North Of European Russia Research Articles

Неформальное гражданское участие населения в развитии малых и средних городов Европейского Севера России (на примере некоммерческих организаций и городских интернет-сообществ)

This article explores the informal public participation in the development of small and medium-sized cities in the European North of Russia. It focuses on two main aspects: the impact of nonprofit organizations (NGOs) and the activity of residents on social networks, particularly in discussions and solutions to local socio-economic issues. The study reveals that NGO activities create significant opportunities for addressing local concerns raised by residents to municipal authorities. An analysis of the official pages of local governments on the VKontakte social network shows that, compared to larger cities, residents of these smaller cities are more engaged in dialogue with local authorities, demonstrate higher loyalty to published content, and actively share information of interest. The research also finds that while residents of small and medium-sized cities actively discuss urban problems in informal online communities and participate in various kinds of socially beneficial events, their participation is generally prompted by external organizers. The level of self-organization to address broader citywide problems remains relatively low. However, when dealing with personal household matters, citizens actively communicate through urban online communities. The study also highlights a high level of trust among residents, as evidenced by their strong response to calls for help in the comments. The scientific novelty of this research lies in its first-time analysis of public participation and the assessment of resident involvement in the management and development processes of small and medium-sized cities, through mechanisms such as NGOs and urban Internet communities.

Assessing the feasibility of pre-emptive biological control against the emerald ash borer, Agrilus planipennis, an imminent biosecurity threat to Europe

As the globalisation of trade increases, so does the spread of arthropod pests, leading to a growing focus on biosecurity preparedness. One approach to this is pre-emptive biological control, involving the importation of classical biological control (CBC) agents for risk assessments and acquiring approval for their release prior to the expected arrival of their target pests. This aims to mitigate the economic and/or environmental consequences of a delayed biological control response to pest invasions. Guidelines to assess the feasibility of pre-emptive biological control for high priority pests were recently developed. Emerald ash borer (EAB), Agrilus planipennis, is an invasive woodboring pest of ash (Fraxinus spp.) in North America, European Russia and Ukraine, and is spreading westward into Europe, threatening the future of European ash (Fraxinus excelsior). We applied the aforementioned guidelines to assess the feasibility of pre-emptive biological control in Europe using four EAB parasitoids, already released in North America for CBC. Three of the parasitoids; Oobius agrili, Spathius galinae, and Tetrastichus planipennisi, were found suitable for pre-emptive biological control. The fourth parasitoid, Spathius agrili, was found to have limited establishment in new environmental conditions, and was therefore deemed less suitable for pre-emptive biological control of EAB in Europe. This assessment can inform scientists and regulators in Europe on the most promising EAB parasitoids that should be considered for pre-emptive applications for importation and risk assessment to acquire pre-approval for immediate release should the target pest subsequently be discovered. In turn, this study contributes to the development of biosecurity preparedness against EAB’s imminent spread throughout Europe.

Christianization of the Samoyeds in the European North of Russia in the XVI–XIX centuries

Christianization of the Samoyeds in the European North of Russia in the XVI–XIX centuries

Ambient air quality and risk of circulatory diseases for population of a large city in the European north of Russia

Cardiovascular diseases are the most frequent causes of premature mortality associated with ambient air quality. In the Arkhangelsk region, population mortality caused by diseases of the circulatory system is higher than the national average. The aim of this study was to assess ambient air quality in Arkhangelsk and associated health harm in adult population. The study relied on using data of ambient air monitoring in Arkhangelsk collected over 2011–2022. We analyzed average annual levels of 23 pollutants and primary incidence of diseases of the circulatory system (CVD) and calculated hazard quotients under chronic inhalation exposure (HQ), hazard index (HI) for the cardiovascular system, and the number of attributable deaths associated with exposure to PM10 and PM2.5. Over the analyzed period, the average long-term concentrations of most pollutants met hygienic standards. Average levels of formaldehyde, chromium, copper and benzene were found to exceed the MPL by 1.5–2.3 times. Hazard coefficients for formaldehyde (HQ = 2.3), copper (HQ = 1.8) and PM2.5 (HQ = 1.7) were established to be above their permissible value. The risk of developing general toxic effects is determined to be high (HI = 6.6) for the cardiovascular system. The main contribution to the risk level is made by copper and PM2.5. Attributable outcomes of primary cardiovascular incidence among the adult population of Arkhangelsk associated with exposure to PM10 and PM2.5 equaled 10.7 and 2.9 ‰ cases per year. The greatest harm under exposure to PM2.5 is due to the development of coronary artery disease and amounts to 1.9 ‰ cases per year.

