Arctic and North

7

Authors: Konstantin Yu. TIMOSHENKO, Andrey A. MINEEV

There is no abstract

12

Authors: Diana S. TIMOSHENKO

The study deals with the issues of tourism destinations branding, as well as tourism multidimensionality and tourism destination identity in the Russian Arctic. The factors determining the promotion and branding of tourist destinations in the Russian Arctic are considered in correlation with the fundamental principles of sustainability in Arctic tourism. The relationship between state policy and socio-economic development of the Arctic regions of Russia is considered, in particular, in the aspects of Arctic tourism development. Dialectical, logical, theoretical and empirical methods were conducted for this research. The article defines the conditions for increasing the competitiveness of the domestic tourism product in the Arctic, lists tourism facilities, territories and tourism products that are of the most expressed interest to Russian and foreign tourists. The factors affecting the competitiveness of the tourism product in the Russian Arctic are identified. The article presents the components of the tourist destinations image in the Russian Arctic, which may become the basis for the formation of a strategy for branding tourism in the Arctic regions. The conclusion is drawn about the need for an umbrella brand creation for the Russian Arctic. The necessity of creating conditions for the professional implementation of tourist personnel in the Arctic regions of Russia and the influx of labour resources from urbanised and oversaturated territories to the Arctic with the aim of the integrated development of tourism is substantiated.

12

Authors: Valery P. ZHURAVEL

In the article based on the report of the Chairman of the Committee of Senior Officials in the Arctic Council, Einar Gunnarsson «Together on the road to a sustainable Arctic: one year in 2019-2021 of the presidency of Iceland», the first year of Iceland’s Arctic Council presidency is reviewed by the Senior Officials Committee. Key priorities for action are identified, which are protecting the Arctic marine envi-ronment, combating ocean acidification; sustainable development of the fisheries sector; reducing ocean pollution; combating marine debris; combating climate change and introducing green energy; ensuring the sustainable development of the indigenous community of the Arctic; continuing to strengthen and enhance the role of the Arctic Council in maintaining peace, international cooperation and political stability in the Arctic region. Also, the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on the Icelandic presidency and the development of Arctic cooperation are being considered. Of interest is the analysis of measures taken to counter the pandemic among the small indigenous communities of the North, Siberia and the Russian Far East. Iceland’s plans for the second year of its chairmanship of the Arctic Council are indicated. The author also discusses Russian-Icelandic cooperation at the current stage in the economic field and in the sphere of interregional relations. It is noted that our countries share a common memory of the joint struggle against fascism, and Russia remembers with gratitude Iceland’s contribution to the formation and support of polar convoys.

16

Authors: Elena V. NEDOSEKA, Vladimir V. KOZLOVSKIY

The article analyzes the regional specifics of solid municipal waste management in the Arctic zone of the Russian Federation. The relevance of the topic is determined by the need to analyze the regional specifics of solid municipal waste management within the framework of the federal project "Integrated System of Solid Municipal Waste Management", included in the national project "Ecology". First of all, this request will allow us to achieve the most effective management decisions in the field of regulatory regulation and the introduction of mechanisms for economic regulation of MSW management activities, as well as to contribute the creation of an effective management system, and the development of infrastructure for MSW management. The statistical analysis of formation indicators, processing and utilization of MSW waste in the structure by region is presented in this paper. The factors determining the specificity of MSW handling in the Arctic regions are defined. The expert survey made it possible to identify the main problems of implementing the garbage reform in the Arctic in general and in inner regions in particular. The main methods in this study were: semi-formal telephone interviews with representatives of environmental organizations and associations (18 informants), as well as collecting and analysis of statistical indicators of the MSW handling in the Arctic regions.

17

Authors: Julia OLSEN, Marina V. NENASHEVA, Grete K. HOVELSRUD, Gjermund WOLLAN

Since the collapse of the Soviet Union, local communities have been adapting to new political and socioeconomic realities. These changes have prompted dramatic outmigration among rural populations, especially in the Russian Arctic. Despite these changes, some communities remain viable, with some residents exploring new economic opportunities. This study uses findings from qualitative interviews to understand what factors shape community viability, interviewing residents and relevant regional stakeholders in two case areas in the Arkhangelsk oblast: the Solovetsky Archipelago in the White Sea and islands in the delta of the Northern Dvina River. The results indicate that community viability and the reluctance of community members to leave their traditional settlements are shaped by livelihoods, employment opportunities, and social capital. Social capital is characterized by such empirically identified factors as shared perceptions of change and a willingness to address changes, place attachment, and local values. We conclude that further development or enhancement of community viability and support for local livelihoods also depends on 1) bottom-up initiatives of engaged individuals and their access to economic support and 2) top-down investments that contribute to local value creation and employment opportunities.

