The European North of Russia as the bridgehead to the Arctic development

The Russian Arctic - is a region of the special geo-strategic interests of the state and long-term socio-economic interests of the society. This truth is now no doubt. However, it is also clear that these interests in the context of globalization tend to overlap with those of other entities that have deployed the fight for the Arctic area, including and lying within the boundaries of the Russian Federation. It is no accident that the meter titanium Russian flag, set in August 2007, at a depth of 300 meters of 4000 over the North Pole, caused a violent reaction to the protest of Arctic countries. The U.S. State Department spokesman Tom Casey said frankly: "Even if the Russian paint a spray flag of Russia on submarine ridges, it will not mean absolutely anything»1.

That’s why it is so important to focus the attention of the readers and the people, who are responsible for making public decisions on that issue of Arctic Russia, will be able to effectively address the subject of internal improvement. This is well said, that the chairman of the Federation Council Committee on Northern Territories and Indigenous Minorities Gennady Oleinik, "The country is beautiful and at the same time vulnerable geopolitical position. Excellent - as long as it is strong. Vulnerable - is the first weakness and disease. Our vast, sparsely populated territory, as it were compressed by Canada, the USA, Japan, China, Northern Europe. This is the last "free", with its enormous resources of the planet, the most accessible for the final redistribution2.

The most vulnerable illnesses of Russia as a whole, in my view, are social and territorial. And both it and the other manifestations are in the North. At the end of XX century the Soviet and then Russian elite, absorbed in a redistribution of power and property, not just forgotten about saving people, but also space. As a result, a country with a half made population not only returned to the borders of the XVII century and reminds them, in the apt words of journalists, "patchwork quilt", but was not ready to geopolitical challenges of the XXI century.

All more necessary in this regard is to accelerate the adoption of uniform federal social standards. They are referred to long ago. Back in 1996, the "Basic provisions of regional policy in the Russian Federation" as the second most important goal, it was written the following: "Provision of common minimum standards of social and equitable social protection, safeguarding the social rights of citizens by the Constitution of the Russian Federation, regardless of the economic opportunities regions " ³ (marked by the author; – S.SH .).

In June of 2003 (near the parliamentary elections), the State Duma in first reading was even taken up by the Federal Law "On the minimal state-owned standards." "Minimum standards for the state - is written in it - this is common throughout the Russian Federation, the requirements for volume and quality of granting, certain types of free social services to the citizens of the Russian federal radio at the minimum level to ensure implementation of the Constitution established by the Russian Federation, the individual social security and civil rights, financed from budgets of all levels of budget system of the Russian Federation"4.

However, after the elections in December 2003 of the priority project category has been excluded. D.A. Medvedev said in one of his first public appearances as the President of Russia has returned to this problem: "It is important to the social standards that are adopted in each region, were not only differentiated, but still did not drop below a certain bracket. To do this, there is government regulation.... In different regions are different financial capabilities. But the social condition must not be below a certain level. It is for these should follow the state - in the face of federal and regional authorities. "In May 2009, the First Deputy Chairman of the Federation Council Alexander

Torshin said that "... this law federal legislation must ensure the social equality of all citizens of Russia, regardless of where they live, which would correspond to Article 19 of the Constitution."5.

Adoption at the federal level, the law on state minimum social standards would be a good basis for strengthening the Russian state, and for the formation of a national civil society, the need for which all of us quite convincingly reminded Moscow clash of young people in December 2010. The introduction of the federal social standards would improve the state of responsibility for ensuring a minimum standard of living throughout the country, and especially the regional and municipal authorities would be able to think not about the survival and the development of their territories. Introduction of uniform standards across the country and update the transition institutions of education, health, and culture on a stand-alone financing, which in the absence of standards is even more to divide the country into rich and poor.

The common social standards could form the basis and regional policy, which is still too farfetched. Famous economists and professionals of regional studies V.N. Aleksin in the book "The State and the regions. The theory and the practice of state regulation of territorial development, "published in two editions (1995 and 2005.) Note that" ... at the present time no one question of the Russian's domestic policy and there are no fundamental differences between the substance of the problem and its solution methods, between reasonable Market theory and practice, as in regional politics.»6. «At this draws attention to one of the wisest statesmen Russia EM Primakov: "We still do not, in fact, a regional policy aimed at development of a common economic space, to preserve the territorial integrity and enhance Russia's security, to restrict, if not eliminate imbalances in the flows of investment and labor. This requires the use not only budgetary mechanisms and regulation of taxes, duties, tariffs and prices. ".7. Lack of a coherent regional policy in the territorial development of Russia was forced to concede, V.A. Yakovlev, the Minister established in 2004 the Ministry of Regional Development. Even more explicit about this, four years later, spoke of his successor in office - D. Kozak. In his assessment of relations between Moscow and the regions dominated by "Kholui" approach. The new minister proposed another formula: "We support agile governors, and those who do not itch, that means we do not single out"8. The ministers told at their places, for example, the Governor of the Arkhangelsk region, IF Mikhalchuk after the Minister said: "We will help those who can work"9.

