Russian Sector Research Articles

Analytical review of the training system for mining engineers in Russia

Personnel training for the mineral resources sector in Russia has always been one of the most relevant topics for discussion in academic and professional mining community, including the international context. Experts from many countries regularly present their research on the state and achievements of higher education in mining in the national training systems for mining engineers. The purpose of this paper is to analyze and quantify the system of training for mining engineers in Russia. To assess the quantitative characteristics of the training of mining engineers in Russia, the research used methods of analysis based on the objective data of state statistics on the graduation of mining engineers in all universities, as well as admission to the corresponding professions and training programs. Thus, 5,031 mining engineers were trained in Russia in the specialties “Applied Geology”; “Geological Exploration”; “Mining”; “Physical Processes of Mining and Oil and Gas Production” in 2021. 10,789 bachelors and masters were trained under oil and gas directions of training. The results of the analysis are presented in the paper in the context of particular universities, specializations and directions of training of Federal Districts and the country as a whole. The quantitative parameters of personnel training for the mineral resource sector at Russian universities indicate the opportunity for the formation of human resources potential within the higher education system of the industry exclusively at the expense of their own academic schools.

Assessing the Influence of Collaborative Technology Adoption—Mediating Role of Sociotechnical, Organizational, and Economic Factors

The study investigated the factors that influence the adoption of collaborative robots in the manufacturing sector in Russia from sociotechnical, organizational, and economic point of views. The study was driven by the increasing technological innovation in the manufacturing sector, especially in the use of robots and collaborative robot applications in daily manufacturing, flexibility, and operations activities. The study was a quantitative, descriptive survey that relied on primary data from respondents with varied experiences in the manufacturing sector in Russia. The study employed a total of 351 respondents selected for their insights into the application of robotics in the manufacturing process in Russia. The model adopted for the study was tested using confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), reliability, and validity analysis. The hypotheses of the study were evaluated using partial least-squares analysis. The results revealed that the adoption of collaborative robots was influenced by organizational factors and economic factors. Perceived performance improvement was significantly influenced by collaborative robot adoption and sociotechnical systems. The study recommended that the stakeholders in Russia’s manufacturing sector should improve their training, management support, perceived innovativeness, and prior experience to enhance the adoption of collaborative robots and flexibility in design.

Assessment of the level of state support for the agrarian sector in Russia and the European Union

The article provides the research of the state support for agriculture in Russia using the methodology of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). The overall estimation of support for agricultural producers in Russia, considering not only budget transfers but also price support in 2020 amounted to 749 billion rubles or 12 % of gross revenue. At the same time, budgetary transfers account for 31.9 %. A significant amount is accounted for by the support of the market price, which is estimated through the difference between domestic and reference prices (prices "at the border") by the types of agricultural products. In the case of Russia, pork, poultry and beef producers received more than 655 billion rubles in 2020 as a result of price support. On the contrary, hidden taxation is typical for crop producers; about 308 billion rubles were withdrawn from them because of the pricing policy. However, the high overall market price support for agricultural producers in Russia in 2020 suggests that transfers from consumers exceed transfers in the form of subsidies. For comparison, price support in Russia and the EU on average for 2013-2020 was 44 % and 17 %, respectively. It is shown that in the EU 75% of the total support for agriculture is provided through the least market-distorting forms (support for general services, creation of state reserves to ensure food security), in Russia – 27 %. From the point of view of the sustainability of agriculture, the measures to support general services (infrastructure, science and education, innovation support) have the greatest impact on the volume of gross value added of the industry in Russia. The correlation coefficient for this type of support is the highest - 0.93, while the coefficient of determination is high – 86 %. This leads to the main recommendation on the adjustment of the agrarian budget in favor of supporting general services, which, in addition to the high positive effect on agricultural production, refers to least market-distorting measures and does not have the disadvantage of unequal access to agricultural producers, in contrast to, for example, direct subsidies and concessional loans.

