Russian North Research Articles

Wolves as Enemy of the Soviet State: Policies and Implications of Predator Management in Yakutia

Abstract This article gives an overview of wolf extermination endeavours in Soviet Yakutia as part of state ideologies of human dominance over nature in the process of modernisation of the Russian North. The proclaimed wolf extermination was a large-scale operation planned and launched by state authorities in Yakutia involving bureaucratic, finance and human contingents, as well as the available infrastructure. Based on ethnographic research among game managers, wolf hunters and Eveny and Evenki hunting-herding communities, as well as archival materials on Soviet Yakutia, we demonstrate how state goals to eradicate wolves were sometimes unsystematic in practice due to the misuse of state resources as well as the difficulty in accomplishing this objective in remote and difficult to access taiga landscapes. Furthermore, while being involved in wolf eradication campaigns Indigenous communities also retained their vernacular notions of wolves as non-human persons with whom they were inclined to maintain neighbourly relations rather than pursue extermination.

From the History of Early Expeditions of Musicologists from the Gnesins’ Institute to the Russian North (1950–1970s)

The article presents a brief excursus into the history of the folk music expeditions organized by music scholars from the Gnesins’ Institute to the Russian North. The beginning of the expeditionary study of the Northern Russian territories and the formation of a fund of musical and ethnographic materials on this region dates back to the creation of the Cabinet for Folk Music at the Gnesins’ Institute (1958). Its leader was the famous folklorist Vladimir Kharkov, who during the time period between the 1950s and the 1970s determined the routes and methods of expeditionary work. Since 1959, under his leadership, the traditions of the Kirov Region have been collectively and systematically studied. Individual expeditions were sent to other northern Russian areas with the participation of musicologists specializing in musical folklore: Igor Istomin explored the basins of the rivers Northern Dvina, Vaga, and Mezen (in the Arkhangelsk Region), while Ksenia Bromley explored the upper Volga region. The prominent national ethnomusicologist Evgeny Gippius played an important role in the study of the folk music traditions of the Russian North by the scholars of the Gnesins’ Institute. Since the mid-1960s, he supervised the expeditionary and scholarly work of Borislava Efimenkova on the study of the lamentation culture of the eastern Vologda region, in the 1970s he initiated the expeditions of Evgeniya Reznichenko on the Onega River in the Arkhangelsk region, which ended with the discovery of the traditions of Pomorye. The continuous research of these territories and the mass recording of the material has made it possible to carry out the structural-typological and arealogical interpretation of the Vologda and Pomorye traditions of lamentations. The most important result of the early expeditions of the musicologists from the Gnesins’ Institute to the Russian North were the published collections of folk music of various genres and many scholarly studies, including dissertations, on the traditional culture of the region.

Reintegration of Russian children returned from war zones in the Middle East: Directions, actors, barriers

This article analyzes the integration process of children returned from ISIS territory in three regions of the Russian North Caucasus from where the largest number of ISIS fighters with Russian citizenship originated. Following the concepts of “reintegration of returned migrants” and “cultural citizenship”, it explicates the role of key actors in the processes of adaptation and integration of children and their families, as well as analyzes the nature of the barriers they overcome to restore their lost civil status and identity. The findings demonstrate that the process of reintegration of returnees is completely monopolized by the federal and local (republican) authorities and religious leaders. They limit the access of international organizations and local NGOs, minimize public discussion in the media, and control the influence of the local communities. Such a strategy of total control in the name of security as a target component of Russian domestic policy creates new grounds for vulnerability of returned children and their families, increasing their stigmatization and preserving hotbeds of tension, but does not allow this tension to be resolved through public dialogue and building constructive forms of civic integration.

Vanadium in modern sediments of urban lakes in the North of Russia: natural and anthropogenic sources

Studies have found that vanadium tends to accumulate in the sediments of lakes located in urban areas where fuel oil thermal power plants or boiler houses are present. The highest concentration of vanadium, amounting to 4785 mg/kg, was found in a lake situated less than a kilometer away from a thermal power plant. In contrast, pristine lakes typically have vanadium levels that are consistent with or below the background levels. In certain regions of Karelia, the elevated concentration of vanadium in lake sediments can be attributed to the presence of uranium‑vanadium ores. In urban sediments, vanadium is closely associated with nickel, which can also be released into the environment through the emissions of thermal power plants and boiler houses. It has been observed that vanadium in lakes primarily exists in the solid insoluble fraction, possibly bonded with natural minerals.

