Journal articles - Arctic and North
All articles: 1028
Perception of Space and Sense of Place among Elderly Residents of the Solovetsky Village
Scientific article
Sensory-emotional perception of natural-architectural landscape is a collective phenomenon that depends on various factors. The natural and architectural space of the village of Solovetsky is distinguished by territorial isolation (island environment); marine type of natural and climatic conditions; consequences of the relatively late formation of the civilian population; rich religious history; location of special purpose places. In the conditions of the complex system of historical connections and the relative “youth” of the village, the population is in the stage of forming a “sense of place”. The architectural space of the settlement has been transformed many times and has not been characterised by a consistent linear development. Important transformational events were: the history of the monastery and its monastic services, the arrangement of the monastery space for the needs of the Solovetsky special purpose camp and the Solovetsky special purpose prison (1923–1939), further adaptation of the architectural space for the school of cabin boys and boatswains, a military unit, with subsequent transformation for civil settlement (1944). The transformational stages of architectural space are captured in the modern image of the village, which influences the formation of a “sense of place” among the population. This article examines and analyses the results of a survey of the elderly population of the Solovetsky village, identifying the features and patterns of sensoryemotional perception of space. Particular attention was paid to feelings of beauty, uniqueness, cleanliness, safety and friendliness among older respondents. The article concludes with recommendations for strengthening the “sense of place” — the psycho-emotional connection with the place of residence. These recommendations will improve the psycho-emotional climate in the village and the health of elderly residents.
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Scientific article
Studying the population’s perceptions of climate change is an important component of solving the problem of identifying effective measures for adapting to ongoing processes. In the regions of the Russian Arctic, which are significantly affected by climate transformations, this aspect has not been sufficiently studied. The aim of this article is to identify the features of the subjective perception of climate change by the population of local Arctic territories. The object of the study is the population of the municipal settlement “Pinezhskoe” of the Pinezhskiy Municipal District of the Arkhangelsk Oblast. The main research method was a large-scale standardized public survey conducted in 2023. The authors compared the results of the sociological survey with actual meteorological observation data from the Pinega weather station. The study revealed a fairly high degree of correspondence between the population’s subjective perception of climate change and such climatic trends as a more intensive temperature rise in winter compared to summer, an extension of the off-season periods, and an increase in the frequency of wind gusts. The population also notes sharp temperature fluctuations during the winter, the occurrence of heatwaves in summer, thaws in winter and frosts in summer, which was confirmed by an analysis of actual meteorological data. The following feature of the subjective perception of climate change has been identified: the population is less likely to observe natural processes and phenomena, indicating climate change, and is more likely to feel the specific consequences that affect their human activities and social well-being. Climate change has the greatest impact on the health of the population, the comfort of living in the region during the off-season, and the possibility of ensuring traditional natural resources use. The obtained results can be used to improve regional climate change adaptation plans based on new local knowledge.
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Perm Engineering and Industrial Forum
Scientific article
The article represents the review of materials of the Perm Engineering and Industry Forum held on the 6th-‐7th of November 2014 in Perm. The Forum represented a project of the federal scale, under which dozens of round tables and seminars on the future of the Russian industry were held. The issues discussed at the Forum and the Resolution are correlated with the new industrialization of the Russian Arctic and the North and with the sixth technological order transition period.
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Perspectives on Sámi historiography
Scientific article
The article focuses on Sámi history and historical methods. The main results and central aspects of Sámi history, in its relational context, are gone through. What effects and consequences — regarding both methodology and narrative styles — these aspects have had, and ought to have, for the processes of doing research on and writing Sámi history? The focus is on the politics of Sámi history and research. The issues, who is “allowed” to write Sámi history and the way Sámi research is demanded to stand in the service of different societalcultural needs of the Sámi is dealt with. This expectation of applicability concerns Sámi history in general, and the more delimited efforts of presenting situated accounts of Sámi cultural practices, traditions and experience with relations to other folk groups. Finally, methodological considerations and recommendations of Sámi history are presented, in which a number of methodological competences and in-depth usage of numerous source categories are called for.