Hydrogeology of the artesian basins of the southern part of the Kara sea and Yamal-Gydansk megasaddle

Background. In hydrogeological terms, the territory of the Barents-Kara shelf has not been studied in sufficient detail. The data on its hydrogeological zoning are based mainly on the results of research undertaken in the 1970s, when attempts were made to isolate artesian shelf basins according to a set of hydrogeological indicators of oil and gas content. Currently, the position of the basin boundaries can be adjusted using current data from oil and gas and geological zoning and the hydrogeological testing of wells.Aim. To conduct the hydrogeological zoning of the territory of the southern part of the Kara Sea and the north of the West Siberian geosyneclise, including oil and gas structures — the South Kara syneclise and the Yamal-Gydan megasaddle, as well as to carry out a chemical analysis of groundwater of the Jurassic-Cretaceous aquifer complexes composing the sediments of the sedimentary cover of the West Siberian sedimentary basin.Materials and methods. A cartographic method was used to analyze earlier maps and schemes of hydrogeological and oil and gas geological zoning of the Russian sector of the continental slope of the Arctic Ocean, and then to determine the boundaries of the identified artesian basins. For a chemical analysis of groundwater, the results of hydrogeological testing of wells drilled at the Zapolyarnoye oil and gas condensate field were used.Results. The boundaries of two artesian basins — the South Kara submarine and the Yamal-Gydan semi-marine, corresponding to the same-name oil and gas prospective structures and having the same geological structure, were determined. Both basins are characterised by the presence of the main aquifer complexes of the Mesozoic hydrogeological floor of Western Siberia. When studying the composition of groundwater of the Zapolyarnoye deposit, it was found that the types of water change regularly with depth and an increase in the content of the hydrocarbonate ion due to the possible migration of fluids enriched with carbonic acid dioxide from the rocks of the foundation.Conclusion. The determined basins are characterised by a wide distribution of oil and gas-bearing structures and the exploration maturity of the sedimentary cover. Both artesian basins are characterized by the distribution of groundwater of a unified composition and genesis.

. Prospects of Digital Technology Introduction in Work of Credit Consumer Cooperatives

Today, when digital technologies keep proliferating and integrating in different spheres of human activity, relations among entities, including economy and finance, are being transformed, which makes them more convenient and effective. Digital technologies extend communicative possibilities, simplify movement of information and finance flows and reveal a broad range of lines in further improvement of mechanisms providing better interaction between key entities of finance market, including credit consumer cooperatives. The principle goal of the research is to identify and substantiate the most promising directions of digitalization in functioning of self-regulating bodies of credit consumer cooperatives (CCC), to extend the number of mechanisms of raising extra investment into their work and to improve general finance accessibility in the Russian Federation. Fast development of Russian economy during the last decade, proliferation of digital, finance, banking services and technologies exercised a great impact on the system of cash circulation and credit relations, which shapes a modern outlook of the finance sector in Russia, including the sector of credit cooperation. The article demonstrates two key lines in introducing digital technologies into CCC work and depicts major vectors of their practical application: 1. Digitalization of CCC organization and management processes, as well as optimization of interaction between its members, executive body and selfregulating organization; 2. Use of advanced digital technologies in CCC functioning.

Towards luminescent ethnography of creative work: Purity, dirt and social inequality in Russian art institutions

This article investigates the idiosyncrasies of creative work in Russian art institutions through a study of their materialities. As identified in previous research, social inequalities are a significant feature of creative work. I argue, however, that in order to reveal inequalities that are constructed performatively, that is, in the ‘here’ and ‘now’, we need to further develop the existing arsenal of methods that is employed in critical creative work studies. In the Russian case, art institutions display a wealth of techniques for constructing and maintaining hierarchies, which of necessity must frequently be re-established due to conditions in the local context. In particular, the following explores two perennial paradigms of cultural production: ‘high culture’ and ‘creativity’. As these paradigms coexist in the economy of the Russian art world, they compete for resources, including funding, public attention and legitimation. In the struggle, a binary of purity/dirt develops the social space of institutions, organisational identities and hierarchies inside and between organisations. This paper primarily focuses on an ethnographic study of cultural producers from the visual arts sector in Russia’s two largest cities: Moscow and St. Petersburg.