From Name to Myth (Based on Russian Cultural and Literary Tradition)

This paper analyzes the cases wherein a previously unknown and unique mythological character (with his/her specific behavior, “personal” traits, appearance, origin, etc.) is generated by a cultural linguistic sign or a fragment of text. This research is based on the Russian cultural and linguistic tradition, mainly in its dialectal version (the language of Russian peasants). Its sources include data published in the late 19th–early 21st century in dictionaries of Russian dialects and, primarily, the unpublished field materials of the Ural Federal University Toponymic Expedition, covering data from the Russian North, the Urals, and the Volga region. According to their nature or origin, the names of characters studied in this paper derive from two types of linguistic signs: (1) Names based on usual forms of standard vocabulary that can be both proper and common nouns; the former may refer to various categories, such as toponyms (names of geographical objects), chrononyms (names of calendar dates), hagionyms (names of saints), names of icons, etc. (2) Names originating from a text, usually folkloric; these are word combinations or phrases that only act as a single unit within their “parent” text. Sometimes, but less often, these consist of one word that is of key importance in the source text. Such a phrase or word can migrate outside the “parent” text or genre, expanding their lexical combinability and changing their syntactic regime to become a name of a mythological character. It takes two sources of motivation for a new character to emerge—a linguistic (a word that seeks a new context) and a cultural one (a semiotically intense context, such as a situation associated with danger, prohibition, omens, aggression, or magical practices). The combination of these incentives is not uncommon, so the stock of mythology used for names is being constantly renewed.

Особенности адаптации студентов – представителей коренных и малочисленных народов Севера, Сибири и Дальнего Востока Российской Федерации к образовательной среде колледжа

<p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Objective. </strong>Empirical study of the criteria for assessing the adaptation of students – representatives of the indigenous and minorities of the North, Siberia and Far East to the educational environment of colleges and the study of the features of their adaptation. <br><strong>Background.</strong> The relevance of studying the features of adaptation of students – representatives of the indigenous and minorities of the North, Siberia and the Far East of the Russian Federation to the educational environment of colleges is due to the high importance of secondary vocational education for the preservation and development of the culture of these peoples. <br><strong>Study design.</strong> Factor analysis made it possible to identify indicators of students' adaptation to the educational environment of the college (adaptation criteria). To clarify the features of the adaptability of students-representatives of the SIM and Far East and the role of environmental factors mediating adaptation, correlation, variance analysis, as well as analysis of the significance of differences were used. <br><strong>Participants. </strong>Students-representatives of the of the indigenous and minorities of the North, Siberia and the Far East of the Russian Federation – 304 people (179 girls, 125 boys). Students of the comparison group – 416 people (195 girls, 221 boys). <br><strong>Measurements. </strong>Russian-language version of the Scale of Sociocultural Adaptation J. Wilson', K. Ward', et al. The author's scale of self-assessment of the degree of satisfaction with the main aspects of life. Author's questionnaire for assessing the degree of adaptation to an educational organization. <br><strong>Results. </strong>Three groups of indicators of students' adaptability to the educational environment of the college are identified: academic adaptation (23% of the variance), sociocultural adaptation (13%) and psychological adaptation (13%). Indigenous and minority students and comparison groups do not differ in terms of socio-cultural and psychological adaptation, while indicators of academic adaptation of students – representatives of the indigenous and minorities of the North, Siberia and the Far East of the Russian Federation are higher than in the comparison group in the conditions of the homogeneity of the socio-cultural environment of the college and lower in the conditions of its heterogeneity. <br><strong>Conclusions.</strong> The indicators for assessing the adaptability of students are independent of each other and allow assessing the features of adaptation to an educational organization, educational activities and group; features of adaptation to a new socio-cultural environment, as well as the degree of emotional well-being of the individual.</p>

