Discussions on the need of developing the North in Russia at the beginning of the 20th century

At the beginning of the 20th century, the vast territory of the Russian Empire beyond the Arctic Circle was practically uninhabited. It was necessary to make the northern rivers navigable, and to explore these territories for mineral deposits. Deputies of the State Duma proposed constructing a canal between the Baltic Sea and the White Sea. The development of the economy of Siberia was closely linked with the development of the Northern Sea Route. However, the monarchical government considered this region politically unreliable, and most of the Duma deputies underestimated the importance of the North for the development of the country. The authorities forbade the development of local governments in this region. For the minority of the Duma deputies, it seemed unjustified that significant funds for transport development were invested in the “national outskirts”: Poland and the Baltic provinces. Meanwhile, Norway actively used the weakness of Russia in the North. Norwegian cities were developing fast attracting Russian fishermen to sell their catch there. Due to insufficient funding and underestimation by the authorities, the development of Russia’s North received no adequate support. The construction of the port of Murmansk began too late, after the outbreak of World War I.