Russian Karelia Research Articles

Travel preferences of Finnish cross-border tourists: Opportunities and limitations for Russian Karelia

The study aims to examine travel preferences of Finnish cross-border tourists with special reference to the Republic of Karelia, Russia. Data were collected using paper-based and online surveys from 300 respondents travelling from Finland to the Russian Karelia. Although cross-border tourists are a significant part in the inbound tourist flow to Russian Karelia, several obstacles for this type of tourism have been revealed. Measures to stimulate Finnish tourists to travel to Russian Karelia are suggested. The results of this study can be used to improve Karelian tourist products by providing services as expected by tourists. The findings are limited to visitors of Russian Karelia and should therefore be interpreted with caution.

К. К. Логинову — полевому исследователю посвящается

The article analyzes the field work of the renowned ethnographer Konstantin Kuzmich Loginov (1952–2020), an expert in ethno-local history and the culture of Karelia, the Russian North and, in particular, the Zaonezhye Region. The contents of Loginov’s voluminous monographs and articles allow us to identify his strategy in field communications and his relations with specific informants. Loginov’s position inside the ethnic community under research was complex: he was simultaneously a collector, interpreter, supporter, and custodian of the fading collective memory peculiar to a certain ethnic community of the Russian North and Karelia. Loginov’s research prioritized the study of local groups of Russians and partly of Karelians and their leaders. From this point of view, the article considers materials collected by Loginov during two field seasons, which took place in 2011 and 2012, when he conducted a series of in-depth interviews with N. V. Likhacheva (1916–2016), a representative of the elder generations of one of the local groups of the Tver Karelians — Vesiegonskie. The results of those in-depth interviews were the recordings of autobiographical narratives that reveal the informant’s evaluation of her personal life, show her religious views, their depth and peculiar properties, as well as her reading experience and knowledge of local folk traditions. These aspects constitute the worldview of the bearer of the traditional culture in the second half of the 20th — early 21st century.

The basal dunite of the Precambrian mafic-ultramafic N\xe4r\xe4nk\xe4vaara intrusion: Petrogenetic considerations and implications to exploration

Several mafic-ultramafic layered intrusions were emplaced in the Fennoscandian Shield during wide-spread mantle-sourced magmatism at 2.5–2.4 Ga. The Näränkävaara intrusion (surface area 5 × 30 km2), northeastern Finland, contains a 1.5–2 km thick basal dunite (not dated), and a 1.5 km thick layered series (2436 ± 5 Ma). A newly discovered marginal series between the basal dunite and the layered series indicates that the basal dunite is older, and highlights the need for further study on their relationship. Along its southern basement contact, the basal dunite contains a 200–300 m thick zone of olivine ortho- and mesocumulates, but the bulk of it is composed of olivine adcumulates and lesser olivine-orthopyroxene heteradcumulates. Based on whole-rock geochemistry, the basal dunite is divided into a low-Fe zone (average FeOt 10.2 wt% and Ni 2250 ppm) and a high-Fe zone (average FeOt 12.5 wt% and Ni 1700 ppm). Both zones have high MgO (32–47 wt%) and varying Cr (830–5160 ppm) and Al2O3/TiO2 (16–26). Textural and geochemical layering is similar along the 30 km strike of the basal dunite. A LREE-enriched high-MgO basaltic parental magma composition (13–18 wt% MgO) is inferred for the basal dunite from olivine–melt mixing trends in orthocumulates. The dunite exhibits at least two geochemical reversals as well as abundant low-porosity adcumulates, poikilitic chromite, and bimodal olivine, suggesting formation in a high-volume open magmatic system. Significant similarity in major and trace element compositions with the Näränkävaara layered series and the Burakovsky intrusion and Vetreny belt extrusives in Russian Karelia suggests that the basal dunite belongs to the Fennoscandian 2.5–2.4 Ga mafic layered intrusions. An Archean komatiitic origin for the dunite body cannot be completely ruled out, however. Distinct Ni-depletion in olivine is found in the basal dunite from the low-Fe zone to the high-Fe zone (3200 versus 2200 ppm). This depletion does not correlate with Fo contents, which suggests that it is not related to olivine fractionation. The basal dunite may thus have potential for Ni-(Cu-Co-PGE) sulfide mineralization.