Investment tax benefits in China: special features of legal regulation and comparative analysis with Russian practices

The subject. The article discusses the legal regulation of investment tax incentives in China. The choice of the object of research is determined by the prospects of comparative legal studies of the experience of states bordering the territories of the Russian Far East, where numerous zones with special economic status have been created, within which preferential business regimes are applied.Purpose of the study. Despite the diversity of special economic zones in the Russian Federation and the constant creation of new zones, preferential regimes do not always prove their effectiveness. Based on the above, it seems very relevant to analyze the best international and national practices in order to develop criteria for the effectiveness and efficiency of preferential tax regimes for zones with special economic status.Thus, the specifics of the comparative legal method of research always consists in the fact that it is not necessary to borrow foreign experience, but it is also possible to find the best practices within domestic legislation. Therefore, it is necessary to look for ways to ensure that Russian tax legislation laying the foundation for supporting innovation in our country.Methodology. The research was carried out with the application of the formally legal interpretation of legal acts as well as the comparative analysis of international and Chinese legal literature. Structural and systemic methods are also the basis of the research.The main results. As China seeks to transform from a mass producer of inexpensive goods to a high-end producer, the national government is making significant efforts to encourage targeted investment in research and development (R&D) and technological innovations. This has led to the fact that China has awarded the technology sector the title of strategic, and its state support has increased significantly.Сonclusions. On the base of the analysis of the main tax incentives in China, the author comes to the conclusion that a significant part of them is aimed at enterprises engaged in research and development, as well as technological innovations. Also, a significant part of tax benefits is provided to enterprises based on the choice of the geographical area of the company's establishment. The conclusion is made about the possibility of applying the Chinese experience in Russia in reforming preferential tax regimes.The support for companies in the technology sector in Russia is especially important due to the policy of recent years aimed at establishment of tax benefits for IT companies. Both Russia and China strive to promote the accelerated development of innovative industries, the implementation of priority investment projects, as well as the development of small business.

IMPROVEMENT OF THE SYSTEM OF BANKING SUPERVISION IN THE CONDITIONS OF DIGITALIZATION OF THE RUSSIA ECONOMY

This article studies the main trends in the development of banking supervision at the present stage of development of the credit and financial sector in Russia. The proposed concepts should correspond to the current conditions for the functioning of the banking sector and information financial technologies. The article proposes the most promising areas for modernization in the field of effective banking supervision, consistent with the overall strategy for digitalization of the banking sector of the Russian Federation.

COMPARATIVE ASSESSMENT OF THE BUSINESS SECTOR IN RUSSIA AND FINLAND

The presented article investigates the aspects of development of social entrepreneurship within the border territories of Russia and Finland. The aim of the study is to assess the opportunities and prospects for the development of socially oriented business. The object of the study is the consumers of the service sector in Russia and Finland.
 The method of research is a questionnaire survey, as a result of which the formed questions provide information about the development of the entrepreneurial sector. The study analyzes the needs and opportunities for the development of social entrepreneurship in the border areas. The evaluation of the development of social entrepreneurship is based on focus groups method.
 As a result of the conducted research the differences in separate directions of development of entrepreneurial sector in the Republic of Karelia and Finland were revealed. The differences in the expectations of young people in the countries under consideration and the fears of Russian and Finnish respondents were determined. The obtained results allow us to determine the differences in social and economic policy of the states.

The Impact of Climate Change on Russian Agriculture and Implications for Global Food Security

Although Russia’s grain growing regions have experienced episodic droughts, the financial impact of climate change has to date been modest when measured in terms of value of production lost. As industrial agriculture continues to emit greenhouse gases, the impact of climate change will intensify, making Russia’s southern regions drier and hotter, and potentially forcing a structural shift in production northward, an event that will lead to lower yields and grain output. The sustainable sector in Russia’s agricultural system is not able to compensate for lower grain output in the south, nor is it able to feed the nation or ensure food security across the full spectrum of commodities that consumers expect. The prospect of Russia as a declining grain power impacts the dozens of nations that import Russian grain, most notably authoritarian regimes in the Middle East.

