QCD condensates and hadron parameters in nuclear matter: self-consistent treatment, sum rules and all that

We review various approaches to the calculation of QCD condensates and of the nucleon characteristics in nuclear matter. We show the importance of their self-consistent treatment. The first steps in such treatment appeared to be very instructive. It is shown that the alleged pion condensation anyway can not take place earlier than the restoration of the chiral symmetry. We demonstrate how the finite density QCD sum rules for nucleons work and advocate their possible role in providing an additional bridge between the condensate and hadron physics.