Assessment of the effect of beaver foraging activities on the alteration of waterside forests in northern and middle taiga of Russian Karelia

The territory of the Republic of Karelia is latitudinally elongated and traversing two boreal subzones such as the northern and middle taiga. Pine and spruce stands predominate in the northern taiga, while forests in middle taiga are more diverse, represented by secondary stands, and often dominated by deciduous species. These factors define the foraging behaviour of beavers and their role in alteration of riparian forests. Dispersing in the northern taiga, beavers tend to choose waterside areas with a higher proportion of deciduous species. However, such habitats occupy less than 1% of the forested area in this subzone, so the overall effect of beaver foraging on forest stands would be minor. On the other hand, inside beaver colonies, stand alteration is far more pronounced than changes in colonies in the middle taiga, and the effects are the following: 1) waterside forests in the northern taiga lose 2.5 times more deciduous trees than those in the middle taiga (61.4 and 26.3 %, respectively); 2) in waterside stands, aspen is totally removed, the share of conifers is doubled, and the share of birch is reduced (in the middle taiga, the share of birch around beaver colonies slightly increases, and the share of aspen is reduced by a factor of 1.5); 3) beavers in the north of Karelia consume thick birch trees more often than in the south of the region; 4) the regeneration capacity of damaged trees in the north is lower than in the south of Karelia.
 Key words: beavers, foraging activities, waterside forests, northern and middle taiga, tree stands

A review of grass flies (Diptera, Chloropidae) of Karelia and Murmansk Province of Russia

One hundred and sixteen species of Chloropidae (Diptera) are recorded in Russian Karelia and Murmansk Province: 112 in Karelia and 44 in Murmansk Province. Twenty-two and seven species are new for Karelia and Murmansk Province, respectively. Calamoncosis oscinella is for the first time reported from Russia and Elachiptera breviscutellata - from European Russia. Pseudogaurax venustus is reinstated as Gaurax venustus. Taxonomic notes are provided on Eribolus nana, Polyodaspis ruficornis, Oscinella vindicata and Cetema simile. The distribution and biological data are given for every species. Point maps are provided for species with at least one exactly known location. The zoogeographical structure of Chloropidae fauna on the examined territories is briefly discussed and compared with other north-European countries.

Fast and slow health crises of Homo urbanicus: loss of resilience in communicable diseases, like COVID-19, and non-communicable diseases

Fast and slow health crises of Homo urbanicus: loss of resilience in communicable diseases, like COVID-19, and non-communicable diseases

Low genetic polymorphism in the re-introduced Eurasian beaver (Castor fiber) population in Finland: implications for conservation

BackgroundReduction of genetic diversity can lead to reduced fitness of species, such as the loss of adaptability to changing environments. The native Eurasian beaver (Castor fiber) was hunted to extinction from Finland and many other countries in Europe in the nineteenth century. In Finland, the species was re-introduced in the 1930s with only a few individuals from Norway. Re-introductions were performed also in other countries of northern Europe and as a result, Eurasian beaver populations have undergone population bottlenecks leading to low levels of genetic diversity.Materials and MethodsHere, 200 Eurasian beaver samples from Finland, Estonia, Lithuania, and Russian Karelia were investigated using 12 microsatellite markers to examine the level of genetic diversity and relationship between the populations.ResultsWhile Russian and Estonian populations were genetically the closest, the Finnish population was clearly distinct from all others and had the lowest genetic variability among the study populations. This may be deleterious to the population especially in a changing environment.ConclusionsGenetic rescue could be the best solution to increase the genetic diversity and improve the future prospects of the population, although more studies are required to resolve the optimal source population.

