News & Views on the Russian presence within the Arctic Circle
7 May 2010
Taimyr local government officials report that there will be a meeting between interested parties taking place in Dudinka in the Taimyr region in order to discuss, ‘information on the construction of a new icebreaker, which will go into Dudinskiy port, the practical results of hydrometeorological support of navigation of ships along the Murmansk Norilsk Nickel-Murmansk-Dudinka, as well... Read More...
7 April 2010
In an interview with Regnum, oil and gas expert Alex Kontorovich, who once stated that the Arctic reserves will be equivalent to the reserves in the Persian Gulf, outlines the steps involved in Arctic development. Kontorovich is an Academician based at the Keremovo Scientific Centre in Siberia (see here and here) and estimates that the results of all the present activity will not be realised... Read More...
5 April 2010
In addition to the posts here and earlier reports such as this one the realities on the ground are not often the same as the vaunted dreams of the politicians. Лента.ru and other agencies reported on the fact that employees of the Marine Engineering Services went on hunger strike after a year without pay. The workers worked on military berths around the Murmansk region... Read More...
31 March 2010
While the meetings between the Arctic Five took place in Canada there were many reports of increased geographic activity from the Russian side. риа-новости and other sources have reported that the state budget for geography wil have increased by 6.3% during 2010. GZT.ru reports on a completed application to the UN Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf for an extension... Read More...
29 March 2010
Further to this post, which included links to articles about the difficulties attracting younger people to work in the north, a Ukrainian agency has posted this account of a demonstration in Arkhagelsk against the Government. Alongside banners which posed questions for the premiership of Putin the specific demands, as reported, seem to have included the lack of heat (ironically oil and... Read More...
18 March 2010
вести.ru were the first to broadcast, there is video, Medvedev’s remarks to the Security Council of the Russian Federation. There is a need to obtain the correct balance between the competitiveness of Russia’s economy and measures to combat environmental change, according to Medvedev. This is fair enough but Medvedev also commented on the, ‘ недопустимости... Read More...
17 March 2010
It is stated many times in many places that the northern regions are vitally important for the future of Russia – ‘Развитие Севера – это будущее нашей страны’ is the phrase used in итарр-тасс. As stated here up to 20% of Russia’s economy is based in the northern regions. This week there was a meeting of the... Read More...
17 February 2010
Despite some recent doubts about the immediate future of the field, the latest on the Shtokman project is that Russian companies are now bidding to build the platforms and rigs, and the various ships, barges and pontoons needed for the project. прийm-тасс carried an article by one Dmitry Lyutyagin from Veles Capital who is optimistic about the long-term prospects for Gazprom. It... Read More...
15 February 2010
A number of agencies recently reported the fact that a new class of ice-breaker built by the shipbuilding company Almaz has failed in recent attempts to navigate the Neva River. The Nevsky Gate, unfortunately, was not able to navigate the river up to the Alexander Nevsky Bridge. The ship lacked the capacity to deal with the ‘unique’/'not common’ thickness of ice on the... Read More...
1 February 2010
In developing plans for pipelines and oil and gas terminals it appears as though Gazprom is pressing ahead with the development of the Shtokman field in the Barents Sea despite some ‘foreign’ doubts about its profitability in the short-to-mid-term gas market. According to this report the head of Gazprom states that the ’проект будет обязательно... Read More...
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