A multidimensional Arctic: horizons of development

^∗ For citation:

the equitable distribution of untold resource wealth, which is the ice region-territory, oil, gas, metals, biological resources, transport capabilities, including transpolar aerospace routes”.

The forum was opened by the leading researcher of the Department of Country Studies of IE RAS, member of the Scientific Expert Council of the state Commission on Arctic development Zhuravel V.P. with the introductory report “The Arctic as a multidimensional space”. He noted that the Arctic as an object and subject of research was studied by many scientific disciplines, which allowed to obtain a complete system of knowledge, a full-fledged model of practical activity, a comprehensive look at the present and future of the Arctic region. At the same time, it is important to generate new relevant knowledge, to reveal the causes and trends of the development of the multidimensional Arctic space, to systematize them and use this to determine the current directions of the Arctic regional development. Along with the analysis of the increasing role of Russia and Europe in the Arctic, the speech addressed the issues of cooperation between Russia and China on the Arctic track. He noted that the current foreign policy of Beijing on the Arctic track towards Russia was positive, business-like, mostly friendly and long-term, and the problems and difficulties were solved through negotiations on a mutually beneficial basis. It was also concluded that the presence of major Asian States in the Arctic Council could lead to a decrease in the overall degree of tension in connection with the consequences of disagreements between Russia and the West over the situation in Syria and Ukraine.

The problems of international cooperation in the circumpolar area and the future of its social and economic, environmental, infrastructure and innovative development had become the subject of comprehensive analysis and subsequent discussion of the roundtable participants. The complex and multifaceted subject of regional security in its various aspects aroused great interest of the audience.

Belov V.B., Deputy Director for Scientific Work of the Russian Academy of Sciences, devoted his report to cooperation in the Arctic within the European space. He noted that in the last decade, Germany's activity in the Arctic region had increased significantly. Berlin is primarily focused on its long-term economic and political priorities. Its aim is getting the access of its business to the Arctic resources, ensuring national raw material security. Germany actively participates in the work of the Arctic Council as an observer country and supports cooperation with Russia.

The strategy and policy of Greenland on the Arctic track was covered by the leading researcher of the Department of Country Studies of IE RAS Khodov L.G. According to Professor Sindeev A.A., Chief researcher of the European Security Department of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Russia could initiate a comprehensive cooperation, the essence of which he presented in his speech. This interaction would strengthen the leadership of our country in the Arctic region. “The presence of complex cooperation, from the point of view of the Russian Federation, should testify”, — Sindeev A.A. said, — “is not only the development of modern trends and a positive characteristic of what has been done, but first the answer to the question: “Will Russia be able to implement what it has planned in the Arctic in the medium and long term?”

The presentation of the Head of the Department of the International Security, Center of the National Research, IMEMO named after E.M. Primakov RAS, Professor of MGIMO of Russia Zagorski A.V., who reported on non-strategic military activities monitoring of the countries. According to the speaker: our partners' balanced assessments of the military and political situation in the region prevailed; analyzing the goals of Russia's military development in the Arctic, they did not see any threats to their national security in the short term.

On geopolitical trends and the development of institutions of international cooperation in the Arctic had focused the attention of the audience after reports by the Director the Arctic Center for Strategic studies of NArFU named after M.V. Lomonosov (Arkhangelsk, Russia), the Head of the “Arctic Floating University” Zaikov K.S. and Associate Professor of the Institute of Law and National Security, RANEPA, Medvedev D.A. According to the speakers, the aggravation of the international situation, the situation with the Arctic cooperation and competition could become a rivalry and even cause a crisis of a global scale; there were also indications that the Arctic Council would eventually take the shape of a supranational governing body for the region.

In the context of the integrated Arctic policy of the European Union, the Head of the Department of European security of the IE RAS, Professor of MGIMO of Russia Danilov D.A. analyzed the Arctic security. Professor of the Department of Political Science of the Moscow State Linguistic University Sinchuk Yu.V. drew the audience's attention to Russia's desire to implement a global project to preserve peace in the Arctic. Danilov A.I., assistant Director of the State Scientific Center “Arctic and Antarctic research Institute” of Roshydromet, presented the problems of hydrometeorological safety in the Arctic under the changing climate conditions. “The Arctic is likely to be warmer this century than the planet on average, so the climate change factor should be considered in the social and economic development of the Arctic zone. The Arctic is one of the most vulnerable to climate change regions of the Earth and ensuring hydrometeorological safety of the population and activities there is an integral part of adaptation to changes”, – he said. Alexander Ivanovich devoted more than 30 years of his scientific activity to the study of the Arctic climate. Deputy Head, Hero of the Russian Federation, honored rescuer of Russia A. N. Zvyagintsev spoke in detail about the activities of the FBI “Rosmorrechflot Marine Service” in the context of international cooperation in the field of reducing the risks of pollution of the Arctic marine environment.

The attention of several experts was focused on the issues of stimulation and implementation of Russian innovative projects in the Arctic. These issues were found in the speech of the Head of the Department “World Ocean and the Arctic”, Deputy Chairman of the Council for the Study of Productive Forces, Russian Academy of Foreign Trade, Lipina S.A., Deputy Chairman of the State Duma Committee on transport and construction Fedyaeva P.M. and Deputy Chairman of the State Duma Committee on Regional Policy and Problems of North and Far East Pushkarev V.A. It should be noted that prior to his election to the state Duma, Vladimir Pushkarev successfully managed the Russian Arctic Development Center for several years and made a significant contribution to the organization of scientific works on the study of Arctic territories, incl. the Beliy is- land. The Director General of the NGO “STREAM” Glukhov A.V. presented a detailed consideration to the vital environmental aspects of the applicating the innovative home technologies at the Northern Sea Route port facilities. The Head of the Department of Strategic Development and Innovation of the Ministry of Economic Development of the Russian Federation Major S. V. with colleagues from RANEPA Vorotnikov A.M. and Balabanov A.E. presented a collective report on the potential of the support zones for the development of the Russian Arctic through the construction and development of transport and logistics infrastructure.