EMERGING PROSPECTS OF MINING WASTE UTILIZATION IN THE KARELIAN-KOLA REGION

Re-organizing useful mineral utilization for a better management of useful mineral deposits and environmental protection is discussed with an emphasis on mining waste utilization. Comparative analysis was attempted to show the urgent need to re-assess natural resources in spoil heaps and waste with view to solving environmental problems and speeding up economic growth by boosting high-tech industries. Current mining waste utilization in the Karelian-Kola Region is described. Shungite deposits in Zaonezhsky Peninsula, Russian Karelia, are discussed to assess progress and problems in mining waste utilization. Proposals for making-up an innovation-oriented production optimization programme at each mining company were made. The establishing of the Interdepartmental Regional Committee under the Barents-Euroarctic Council (BEAC) was proposed to monitor and support innovative methods and advancements for a better management of mineral resources in Russia and in the Karelian-Kola Region.

A rotiferan version of the punishment of Sisyphus?

In March 2017, we joined a multi-disciplinary expedition on Lake Onego, in the Russian Karelia, with the primary goal to investigate zooplankton strategies to survive deep winter under ice. We intended to focus on the large zooplankters, i.e. crustaceans of tenths to a few mm of body length, through sampling by horizontal and vertical trawls using nets of relatively large mesh-size. Delays in the delivery of sampling gear compelled us to opt, at the last minute, for a much-smaller mesh size net for the horizontal trawls underneath ice.

Lacustrine charcoal peaks provide an accurate record of surface wildfires in a North European boreal forest

We evaluated the skills of different palaeofire reconstruction techniques to reconstruct the fire history of a boreal landscape (Russian Karelia) affected by surface fires. The analysis of dated lacustrine sediments from two nearby lakes was compared with independent dendrochronological dating of fire scars, methods which have rarely been used in context of surface fires. We used two sediment sub-sampling volumes (1 and 3.5 cm3, wet volumes) and three methods of calculating the Charcoal Accumulation Rate to reconstruct fire histories: CHAR number, charcoal surface area and estimated charcoal volume. The results show that palaeofire reconstructions obtained with fossil charcoal data from lake sediments and dendrochronology are similar and complementary. Dendrochronological reconstruction of fire scars established 12 fire dates over the past 500 years, and paleo-data from lake sediments identified between 7 and 13 fire events. Several ‘false fire events’ were also recorded in the charcoal chronologies, likely because of errors associated with the estimation of the sediment accumulation rate in the unconsolidated part of the sediment. The number of replicates, that is, number of sub-samples and lakes analyzed, had an effect on the number of identified fire events, whereas no effect was seen in the variation in the analyzed sediment volume or the choice of the charcoal-based metric. Whenever possible, we suggest the use of the dendrochronological data as an independent control for the calibration of charcoal peak series, which helps provide more realistic millennia-long reconstruction of past fire activity. We also argue for the use of 1 cm3sample volume, a sampling protocol involving sampling of more than one lake, and sufficient number of intra-sample replicates to achieve skilful reconstructions of past fire activity.

GARNET AND RARE-METALS RESOURCES OF THE VYSOTA-181 ORE OCCURRENCE, NORTH KARELIA

A metamorphogenetic-metasomatic garnet ore occurrence, known as Vysota-181, is located in the Louhi District, Russian Karelia, which is part of the Arctic zone of the Russian Federation. The study of the ore occurrence has revealed many productive rock varieties. Various types of garnet ore have been identified, based on their distribution, mineral composition and industrial properties. Garnet is considered as a promising complex non-radioactive source of critical strategic rare-earth metals (TR = Y+La+Ce+…+Lu) and scandium. The micro-component chemical composition of the garnet from its concentrates derived from various ore types was analyzed. It has been shown that pyralspitic garnet from sialic ore varieties contains economic concentrations of scandium (Sc203 – 177.3–196.8 g/t), a major useful component, and that yttrium-group elements (YTR = Y+Sm+…+Lu) predominate in the composition of associated TR (TR203 – 130.2–139.2 g/t, the percentage of YTR203 is 91.6–97.2 %). The rare-metals concentration (RМ) in garnet from apobasic ores (Sc203 – 72.2 g/t, TR203 – 163.3 g/t) is below the minimum economic concentration. The predicted resources of garnet and RМ in the various ore types composing the rock massif which could be quarried by the open-pit method were estimated. Garnet resources in mafic ores are 5.582 Мt, RМ resources in the garnet are (t): Sc203 – 403, TR203 – 911, including Y203 – 557, YTR203 – 871. The total garnet resources with economic scandium concentrations in the sialic ores of various types are 5.633 Мt, RМ resources in the garnet (t) are: Sc203 – 1099, TR203 – 776, including YTR203 – 714, Y203 – 468. Vysota-181 is a medium-sized ore occurrence, based on predicted scandium resources in garnet from sialic ores.