Инновации российского финансового сектора экономики

Introduction. The digital changes taking place in all spheres of society are most evident in certain sectors, especially in the financial sector. One of the factors of the modern development of a sustainable economy is the digitalization of society associated with the rapid development of information technologies. Informatization of this sector in Russia is associated with the synthesis of legal, economic, social, political changes. Theoretical analysis. The article is devoted to the key trends of informatization of the financial sector of Russia. Consideration of theoretical and methodological approaches to the study of the penetration of digital technologies into the financial sector shows the lag of the Russian practice of deploying digital technologies from Western practices, and rapid growth in 2020 under the influence of the covid crisis. Empirical analysis. Analysis of the main suppliers of information technologies in the financial sphere and their products has been carried out. Priority directions of development of information technologies in the financial sector and ways of their implementation are identified. The main approaches to strengthening information security and reliability of financial technologies in Russia have been studied. Synthesis of materials on research of information technologies in the financial sector of Russia has been carried out. Results. Modern realities are such that new technologies based on digital services are actively being introduced into Russian practice, which changes the structure of financial market entities, makes financial products more accessible to citizens and businesses. The penetration of IT companies into the financial services market starts the process of transforming the delivery of financial products and services fintech becomes an independent sector of the economy. The format of the financial sector, 24/7, gives users round-the-clock access to services and products, but at the same time forms a range of risks that need to be taken into account and addressed. Digitalization of the financial sector, based on a global rethinking of information solutions, is the key to the transition to sustainable development.

Istoriko-metodologicheskoe ponimanie razvitiya sel'skogo hozyajstva na Dal'nem Vostoke RF

The modern development of the agricultural sector in Russia is inextricably linked with investment processes, which are the driving force behind the integration of the national economy into the world economy. Total investments aimed at the development of agriculture in the Far East in recent years do not exceed 5% of their total volume. It should be noted that state agri-food programs for the development and modernization of the country’s agriculture have been developed and are operating in the Far East. A lot has been done, but only quantitative indicators have increased, qualitative ones - there is much to be desired.

The SME sector of the Russian Federation: Current status, development problems, and State support measures

Subject. This article analyzes the functioning of the small and medium-sized business sector in Russia and the SME support programmes implemented in Germany, the USA, and the UK. Objectives. The article aims to conduct a comparative analysis of the development indicators of small and medium-sized businesses in Russia and some foreign countries, and develop recommendations for improving State support for this business in Russia. Methods. For the study, we used the methods of comparative and content analyses. Results. The article identifies and describes the main negative factors affecting the development of small and medium-sized businesses in Russia. Conclusions. The article concludes that it is necessary to develop strategic measures aimed at increasing the investment activities in the small and medium-sized business sector.

Перспективы и факторы развития сектора информационных технологий в России

The article analyzes the indicators and factors for the development of the information technology sector in Russia for the period 2016-2020. compared to global trends, as well as the strengths and weaknesses of its investment attractiveness to additionally finance strong growth in the future. The prospects of the IT sector as a driver of the ESG strategy for the development of the Russian economy as a whole are substantiated.

Integrated airborne investigation of the air composition over the Russian sector of the Arctic

