ARCTIC «UPGRADE» OF V. V. PUTIN, PRESIDENT OF THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION

• Published in: Post-Soviet Issues
• Main Author: I. S. Zonn
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: Russian
• Published: Centre of Regional Research 2017
• Subjects: арктика; политика; шельф; экология; флот; авиация; International relations; JZ2-6530; Arctic; Arctic Ocean; Barents Sea; White Sea; North Pole; Chukotka; Chukotka Peninsula; Northern Sea Route; Арктика; Spitsbergen
• Online Access: https://doi.org/10.24975/2313-8920-2017-4-1-20-40; https://doaj.org/article/61dae92d9bae45458cbfc76eaf97595a

After establishment of the Soviet power the Arctic for seven decades had been in the focus of attention accomplishing the heroic, repressive, “educational”, economic, political and ideological functions. In 1930-1950 General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Bolshevik Communist Party I.V. Stalin created the first Soviet Arctic shield that included the economic and military strategic power, transport targeted to protection of entirety and security of the Soviet country. The Stalin’s large-scale project of Arctic development was made public in 1931 and was targeted to the enhanced protection of the polar waters by establishing the naval base on the Barents Sea. For implementation of this project the White Sea-Baltic canal was constructed. The Trust “Arktikugol” was established on the Spitsbergen Archipelago to supply coal to the Northern Navy Fleet. The sea expedition over the Northern Sea Route was also organized to prove the possibility of shipping along this route for one navigation season. Upon its successful completion the Chief Department “Sevmorput” was set up here. The epoch of airship construction was opened to explore the Arctic air expanses. Later on there were expeditions to the North Pole, deployment of army on the Chukotka Peninsula, new expeditions to high latitude terrains, construction of high-capacity icebreakers, aerodromes and military bases on the coast of the Arctic Ocean. Unfortunately, in the 1990s in the time of the Soviet Union breakup and perestroika many facilities of the Stalin’s Arctic Shield had been lost and ceased to exist.The early 21st century witnessed the second energetic and goal-oriented breakthrough into the Arctic region and establishment of the second Arctic Shield or bastion based on the key principles of the Soviet Arctic Shield or, in other words, its upgrade in the new conditions of the polycentric world, which is justly connected with the name of Russian President Putin.The interest to the Arctic was revived after V.V. Putin was elected in 2000 the RF ...