Northwest Russia Research Articles

Waste Management on Fishing Vessels and in Fishing Harbors in the Barents Sea: Gaps in Law, Implementation and Practice

This article aims to map and provide an overview of international, regional, and national law applicable to marine waste in the Barents Sea, and to analyze fishing industry actors’ practices and perceptions of marine waste. We identify gaps between the law and its implementation, enforcement, and practice. The legal framework for marine plastic pollution in the Barents Sea and the Arctic is fragmented and not harmonized. Insufficient waste management facilities and regulations are likely to hinder compliance with existing regulations. There is an urgent need to upgrade the waste management infrastructure for the fishing industry in Norway and in northwest Russia.

The Glaciolacustrine Terrace in the Izborsk-Malskaya Valley (the North-West of Russia): Composition, Age, and Origin

The Glaciolacustrine Terrace in the Izborsk-Malskaya Valley (the North-West of Russia): Composition, Age, and Origin

Находки подвесок-ложек XI—XIII вв. на территории Древней Руси и Прибалтики

The article deals with the spoon-shape-pendants typical for the culture of the ancient Russian population and Livonians. Items of similar appearance, with a long often ornately shaped handle and a not very deep scoop were found in settlements and burial grounds of the 11th—13th centuries, accidental finds are also known. In this article we analyzed over 100 finds. We have proposed a classification of the items based on technological and morphological features and have regarded place of the pendants in the costume. Spoon-shape pendants were found on a vast territory — from the Baltic to the Upper Volga region. The items were the attributes of both rural and urban inhabitants. According to the concentration of products both in the lands of the Smolensk Dnieper region and in the North-West of Russia we suppose that there were several centers of the production of such pendants. In the archaeological literature the spoon-shape pendants were regarded as the pagan amulets that had symbolized satiety, wealth and well-being. According to the late dating and widespread use in the Christian lands of Ancient Russia the spoon-shape pendants could serve as miniatures of Eucharistic spoons and could have been a symbol of the Orthodox rite of communion.

Key features of pneumococcal isolates recovered in Central and Northwestern Russia in 2011–2018 determined through whole-genome sequencing

Invasive pneumococcal disease remains one of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality worldwide. In Russia, 13- valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV13) was introduced into the childhood immunization programme nationwide in 2014. As part of the Global Pneumococcal Sequencing Project (GPS), we used genome data to characterize 179 pneumococcal isolates collected from Russia in 2011-2018 to investigate the circulating pneumococcal strains using a standardized genomic definition of pneumococcal lineages (global pneumococcal sequence clusters, GPSCs), prevalent serotypes and antimicrobial resistance profiles.We observed high serotype and lineage diversity among the 179 isolates recovered from cerebrospinal fluid (n=77), nasopharyngeal swabs (n=99) and other non-sterile site swabs (n=3). Overall, 60 GPSCs were identified, including 48 clonal complexes (CCs) and 14 singletons, and expressed 42 serotypes (including non-typable). Among PCV13 serotypes, 19F, 6B and 23F were the top three serotypes while 11A, 15B/C and 8 were the top three among non-PCV13 serotypes in the collection. Two lineages (GPSC6 and GPSC47) expressed both PCV13 and non-PCV13 serotypes that caused invasive disease, and were penicillin- and multidrug-resistant (MDR), highlighting their potential to adapt and continue to cause infections under vaccine and antibiotic selective pressure. PCV13 serotypes comprised 92 % (11/12) of the CSF isolates from the children aged below 5 years; however, the prevalence of PCV13 serotype isolates dropped to 53 % (31/58) among the nasopharyngeal isolates. Our analysis showed that 59 % (105/179) of the isolates were predicted to be non-susceptible to at least one class of antibiotics and 26 % (46/179) were MDR. Four MDR lineages (GPSC1, GPSC6, GPSC10 and GPSC47) accounted for 65 % (30/46) of the MDR isolates and expressed PCV13 serotypes (93 %, 28/30).This study provides evidence of high genetic and serotype diversity contributed by a mix of globally spreading and regionally circulating lineages in Russia. The observations suggest that the PCV13 vaccine could be important in reducing both invasive disease and antimicrobial resistance. We also identify potential lineages (GPSC6 and GPSC47) that may evade the vaccine.