Ecotourism in Russian Karelia: Emergence, development, opportunities

This review article examines the development of ecotourism in national parks in the Republic of Karelia over the last 30 years. In Russia, the term “ecotourism” has appeared in newspapers and scholarly articles since the 1990s and its popularity is still increasing. The authorities in the Republic of Karelia have argued that tourism and especially ecotourism have the potential to become a major sector of the Republic’s economy. This article focuses on the meaning of this term internationally, and especially in the context of Russia and Karelia, and considers this definition through the lens of conventional historiography. The key issue of this research is the triangular relationship between ecotourists, local communities and wildlife conservation areas or national parks, where ecotourism functions as a major tool, connecting all these points. This paper applies comparative historical research methods as part of a qualitative approach, analysing a variety of primary sources including archive materials, interviews and forum discussions. The article concludes that the slow growth of ecotourism, despite the attempts of regional authorities and the assistance of the European Union, is due to several reasons including remote locations, poor infrastructure and the lack of symbolic meaning for national parks.

Geochemistry of komatiites and basalts in Archean greenstone belts of Russian Karelia with emphasis on platinum-group elements

Archean komatiites form an important host rock for Ni-Cu sulfide deposits in the world. In this study, we examined Archean komatiites and komatiitic basalts from four areas in the Vedlozero-Segozero greenstone belt and two areas in the Tikshozero greenstone belt, Russian Karelia, to constrain their Ni-Cu sulfide mineralization potential using chalcophile element geochemistry. The platinum-group element (PGE) concentrations in these Munro-type komatiitic rocks are at a level of other similar S-undersaturated komatiites and komatiitic basalts globally, with Pt and Pd concentrations in the range of 5–20 ppb and Pd/Ir varying from < 10 (komatiites) to > 15 (komatiitic basalts and basalts). Generally, the metals of the iridium-group elements (IPGEs; Ir, Ru, Os) show a compatible behavior, decreasing in abundance with decreasing MgO, whereas the metals of the palladium group (PPGEs; Pt, Pd, Rh) exhibit an incompatible behavior. The poor correlation between Ir and MgO suggests that olivine fractional crystallization is not the main control on the behavior of IPGE. In contrast, Ir, Ru, and Os show positive correlations with Cr, which is consistent with the compatible behavior of IPGEs in chromite or during the co-precipitation of chromite and platinum-group minerals (PGMs). Palladium, Cu, and Au have been variably mobile during alteration and metamorphism whereas Pt appears to have been less mobile. Some samples from the Khizovaara area show low (Pt/Ti)N ratios, low Ni, and high La/Sm and La/Nb, suggesting localized sulfide saturation in response to crustal contamination. However, the potential of the Russian Karelian greenstone belts for Ni-Cu sulfide mineralization is considered relatively low because most samples show neither enrichment nor depletion of chalcophile elements, and the paucity of dynamic lava channel environments, as indicated by the scarcity of olivine-rich adcumulates. In addition, there appears to be a lack of exposed sulfidic sedimentary rocks in the region.