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Planning the Development of Arctic Maritime Communications in the Era of Hybrid Warfare
Scientific article
Russia’s regional presence in the Arctic is the dominant goal of the country’s national maritime policy and is ensured by the level of development of the Arctic communications system, while the primary significance from the standpoint of national security belongs to the maritime component of this system, including the Northern Sea Route (NSR), which has the status of a national transport artery. The importance of the Arctic among the national interests of the country is confirmed by the current Maritime Doctrine of Russia 2022 and other strategic planning documents of recent years. The development of Arctic maritime communications is planned within the current horizons up to 2030 and 2036, both in terms of ensuring cargo turnover of the NSR (as the axial framework of Arctic maritime communications) and in the context of approving capital construction activities and facilities. Besides, the subject of planning is the development of the fleet, including icebreakers and reinforced ice-class vessels, which are rightfully a symbol of Russia’s Arctic maritime potential. The presence of these vessels together with military ships on the NSR and sea communications of the Arctic Ocean (AO) and the Arctic seas ensure the connectivity and integrity (both maritime and territorial) of the Arctic regional space. Therefore, the replenishment of the Arctic ice fleet in accordance with the needs of large oil and gas projects is of critical importance, especially in the era of hybrid confrontation between Russia and the countries of the “collective West”, which has already acquired obvious features of a full-fledged war.
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Plastic pollution tendencies of the Barents Sea and adjacent waters under the climate change
Scientific article
The article represents the analysis of the plastic pollution of water areas and coasts of the Barents Sea and adjacent waters based on foreign and Russian studies. The authors consider the influence of various factors, including climate change in the Arctic. The threat to various types of marine activities and the marine ecosystem from plastic pollution is evaluated. The emphasis is on the existing and potential damage to industrial fisheries in the Barents Sea and adjacent waters. An analysis of the regulatory and organizational and economic mechanisms for preventing plastic pollution of the Arctic seas and coasts of the Arctic Council member states and practices of their application is carried out. Particular attention is paid to the control and supervision over litter collection onboard and the efficiency of its disposal after delivery to the land. To improve the legal regulation of handling waste of production and consumption, it is justified to adopt the draft federal law “On secondary material resources”; to create a financial platform for the circular economy in analogy with the European Union and to develop technologies to increase the life cycle and reuse of goods made of plastic. To supplement to the activities of the “State Program Social and Economic Development of the Arctic zone of the Russian Federation” and the state programs for social and economic development of the Arctic, it is proposed to include various types of plastic in the list of hazardous pollutants of water areas and coasts of the Russian Arctic and to build facilities for processing of plastic wastes from fishing enterprises in the Arctic. Also, the regional authorities should encourage volunteering for cleaning coasts of the Barents Sea from garbage, incl. plastic.
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Policy of the Republic of Korea in the Polar Regions in 2023–2033
Scientific article
This article reviews the current state of the Arctic policy of the Republic of Korea, which, like other states, has increased interest in the Arctic region in recent years, as well as its plan of activities in the Arctic and Antarctic for the coming years. The Republic of Korea needs to gradually develop an Arctic strategy at the government level to promote national interests in the Arctic region. The scientific significance of the article is related to the translation into Russian and analysis of the “Polar Activities Promotion Act for 2023-2027”, published in February 2023 by the Korean Institute of Marine Science & Technology Promotion. The article discusses the content and timing of the country’s 3 main polar policies: research and discovery, climate change forecasting, and polar development. In addition, 5 main strategies for promoting the Republic of Korea in the polar region are discussed, including: expanding the area of research of the territory, developing plans to solve environmental and climate problems, creating a polar industrial base, creating a network of cooperation with foreign countries and between industrial and scientific organizations within the country, developing an interstate dialogue on polar activities.
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Scientific article
This article examines the mechanism of total technological politicization — the deliberate and simultaneous transfer of several originally neutral spheres of Arctic activity (logistics, ecology, climate, scientific cooperation, resource governance) into the political register — as reflected in recent publications by Western scholars and expert institutions from 2022 to 2026. Unlike single-domain politicization, total technological politicization generates a cumulative effect of mutual narrative reinforcement, forming a self-reproducing cognitive system. The theoretical and methodological foundation draws on the author’s concept of the technological politicization of social relations, supplemented by critical discourse analysis, framing theory, and securitization theory. The empirical corpus comprises more than forty English-language texts produced by Western institutions across five genre categories — academic monographs, edited volumes, think tank reports, NGO materials, and analytical journalism — published between February 2022 and January 2026. The analysis identifies four persistent narratives of total technological politicization (“NSR militarization”, “climate rogue state”, “resource revisionism”, “developmental colonialism”), operationalized through subject substitution, causal inversion, lexical escalation, and epistemic asymmetry. The intensity of technological politicization is found to vary by genre: it is highest in military-analytical texts and think tank reports, and lowest in academic monographs. The structural marginalization of critical voices within Western discourse is identified as operating through a “spiral of silence” mechanism. The findings support recommendations on counter-politicization strategies, genre-differentiated source monitoring, and expanding the representation of the Russian position in international academic venues.
