Studying the Russian Arctic: the experience of political analysis

Important area of the modern study of the Arctic zone of the Russian Federation (AZRF) is the analysis of prospects for the internal and external political and administrative development of the region, at the base of the methods of political science.

If foreign policy is characterized by search for balance between the possibilities of selfdevelopment of the country and integration capabilities with partner countries through the establishment of a stable coalition, the internal political development involves the formation of effective mechanisms of perspective controle of the processes of the spatial and territorial development of the North and the Russian Arctic at federal and regional levels.

Practical issues of political management are reflected in works of Russian scientists engaged in research of external and internal political development of the country and, in particular, of the Arctic and subarctic regions.

Large specialized research regional organizations deal with important issues of strategic spatial and territorial development of the northern regions of the country. Among the major organizations are such as Kola Scientific Center of RAS, Komi Scientific Centre of RAS, Northern (Arctic) University named after M.V. Lomonosov, Federal Research Center of the complex study of the Arctic of RAS in Arkhangelsk and others. Specific nature of these institutions is determined by their focus on a wide range of research, including policy issues and management of areas of the North and the Russian Arctic.

The experience of political analysis in the study of the Russian Arctic

Key areas of modern political studies are related both to the assessment of the foreign policy aspects of the development of the country and regions (in particular, the problems and the threats of foreign development, the possibility of independent policy and integration, the degree of competitiveness of the country and regions at the international arena) and domestic: the possibility of development of the regional management system; the prospects for the development of a democratic culture at the local level; ecological development of territories. The important factor of the formation of favorable conditions and mechanisms of development of the Arctic and subarctic regions is the scientific generalization and the analysis of the domestic and foreign experience and knowledge aimed at the comprehension and understanding of the various processes of the functioning areas of the North and the Russian Arctic [1, Shevchuk A.V.].

Many publications note that along with realization of modern requirements to the system of strategic management of territorial development with regard to the Arctic and subarctic regions of the country, evaluation and use of high-quality domestic and international mechanisms of strategic management in the Arctic states [2, Komleva N.A.], the implementation of the Arctic strategic projects [3, Nesterenko M.Y., Ikonnikov V.M.], are the basis for the formation of the Arctic policy and effective modernization of management mechanisms and relationships at the federal and regional levels [4, Harevsky A.A.; 5, Kokis K.A.].

Research activities, national research programs in the Arctic circumpolar countries forming certain informational political and administrative field, also become one of the key mechanisms not only of the international cooperation and collaboration, but also the realization of geopolitical interests in the Arctic1. The Implementation of international cooperation programs on strategic spatial development of the North and the Russian Arctic involves a search for common ways and cooperation in the international arena and the prevention of potential threats of the implementation of strategies for balanced socio-economic and infrastructure development [6, Kondral D. P., Morozov N.A.] of the Arctic and subarctic regions of the country.

1 See for example, «Poiskovye fundamental'nye nauchnye issledovaniia v interesakh razvitiia Arkticheskoi zony Rossiiskoi Federatsii» na 2014 god. URL: (Accessed: 09 October 2016). Pavlenko V.I., Podoplekin A.O. Natsional'nye programmy issledovanii Arktiki v tsirkumpoliarnykh gosudarstvakh: planirovanie, instrumenty realizatsii i politicheskaia effektivnosti. Luzin G.P. Severnoe izmerenie Rossii

Problem field of development of the Russian Arctic at the meeting of "Mercury Club" 10.08.2014 was disclosed by Academician E.M. Primakov (1929-2015) through the analysis of five problems: the formulation of the external borders of the Russian continental shelf at the basis of international law, the development of the Northern Sea Route, the development of energy resources, strengthening of military infrastructure in the Arctic region, the real socio-economic development of the Russian Arctic [7, Lukin Y.F., pp. 191-193].

Today, the presence of common interests and goals is more and more obvious, as well as differences in the regional policy of the key Arctic countries participating or applying for participation in the formation and implementation of the full Arctic policy.

So if the main goal of Russia is to provide a balanced operation and development of the Arctic region, one of the purposes of the foreign states is to create conditions of influence on the Russian Arctic policy for certain bonuses and benefits in the Arctic and related projects.The discrepancy between the goals is the main reason for the growth of the confrontation degree in the key political and administrative directions of regional development. This, according to the authors of this article, describes a certain degree of limitation of the political and administrative possibilities of formation of balanced conditions of the spatial and territorial development of the North and the Russian Arctic.

Opportunities and prospects of the territorial development of the North and the Russian Arctic are largely determined by foreign factors. Obviously the presence of contradictions of interests of the Arctic countries, along with countries which do not have direct borders in the Arctic, but seeking to influence regional processes [8, Antyushina N.M.; 9, Belov V.B.; 10 Grinyaev S.N., 11, Zhuravel V.P., "AIS" № 24].

Serious conflicts today occur regarding resource allocation and utilization of the Arctic, which is becoming the most significant factor in the context of the global economic crisis and the perspective of increasing resource scarcity in the world. Under these conditions, it is important for Russia to the preserve the political and administrative socio-economic potential of the Arctic zone for sustainable development of the northern regions and the country as a whole, understanding the Arctic as a space for interdisciplinary, sustainable development and peace [12, Heininen L.].