Agerelated parameters of P300 auditory evoked potentials in elderly persons in the context of cognitive health: A study in the European North of Russia

Background. Setting of norms for the parameters of P300 cognitive auditory evoked potentials (EP) in elderly people with intact cognitive functions considering their residence in certain climatic and geographical regions is an urgent problem.The aim of the study. To determine age-related parameters of P300 cognitive auditory evoked potentials in elderly people aged 60–69 and 70–74 years, living in the European North of Russia (using the example of Arkhangelsk).Methods. The parameters of P300 auditory EP were determined in randomly selected urban residents in the age groups of 60–69 years (n = 284) and 70–74 years (n = 115) with normal scores on the Montreal Cognitive Assessment Scale (MoCA), without depression (according to Beck Depression Inventory), with preserved ability to work and/or social functions. We calculated the 5th–95th percentile values (P5– P95) of the P300 EP parameters and assessed the relationships of these parameters with socio-demographic characteristics, lifestyle and the results on the MoCA scale and Beck Depression Inventory.Results. Statistically significant differences in latency indicators of P300 EP were determined between groups of 60–69 and 70–74 years (P25–P90) in all studied brain regions (frontal, central). In the group of 60–69 years, the range of P25–P75 values of P300 EP latencies was 342.5–401 ms, in the group of 70–74 years – 358.5–443 ms. Age differences in P300 EP amplitudes were minimal with an interquartile range of 4–13 μV in the total sample. Participants who smoked had higher latency scores and lower amplitude scores; former smokers had higher latency scores compared to never-smokers.Conclusion. Latency above 400 ms at the age of 60–65 years and above 443 ms at 70–74 years can be considered as a criterion for reduced cognitive reserve and an increased risk of developing cognitive disorders in elderly people living in the European North of Russia.

Assessment of the ecological status of the river water system in European North under conditions of ultra-fresh humus waters using biotic indices (Suna River, Lake Onega Basin, Russia).

Protecting rivers and lakes from pollution is crucial for maintaining the health of aquatic ecosystems and ensuring the well-being of both wildlife and humans. Present study intends to examine the water quality of the Suna River (Eastern Fennoscandia in the European North of Russia) to assess the ecological risk. Widespread methods for assessing water quality based on macrozoobenthos and phytoperiphoton were applied. It was found that in conditions of ultra-fresh waters with high humus content, biotic indicators may indicate pollution of water bodies that do not actually experience significant anthropogenic impact. Ratings ranging from 'poor' to 'excellent' were obtained for different stations, reflecting the influence of natural features of different sections of the river. 'Good' water quality was noted at the river stones biotopes. In river gravel, sand and silt biotopes, as well as all lake biotopes, 'mediocre' water quality was found. The low anthropogenic income on the river catchment allows us to conclude that most indices for assessing water quality significantly underestimate the results in the natural conditions of Eastern Fennoscandia. Biotic indices EPT, BBI and EBI are most accurate for assessing the water quality of rivers and lakes in Eastern Fennoscandia.

Трудовые мигранты на Мурманстройке: размышления антрополога о численности китайцев.