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Scientific article
The strategy for the development of the Arctic zone of Russia is primarily aimed at improving the quality of life of the Arctic population, health saving and reducing morbidity. The climatic and geographical conditions of the Arctic zone are extremely uncomfortable for living and cause the development of a number of diseases, as well as the polysyndrome of “northern stress”. Moreover, the Arctic population is affected by persistent organic pollutants that enter the body through a traditional diet and contribute to the development of oncological diseases by suppressing the functions of the immune system. Cytokines — proteins encoded by genes with a high degree of polymorphism, responsible for the nature of inflammatory processes, for the effectiveness of defense functions of the body in response to infections and the oncological process development — are one of the main mediators of the immune system. The distribution of polymorphisms in the cytokine genes produced by different types of cells of immune system (rs2069762 IL2, rs2243250 IL4, rs2069812 IL5, rs1800872 IL10, rs1800925 IL13, rs2275913 IL17A, rs7044343 IL33) in the populations of Nenets, Dolgan-Nganasans and Slavs was studied. Analysis of the results showed that the frequency of TG and GG genotypes rs2069762 IL2, CT genotype rs2243250 IL4, CT genotype rs2069812 IL5, TG genotype rs1800872 IL10, CC genotype rs1800925 IL13, GA genotype rs2275913 IL17A, CC rs7044343 IL33 genotype is significantly higher in Arctic populations compared to Slavs, and may be a potential genetic marker of disease development. The studied mutations are associated with the expression level of the corresponding cytokines and their production, which entails changes in the functioning of the cytokine network. It can be concluded that the indigenous inhabitants of the Russian Arctic have genetically determined rapid development of immune reactions, protection to the development of allergic diseases and resistance to the formation of malignant tumours in comparison with Slavs, i.e. the immigrant population.
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Polythematic informational products for the Arctic research
Scientific article
The article presents a description of the problemoriented databases of the own generation SPSL for information support in the Arctic research.
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Pomorie and Pomors: the structure of one historical myth
Scientific article
The historical myth is playing a key role in any ethno-building. An important role in the initial stage is playing the work of ideologues and historians, writers. In the article is analyzed the structure of the Pomeranian historical myth, it is based on a specific interpretation of the colonization process of the Russian North and the specific interpretation of local history and geography and local concepts.
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Population Health in the Russian Arctic: Problems, Challenges, Solutions
Scientific article
Significant lagging of the Arctic regions of Russia from the all-Russian values of life expectancy and mortality rates of people of working age is noted at the highest state level as one of the main threats to the socio-economic development of the Russian Arctic and ensuring its national security. This lag is largely due to the negative impact of extreme natural and climatic environmental conditions on the health of the population working and living in the Arctic. The presented article is aimed at systematizing the problems and challenges associated with the impact of the harsh natural and climatic conditions of the Arctic on the health of the population living there, as well as finding ways to adapt the public administration system to these challenges. Based on a critical analysis of scientific literature and official statistical information, the paper identifies the health features and the process of adaptation to the natural and climatic conditions of the Arctic for different groups of the Arctic population: indigenous, old-timers and newcomers. The authors have substantiated that the most vulnerable group of the population, whose health is most negatively affected by the extreme natural and climatic conditions of the Arctic, are migrants. On the basis of generalization of problems and peculiarities of public health of the Arctic population and systematization of the experience of previous scientific research, the directions of adaptation of the public administration system of the Arctic regions to the existing challenges have been developed. These directions are based on a differentiated approach to various groups of the Arctic population: indigenous, old-timers and newcomers. According to the authors, the implementation of the directions presented in the article, as well as the creation of the most favorable socio-economic living conditions, can compensate for physiological losses and improve the health indicators of Arctic residents.
