Development of timber industry complex as a tool for the realization of regional modernization processes in the second half of the XX century (on the example of Karelia)

Introduction. The development of industry in the economic history of Russia often became one of the main factors in the activation of modernization processes. Moreover, during the periods of modernization breakthroughs, the most developed and vital sectors for the state developed most actively. These include the development of metallurgy, mechanical engineering, the coal and oil industries, etc. It is important to understand how the development of a particular industrial sector influenced the development of modernization processes in Russian regions. The study of regional specifics makes it possible to more thoroughly reveal the features of the implementation of Russian modernization processes, since only macro trends can be traced at the national level. The timber industry complex (TIC) is always an important element of the Soviet and then the Russian economy. Karelia during the second half of the twentieth century developed as a single-industry region with a predominant development of the timber industry sectors. As a result, the timber industry complex became an instrument for implementing modernization processes in the republic, which could not but affect the state and development of the region’s resource potential. Materials and methods. The study is based on the analysis of mainly statistical materials reflecting the influence of the timber industry sectors on the development of regional modernization processes. Studying the regional features of the socio-economic development of Karelia as a single-industry region allows us to identify the features of modernization in certain regions of Russia, in which the development of the timber industry sectors has become the basis of economic development. In the research process, historical-systemic, historical-dynamic, historical-comparative, historical-genetic were used. Results. In the course of the analysis of statistical data on Karelia, the main trends in the production, socio-infrastructural and demographic development of the republic were identified under the influence of the development of the timber industry sectors. The main reasons that led to a gradual decrease in indicators of socio-economic development were identified. It was shown that the common cause of the decrease in the resource potential of Karelia was the preservation for decades of a one-sided orientation towards the development of mainly the timber industry sectors. Discussion and conclusion. During the period under review, Karelia was formed as a single-industry region with a predominant development of the timber industry sectors, which directly affected the success of the modernization processes in the republic. Outlined since the mid-1960s a decline in the development of the timber industry sectors of the republic led to a decrease in timber production, a general decline in industrial production, poorly developed sectors for the production of consumer goods, and a lack of developed social infrastructure.