IR-SPECTROSCOPIC STUDY OF WATER AND HYDROGEN DEFECTS IN INDUSTRIAL QUARTZ TYPES OF KARELIA (RUSSIA)

The results of an IR spectroscopic study of the content of water and hydrogen defects in hydrothermal and pegmatite quartz from quartz-vein occurrences in Karelia (North-West Russia), considered as a promising source of high-purity quartz raw materials, are presented. It is shown that the main amount of water in the analyzed quartz is in molecular form, and OH groups associated with aluminum, lithium, and boron trace elements in the quartz lattice are also identified. Granular quartz with the lowest content of molecular water and OH-groups is the most preferred for use as a high-purity quartz raw material.

A new ancient leiobunine genus and species from the Russian Northwest Caucasus (Opiliones: Sclerosomatidae)

A new genus and species of harvestman belonging to the family Sclerosomatidae from the Russian Northwest Caucasus is proposed: Amilenoides caucasicus n. gen., n. sp. This species has unusual male penial characteristics, which are judged as plesiomorphic traits within subfamily Leiobuninae. The relationships on subfamily level are discussed. This new species may be a relict of early sclerosomatid evolution. http://www.zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:6796D1B3-46A6-486D-94BD-5F0AB1212F7D

New, rare and vagrant damselflies and dragonflies (Insecta: Odonata) in the Kaliningrad Oblast, north-western Russia

New, rare and vagrant damselflies and dragonflies (Insecta: Odonata) in the Kaliningrad Oblast, north-western Russia

Abandoned, But Not Forgotten Heritage: Former Industrial Enterprises in Cultural and Urban Russian Landscapes

ABSTRACT This paper examines Russian industrial heritage and its interactions with society. It focuses on changing identities and the transformation of industrial enterprises from connecters to the future in Soviet times, to bridges to both the past and the future for different social groups in post-Soviet Russia. Based on regional examples from the Russian northwest, this article analyzes the trajectories of industrial enterprises from urban centers to peripheries, and the socio-cultural appropriation they experience. Based on newspaper articles, online comments of citizens, and materials from Internet communities, this analysis explores discussions about the reuse of abandoned industrial heritage in Russia. First, it shows how industrial enterprises have moved from centers of the future to peripheries of the past during the last century, and continue to do so at present. Second, it examines how citizens interact with them today, producing nostalgia for the “lost” Soviet past and using abandoned buildings for stalker adventures. The paper concludes that abandoned enterprises transform from industrial centers to cultural sites, binding past, present and future together in a temporal conjunction where three unique temporalities co-exist and overlap: the socialist past, the modern Russian present, and imagined futures. Abandoned heritage is a dynamic participant in cultural and social activities but simultaneously it signifies disappearing industrial socialism.

Intergeneric hybridization of two stickleback species leads to introgression of membrane-associated genes and invasive TE expansion

Interspecific hybridization has occurred relatively frequently during the evolution of vertebrates. This process usually abolishes reproductive isolation between the parental species. Moreover, it results in the exchange of genetic material and can lead to hybridogenic speciation. Hybridization between species has predominately been observed at the interspecific level, whereas intergeneric hybridization is rarer. Here, using whole-genome sequencing analysis, we describe clear and reliable signals of intergeneric introgression between the three-spined stickleback (Gasterosteus aculeatus) and its distant mostly freshwater relative the nine-spined stickleback (Pungitius pungitius) that inhabit northwestern Russia. Through comparative analysis, we demonstrate that such introgression phenomena apparently take place in the moderate-salinity White Sea basin, although it is not detected in Japanese sea stickleback populations. Bioinformatical analysis of the sites influenced by introgression showed that they are located near transposable elements, whereas those in protein-coding sequences are mostly found in membrane-associated and alternative splicing-related genes.