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Population Migration in the Russian Arctic as Reflected in the Media
Scientific article
The purpose of this article is to analyze the informational content of the media in terms of its coverage of population migration processes in the Arctic zone of Russia. In order to achieve this goal, a content-analytical research program was developed, which allows not only studying the popularity and “demand” of the topic of population migration in the Arctic territories in the news space, but also determining the nature of news reports and identifying related semantic elements. Automated data collection and filtering tools in the Python development environment were used to generate a sample of news publications. The final sample size was 735 articles for the period from 2020 to 2023 (formed from 1 online publication of a federal-level media outlet and 9 online publications of regional media outlets — one for each Arctic region). Content analysis of the collected array of media materials was carried out using the specialized program QDA Miner Lite. As a result, it was revealed that public opinion on issues of population migration in the Russian Arctic is not intensively formed in the media examined. The media agenda is characterized by fragmentation, insufficient transparency, and the field of communication most often includes news materials about the influx of medical and teaching personnel under state support programs. Regional differentiation in the information agenda broadcast by the media about population migration in the Arctic Zone of the Russian Federation was revealed. The media of the Republic of Karelia, the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia), and the Chukotka Autonomous Okrug cover this topic the least intensively and deeply. The media of the Murmansk and Arkhangelsk Oblasts, the Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug and Krasnoyarsk Krai form public opinion on the migration situation in a more comprehensive manner. Based on the results of the analysis, general conceptual recommendations were developed to improve the information model for creating thematic content in the media, including facilitating the attraction and retention of the population in the Russian Arctic.
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Population formation and development dynamics of the Russian Far North in the 1920s
Scientific article
Based on the analysis of All-Union Population Census of 1926 and a wide range of general and regional scientific research, the author studies the processes of demographic and economic development of territories located in the Russian North and conventionally designated by the author as regions of European, Ural, Siberian and Far Eastern North. The paper identifies key trends and features of Northern regions' development in the 1920s, caused by the first Soviet reforms of the administrative-territorial structure of the country, economic development and national state policy, which had an impact on the demographic processes in the regions including population size, its composition and settlement structure. It is found that the economic development was the most active in the bordering areas, where intensive development of industry and transportation implied the need to strengthen national defense and expand trade and economic ties. This mainly concerned the regions of the European and Far Eastern North. The regions that were rich in natural resources, especially gold deposits, such as Yakutia, also developed more actively. Other regions of Ural and Siberian North developed in a more traditional way, based on growth of wood harvesting and fishing industry. Improving of living conditions of the indigenous peoples of the North, material support for their farms, medical care and legal assistance, introduction of education among the population in the 1920s had a positive impact on the economic and demographic development of the indigenous population.
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Population of the Komi Republic: From the 1897 Census to the 2021 Census
Scientific article
This article examines the population censuses conducted in the Russian Empire, the USSR and the new Russia; it reveals the peculiarities and methodological apparatus of each population census, presents the main questions of census lists, their comparability with previous censuses, notes new questions and explains their application. Thus, in the 2010 population census, the term “household” was introduced in the question on kinship (property) with other persons living with the respondent; in the question on marriage status, the concepts “officially divorced” and “separated” were differentiated; the levels of education and the presence of a degree were highlighted; the results of population censuses are given according to statistical data for the Komi Republic. The results of the population censuses of 1939 and 1959, which made it possible to assess the scale of forced migration to the Komi region, are separately considered. For each population census, the timing of its conduction and the critical moment are given, it is explained why certain population censuses were carried out not in the “zero” year, as is customary in most countries of the world, but in other years. Particular attention is paid to the 2021 census, it has been postponed for one year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
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Scientific article
Today, Russia and China are each other’s most important partners in the international arena. The article discusses such an important area of their relations as interaction in the Arctic region and evolution of its development. In recent years, the role of analytic centers has grown, especially as the world faces complex global challenges such as climate change, economic inequality and political polarization. That is why the positions of the expert and analytical community of the Russian Federation and China on the issue of Russian-Chinese cooperation in the Arctic are of great interest in the article. In particular, the concept of “think tanks” is considered, the expert and analytical communities of Russia and China are studied, the developments of Russian and Chinese “think tanks” in such key areas as the development of natural resources of the Arctic zone of the Russian Federation and the transport infrastructure of the Russian Arctic, including the Northern Sea Route, scientific and technological cooperation. The article identifies similarities and differences in the views of Russian and Chinese scientists on these issues. The article considers the period from the beginning of Russian-Chinese co-operation in the Far North up to the present time, that is, approximately for the last 10 years.