Standards that form transparent rules and principles of ecological interaction of already operating and newly created enterprises with the environment and indigenous population in the Arctic territory will allow to take advantage of the opportunities for economic development without harming nature and human. This is the key idea of the national public standard “environmental safety of the Arctic”, developed by the Public Commission on “Ecology” of the Interregional public organization “Association of Polar Explorers” (ASPOL), which is headed by the legendary polar explorer A. Chilingarov. Masloboev V.A., Deputy Chairman of the Kola Scientific Center of the Russian Academy of Sciences (Apatity, the Murmansk Oblast), justified the necessity and timeliness of the adoption of such a standard in his speech. Associate of Chilingarov A.N., Vice-President of ASPOL Zaitsev K.A., who 25 years ago landed during a high-latitude parachute expedition to the North Pole and installed the flag of Russia there, informed his colleagues about the activities and plans of the organization for the following years.

The coordinator of the project “Maritime policy” of the Center for Strategic Assessments and Forecasts Gornova A.M. justified the need for priority development of sea ports in the Russian Arctic, the ones located in the mouths of large rivers, as logistics points for the docking of sea and river transport and the connection of the sea and river transport in the single arteries of transportation to the mainland. In the opinion of the expert, this is necessary to maximize the economic benefits from the Arctic areas.

Social issues and problems of human development were central for the Cand Sci (Ped.) Rukavitsyn I.M. and Leading researcher of the Department of Economic Research of IE RAS Govorova N.B., who stated that sustainable spatial development of the Arctic territories directly de- pended on the quality of human capital, determined by the financing of health care. Capital investments are needed for the maintenance and further development of social and transport infrastructure, housing and communal services, and the provision of social guarantees to the population. The negative trends in demographic and social development are aggravated by large territorial and climatic differences, low diversification of the economy, high depreciation of fixed assets. However, in the Russian Arctic there is a possibility of a change in the negative trends, provided the welfare and quality of life of the northerners against the background of environmental improvement, creating optimal conditions for professional self-realization of residents. To implement these plans, measures should be taken to create specific social innovation technologies, incl. the ones in medicine and education, and to promote the development of traditional activities, especially for indigenous people. Istomin V.S., Advisor to the President of the Association of Indigenous Peoples of the North, Siberia and the Far East of the Russian Federation, analyzed the legislative problems of ensuring the rights of indigenous peoples and prospects for their solution.

Representatives of the Higher School of Social Sciences of the Humanities Institute of St. Petersburg Polytechnic University (SPbPU) named after Peter the Great Professor Kulik S.V. and Associate Professor Samylovskaya E.A. spoke on the Arctic. They noted that more than a century of research and development of shipbuilders-polytechnics were the scientific and technical basis for the solution of a wide range of economic tasks for the development of the Arctic and the Northern Sea Route. The University is an organizer and a traditional platform for international scientific events dedicated to the Arctic theme. Since 2016, the International Scientific Conference “The Arctic: history and modernity” has been held here on a regularly. The aim of the conference is to be an interdisciplinary platform for discussing and solving a wide range of issues related to the Arctic region and to form an objective understanding of the Russian Arctic policy.

In total, representatives of the expert community of the three committees of the state Duma, 19 scientific, educational institutions and public organizations took part in the scientific discussions, widely covered in the media.

The Head of Roshydromet Yakovenko M.E. helped a lot in preparations for the scientific forum and the exhibition of the Russian State Museum of Arctic and Antarctic (St. Petersburg) called “On drifting ice of the Arctic”, opened in the foyer of the Russian Academy of Sciences on November 20-23, 2017. At the exhibition was dedicated to the anniversary of the drifting stations and their 80-year history, briefly told in chronological order. Research and work on drifting stations and high-latitude expeditions are among the most significant in duration, diversity of scientific material, the number and importance of discoveries, the fundamental nature of the scientific approach, the abundance of solved problems, an incredible combination of mass courage, deliberate risk and resistance in the hardest conditions on the drifting ice of the Central Arctic and can rightly be considered the most outstanding expedition program of the last century. The exhibition presents dozens of photos illustrating the work, life and leisure of drift participants. Explanations on the materials of the exhibition were given by the Director of the Museum Maria Dukalskaya. In Moscow, the exhibition was for the first time and was of a great interest among scientists.

At the end of the round table, some experts were awarded letters of gratitude from the Special Representative of the President of the Russian Federation for international cooperation in the Arctic and Antarctic Arthur Chilingarov, deputies of the state Duma Grigory Ledkov and Vladimir Pushkarev for their active civil position, professionalism, long-term and active work on the study of the Arctic Council, problems of exploration and development of the Russian Arctic.

The next event on Arctic issues — the 3rd International Scientific Conference “The Arctic: history and modernity” — was held in St. Petersburg on 18-19 April 2018. It was organized by St. Petersburg Polytechnic University named after Peter the Great, The Institute of Europe of the Russian Academy of Sciences and a number of other organizations