"Maritime” Component in the Russian Human Geography: Traditions and Novations

Abstract

The article reveals historical origins, characteristics and formation trends of the “maritime” component of Russian human geography, as well as its key issues and development priorities. The factors of the rapid and productive formation of the so called “economic geography of the World Ocean” in the USSR (1960–1980) are analyzed, including its dominant perspectives, major concepts, and methodological ideas. It is shown that in the post-Soviet period “Maritime theme” in the structure of human geography originally had left by the wayside, and then (since the first half of the 2000s) – has been updated again (but although not having maintained its former leadership position). The range of research associated with the “maritime issues” has increased. They pay more attention directly to the Russian coasts, tending to regional studies, urbanistics and recreational geography. The article accents the need for the full-scale revival of “socioeconomic geography of the World Ocean”, as well as for development of its research tools, delimitation, typology and sociogeographical monitoring of coastal zones of Russia, justification of factors and mechanisms of their advanced socioeconomic dynamics (including the connection with the tasks of spatial planning).