The “efforts of ours were not in vain”: an interview with M.A. Chlenov

In an interview to S.S. Alymov, the ethnographer and historian M.A. Chlenov, honorary vice-president of the World Jewish Congress, talks about his biography, academic career and work at the Institute of Ethnography in the 1960s-90s. He reflects on his fieldwork in Indonesia and the Russian North, as well as his research among the Nenets and Inuit, and discusses his work in the areas of kinship studies, Inuit studies, and Jewish studies, further recounting the story about the discovery of the Whale Alley archaeological site. The interview conveys important information about the Jewish movement in the USSR, the relationship between scholars and authorities, the life at the Institute of Ethnography and in Soviet academia generally.

REVIEW ON THE BOOK "EAST EUROPEAN COLLECTIONS OF THE MAE RAS". SPB.: MAE RAS, 2022. 356 Р. (COLLECTED WORKS OF THE MAE. VOL. LXIX)

The review analyzes a collection of articles devoted to Eastern European collections from the collections of the Peter the Great Museum of Anthropology and Ethnography of the Russian Academy of Sciences (Kunstkamera, St. Petersburg). In it the museum's staff reviewed the history of collecting, exhibiting and studying materials on the Russian North, central regions of Russia, the Volga region and Belarus, presenting to the readers interested in the study of traditional culture of the peoples of Eastern Europe the rich ethnographic heritage of the museum, mainly related to the 19th - early 21st centuries.

Full-cycle chains of strategic mineral raw materials – new opportunities for the Russian North

The paper analyzes the relationship between the global energy transition and the possibilities of Russia and its northern regions to enter the world markets for strategic raw materials and components necessary for a green economy. The acceleration of the energy transition in developed countries leads to an increased demand for strategic metals and their compounds (primarily REM and lithium). Solar and wind energy are becoming the largest energy producers in the world. Thanks to these processes, countries with technological competencies and resource capabilities in the field of «green» metals can significantly strengthen the potential of their own industries[1]producers and consumers of strategic raw materials. The role of technological value chains localized within the country is growing. A feature of Russia is the imbalance between the extraction of strategic mineral raw materials and the production of high-tech products based on it. This means the fragmented nature of value chains. The directions of the evolutionary path of transition to the interaction of different participants in the chain are proposed based on the formation of full-cycle chains focused on creating demand for high-tech raw materials within the country. Thus, the deposits of strategic raw materials in the northern regions of Russia can and should be based on chains «from ore mining to the production of high-tech products».

Минерально-сырьевые ресурсы северных регионов в условиях новой индустриализации России

The study explores the relationship between the mineral resources located in the Russian North and the general trends in Russia’s economic development in the context of the evolving geopolitical landscape. The reaction of the energy sector to drastic changes in foreign markets is evident in its pursuit of strategies aimed at optimizing hydrocarbon production, processing, and export volumes. Simultaneously, efforts are made to improve oil and gas extraction from the viewpoint of the production structure and geographic locations while preserving the coal industry’s status as a cornerstone of the national economy. The challenges of sanctions and import substitution necessitate accelerated development within the mining and metallurgical sector, with a focus on Russia's technological sovereignty. This study identifies the fundamental prerequisites for progress in the mining sector considering the unique characteristics of Northern regions, among which are intersectoral planning, scientific and technological innovation, and territorial cooperation. Of particular importance is the recalibration of intersectoral balances for non-ferrous and rare-earth elements, which is necessary to mitigate the current temporal and spatial disparities in the growth rates of geological exploration, mining, and manufacturing industries. Scientific and technological advancements are aimed at solving problems in areas such as multipurpose resource use with the extraction of associated elements, mining safety, and environmental protection. The author's proposal for the formation of territorial production holdings, inclusive of research and development institutes, production facilities, and other enterprises, aligns with the economic and geographical concepts of geosystem and complexity. The study adopts a unified approach, merging mobilization strategies with evolutionary economic practices.

