Business in Chukotka: modern forms of entrepreneurship of the indigenous people of the Chukotian Autonomous Region

Abstract

The article discusses the forms of business activities that have been common among the indigenous people of Chukotka since the beginning of the 2000s. It is important to study how the opportunities for the development of small business and self-employment are realized in practice. Currently 993 legal entities are registered in the district, 68 of them are tribal or territorially-neighboring communities of the indigenous peoples of Chukotka, 29 of them are peasant farms; of 1162 individual entrepreneurs 100 are entrepreneurs from among the indigenous people of Chukotka. The area of business in which indigenous people who live in both rural areas and Chukotka cities can be realized is micro-enterprises. On the territory of the region there are special state and private programs to support small business, but the difficulties for Chukchi businessmen do not become less. The main problems identified are the high cost of delivering goods (for rural entrepreneurs airline fares are unbearable), high utility rates, the lack of stable sales markets for goods and services produced, the low level of economic knowledge required for conducting financial and economic activities and reporting to government bodies. At the same time further development of the region is not possible without the development of a private initiative in the field of traditional environmental management, without the mandatory use of new waste-free technologies for the processing of reindeer products, marine hunting, fishing, hunting, for the so-called «community» business; production of souvenirs of leather, bone walrus, whales, deer horns; tailoring and repair of fur products; development of modern ethno-design; transportation services; daytime employment services for children; construction and repair work; personal services; catering; tourist services. This article is intended to attract scientific and public interest to this issue.