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Possibilities of Arctic Oil Transportation to the Refineries of the Republic of Bashkortostan
Scientific article
Communications play an important role in the economic development of states and regions, in the development of new markets by connecting distributed areas of economic activity. The modern sanction economy is characterised by the change of economic partners and, accordingly, communication directions. Thus, the vector of Arctic oil exports is shifting to the Asia-Pacific region, which increases the role of maritime communications for its transport. At the same time, from a practical point of view, it can be assumed that Arctic oil can become one of the resources of domestic refineries. The aim of the study was to consider the possibilities of providing the oldest oil refining complex of the Republic of Bashkortostan with Arctic oil and to build a basic scheme of spatial organisation of communications linking the economic space of Russia. Achievement of the set goal required the solution of the following tasks: to determine the role of Russia in the world oil exports on the basis of “bp Statistical Review of World Energy”; to conduct a comprehensive analysis of studies of domestic scientists on the issues of oil production, sales and refining, as well as promising Arctic offshore projects; and to consider the features of the oil refining industry of Russia and, in particular, the Republic of Bashkortostan. As a result of the research, the conclusions about the prospectivity of Arctic oil production and about the possibilities of its delivery to the refineries of the Republic of Bashkortostan have been obtained; for these purposes, a principal scheme of spatial organisation of communications linking oil deliveries from Arctic offshore fields to refineries in Ufa of the Republic of Bashkortostan has been developed.
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Scientific article
The authors consider the concept and description of the Northern Sea Route (NSR), the main preconditions for the development of the export in the Russian Arctic when using the NSR. The concept and analysis of coastal transport using Arctic vessels and the forecast conclusions on possible Arctic projects are discussed. System for the development of the Russian Arctic export, coastal transport, and project cargo include rail and sea freight transport systems. The purpose of the article is to analyze the data on transport systems, as well as to determine the critical prospects for their development in Russia, considering a new concept - the Northern Sea Transport Corridor. It is the national transport communication of the Russian Federation. Therefore, the development of the Arctic cargo flow in the Northern Sea Route is mainly connected with the projects for the development of mineral resources in the Arctic zone of the Russian Federation. For the transshipment of hydrocarbon raw materials and ores from the Northern Sea Route area, the ports of the Barents Sea are used. In the future, a significant role will be played by LNG transshipment in the ports of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, Murmansk (Marine LNG transshipment complex). Also, it is planned to use the port of Indiga for the transshipment of coal from Western Taimyr. The NSR shipment ports and transshipment ports form a single transport chain and require coordinated management.
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Scientific article
In accordance with the Federal Law “On State Support for Entrepreneurial Activity in the Arctic Zone of the Russian Federation”, a preferential regime has been established in the Arctic regions, making the Arctic Zone the largest special economic zone in Russia and the world. The preferential regime in the Arctic zone should promote economic development of the territories, stimulate investment and entrepreneurial activity. The aim of the study is to identify the features and problems that have arisen during the implementation of this project, based on an analysis of the practice of establishing and developing the preferential regime of the Arctic Zone, as well as the implementation of the set tasks for economic development and the revitalization of investment and entrepreneurial activity in the Arctic territories, and, on this basis, to formulate the author’s vision of the areas of activity on which efforts should be concentrated to successfully achieve the set objectives. The analysis showed that the predominant share of declared investments and jobs falls on the European part of the Arctic Zone of the Russian Federation. However, many of the participants are at the initial stage of investment, and the actual amount invested is comparatively lower than declared. The reason for this may be the repeated change in the vision of the development of the Arctic zone, the underdevelopment of infrastructure and economic instability, which create high risks for investors and force them to adopt a cautious approach. Large-scale business continues to dominate in the Arctic regions. At the same time, the development of small and medium-sized enterprises in the Arctic zone is of great importance for the creation of new industries and production facilities, that is, for the restructuring of the economy and the comprehensive socio-economic development of the region. Proposals for the implementation of the tasks set in the law have been developed. In particular, it was proposed to use not only economic, but also social and environmental indicators when developing a methodology for assessing the effectiveness of the special economic zone of the Russian Arctic.
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