulties in carrying out research cause their quite a small number in relation to the children's population.

The Objective of the analytical theoretical research is 1. to study the general state of the issue and the most discussed modern models of experiencing mass disasters and its impact on the psychological well-being of children and adolescents who are victims and witnesses of mass natural cataclysms, socio-anthropogenic and technogenic catastrophes; 2. to conduct cultural and historical analysis of the issue; 3. to handle central discussion issues regarding the prevention of destructive psychological reactions in the younger generation.

Progress Report. In the theoretical and analytical research, an array of ideas about the psychological consequences of mass disasters for the younger generation is consistently considered from the early historic periods up to modern days. A critical analysis of the main methodologies that lie in the basis of most modern research is presented, and finally, the paper considers the possibilities of systematic cultural and historical analysis in the framework of the issue stated in the title, including the prevention of destructive psychological reactions.

Research Results. The analysis has revealed the partiality and diversity of research models, the often inconsistent conclusions drawn on the basis of their research development; discussion on issues of preventive intervention.

Conclusion. The integrative possibilities of cultural and historical analysis are shown, including the methodology of the research carried out earlier, the possibilities of designing preventive measures that increase the psychological stability of children and adolescents to the traumatic consequences of extreme situations. The essence of the proposed approach is the cultural and historical understanding of internal and external causes and mechanisms of various posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), the nature of care and work with them, and also in the possibilities of diagnosing "weaknesses", premises for the development of such disorders in the conditions of a society.

The paper emphasizes the need in differentiated cultural historical analysis of children’s development in the contemporary social and cultural stratification of the Russian society. The latter requires an analysis of different cultural and historical environments that are specific for different social strata, subcultural formations which are specified step by step in a particular family where the child is reared.

The paper focuses on analyzing cultural historical and social situations with the development of contemporary children (5.5 to 7 years old) in high-resource families of mid-upper social stratum living in the metropolis areas. On the basis of the empirical data receives within a particular family structure the child’s character is discussed on a par with his qualities which are most desirable, emphasized by parents and associated with the priorities of the group, according to which parents chose the way of developing their child. The discussion focuses on the strategies of child development in one of the most prestigious preschool educational institutions: the credo of the institution is analyzed, the main teaching strategies using the «fairy tales» are highlighted, the nature of the typical relationship between teachers and children in the institution is emphasized. Narrative allows to single out features of child perception and “recycling” this educational technology.

The results obtained make it possible to identify major areas of risk in the emotional and personal development of children in this group supported by the ill-conceived teaching strategies, and they provide an opportunity to understand the obtained data in the wider cultural and historical perspective.