Особенности социально-экономического развития регионов севера и юга России: методика полуавтоматического анализа документов стратегического планирования

The abundance of strategic planning documents and the dynamic nature of strategic planning necessitate the evolution of analysis tools. This study aims to develop a comprehensive methodology for analyzing strategic planning documents using electronic data processing tools. The core of the proposed methodology is content analysis with the identification and synthesis of semantic structures. It relies on tools such as a content analyzer, a semantic and syntactic parser for in-depth text analysis, and a semantic mapping tool for condensing information gathered in the preceding stages. Initially, we identified three key structures to uncover value orientations, combinations of measures, and anticipated outcomes embedded in the documents of several regions of the Russian North and South. Subsequently, the tools mentioned were utilized for language pattern identification, definition, and classification. In the following stage, using a word cloud toolkit (semantic map), which factors in word frequency and collocation strength, visual representations were derived from the pre-processed data provided by the strategic planning documents. The analysis and comparison of the regional strategies under study revealed that Northern regions’ strategies are more balanced and comprehensive in terms of their underlying values. However, the language patterns describing measures taken and their outcomes mainly concentrate on employment. In addition, it should be noted that semantic structures concerning the lives of indigenous peoples of the North were not identified in the course of the analysis. These conclusions can be useful for both improving the content of long-term regional development planning documents and stimulating scholarly discussions regarding the essence of the strategic planning process across different government levels.

Standalone power system with photovoltaic and thermoelectric installations for power supply of remote monitoring and control stations for oil pipelines

During the operation of oil pipelines, accidents with oil spills may occur, which can cause severe damage to the ecological situation in the region and disrupt many processes in nature. The oil pipeline’s remote monitoring and control systems (RMCS) are used to prevent such situations. In areas remote from the centralized power supply, it is necessary to use a standalone power system (SPS) to provide electricity to RMCS facilities. Examples of such facilities are remote monitoring and control (RMC) stations, including systems for monitoring the state of the oil pipeline and its parameters, leak detection systems, and the pipeline’s cathodic protection. The paper proposes a methodology for sizing SPS with a photovoltaic plant, an on-pipe thermoelectric generator, and batteries for the power supply of the RMC station. The idea of the work is to use energy sources that are most efficient at opposite seasons of the year. Particle swarm optimization is used to optimize the sizing of SPS components. The technical optimization criterion is the loss of load probability. The economic optimization criterion is the levelized cost of electricity. The impact of the oil temperature at the point of the RMC station on the efficiency of the thermoelectric generator is estimated. The calculations carried out in this work were made for the climate region of the Vankorsk oil and gas field in the north of Russia. The methodology proposed in this paper can also be used for northern territories, such as Canada, Norway, and the USA.

Epithets in Russian Spiritual Verses

The article examines the composition and functioning of epithets in Russian spiritual verses. The relevance of the study is due to the lack of research on spiritual verses from a linguistic perspective, as well as the opportunity to explore the interaction between oral and written traditions, secular and Christian culture, which are closely intertwined in this folklore genre. A brief overview of the theory of epithet study in Russian linguistic tradition is provided, taking into account the latest research, with particular emphasis on the use of constant epithets in folklore texts of various genres. The texts of three collections of Russian spiritual verses are considered: “Collection of Russian Spiritual Verses” compiled by V. Varentsov; “The Dove Book: Russian Folk Spiritual Verses of the 11th-19th Centuries”; “Spiritual Verses of the Russian North”. Two corpora of epithets are distinguished: general folklore constant epithets and genre-specific epithets of Russian spiritual verses. Observations are made about their quantitative and qualitative composition, describing the peculiarities of their usage in relation to the genre’s specificity and explaining their correlation. A grammatical characterization of epithets is provided from the perspective of morphological expression and position within an attributive syntagm.