With this approach, the nature of regional governance, in fact, preserved. Indeed, to determine who works as would be superior, rather than objective criteria reflecting the standard of living. A famous scientist Sergey Kapitsa said, "If you continue this policy, the country will get fools. This is easier to manage, but it has no future "¹⁰.

An important factor in regional governance is suffering the problem of regionalization of Russia, on the basis of which shall be calculated preferences and compensation depending on the level of discomfort territory of residence. Moreover, these compensation and allowances should be calculated not on the size of salaries, as is done now, and the place of human habitation. If during the Soviet years now calculating allowances principle could still be justified, since the leaders of the salaries were commensurate with salaries of northerners, in the present circumstances, when the difference in the salaries between managers and subordinates is over a factor of 200, the Northern allowances only exacerbate social injustice in the regions . With the globalization of social stratification factors are particularly important, as a divided society can deprive Russia of the chance to enter into the category of the leading civilized countries.

No coincidence that one of the closest advisers to the Russian President Vladimir Surkov focused on the Russian establishment is that people should be saving not only the basis of Russian democracy, but "the whole philosophy." Unfortunately, the distance from words to deeds, we are too big. This fully applies to the northern regional policy.

The "North, - writes the former president of Yakutia M.E. Nikolayev - mostly perceived as a colony with an inexhaustible storehouse, where people live, earn, which is not being improved environment, and destroy it. "11. The consumer attitudes toward the North have led to that country so far, despite the numerous statements that are not produced sufficiently balanced development strategy, the need to pay attention that many scientists and politicians.

The transition to a market economy has aggravated the problem of the northerners. In our view, the northern regionalism considerably lost its weight in the state after the elimination of the State Committee and the inclusion of the Northern economic region (in the Arkhangelsk, Vologda and Murmansk regions, Karelia, Komi and Nenets Autonomous District) in the North-West Federal District. As a result of this decision (lack of thought have a proven history of the 1920s and 1980s, is disputed by many of today regionalists, geopolitics and state professionalists) was largely lost interest in the European North as an important strategic region of Russia.12. According to many analysts, it is necessary close attention to the north vector development in general and an efficient regional policy in the European North in particular. The increasing values of the finds the idea of forming the so-called prenorthern contact zone13. And only then, without prejudice to national interests would be to talk about participation in the construction of the Asia-Pacific Highway super transportable magistral Singapore - Bangkok - Beijing - Yakutsk - Whalen - Alaska14.

The most qualified and suitable region for the formation of an extensive zone pre northern is the

European North of Russia. But to fulfill this role in our region will be able only if the formation of a Northern Federal District within the boundaries of the Northern economic region, or enlarged in the region under the code name Dvina-Pechora region, which could unite the Arkhangelsk region, Komi Republic and Nenets Autonomous District. Combining this must be done within existing developments in the process of the present stage of consolidation and regionalization of the historical experience of the 1920s years.

Of course, form a common Nordic area in Russia is not easy and there to look for common interests. One of the unifying ideas could become a common position in the construction of transport corridors and Belkomur BarentsKomUr. The fact is that according to the calculations of economists, in the long term are available in the North and even in North-West ports will not be able to process the volume of cargo transportation. And Indiga port as the most easterly ice-free port, no doubt, will be needed eventually. Therefore, it is of correct leadership of the NAO raises this issue on the agenda. An important role in the unification process will play the Northern (Arctic) Federal University named after M.V.Lomonosov.

As for the process of consolidation, it therefore has to be approached very carefully, too. It would be the correct form of the first experts of the federal center and regions, the analytical team to develop a common strategy with regard to the interests of all parties. In the next step to form interregional legislative assembly, which would have prepared the legal framework of the integrated development of the region. And only after that create the boundary governance structures.

Enlargement of the regions - this is an objective process, it needs a strict scientific approach and should be developed and implemented in stages, step by step. In one of his last articles known scientist ex-director of the Arkhangelsk Institute of Physiology and Natural Adaptations, Ural Branch RAS, AV Tkachev, untimely deceased, wrote, and in fact, commanded: "The North is vulnerable because there is no general concept of the Northerners ...." I think it's time for its for mation, as the mainland continues to deteriorate, "patchy" The European North will not serve as a platform for the national interests of Russia in the Arctic. Until then, until the regions of the European North will be managed from St. Petersburg, their interests would be subject to the interests of the Baltic region. From this will play and the northerners, and the Arctic, and Russia.