Early childhood infections and the use of antibiotics and antipyretic‐analgesics in Finland, Estonia and Russian Karelia

Infections in early childhood are common reasons to seek medical attention. This study compares the prevalence of infections, and the use of antibiotics and antipyretic-analgesics, in children from Finland, Estonia and Russian Karelia. Children with a genetically increased risk for type 1 diabetes (N=797) were observed from birth up to 3years of age. Illnesses and medications were reported by parents continuously. All reported infections, antibiotics and antipyretic-analgesics were compared between Finland and Estonia, and to a lesser extent with Russian Karelia, due to poor study compliance. Compared with Estonians, Finns reported more infections during the first and second years of life. During the follow-up, Finnish children had 10 infections while Estonians only had 8 (p<0.001). Finns also used more antibiotics and antipyretic-analgesics in each year during the follow-up. Russian Karelians reported the lowest frequency of infections and the most infrequent use of antibiotics and antipyretic-analgesics in the first two years of life. Infections and the use of antibiotics and antipyretic-analgesics in early childhood were most frequent in Finland, where socio-economic conditions are the most developed and microbial encounters are sparse. This may reflect on the hygiene hypothesis, a less effective immune system that allows normally harmless microbes to attack and cause clinical infections.

A local clay-varve chronology of Onega Ice Lake, NW Russia

Onega Ice Lake developed in front of the receding Late Weichselian ice margin in Russian Karelia. Glacial varves that formed in Onega Ice Lake have been earlier studied by means of varve counts, palaeomagnetism and 14C AMS dates from small lakes north of modern Lake Onega and from Lake Onega proper. Synchronous changes in magnetic parameters and similar stratigraphy of these varve records together with the existence of basin-wide marker interval of pink-coloured varves have been used for core-to-core correlation and palaeogeographic interpretations. Unfortunately, there are missing varve-to-varve correlations between these cores. We present a 1155 yr long local varve chronology based on 3 parallel overlapping cores from two small lakes in the Zaonezhsky Peninsula at the northern coast of Lake Onega. Varve counts and matching of varve series were made from digital images. Following the textural, structural, colour and thickness changes of varves within Onega Ice Lake varve series, six characteristic varve units are identified. These clay units reflect changing sedimentary conditions at the time of accumulation that in general can be interpreted as a progressively increasing distance to the retreating ice margin. Variations in varve thickness superimposed on that overall trend, namely two episodes of abrupt and consistent decrease in varve thickness, do not correspond to known lake-level changes or shifts in outflow directions. AMS chronology for deglaciation of Lake Onega basin gives some evidences for correlation of above intervals of decreased varve thickness with the GI-1c2 and GI-1B cold events in NGRIP δ 18O event stratigraphy but further age estimations are needed to confirm presented correlations. Interval of reddish-brown varves – earlier described also as the ‘pink horizon’ – was observed in all studied sequences, and according to varve correlation, at the same stratigraphical level, which proves its basin-wide synchronous appearance. Ca 100 km south of our study area, Saarnisto and Saarinen (2001) reported ca 200 more varves compared to our results. Visual correlation of varve thickness graphs places these extra varves to the proximal part of the series and indicate a rapid ice recession from the main lake basin to the northern Lake Onega area with the ice recession rate ca 500 m per year.

Mineral and geochemical composition of the Onega Ice Lake sediments

An analysis of the mineral-geochemical composition and structure of the Holocene–Pleistocene bottom sediments was performed on Lake Polevskoye, a small lake in the northern Lake Onega area in Russian Karelia, which is considered representative to describe the Late Weichselian Onega Ice Lake sediments. The analysis was accomplished using modern analytical methods, including scanning electron microscopy and ICP-MS, which allowed us to interpret their genesis in a new light. It is assumed that the distribution of rare earth elements (REE) in the bottom sediments of the recent Lake Onega and in the sediments of Onega Ice Lake will improve our understanding of the history of sedimentogenesis. It is apparent in the distribution of REE, their composition and data on the geochemical and mineral composition of the Holocene bottom sediments of Lake Onega and Lake Polevskoye (varved clays) that in their composition of terrigenous matter the material introduced from the north-western part of the catchment area is mainly composed of Archaean and Early Proterozoic crystalline complexes. However, the values of several indicator ratios of elements in the lower part of the of varved clays with shungite interlayers indicate the presence of mixing of clastic material from two sources of different geochemical origin: the north-western part of the catchment area (source of shungite rocks) and the south-eastern part of the catchment area (Phanerozoic sedimentary rocks of the Russian Platform).

