The publication provides an overview of the Russian Scientific and Practical Conference held on May 17–18, 2019 at the Institute of History and International Relations, Southern Federal University. The Tokarev readings took place for the eighth time and are dedicated to the outstanding Russian designer-gunsmith F.V. Tokarev. This year the topic was “Interactions between sedentary and nomadic cultures in the civilization space of the South of Russia”. Papers at the conference section were presented by scientists from Russia, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan and Belarus. The Russian Federation was represented by scientists from Moscow, Yekaterinburg, Chelyabinsk, Orenburg, Makhachkala, Nalchik, Krasnodar, etc. The conference discussed issues of military history, archeology, nomadic traditions, the interactions between nomadic and sedentary peoples of the Russian South, the interactions between military and cultural traditions of Turkic, Caucasian and Cossack peoples. For the first time at the conference, a section entitled “Traditions of Patriotic Education in the Context of Teaching History at School” was presented. Among the listeners of the conference, there were students, local historians, museum employees and representatives of the Cossacks. 45 reports were presented. The format of the event was plenary and breakout sessions. The publication of the materials of the VIII Tokarev readings is also expected.