Dynamics of the Taxation Characteristics of Forest Stands in the North-West of Russia

Dynamics of the Taxation Characteristics of Forest Stands in the North-West of Russia

Malignant Neoplasms Associated with Human Papillomavirus Infection in the Northwestern Federal District of Russia: Morbidity, Mortality, Vaccination

Introduction: The etiological role of human papillomavirus has been proven in the development of cervical cancer and other tumors of the anogenital tract and oropharyngeal region. Vaccination against papillomavirus infection is carried out in most countries of the world, including Russia, to reduce cancer incidence rates. Objective: To study clinical and epidemiological features of malignant neoplasms associated with the human papillomavirus (HPV) in order to improve vaccine prevention in the North-West of Russia. Materials and methods: We analyzed morbidity, distribution by stages of the tumor process and mortality from cancer of the cervix, oral cavity, tonsils, oropharynx, larynx, anus and anal canal, vulva, vagina, and penis based on data collected by Form 7 “Data on Malignant Neoplasms” and population cancer registries of St. Petersburg and the Kaliningrad Region for the years 2011–2020. The number of incident cases of those neoplasms in St. Petersburg, the Leningrad and Kaliningrad Regions was 13,117, 3,204, and 2,898 cases, respectively. In 2018–2021, the total number of people vaccinated against papillomavirus infection was 9,603. We applied methods of retrospective epidemiological analysis, while statistical processing of the collected data was carried out using Statistica 12 and WinPepi software. Results: In 2011–2019, the incidence of cervical cancer increased in the city of St. Petersburg and the Kaliningrad Region. The incidence of laryngeal cancer among the male population of the Northwestern regions of Russia did not change significantly. The proportion of patients with oropharyngeal cancer of stages 3 and 4 was more than 60 %, those with cervical cancer – about 50 % of cases. An increase in mortality from oropharyngeal cancer was detected in the age group of 60–69 years. We also revealed low coverage with vaccination against HPV in the Northwestern Federal District. Conclusion: To reduce morbidity and mortality from HPV-associated malignant neoplasms in the North-West of Russia, it is necessary to develop a system of epidemiological surveillance and vaccine prevention of human papillomavirus infection.

Study of the composition of glasses produced at the Zhabinsky factory in the first third of the 18<sup>th</sup> century

The results of studying the composition of glasses from the site of the Zhabinsky factory, one of the first Russian glass factories founded in the north-west of Russia, are presented. More than 200 samples of historical glass fragments of dishes, as well as the remains of glass on the walls of melting pots were studied using X-ray fluorescence analysis. The data obtained made it possible to classify glasses depending on the recipe and the raw materials used in their production. The reliability of the determination of the compositions was confirmed on randomly selected samples by the ICP AES method. The presence of cobalt impurities was qualitatively determined from the characteristic bands in the absorption spectra of the visible region. The main group of finds is represented by potash-calcium glass obtained using plant ash (ash glass) or purified potash (potash glass). A separate group includes potash-lime glasses obtained through addition of lime to the batch. The nature of the coloration of the studied glasses with iron (+2), iron (+3), cobalt (+2), and also due to the charge transfer iron (+3) — sulfur (–2) is discussed. Potassium-lead glasses with a high lead content found at the site of the plant serve as an example of the first Russian colorless lead crystal. The results represent the first systematic study of the composition of glass produced in Russia in the time of Peter the Great. A comparative analysis of the compositions of glasses from the Zhabinsky and Lavinsky factories has been carried out.

Иранская проблема в нацистской пропаганде на оккупированной территории Северо-Запада России (1942–1943 гг.)