The problem is the difference in historical approaches to the use and interpretation of statistical data concerning various aspects of personnel decision-making during the construction of specific railway facilities and, in general, when studying the history of labor migration. For the first time, detailed information is provided on the number of Chinese nationals hired to participate in the construction of the Murmansk railway in 1916. They reflect the systematic organization and subsequent implementation of group transportation of Chinese citizens from Harbin to Arkhangelsk. For the first time, statistical documents from the funds of the National Archive of the Republic of Karelia related to the hiring of Chinese labor migrants in the European North of Russia during the First World War have been introduced into scientific circulation.

Prospects for the use of various species and strains of symbiotic bacteria (<i>Xenorhabdus sp.</i>) in the biological protection of potatoes from diseases in the European North of Russia

Prospects for the use of various species and strains of symbiotic bacteria (<i>Xenorhabdus sp.</i>) in the biological protection of potatoes from diseases in the European North of Russia

The first Genetic data on <i>Lernaea Cyprinacea</i> Linnaeus, 1758 from the European North of Russia (The Pinega River)

Morphological and molecular genetic data about Lernaea cyprinacea Linnaeus, 1758, collected from pike (Esox lucius Linnaeus, 1758) in the European North of Russia (Pinega river) in 2022, were presented. Molecular genetic studies were carried out based on the analysis of COI mtDNA, 18S rDNA and 28S rDNA gene sequences. A significant genetic distance for the COI gene from individuals of the same species collected in other territories (China, Australia, South Africa, Canada, Austria, Argentina, Pakistan, Iran, India, Japan, Romania, Egypt and Western Siberia) was revealed, which indicates the existence of a cryptic species L. cyprinacea in the European North of Russia. Analysis of 28S rDNA sequences showed the presence of two substitutions fixed in the population, which may indicate a fairly long-standing divergence of sister species. The 18S rDNA gene fragment is less suitable for identifying L. cyprinacea due to low variability compared to the other two gene regions.

Infant mortality in the European North of Russia in the late XIX–early XX centuries

Infant mortality in the European North of Russia in the late XIX–early XX centuries

Preparation of Highly Effective Carbon Adsorbents Based on High-Moor Peat from the European North of Russia

Preparation of Highly Effective Carbon Adsorbents Based on High-Moor Peat from the European North of Russia

Единственные древние наскальные изображения Российской Европейской Арктики (Чальмн-Варрэ, Канозеро, Пяйва, Майка)

Over the past 50 years (1973–2023), as the result of the researches by the Kola archaeological expedition of the Leningrad Institute of the Academy of Sciences of the USSR/IHMC RAS (since 1991), its employees discovered and studied the petroglyphs of Chalmn-Varre, Kanozero and pisanitsy on the Rybachy Peninsula (Pyaiva and Mayka) in the Murmansk region. Since other rock ensembles of the Russian European North (Karelian and Vishera) are located south of the Arctic Circle, only these Kola objects can reasonably be recognized as the only monuments of ancient monumental creativity of the Russian European Arctic that have so far survived. It is likely that if hundreds of small petroglyphic collections and all the writings of Fennoscandia were “chamber” sanctuaries for small groups of the ancient population, then large galleries served the same purposes for large communities, including not one, but perhaps dozens of settlements, distant from such famous places of worship over considerable distances. The sanctuaries themselves were a gathering place during certain agreed periods and served for joint ritualistic actions: celebrations, initiations, etc. Relics of monumental art are fascinating, complex and multifaceted objects of study. Their use as a source in historical and cultural developments, art history, the evolution of intelligence and cognitive psychology, religion and mythology requires careful archaeological analysis. To successfully work through this subject, in the first place it is necessary to carefully and accurately document images, determine the exact age, and give comparative characteristics (style, carving/drawing technique, composition, landscape environment, microrelief) of various places of ancient rock art. In connection with the development of new technical and natural methods, significant progress has recently been achieved in this “field”. This progress is the most obvious when specialists from different countries work together.

