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The North and the Integration of Socio-Economic Spaces: an Example in the Russian Northwest

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Studies on Russian Economic Development Aims and scope

Abstract—

The paper examines some issues of the spatial development of Russia: recovery of large economic regions in the public administration system and combining their status with the functions of Federal districts; identifying subregions, associations of adjacent regions (territories, republics and autonomous districts), as new spatial planning units; industrial, technological, and socio-economic integration of the Arctic and northern regions with their southern neighbors.

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Notes

  1. Formulated on the basis of scientific concepts of E. B. Alaev [1], V. Verlen [2], A. G. Granberg [3], T. E. Dmitrieva [4], P. A. Minakir and A. N. Dem'yanenko [5--6], S. A. Tarkhov [7], A. M. Trofimov, A. I. Chistobaev, and M. D. Sharygin [8], A. N. Shvetsov [9].

  2. This theme in the context of the economy was very thoroughly considered by the philosopher-theologian S. N. Bulgakov [10].

  3. An overview of the works of P. Krugman // https://inosmi.ru/world/20140530/220679185.html. See also: the article by A. N. Pilyasov [11].

  4. When zoning, the thesis “new is well-forgotten old” can be useful in restoring the borders of the Far Eastern, East Siberian (with the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia)), West Siberian, Ural and North-Western economic regions.

  5. The deadline for the execution of the “strategy of socio-economic development of the North-West Federal district until 2020” approved by the decree of the RF Government dated November 18, 2011, No. 2074 approaches. The strategy has not been implemented, by reason of “lack of ownership”. The executive office of Plenipotentiary Representative of the president in the district does not have the authority to execute such documents. In this regard, we agree with the position of those jurists who propose to strengthen the role of Federal districts in coordinating the activities of regional governments, without changing the essence of federalism enshrined in the Constitution of the Russian Federation [15], but we Express doubts about the feasibility of transforming Federal districts in the province with a change in the norms of the existing Federal structure [16].

  6. This trend was not noticed by the developers of the Strategy of Spatial Development of the Russian Federation for the period up to 2025 (approved by the Government of the Russian Federation of February 13, 2019, no. 207). Absolutely incommensurable macro-regions were named among 12: North-West (the Republic of Karelia, Kaliningrad, Vologda, Leningrad, Murmansk, Novgorod, Pskov oblast, St. Petersburg) and North (the Komi Republic, Arkhangelsk oblast, Nenets Autonomous okrug).

  7. Kaliningrad oblast, as an exclave, is not considered in this article.

  8. For example, in 1990 it was proposed to establish at the Federal level the Territorial, Urban Development and Environmental Protection Council, and the Ministry of Planning, Urban Development and Architecture of the Russian Federation; and at the Federal subject level – the Council for territorial, Urban Development and Environmental Protection of a Region (Republic, territory, district), the Committee (departments, offices) for Territorial Development, Urban Development and Architecture and the Departments of Urban Development and Architecture of Administrative Regions (district and regional municipalities) [22]. The current situation of poor environmental quality of people’s lives indicates the relevance of these recommendations.

  9. One of the approaches to spatial development management is supposed to be based on “the principles used in the implementation of the ‘Atomic project’ launched in the USSR in 1946–1949. A special Commission with serious powers can manage the process, and a scientific and technical Council can act within its framework” [23]. This is probably the case when “we still don’t really know what to manage, but we want something ambitious.”

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  1. Institute of Socio-Economic and Energy Problems of the North, Komi Scientific Center, Ural Branch, Russian Academy of Sciences, Syktyvkar, Russia

    V. N. Lazhentsev

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Translated by A. Simakova

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Lazhentsev, V.N. The North and the Integration of Socio-Economic Spaces: an Example in the Russian Northwest. Stud. Russ. Econ. Dev. 31, 277–283 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1134/S1075700720030107

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