Introduction. The article analyzes the coverage of the Iranian problem in the collaborationist newspapers Za rodinu (‘For Motherland’) and Novyi put’ (‘New Way’). These periodicals were published and circulated both in the Baltic and Northwest Russia during the Nazi occupation (1941–1944). The publications have never been subject to scientific inquiry before. The period witnessed a subtle diplomatic game on the ‘Iranian front’ played by Nazi Germany and aimed at winning over both Iran and Soviet peoples (including those from Transcaucasia) to its side. That policy proved so active that it was implemented even in a very remote region — Northwest Russia. Materials and methods. The work analyzes articles of the collaborationist newspapers dealing with Iranian affairs. In Russian and foreign historiography examining various aspects of Nazi propaganda during World War II this aspect has not been considered properly yet. The guiding research principles include those of objectivity, comprehensive analysis, historicism, and source criticism. Results. The article scrutinizes into Nazi Germany’s propaganda policy on Iran as a factor in the strategic struggle against the Soviet Union and Great Britain. Particular attention is paid to the propaganda affirmations used by Germany after the arrival of Soviet and British troops in Iran. Geographically, special emphasis is laid on the Near East. Nazi Russian-language propaganda in the occupied territories of Russia made significant efforts to prove depravity of the Allies of World War II. Iran and its people were treated as victims of the Soviet-British occupation and potential allies of the Third Reich.

Phylogeography and Wolbachia Infections Reveal Postglacial Recolonization Routes of the Parthenogenetic Plant Louse Cacopsylla myrtilli (W. Wagner 1947), (Hemiptera, Psylloidea)

To reveal the phylogeographic pattern of the parthenogenetic psyllid Cacopsylla myrtilli (W. Wagner 1947) (Hemiptera, Psylloidea), we sequenced a 638 bp fragment of the mitochondrial COI gene from 962 individuals. These insects originated from 46 sampling sites, which cover a significant part of the northern Palearctic distribution range of the species. The sequence data revealed 40 haplotypes, with three main (H1, H2, and H3) and 37 derived ones. The main haplotypes H1 or H2 or both were present at all sampling sites. The star-like shape of the haplotype networks indicated recent population expansion. In most cases, the derived haplotypes were specific for each country, suggesting that the main haplotypes H1 and H2 are of refugial origin, and the derived haplotypes have emerged after the postglacial recolonization process. Based on the haplotype sequences, we suggest H3 to represent the ancestral haplotype from which H1 and H2 have evolved. We suggest that the main haplotype H3 together with its derived haplotypes represents bisexual C. myrtilli, which shows a limited distribution on both sides of the border between Finland and Russia in northern Fennoscandia. The genetic diversity was the highest in Sjoa in southern Norway and also high in the White Sea region in northwest Russia. Higher diversity in Sjoa was attributed to both earlier recolonizations compared to that of the White Sea region and the absence of Wolbachia infection. We suggest that these sites were colonized from different Pleistocene refugia, i.e., from western and eastern refugia, respectively. From the White Sea region, recolonization continued eastwards to Ural Mountains and westwards to Finland and further north to Kola Peninsula. From northern Finland, recolonization continued to Finnmark, Norway, and further to Sweden and finally reached a secondary contact zone with colonizers from Norway in Central Sweden. The Caucasus and Siberian/Manchurian refugial regions have played an important role in the origin of C. myrtilli populations in Siberia and the Russian Far East.

Trace elements in Ladoga ringed seal (Pusa hispida ladogensis) hair

Hair samples of two adults, eight molted pups, and four newborn Ladoga ringed seals Pusa hispida ladogensis found stranded ashore on Lake Ladoga, North-West Russia, in 2020–2021, were analyzed for concentrations of trace elements, including toxic heavy metals. Al had the highest median concentration (9.25 μg/g, range 1.26–262 μg/g) among toxic elements, followed by Hg (8.84 μg/g, range 2–12.75 μg/g), and Pb (0.16 μg/g, range 0.04–2 μg/g). The Cd concentration in lanugo compared with adult hair of young-of-the-year was significantly lower, suggesting a barrier effect of the placenta for Cd transport to the fetus. The concentrations of Co, Cr, and Zn were higher before the molt, demonstrating the role of lanugo shedding in the excretion of these metals. The concentrations of Hg, Cd, Pb, and Cu were significantly lower than in the 1990s, and lead and copper continued to decline further after the 2000s. Based on available reference trace element levels in other seal species, we found little evidence of substantially elevated levels or deficiencies in Ladoga seals. Nevertheless, since imbalance of trace elements due to contamination can cause physiological disorders, future trace element monitoring in the Ladoga seal is recommended.

