The long-term dynamics of the social space of the Russian Arctic

The Russian Arctic was explored and populated rigorously and purposefully during the Soviet period. The settling pattern was then based on the industrial capabilities of the Arctic areas (mineral deposits), considering the need to develop relevant transport infrastructure. The incentive component of the Soviet propaganda of Arctic development was aimed at mobilizing the skilled workforce. The market transformation in the late 20th century caused a rapid deterioration in the social and economic situation nation-wide: the state abandoned protectionism of the Arctic territories so that state-provided preferences were significantly reduced. Such transformations eventually entailed the reduction of social and economic services and a large-scale migration outflow in the Arctic territories. The current social and economic situation in the Arctic is still characterized by a negative migration balance, which determines a decline in the level of labor force participation. The negative migration balance is attributable to the lower economic attractiveness of the region, which again brings about the issue of unemployment in the Arctic. Destructive processes in the social and economic development of the Russian Arctic shape multi-faceted threats to its stable evolution. Thus, the analysis of the long-term pattern of the social space in the Russian Arctic is an essential aspect of new emerging conceptual approaches towards research and practical plan for Arctic development. The purpose of the survey was to review the pattern of the social space in the modern Russian Arctic territories between 1950 and 2018, with one of its objectives being the analysis of its social development stages based on historiographic, problematic / chronological, retrospective and comparative-historical methods. The survey shows that transformations in the consistent long-term pattern of the social space in the modern Russian Arctic are determined by the intensity of its industrial development, the scale of government support, and the long-term interests of the national economy.