Abstract. The change of the global climate is most pronounced in the Arctic, where the air temperature increases 2 to 3 times faster than the global average. This process is associated with an increase in the concentration of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. There are publications predicting the sharp increase in methane emissions into the atmosphere due to permafrost thawing. Therefore, it is important to study how the air composition in the Arctic changes in the changing climate. In the Russian sector of the Arctic, the air composition was measured only in the surface atmospheric layer at the coastal stations or earlier at the drifting stations. Vertical distributions of gas constituents of the atmosphere and aerosol were determined only in a few small regions. That is why the integrated experiment was carried out to measure the composition of the troposphere in the entire Russian sector of the Arctic from on board the Optik Tu-134 aircraft laboratory in the period of ​​​​​​​4 to 17 September of 2020. The aircraft laboratory was equipped with contact and remote measurement facilities. The contact facilities were capable of measuring the concentrations of CO2, CH4, O3, CO, NOx​​​​​​​, and SO2, as well as the disperse composition of particles in the size range from 3 nm to 32 µm, black carbon, and organic and inorganic components of atmospheric aerosol. The remote facilities were operated to measure the water transparency in the upper layer of the ocean, the chlorophyll content in water, and spectral characteristics of the underlying surface. The measured data have shown that the ocean continues absorbing CO2. This process is most intense over the Barents and Kara seas. The recorded methane concentration was increased over all the Arctic seas, reaching 2090 ppb in the near-water layer over the Kara Sea. The contents of other gas components and black carbon were close to the background level. In bioaerosol, bacteria predominated among the identified microorganisms. In most samples, they were represented by coccal forms, less often spore-forming and non-spore-bearing rod-shaped bacteria. No dependence of the representation of various bacterial genera on the height and the sampling site was revealed. The most turbid during the experiment was the upper layer of the Chukchi and Bering seas. The Barents Sea turned out to be the most transparent. The differences in extinction varied by more than a factor of 1.5. In all measurements, except for the Barents Sea, the tendency of an increase in chlorophyll fluorescence in more transparent waters was observed.

The Dynamics of the Housing Construction in the Republics of the USSR in the 1920s-1980s. Part 3

Despite 30 years of market reforms, the main difference between the housing sector in Russia and other post-socialist countries and that of the advanced Western nations lies in housing tenure distribution. In the former states, outright homeowners with property mainly built in the planned economy dominate the market. At the same time, in the latter countries, the majority of households pay rent or take out a mortgage (these types of households account for three-quarters of households in the USA and on average almost two-thirds of households in Western and Northern European nations). This article examines the evolution of main indicators of housing construction in the USSR as well as in the 15 Union republics from 1918 to 1990. The research rests upon a database composed by the author from more than 120 official statistical sources at the national and Republics' level. This work covers not only state housing construction but also individual housing construction as well as housing construction cooperatives in the USSR republics, which the post-Soviet and foreign scholarly literature have often neglected. We identify the main stages of housing construction in the USSR and analyze the data on housing completions in urban and rural areas, the evolution of the housing stock, flats and houses built, and the statistics on the people in the Union Republics who improved their living conditions. The time series collected and per capita indicators across the 15 republics of the USSR calculated by the author, reveal quite synchronized development of their housing sectors. Nevertheless, the three Baltic republics were leaders in many per capita indicators, whereas the RSFSR, the Kazakh, Byelorussian and Armenian SSR stood out in terms of housing completions and the share of people who improved their living conditions. At the same time, the Georgian, Ukrainian and Moldavian SSR excelled in floor area per person.

Тренды в банковской отрасли в эпоху развития цифровых технологий

Abstract. The intensive development and spread of digital technologies have a significant impact on the financial market. More and more commercial banks are striving to move to tradi-tional and digital banking, thereby meeting the financial and non-financial needs of cus-tomers and reducing their costs and increasing efficiency. The purpose of the study is to identify, systematize and generalize key trends in the development of the banking sector in the era of digital technology development based on an assessment of the most promis-ing technological and platform solutions. The object of the study was the performance indicators and technologies of the banking sector. In the course of the study, general scientific, analytical, statistical graphical methods, as well as methods of expert assess-ments were used. The author highlights the essence of the ongoing changes and technological solutions in the banking sector of Russia, highlights the main trends in the development of the bank-ing business, analyzes their state, and possible ways to accelerate the digital transfor-mation of the banking industry. Particular attention is paid to state regulation of the pro-cesses of digitalization of the banking sector. The authors conclude that the main devel-opment drivers are both platform and technological solutions: big data, open API, re-mote authentication, ecosystems, as well as projects of the Bank of Russia: masterplace, masterchain, digital ruble

