Preface

Problems of the Arctic region and northern territories are in a focus of the attention of the scientific community. Saint-Petersburg Polytechnic University of Peter the Great coordinates research and exchange of its results within a wide circle of scientific and educational institutions in Russia and abroad. One of the notable parts of this work is the annual international conference “Arctic: History and Modernity” which was held on 18-19 March 2020 for the fifth time. The organisers had to reshape the format according to the rules of work under conditions of the pandemic. As one of the leading technical universities in Russia Saint-Petersburg Polytechnic University contributes to the fulfillment of Arctic programmes by its scientific and organisational resources. The main goal of the conference is to invite specialists in Earth and environmental science, technical and natural sciences as well as social science, economics, and humanities to provide a multidimensional approach to the Arctic territories as a place for life, science and international cooperation. Among the participants, there were representatives of local administration and professionals who contribute to Arctic development by their everyday practical work. Traditionally there are such subjects for discussion as economic and social geography, natural resources, cultural and historic heritage, high technologies, and transport. The present conference gave special attention to environmental security, technological, military, economical aspects of the interaction of humans and nature. Many articles are focused on changing environmental conditions under the influence of climate, technogenic factor, and on the safety of materials and technological innovations for the Arctic. Research for protection of the natural biological resources of the Cola basin, Barents region, Arctic coastlines covers problems of the ecosystem’s balance. More attention is paid to the human capital of the North, conditions of life and labour, education, ethnic identity, traditional occupations, and settlements. The geographical scope of conference participants became wider. Publications present works by more than 700 authors who represent Universities from Saint-Petersburg and Moscow, Arctic Universities of Archangelsk and Murmansk, scientific centers of Russian Academy of Science in Kola region, Karelia and Komi republic, scientific and educational institutions of Sakha (Yakutia), South Ural, North East, and the Far East regions of Russia. Specialists from Italy, Norway, China, Germany, France, and Poland took part in the conference.