АРХИТЕКТУРА МНОГОФУНКЦИОНАЛЬНОГО КОМПЛЕКСА ДЕЛОВОГО ТУРИЗМА В УСЛОВИЯХ АРКТИЧЕСКОГО КЛИМАТА

The article discusses the challenge of creating public spaces in the harsh conditions of the Far North. The proposed solution is a multifunctional complex with a spatial organization that addresses this challenge. To support this solution, the article examines the experience of designing business tourism centers in extreme cold climates. It analyzes multifunctional complexes that include a business tourism block and draws conclusions about the advantages of this type of complex. The article presents the results of the analysis as a conclusion about the use of multifunctional complexes that meet the basic needs of residents of northern cities. The article proposes an optimal spatial organization for a business tourism complex that can withstand the harsh climatic conditions of the Far North of Russia, using the city of Salekhard as a case study

Microbial Composition of Natural, Agricultural, and Technogenic Soils of Both Forest and Forest-Tundra of the Russian North

Technogenic processes and agrodevelopment of the soil cover lead to significant transformations of soil chemical and biological properties. New methods of soil microbiology, including next-generation sequencing, allows us to investigate soil microbial composition in detail, including the taxonomy and ecological functions of soil bacteria. This study presents data on the taxonomic diversity of mature and anthropogenically disturbed soils in various ecosystems of Russia. Natural soils in the southern taiga (Leningrad region and Novgorod region), northern taiga (Komi republic), forest-tundra, and tundra (Nadym city and Salekhard city) were investigated using next-generation sequencing (16S rDNA amplicon sequencing). In each natural bioclimatic zone, anthropogenically disturbed quarry soils or agriculturally transformed soils were also investigated. It was found that Proteobacteria, Actinobateriota, Acidobateriota, Bacteroidota, Chroloflexi, Planctomycetota, Verrucomicrobiota and Firmicutes phyla were dominant in natural soils, with minor differences between agrosoils and mature soils. In the soils of quarries, there were revealed processes of declining diversity of microbiome communities and the replacement of them by bacterial communities, different from natural and agrogenic soils. Thus, the microbial community is the most sensitive indicator of anthropogenic soil amendments and can serve to assess the success of soil self-restoration after human intervention.

Development of time perspective in nenets, Sami and Russian adolescents: A comparative analysis

This paper is concerned with the issue of studying specific features of the development of time perspective in adolescents representing different ethnic groups living in the North of Russia. The study includes a comparative analysis of the development of time perspective in Nenets, Sami, and ethnic Russian male and female adolescents. The current article presents the results of an empirical study conducted using the Zimbardo Time Perspective Inventory. The respondents in the empirical study were 99 Nenets adolescents aged 12-15 years (54 boys and 45 girls); 79 Sami adolescents aged 12-15 years (41 boys and 38 girls); 121 ethnic Russian adolescents aged 12-15 years (63 boys and 58 girls). The comparative analysis of the development of time perspective in Nenets, Sami, and ethnic Russian adolescents has shown the presence of similar trends characteristic of the age group in general, and specific features at the same time. The results of the study enrich the scientific understanding of the phenomenon of time perspective, supplement and expand the understanding of the process of personality formation in representatives of different ethnic groups living in the North of Russia. The identified features of time perspective in adolescents will help to supplement the programs of psychological assistance and support for adolescents in the aspect of building life strategies, implementing capabilities of forecasting life prospects and managing time resources.

Geographical space and cinema images of the white Arctic on a white screen (Part II)

The second part of the article is devoted to the consideration of two genres of Arctic fi lms — animal (faunal) and adventure. The basis for their implementation on the screen was Russian America, Alaska — the cinematic state of Hollywood, Chukotka and the Far North of Russia. The Arctic with its boundless snow-ice expanses and mythological obscurity forced its conquerors to seek and rely on a faithful friend — a dog — Siberian husky, husky, Alaskan malamute. As the polar explorer Robert Peary wrote, «life here is dog’s, but the work is worthy of a real person». Almost all the scripts of animal science fi lms are, borrowed from the literary works of the classics of the North — Jack London and James Curwood. Dogs and animals of the North have become full-fl edged actors of these fi lms. One of the pillars of the Arctic fi lms is adventures, including man’s struggle with the harsh nature of the Arctic, the formation of a new life for the indigenous peoples of the North, the search for missing expeditions and individuals — hunters, pilots, extreme athletes.