Finnish botanists in the mires of Olonets region in Russian Karelia during the Second World War

Finnish botanists in the mires of Olonets region in Russian Karelia during the Second World War

Genomic variation and strain-specific functional adaptation in the human gut microbiome during early life.

SummaryThe human gut microbiome matures toward the adult composition during the first years of life and is implicated in early immune development. Here, we investigate the effects of microbial genomic diversity on gut microbiome development using integrated early childhood datasets collected in the DIABIMMUNE study in Finland, Estonia and Russian Karelia. We show that gut microbial diversity is associated with household location and linear growth of children. Single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP)- and metagenomic assembly-based strain tracking revealed large and highly dynamic microbial pangenomes, especially in the genus Bacteroides, in which we identified evidence of variability deriving from Bacteroides-targeting bacteriophages. Our analyses revealed functional consequences of strain diversity; only 10% of Finnish infants harbored Bifidobacterium longum subsp. infantis, a subspecies specialized in human milk metabolism, whereas Russian infants commonly maintained a probiotic Bifidobacterium bifidum strain in infancy. Groups of bacteria contributing to diverse, characterized metabolic pathways converged to highly subject-specific configurations over the first two years of life. This longitudinal study extends the current view of early gut microbial community assembly based on strain-level genomic variation.

The Kalevala's Languages: Receptions, Myths, and Ideologies

Abstract In Finland, the epic Kalevala (1835, 1849) and Kalevala-meter poetry, or oral folk poetry more generally, are often seen as nationally significant symbols of Finnishness. The Kalevala is a modern literary product constructed by Elias Lönnrot out of Finnic folk poetry especially from Russian Karelia, Finland, and Ingria. Lönnrot, who was himself among the most significant collectors of oral poetry, created the Kalevala as a synthetic, organized compendium of (reconstructed) pre-modern “Finnish” culture. Beginning from the publication of the first edition in 1835, the Kalevala has been extremely significant in the creation of Finnish national and ethnic identity. In this article, we discuss the engenderment of Finnishness and Finnish culture in terms of language ideologies by looking closely at the Kalevala's languages, language-specific reception of the epic, Lönnrot's language ideologies, and politics of language standardization in the contexts of the Grand Duchy of Finland and Russia. We argue that in these processes, Finnish was strongly symbolized and given a mythological charter: it was the language encapsulating ancestral heritage, and it was the language that theFinns were obliged to develop, learn, and teach. For the needs of the nation, the language had to be refined and homogenized, made into a standard language. In this process, the Karelian language and culture were implicitly absorbed into Finnish cultural heritage but not recognized and valued as coeval cultural realities: in both Finnish and Russian discourses, Karelia represented the past of the present-day Finnishness, but not the present day of Karelianness.

Post-Younger Dryas fault instability and deformations on ice lineations in Finnish Lapland

The Younger Dryas phase, which occurred between 12.8 and 11.5 ka as a part of the cyclic pattern of global climatic changes, was concurrent with maximum fault instability (13–10 ka) in the Fennoscandian shield. Ice lineations, indicative of glacial streaming toward the Younger Dryas end moraines (YDEMs), may have faced earthquake impacts within the glacial isostatic adjustment (GIA). Morphometric analyses for airborne laser scanning (ALS) revealed that ice lineations were deformed subglacially and subaerially in Finnish Lapland. The subglacial water outburst flows diagonally eroded the drumlins, 50 km from the YDEMs in Utsjoki, northern Finnish Lapland. Similarly north, in the Sevetti area, 40 km from the YDEMs a large portion of the ice lineations were entirely distorted by the subglacial squeeze-up Pulju moraine and liquefaction bowl formations. In the interior part of the Fennoscandian Ice sheet (FIS) in Kemijärvi, representing onset of an ice-stream fan 200 km from the YDEMs, mass flows had reworked the ice lineations. Based on the electrical-sedimentry anisotropy, mass flow sediments deviated from the ice flow pattern. Postglacial liquefaction craters were created on the drumlins in Utsjoki and also in Kuusamo, eastern Finnish Lapland, 70 km from the YDEMs in Russian Karelia. We interpret these features as indications of paleoseismic events associated with GIA.