«Охота с луком на лося»: композиция из скопления «Каменный 7», Канозеро

This paper analyzes a scene from the Kamenny 7 panel, the Kanozero petroglyph complex (North-West Russia). This is the only narrative composition on Kanozero that can be called “Elk Hunting with a Bow”. Previously, it was not distinguished and not analyzed. The article presents arguments in favor of the compositional connection of this scene with the neighboring large composition “Bear Hunting”. The typological similarity of the analyzed scene with another elk hunting scene from this cluster was also revealed. The figure of an elk hunt with a bow is compared with similar scenes from Alta (Norway) and Zalavruga (Karelia, Russia).

Традиционное территориальное устройство Андомского прихода Олонецкого уезда в первой половине XVIII столетия

The article investigates the specific features in the territorial structure of the church parish on the Andoma pogost district of the Olonets uyezd during the first half of the 18th century. The set problem has not been the subject of close analysis in the historiography yet. Approving the idea that the parish on the North-West of Russia was coherent with the small district (volost’) in 17—18th centuries, emphasizing the unity of the parish, scientists mainly focused on the problem of identifying the general features of the parish and on classification of parishes. The study is based on a comparative analysis of data that were fixed in the reports of the local priests in 1708 and confessional records in 1769. The reconstruction of the grid of all mentioned in the sources villages were used for visualizing the groups of villages, inhabitants of which belonged to different parts of the parish. The revealing data as well as the reconstruction of peculiarities how the clergy was attached to one or another church and how the staff of the clergy was divided into two parts allow us to conclude that the church parish of the Andoma pogost district had significantly more complicated structure, especially in comparative with the structure of church parishes of not very vast districts (volosts). According to tradition the parish was divided into two parts for regulating mechanism of material support of the clergy, distributing obligations among them and satisfaction spiritual needs of the laity. Both parts of the parish had a significant degree of self-dependence: each had its own church, own clergy that was included in the common clergy staff (shtat), and the strictly geographically localized group of villages. The stable using of archaic practices in the territorial organization of the parish during the first half of the 18th century suggests that the local community managed to adapt them to the newly approved legislative principles, aimed at unifying and enlarging church parishes. This was largely possible as the state and church policy took into account archaic traditions of local communities and was aimed on results in the long term.

Spatio-temporal variability of cloud top and tropopause heights over the Arctic from 10-year CALIPSO, GPSRO and MERRA-2 datasets

The characteristics of cloud top heights (CTHs) and tropopause heights (TPHs) over the Arctic and their relationship were investigated using Cloud-Aerosol Lidar Infrared Pathfinder Satellite (CALIPSO) observations and Modern-Era Retrospective Analysis for Research and Applications, Version 2 (MERRA-2) data for approximately 10 years from June 2006 to March 2016. Global positioning system radio occultation (GPSRO) measurements were also used to validate the TPHs derived from the MERRA-2 reanalysis data. Results of the composite analysis indicate that CTHs over the Arctic generally constitute the low-top (lower than ~3 km) and high-top (higher than ~7 km) categories in all seasons. The high CTHs above approximately 8 km show a close relationship with TPHs in all seasons, with an especially strong positive correlation in winter. In general, both CTH and TPH for each season revealed by composite analysis exhibited a zonally symmetric pattern with greater heights at lower latitudes, except for the winter when significantly high CTHs and TPHs were observed in the Greenland Sea, Atlantic, and Scandinavian regions. The proportion of high CTHs in these regions was higher than that in other regions. Notably, CTH values in the range of approximately 9.7–10.5 km over these regions are slightly higher than the climatological TPHs in winter. From a detailed analysis of Atlantic storm tracks, we conclude that the Atlantic windstorms make a significant contribution to the higher CTHs and TPHs over the Norwegian, Greenland, Kara-Barents Seas, and Northwest Russian regions of the Arctic.