Geochemical Assessment of the Modern Sediments of a Lake in the North of Russia

Core sediment (sapropel) samples were collected from Lake Okunozero, the Republic of Karelia, Russia, to assess the distribution of heavy metals and their main fractions, probable sources of pollution, and potential ecological and toxicological risks for the water body. Heavy metal concentrations were measured by the mass spectrometry method using an XSeries-2 ICP-MS. The sequential extraction of heavy metals from sapropel samples was performed using the scheme of Tessier. According to the Russian Interstate Standard (GOST), the sapropel of Lake Okunozero is suitable for use in agriculture. The exceedances of the regional background levels were detected only for Pb and Cd. In accordance with Pollution Load Index (PLI) and Potential Ecological Risk (RI), no ecotoxicological risk in researched sediments was found. A significant correlation between some investigated heavy metals was established. Most heavy metals were in the insoluble mineral phase (Mn et al.) or were associated with organic matter (Cu, Zn, Mo, Ni). Only Mn, Zn, Cd, and Pb were found in the available fraction from 13 to 24% of the total metal content in the sediments. Other metals were less associated with the available fraction.

Оценка жизнестойкости сельских сообществ Севера России (на примере поселений Архангельской области)

The purpose of this study is to enhance the empirical and theoretical understanding of the local aspects of resilience, which makes it possible to assess resilience levels in rural communities in the Russian North under new economic conditions. The study shows that during the Soviet era, the state provided economic support to sustain the viability of northern villages. As a result of the market reforms of the past century, most collective and state farms fell into decline, which led to labor migration. Despite negative demographic trends, the difficult economic situation, and limited transportation access, there is still a permanent resident population in northern villages. Based on the theory of resilience, methodological approaches to its assessment,and the results of field studies conducted in villages located on the island and coastal territories of the Primorsky district in the Arkhangelsk region between 2017 and 2022, the authors identify factors that determine the resilience of rural communities in the new economic conditions. These include location, local economy, and social capital. Indicators were established for each of the factors to propose a methodology for their assessment. As a result, an integrated resilience index was calculated for rural communities in the island and coastal territories of the Primorsky district in the Arkhangelsk region. It is concluded that the assessment of resilience levels of rural communities can provide information about society’s preparedness to face external challenges and identify which resources (economic, social, or natural) are robust or vulnerable. The novelty of the research lies in considering resilience as a new research paradigm for studying social systems and validating a methodology for its assessment based on qualitative indicators. The results of the study can be used to develop new strategies for the social and economic progress of rural areas and specific plans to facilitate the adaptation of rural residents in the Russian North to emerging economic challenges.

Горные ландшафты Полярного Урала как объекты традиционного природопользования (По результатам опросов оленеводов)

Introduction. The North is traditionally perceived as the endless plains used by reindeer herders for long-distance migrations. However, polar regions are also represented by the mountains with specific nature management. Sustainability is characteristic of historically established ways of management in the mountains based on spatial and temporal organization of landscapes adapted to local conditions at the most. The Polar Urals is the historically existing areal- the joint habitat of different peoples: the Nenets people (prevailing among indigenous peoples of the Russian North), the Khanty, and the Komi-Zyryans. At present, the Polar Urals is one of the stable centers of traditional reindeer husbandry. Climate change and “civilization” influence are challenges to traditional mountain nature management as they introduce a number of uncertainties into the existing system of interaction between the population and nature calling for local communities adaptation. Materials and methods. In this study, the method of interviewing based on the authors’ questionnaire was used. Results. The regional specifics of the mountain nature management and self-identification of reindeer herders of the Polar Urals as compared to other clans of their ethnic groups are shown. Besides pastures, water and wood (being decisive in the well-being of local communities) are among most important natural benefits provided by the Polar Urals landscapes. Conclusion. The reindeer herders of the Polar Urals try to preserve the traditional nature management through successful adaptation to modern challenges (e.g. climate change). To a large extent, they consider the introduction of novel technical achievements positively. Suggestions for practical application and direction for future research. The results of the study can be used in the preparation of regional and municipal programs to support traditional nature management in the Polar Urals, and the development of measures to adapt it to modern challenges.