It determines the need for the development of effective political and administrative mechanisms and areas of regional development, taking into account all internal and external interests of the country and capable of creating the high-quality conditions for the implementation of Russia's position in the Arctic in the context of global trends [13, Lukin Y.F.] that describes the need to have in the Arctic policy of the country a clear line of self-determination and strategic vision of their priorities and development goals, taking into account the overall development strategy of the country and individual regions. Today, more and more acute is the country's finance limitations to invest in infrastructure development of the northern regions, which determines, according to the authors, the reduction of the political management capabilities to form the effective program of the strategic territorial development of the North and the Russian Arctic.

In this regard, today more and more important is the formation of qualitative political and managerial ideas of the development of the northern territories of the country, providing the synergy of processes of innovative development and modernization of the socio-economic and political administrative areas of the Arctic and subarctic regions of the country. Due to lack of resources for implementation of programs of social, economic and infrastructural development of the North and the Arctic Russia and the threat to miss strategic opportunities for their development and future use of the economic potential for the development of socio-economic system of the country, it is becoming actual to find reliable partners and to make alliances in order to form stable conditions and intensification of processes of their spatial and territorial development.

In addition, the development management of the areas with the participation of foreign partners to the processes of spatial and territorial development of the North and the Russian Arctic creates conditions to develop mechanisms for accounting and differentiation of public interest, directly related to national security issues, and the interests of the coalition (the partner ones). At the same time, the quality of the political and management system depends largely on the possibility of determining and arrangement of the priorities of socio-economic and infrastructural development of the Arctic and subarctic regions of the country.

The general model of accounting of interests of key actors in the North of Russia is shown in

Fig. 1.

Figure 1. Model of formation of effective mechanisms of account of the common interests of key actors in the North of Russia / the author's version: Kondral D.P., Morozov N.A.

The quality of political and administrative system largely determined not only by its ability to adequately and effectively solve emerging issues of concern today [14, Yamilov R.M.], but also a response to the strategic challenges of sustainable spatial and territorial development of the North and the Russian Arctic, including ecology [15, Lukin Y.F.], safety [16; 17, Khramchikhin A.A.], problems and prospects of development of Arctic regions identified during expert surveys [18, Katorin I.V., Churakov A.A.; 19, Kasparyan J.E.]. Therefore, in the aspect of the modernization of the political and administrative mechanisms of the strategic spatial and territorial development of the North and the Russias Arctic, today the decision of existing problems is important as well as search of new opportunities and prospects of innovative improving of the management in the future, including interdisciplinary approaches [20, Konov A.M.]. According to V.S. Selin, the future of the Arctic "is a complex and synthetic problem, so its solution can only be achieved through the integration of the efforts of all institutions and social groups. Probably, in the course of international cooperation, taking into account the cost and scale of the innovative problems"[21, p. 135].

The intensification of innovative processes of development of the main areas in the Arctic and subarctic regions of the country should take into account the real needs of the key actors, government, business and the public, the prospects of their cooperation, which is associated directly with the possibilities of improving the spatial and territorial control mechanisms [22, Kondral D.P., Morozov N.A., pp. 33-39], the development of democratic institutions and management models in the northern regions of the country, the culture, synergy and the balance of strategic management processes in the northern Russia, the definition of priorities [23, Kondral D.P.].

Important condition for ensuring sustainable development of the Arctic and subarctic regions of the country is to provide a platform for their safe functioning and development that involves the identification, registration and prevention of many existing and emerging threats to internal and external security of the operation of the North and the Russian Arctic [24, Selin V.S., Kozmenko S.Y.]. In order to form the effective political and administrative mechanisms of the strategic development of the Russian Arctic, as noted in our previously published monograph, it is significant to establish, on the basis of positive domestic and foreign experience, specialized research structures capable at high professional manner to ensure the formation and implementation of the Arctic policy, taking into account the regional particularities and conditions of the spatial and territorial development [25, Kondral D.P., Morozov N.A.].

In this aspect, it is appropriate to form the policy considering the diversity of the specific development of the Arctic and subarctic regions of the country and breakaway from taking the Arctic zone of the RF as the only resource region. This approach involves not only production of special strategic programs sustainable socio-economic and infrastructural development of the North and the Russian Arctic, but also the implementation of the Arctic projects, even in terms of socio-economic crisis, permanent real growth in the quality of social and eco-nomic and administrative relations and living standards.

Conclusion

Thus, the improvement of the political and administrative system for the Russian North and the Russian Arctic is connected with the change of the management paradigm of the role and importance of the Arctic zone of RF, which is largely determined by changes in the socio-economic conditions of the country and regions. So, today it is necessary to form and realize not only the programs of the stable socio-economic development of the North and the Russian Arctic, taking into account the conditions of the global socio-economic instability and the development, together with partner countries with troubled economies, but also to carry out the project approach. In this regard, it is necessary to form a quality system of adoption and implementation of effective management decisions on strategic spatial and territorial development of the North and the Russian Arctic that can adequately and proactively respond to internal and external challenges and threats of stable functioning and development of the northern territories. The new paradigm of studying the Russian North and the Arctic suggests, in our opinion, the recognition of the value of considered territories not only as a resource base of the country, but above all, as social entities. It determines the need for the formation of stable processes of socio-economic and infrastructure development, as well as improvement of the political and administrative mechanisms of the strategic spatial and territorial development, with today democratic and legal norms and principles.