Commentary
Sergey Nikonorov: Arctic cities are becoming drivers of a new economy
The Arctic could become a powerful macro-region with a sustainable economy and high quality of life, provided that its resource orientation is balanced with investments in human capital, technology, and ecology The Arctic is an outpost, a space where the technologies of the future are born. It is here, in the polar cities, that solutions...
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Aleksandra Nikanorova: «Franz Josef Land is Becoming Accessible for Cruise Tourism Again»
This is a factor in the sustainable development of the islands’ infrastructure and in creating conditions for strengthening activities related to the study, protection, and monitoring of rare animal species and unique landscapes Starting in 2027, the nuclear icebreaker «50 Years of Victory» will carry tourists to Franz Josef Land, reports Vedomosti Severo-Zapad, citing the...
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Vyacheslav Maracha: The Transit Potential of the Transarctic Transport Corridor Must Become the Main Growth Driver
The TTC – from a potential alternative to the Suez Canal route to a strategic necessity for global logistics The thesis that the Transarctic Transport Corridor (TTC) could become an alternative to the Suez Canal route for some Asian countries by reducing distance and shipping costs between Asia and Europe is commented on by Vyacheslav...
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Victoria Pestova on Arkhangelsk proposals for Arctic Zone and Transarctic Corridor development
Reduced railway freight rates to Arkhangelsk and Murmansk are required, as well as the establishment of bonded zones in Arctic ports for duty-free cargo storage On July 27, 2026, in Arkhangelsk, a meeting chaired by Deputy Prime Minister Yury Trutnev discussed the comprehensive development project for the Arctic Zone and the Transarctic Transport Corridor (TTC)....
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Maksim Dankin: Arctic cities are laboratories, not just places to live
Why are the North and the Arctic different worlds and concepts, and why is competition between cities more dangerous than their cooperation? Every city in the Far North is historically formed as a specialized testing ground for testing unique systems of extraction, energy, and monitoring – it is forced to be an innovative center, otherwise...
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Olga Startseva: Three key results of the «North Pole – 42» expedition
SP-42 enabled long-term environmental monitoring in previously inaccessible Arctic latitudes The «North Pole – 42» expedition, which began on September 30, 2024, concluded on July 12, 2026, when the research vessel North Pole (Severny Polyus), guided by the nuclear icebreaker Arktika, reached open water. Over 21 months of drifting in the central Arctic, the vessel...
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Alexei Tsykarev: How the Cali Fund Will Change Financing for Ecosystem Biodiversity Conservation
Russia’s participation in multilateral financial mechanisms for biodiversity promises additional opportunities for Indigenous peoples but requires critical reflection From October 19 to 30, 2026, Yerevan will host the 17th Conference of the Parties (COP17) to the UN Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) – a pivotal political summit aimed at uniting world leaders, ecologists, and experts...
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Mikhail Cherosov: «The Rights of Arctic Peoples Must Not Become the Price for the Green Transition»
Yakutia’s experience with ethnological expert reviews offers an example of the right balance between the country’s economic development goals and preserving the ancestral habitat and traditional way of life of Indigenous peoples The growing global demand for critical minerals for green energy and technologies is putting intense pressure on Indigenous lands and threatens to infringe...
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