Туризм в субъектах Европейского Севера России после пандемии: оценка состояния и перспективы развития

The European North of Russia has a significant potential for the creation of unique tourism products. The COVID-19 pandemic and the subsequent geopolitical turbulence have had an impact on the functioning of tourism. The relevance of the study is determined by the need to identify current trends of the industry. Its purpose was to assess the state and prospects of tourism development of the subjects forming the European North of Russia in the post-crisis period. The study is based on the results of the work of au-thors studying the problems of the functioning of regional tourism, engaged in the search for promising areas that contribute to the growth of demand for tourist services in this market segment. Diagnostics of tourism trends in the European North of Russia, identification of strategic threats and substantiation of priorities for its development were carried out on the basis of retrospective analysis, comparison, synthesis, analogy, generalization. The features of the consumption of services of the tourism sector in the post-pandemic period are determined, threats are identified and priorities for its further development are formed. The study revealed a trend towards a decrease in the demand for hotel services in the region, which may affect the contribution of tourism to the economy of the territories. The results of the conducted research can be used as a reference point in the justification by public authorities of the ways of regional tourism development, contributing to the growth of demand for tourism products among the population and increasing their competitiveness.

Возрастная динамика нормальных древостоев ольхи серой в таежной зоне северо-востока европейской части России

In order to organize, plan and conduct forest management on a scientific basis in stands with predominance and participation of gray alder (Alnus incana (L.) Moench), formed in the conditions of the taiga zone, reliable data on the structure, growth and productivity of stands are needed. At present, there is an urgent need to develop growth progress tables for gray alder stands, as the areas occupied by this species have significantly increased as a result of abandoned agricultural lands overgrowth. The development of a unified system of regulatory and reference materials for accounting the number, assessment of the condition and volume of use of stands of gray alder in the European North of Russia is an important and urgent task. Growth progress tables for normal gray alder stands located in the taiga zone of the north-east of the European part of Russia have not been developed by anyone before. The purpose of this research is to study the age dynamics of normal gray alder stands to compile growth progress tables. We used 193 model trees of gray alder, as well as data from 175 sample plots. As a research result for the growth progress tables with relative stands density of 1.0 we obtained the equations for determining the average height, diameter, and stands stock by bonity classes. On the basis of the obtained equations, the tables of growth progress of normal stands by bonity classes were developed. The proposed tables will contribute to improving the accuracy of forest inventory, will give the opportunity to objectively assess the forest resources of the most represented stands, to forecast their growth when performing a set of works on the protection, conservation, and reproduction of forest resources, improving the ecological functions of the forest, as well as to control management in stands. For citation: Tretyakov S.V., Koptev S.V., Karaban A.A., Paramonov A.A., Davydov A.V. Age Dynamics of Normal Gray Alder Stands in the Taiga Zone of the North-East of the European Part of Russia. Lesnoy Zhurnal = Russian Forestry Journal, 2023, no. 6, pp. 70–80. (In Russ.). https://doi.org/10.37482/0536-1036-2023-6-70-80

RADIOCARBON AGE AND STABLE OXYGEN ISOTOPES IN HOLOCENE ICE WEDGES ON THE COAST OF THE BAYDARATA BAY: RECONSTRUCTION OF THE JANUARY PALEOTEMPERATURE

For the first time AMS radiocarbon dating was used to date microinclusions of organic material extracted directly from Holocene syngenetic ice wedges in the European North of Russia on the coast of the Baydarata Bay near the Yarynskaya village, 500 m south of the mouth of the Ngarka-Tambyakha River (68°51′20.27″ N, 66°52′6.51″ E). Dated ice wedges formed about 6.4, 5.0 and 1.9 ka BP. According to isotope oxygen data, the average January air paleotemperature in the Middle and Late Holocene at the coast of the Baydarata Bay was calculated. It is shown that the average January air temperature during this period here varied from about –20 to –25°C, however, during milder winters it could be about –18°C.

The Association between Kidney Function Biomarkers and Delayed Memory Impairments among Older Adults in the European North of Russia.