The influence of Ludwik Krasiński and Maria Ludwika Czartoryska on Ojców architecture at the turn of the 20th century and between the two world wars

In the second half of the 19th century, a spa was set up in Ojców, a village at the time situated by the southern border of the Kingdom of Poland. With time, it became a fashionable destination for visitors from Warsaw, and from other towns and cities located in the territory of the Russian sector of partitioned Poland. Ojców experienced its heyday early in the 19th and 20th centuries and its spa activities continued also between the two world wars. The Ojców demesne was then owned by Count Ludwik Krasiński and his daughter Maria Ludwika, from 1901 Princess Czartoryska. The latter remained the owner of Ojców until the nationalisation of the estate in the wake of the agrarian reform of 1944.
 The article attempts to discuss the contribution of Ludwik Krasiński and his daughter Maria Ludwika to the architectural heritage of Ojców. It was their idea to have many buildings, particularly those that catered to the the needs of the local spa, built. Their number includes the Jadwiga and Urocza villas, and the non-extant Goplana hydrotherapy establishment. Moreover, Ludwik Krasiński and later Maria Ludwika Czartoryska ordered works on the ruins of Ojców Castle and development of the Ojców spa park. It was chiefly thanks to their efforts that certain elements of the Swiss spa architecture and subsequently also the Zakopane (Polish highland) style were introduced in Ojców. There are also certain unrealised and partially realised goals worth mentioning, for instance an attempt to restore the castle tower, the initiative to move the historical ­wooden church from Smardzowice to Ojców (ultimately, it was transferred to Mostek, a village in Miechowski County), and the concept of building an immense spa estate reminiscent of a garden city in Złota Góra initiated between the two world wars.

Population dynamics of blue crab (<i>Paralithodes platypus</i> Brandt, 1849) in the northwestern Bering Sea

State of the blue crab stock and production is considered for the Russian sector of the Bering Sea on the data of bottom trawl and trap surveys conducted by TINRO in 2005–2017 and fishery statistics. The commercial stock was assessed for 2018 by cohort analysis. The absolute majority of commercial males within the West Bering Sea fishing zone concentrated in two areas located at Koryak coast and at Cape Navarin, whereas the commercial aggregations were absent in the Olyutorsky Bay and Karaginsky Bay. The stock distribution between these two areas was unstable; recently the aggregation at Koryak coast increased to 72 % of the total number of commercial males in 2017. This dynamics is conditioned by both changes in reproduction and intensity of fishery. The total commercial stock of blue crab had increased since 2014 and reached the maximum of 18.133 × 106 ind. (males) in 2017 that exceeded significantly the level of 2005–2013. The blue crab fishery extends in the Bering Sea, since 2010 the portion of used TAC increased from approximately 93 % in 2011–2015 to 98 % in 2016–2017 and 99 % in 2018. State of the population is evaluated as satisfactory and stable.

THE ROLE OF REGIONAL INFRASTRUCTURE IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF NON-PROFIT SECTOR

This article deals with uneven development of NPO sector in the regions of Russia. Basic ways of understanding the essential activities and the main reasons for the development of non-profit organizations are specified. Different alterations of the regional differentiation of the Russian non-profit sector are also presented, based on the types of organizations monitored by Federal State Statistics Service. The main institutionalized forms of NPO support by regions and the Russian Federation are discussed. Primary effective measures of support of non-profit sector are determined according to the series of semi-structured interviews with the heads of regional non-profit organizations, N=15. The comparison of support measures with NPO effectiveness in the solution of socially significant regional problems is made. Possible characteristics for describing the internal organizational structure of non-profit organizations are indicated. The main types of observable methods of organizing activities in the non-profit sector of Russian regions are identified. Possible ways of combining basic organizational structures with each other are presented. As hypotheses, the main options for combining organizational structures with the institutional environment of the region of activity, as well as the basic orientation of organizations of various sizes to different levels of support, are formulated. The results demonstrate the substantial differentiation in realization of NPO support programs among the regions and the impossibility to select the more effective support measures.