РОЛЬ РЕГИОНАЛЬНОГО ФАКТОРА В ОТВЕТАХ НА ИСТОРИЧЕСКИЕ ВЫЗОВЫ РОССИИ

Abstract

The article traces the role of the Ural-Siberian region in Russia’s responses to historical challenges in the era of modernization. It is concluded that this role has been steadily increasing over the course of four centuries — from traditional society to the end of the historical period of modernization. Such a chronologically large and meaningfully diverse process is revealed for the first time in historiography. Addressing it made it possible to assess the strategy of a particular region in ensuring the country’s responses to world challenges at the expense of its own resources. Historical experience has shown that the region stayed in history as a reserve territory of the deep rear. These tendencies are traced on the materials of the procurement of furs, extraction of silver and gold, and ferrous metallurgy products. These resources contributed to Russia’s entry into the world market, the formation of its military-industrial complex, and responses to the challenges of the times and global competitors. The exploitation of such wealth controversially influenced the modernization processes and overcoming the country’s lag behind the advanced states of the world, although imperial Russia sometimes outstripped its opponents in some indicators, in particular, in the production of ferrous metals. Each of the five macro problems posed in this text requires further elaboration precisely from the standpoint of challenges. It is necessary to continue studying the perception of these problems in our country and the ways of organizing responses to them, as well as the reaction of the world community to Russia’s responses. This is the task for specialists in both Russian and general history.