19

Authors: Konstantin S. Zaikov, Nikolay A. Kondratov

The Arctic region has long been at the center of world politics and economy. One of the reasons for the transformation of the global fringe into a center of attraction for the economic, geo-ecological and geopolitical interests of foreign countries is the Arctic is undergoing dynamic transformations. In the socio-political and scientific research agenda of the Arctic States, there are acute issues of accumulation and exchange of knowledge about changes taking place in the natural and socio-economic environment of a non-standard region from the point of view of management. The Arctic strategies of the Northern European States seek to fill the vacuum about the trends of environmental changes in the Arctic, the impact of natural transformations on the environment, socio-economic development, population security, and the use of natural resources by indigenous peoples. This task is planned to be solved through the development of research activities of universities located in the Far North and in the Arctic zone of Denmark, Norway, Finland and Sweden, as well as Iceland. The article describes the scientific interests of the Northern European States in the Arctic. Using analytical and comparative methods, the goal is achieved — to characterize universities as one of the parts of their scientific and educational space in the Nordic countries. An attempt is made to answer the question: how does educational and research activities contribute to the implementation of state program documents for the development of natural resources in the Arctic and the use of its spaces? The further direction of scientific research may be to compare the educational and research activities of universities in Northern Europe and universities in the Arctic zone of the Russian Federation.

19

Authors: Kirill A. GALUSTOV, Igor A. KHODACHEK

The Russian Arctic is at the epicentre of economic, environmental, and social changes. At the same time, the peripheral character of the territory, its strong orientation on primary sector makes the region extremely volatile to suchlike shifts. The study concerns primary sector transformation in the Post-Soviet period when after 1991 significant changes in the economy were observed. The main aim of the paper is to identify the specifics, features and development prospects of the recent primary sector transfor-mation in the Russian Arctic. The statistical methods do not reflect the full picture of the transformation. Firstly, Russia has switched to UN national accounts system only in 1994. Secondly, the Arctic statistics after 2009 for regional level is unavailable. That is why the main method of the research is the expert survey method. The results of the study demonstrate the dominant role of the primary sector and the strong dependence of Russian Arctic regions on these activities. The study identifies the key factors and drivers of the transformation, a specific position of the oil and gas sector and the role of natural resources to be traditionally used in the primary sector. Despite the positive role of economic diversification in the long-term economic development, the corresponding effect for the Arctic regions is not fully expressed. The methodological novelty of the research is an unconventional research method of investigating primary sector transformation on the regional level in the Post-Soviet Russian Arctic, i.e. the expert survey. The method can be applied to other countries and industries

25

Authors: Olga HØEGH-GULDBERG, Sabrina SEELER

The urgent global need to decrease the dependence on natural resource extraction and find solutions for a sustainable future is also reflected in policies prioritized by the Norwegian government. Among others, tourism has been defined as a promising alternative for future economic development. Tourism in Norway has not remained unaffected by the global growth in international tourist arrivals. This growth is often neither geographically nor temporally equally apportioned, which hampers tourism’s transformative power of generating year-round and well-distributed income. Further, tourists are no longer purely driven by hedonic and relaxation needs: they also want to challenge themselves and deeply immerse themselves in foreign nature, culture, and other types of experiences. We argue that better integration of national identity can draw the needs of tourists and hosting communities nearer to each other and, thus, become a driver of tourism development. Based on a comprehensive literature, this conceptual paper explores the core elements of the Norwegian identity, including political and cultural values, national characteristics, interests, and lifestyles, and their integration by the tourism industry. We find that only some of these elements have been used by the industry and have often been commodified for economic gain. We discuss a few examples of how national identity can be translated into unique selling points that could generate sustainable development. This, however, requires strong governance, and coordinated and integrative destination management that involves stakeholders from within tourism and beyond, particularly local communities.