On colour variability of the common green grasshopper Omocestus viridulus (Orthoptera: Acrididae) in northwestern Russia

The diversity of colour forms in the common green grasshopper Omocestus viridulus (Linnaeus, 1758) in 19 localities of the Leningrad, Novgorod and Pskov provinces and adjacent districts of the Vologda and Tver provinces is studied. It has been established that the common green grasshopper is represented by three colour forms: rubiginosa (top and sides of brownish or greyish tones), hyalosuperficies (green top, greyish or brownish sides) and viridis (green top and sides). The most characteristic form for males is rubiginosa, for females is hyalosuperficies, while females of the form rubiginosa and (especially) males of the hyalosuperficies form are extremely rare. The proportion of specimens of the form viridis does not depend on sex, does not depend on the natural zone in which the locality is situated, and nowhere exceeds a quarter of the total number of recorded specimens. To the east of the conventional line passing through the town of Chudovo and the settlement of Kresttsy, Novgorod Province, individuals of the form viridis are practically not found, there is only a single record of such a male. At the same time, the representation of the form viridis on different sides of the above-mentioned line is statistically significantly different. The data obtained are consistent with the results of our previous study carried out at 10 localities in the Novgorod and Pskov provinces. In addition, in terms of the representation of the form viridis, our data for northwestern Russia differ statistically significantly from the literature data published in the 1940s for the Scandinavian and British populations of the same species.

Morphometric parameters of black currant berries and racemes under the conditions of Northwest Russia

Background. It is important to study morphometric parameters of productivity in cultivars because it allows us to identify the most productive cultivars and valuable genotypes with improved characteristics of the mechanical composition of berries for use in breeding practice.Materials and methods. Morphometric parameters of berries and racemes were assessed at Pushkin and Pavlovsk Laboratories of VIR in 2016–2018. Fifty-one black currant cultivars of various genetic and ecogeographic origin were the material for the research. Cvs. ‘Nara’ (for early cultivars) and ‘Peterburzhenka’ (for mid-season and mid-late ones), both listed in the State Register of Selection Achievements for Northwest Russia, served as the references. The research was conducted by conventional methods. Statistical data processing was performed using Microsoft Excel and guidelines.Results and conclusions. As a result of the research, valuable genotypes with the best morphometric parameters and cultivars for commercial and amateur gardening were identified. Large fruit size and stability of this trait were observed in cvs. ‘Yubileinaya Kopanya’ (k-44189), ‘Selechenskaya 2’ (k-42637), ‘Litvinovskaya’ (k-45542), ‘Fortuna’ (k-44194), ‘Partizanka bryanskaya’ (k-45548), ‘Sofievskaya’ (k-43131), ‘Raduzhnaya’ (k-45549), ‘Karri’ (k-44172), and accession 2780-20-33 (k-49788). Cvs. ‘Kozatskaya’ (k-44187) and ‘Perezvon’ (k-45589) develop 8 berries per raceme. The best cultivars with optimal combinations of the studied traits, suitable for large-scale cultivation and amateur gardening in Northwest Russia, are ‘Andreevskaya’ (k-49787), ‘Kazkova’ (k-44196), Raduzhnaya’ (k-45549), ‘Sevchanka’ (k-45551), ‘Selechenskaya 2’ (k-42637), Sofievskaya’ (k-43131), ‘Tatran Slava’ (k-44182), ‘Karri’ (k-44172), and ‘Yubileinaya Kopanya’ (k-44189). Correlations between individual morphostructural yield components were identified.