Zemstvo Tradition as a Particularly Valuable Intangible Cultural Heritage of the Russian North

The article presents the scientific results obtained during the study of the zemstvo self-government tradition in the Russian North. This tradition is considered as a particularly valuable intangible cultural heritage. Its image-symbolical vocabulary (thesaurus) could be used in development of a regional strategy and local projects for the spatial development of the northern macroregion. The idea-concept of “zemstvo” (“mir”) holds a unique position within the conceptual sphere of the Russian North’ geocultural space. It is an ideal, canonical form of religious and sociocultural land management of Pomorye, which appears as reserved island-archipelago covered by web of autonomous, autocratical communities. The natural and cultural landscape of the Northern Russian mir is replete with “conciliar” and “sophian” semantics and symbolics of development, specialness, selfness, freedom, unitotality, triality, rhythmicity, gracefulness, wisdom. The cultural and semiotic mechanisms of the Slavic-Russian development of the lands and waters of the midnight Edge of the World are studied. Sacred geography and geosophy of “verhovskiy” and “nizovskiy” colonization streams of the North and the Arctic regions are revealed. Special attention is paid to the presentation of the experience and practices of preserving and adapting the sacred heritage associated with land management and consecration of territories and water areas of Pomorye (Kenozerskiy National Park, Naryan-Mar and Mezen Diocese, the project “Common Cause. Revival of Wooden Temples of the North”).