The prevention of memory decline requires better knowledge of biological markers. We studied the associations between kidney function biomarkers and memory decline (assessed with the Mini-Mental State Examination-MMSE) in elderly individuals without dementia (MMSE 24-30, age 60-74 years, n = 643, Arkhangelsk, Russia). Participants were divided by sex and into three groups according to the delayed memory performance: recall of 0-1, 2, and 3 out of 3 words. The median of serum creatinine was 82 μmol/L in men who recalled 2 words and both medians in those recalling 3 and 0-1 words were 87 μmol/L. The 90th percentile for creatinine in men recalling 0-1 words (115.0 μmol/L) exceeded the upper limit of the normal range (110.5 μmol/L), while those who recalled 3 and 2 words had 90th percentiles within the normal range (109 and 101 μmol/L, respectively). Glomerular filtration rates were normal (≥60 mL/min/1.73 m2) with a median of 92.0 mL/min/1.73 m2 in men who recalled 2 words, 84.4 and 84.9 mL/min/1.73 m2 in men who recalled 3 and 0-1 words, respectively. None of these associations were observed in women. A reduced serum creatinine in older non-demented men may indicate the initial stages of memory decline, while the increased creatinine may reflect further stages of memory impairment.

Analysis of the Dynamics of Tick-Borne Encephalitis Incidence and the Number of People who Appealed to Medical Organizations about Tick Bites in the European North of Russia

In recent decades, a significant increase in the incidence of tick-borne viral encephalitis (TBVE) and the number of people attacked by ticks has been recorded in the European North of Russia.The aim of the study was to analyze the dynamics of the TBVE incidence and the number of people who appealed to medical organizations regarding tick bites in the European North of Russia.Materials and methods. We used the Form No. 2 “Information on infectious and parasitic diseases”, the results of operational seasonal monitoring of TBVE, presented by the Rospotrebnadzor Administrations of the respective territories for our study. Statistical data processing was performed using the Microsoft Excel program. Display of the results on the map was carried out in the geographic information system ESRI ArcMap.Results and discussion. Combined analysis of the data on the number of cases and TBVE incidence, the number of people who appealed to medical organizations about tick bites and the number of people seeking advice about tick bites per 100 thousand population for the Arkhangelsk Region, the Republics of Karelia and Komi and their municipal districts has been performed. The mean values and gradients of the number of cases, incidence (2010–2020), the number of people who appealed to medical organizations regarding tick bites, and the number of people seeking treatment for tick bites per 100 000 population (2002–2020) have been calculated; maps of average values and gradients constructed. The incidence and the number of cases remain at the high level, exceeding the national average, but have been declining in the last decade. The number of people who appealed to medical organizations and the appealability of the population about tick bites per 100 000 of the population remain at a consistently high level and show no downward trend. The incidence and appealability of the population due to tick bites per 100 thousand of the population is spreading in a northerly direction, covering new territories in the Arctic zone. The main driving force behind the observed epidemic situation in the European North of Russia is the natural processes of climate change.

Предпринимательство купечества Европейского Севера России во второй трети XIX века: возможности и риски (на примере Вологодской губернии)

The paper considers, in addition to trade and industry, various forms of entrepreneurship of the merchants in the European North of Russia in the second third of the XIX century, case study of the Vologda province. The main source was publications in the Vologda Provincial Gazette for 1838-1860. Based on the results of the analysis of materials, it is possible to single out: insurance business; rental property; private lending, etc. Various concomitant risks of entrepreneurial activity of merchants were also noted, such as: damage to equipment at enterprises due to fire or natural disasters; non-payments for goods or loans; loss of cargo during transportation, etc. The consequence of the inefficient circulation of financial resources could be the auction sale of the merchant's movable or immovable property to cover debts; declaring a merchant "an insolvent debtor"; transition to philistinism. If the merchant committed a crime or misdemeanor, the deprivation of a good name was part of the criminal punishment.

Organization of administrative districts in the European North of Russia in 1861

Organization of administrative districts in the European North of Russia in 1861

Evaluation of Cs-137 Binding by High-Moor Peat in the European North of Russia

Evaluation of Cs-137 Binding by High-Moor Peat in the European North of Russia