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A rare phenomenon—the long-range atmospheric transport of dust from the arid and semiarid territories of the Caspian Sea region through the center of the European part of Russia to its Arctic areas—was recorded in December 2023 during a field study of the physicochemical characteristics of airborne particles in Moscow and the snow composition in Arkhangelsk oblast. The analysis of the trajectories of the air mass transport, dynamics of spatial and temporal variability of the mass concentration of PM2.5 and PM10 matter in Moscow oblast, and numerical estimates and spatial distributions of near-surface concentrations and optical characteristics of airborne particles in the European part of Russia (according to the MERRA-2 reanalysis estimates) confirmed an increase in aerosol air pollution in the territories from the Caspian Sea to Arkhangelsk oblast. The snow sample taken in the area of Pinega Nature Reserve, Arkhangelsk oblast, in the spring of 2024, in the snow cover at a height of 18–20 cm (with a total snow thickness of 65 cm), was found to contain a yellowish layer of snow that fell in December 2023. The preliminary studies of the sample from this snow showed the presence of a large amount of organic suspended matter and plant residue, which in winter indicates transport of atmospheric aerosol from the southern regions of Russia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Materials determining the possible pathways of Arctic zone colonization by representatives of thermophilic ichthyofauna are presented. The previously proposed hypothesis that the fish of the thermophilic complex that lived in the White Sea basin during the Subboreal period (sterlet, blue bream, common rudd, white-eye bream, and asp) and were considered extinct during the subsequent cooling in the Subatlantic period, adapted to changed conditions, stayed in particular areas of their range, and became part of the modern ichthyofauna in limited numbers have been elaborated and confirmed. The possible pathways of spontaneous introduction of the Caspian thermophilic species, white-eye bream, and asp to the Northern Dvina basin are considered. Populations of rudd and blue bream, rare thermophilic species for the region, have been detected and studied in the lakes of the Kenozersky National Park. Rudd, a relict species of the Holocene thermal maximum, was previously recorded only in several floodplain lakes of the middle reaches of the Northern Dvina River. The Kenozero population of rudd is the first case of finding epresentatives of this species in the Onega River basin. Blue bream can be also considered a relict found in the territory of the region only in one lake system of the Kenozersky National Park and several small lakes of the Siysky State Nature Reserve. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article is devoted to the study of employers’ perceptions of the competences of employees in the shipbuilding, fishing and forestry industries of the Arkhangelsk Oblast in the context of digitalization and automation of production. As part of the sociological research, the team conducted a questionnaire survey and semi-structured interviews among representatives of enterprises in these industries. The results of the research allowed drawing conclusions that the professional competencies of employees, as well as abilities to work independently, in non-standard situations and under stress are currently the most in demand for employers. There is also a very high demand for qualities associated with discipline and the desire to develop in the profession. In terms of the size of enterprises, the higher requirement for almost all competences in small and medium-sized enterprises compared to large employers is noteworthy. The authors conclude that about half of the enterprises in the shipbuilding, forestry and fishing industries of the Arkhangelsk Oblast have implemented automation and digitalization into all key production processes. In the near future, more than 50% of employers expect a high demand for employee competencies related to the use of new production technologies. The survey revealed a gap between employers’ expectations and the actual level of professional training and skills of recent graduates of educational institutions of higher and secondary vocational education, including with regard to the most in-demand knowledge, skills and abilities. In the context of industries, it is noteworthy that the level of satisfaction with the training of graduates of shipbuilding industry is much lower, except for those who received education through the “Plant-University” system (Severodvinsk).

The article considers a procedure for constructing river valleys of lowland subarctic territories based on a digital elevation model in SAGA GIS software applied to the case of Arkhangelsk oblast. Two algorithms for calculating drainage areas (D8 and MFD) are analyzed, and their advantages and drawbacks in digital modeling of an MFD river network are demonstrated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

After the outbreak of the Second World War, the eastern territories of Poland were occupied by the Soviet troops (and the new Soviet-Polish border was removed far to the West). Almost 320 thousand Polish citizens who resided in these territories were arrested and sent to the camps and special settlements in the remote regions of the USSR. Of them, almost 58 thousand people were deported to Arkhangelsk Oblast. Based on the materials of two special settlements of Primorsky Raion of Arkhangelsk Oblast, this article considers the process of deportation of Polish citizens, the conditions of their accommodation and labor, their legal status, and repatriation. The authors made an attempt to identify social groups, establish the sex and age composition of the deportees, describe the process of their adaptation to the new conditions and labor efficiency, and point out the peculiarities of the application of amnesty and repatriation. According to the results of the study, the authors came to the conclusion that the conditions in the special settlements under study were such that the death rate among Polish settlers there in the first winter was almost 10% despite the territorial proximity of these settlements to the regional center. Of the survivors, only 20% of working-age men could be involved in the work in the forest. The rest of the exiles consisted of women and children, more than half of whom (47%) were children under the age of 14. In violation of the law, another 15–20% of this number could be sent to work, but in any case, the labor efficiency of such workers was minimal. The situation was aggravated by the lack of normal working and living conditions, which entailed high disease incidence and, as a result, absence from work. Such a contingent became burdensome for logging enterprises. Even with the lowest wages, special settlers’ labor was unprofitable. Meanwhile, even after the 1941 amnesty, the authorities did everything they could to keep the special settlers in the USSR. The authors explain this fact by an attempt to make Polish citizens hostages in resolving the “Polish issue,” i.e. recognition of the new Soviet-Polish border by the West and the Polish Government-in-Exile in London. As soon as an agreement with the allies on the western border of the USSR was reached and the special settlers got an opportunity to leave the USSR, there was no single Polish citizen who wanted to stay in the Soviet Union, and all of them hastened to leave for their homeland.

The article presents the results that reveal the features of the state of the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis and the level of dopamine in apparently healthy men with different adaptive potential of the circulatory system, taking into account age and territory of residence. Material and methods. The study involved 155 men (90 residents of the European North (Arkhangelsk Oblast) and 65 residents of the Asian North (Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug)) aged 22–59 years. Serum hormone levels of the hypothalamic-pituitary- gonadal axis were determined by enzyme immunoassay and radioimmunoassay in vitro analysis. The adaptive potential was calculated according to R.M. Baevsky. Results and its discussion. The functional tension of the mechanisms of adaptation of the circulatory system in men of the European North and unsatisfactory adaptation in men of the Asian North were revealed. In the studied regions of the North, there are no people with good and satisfactory adaptation, and the group of people with a breakdown in adaptation was identified only in the Asian North in men aged 45–59 years, which allows us to classify these subjects as a risk group for developing cardiovascular diseases. In men of the European North, the unsatisfactory adaptation was combined with an increase in the levels of prolactin (at the age of 22–44 years) and follitropin (at the age of 45–59 years) and a decrease in the level of sex hormone-binding globulin (at the age of 22–44 years). A decrease in the levels of total and free testosterone can be attributed to the key markers of failure of adaptation in men of the Asian North aged of 45–59 years. When analyzing the data of the entire surveyed population of men aged 22–59 years, an increase in aromatase activity was noted against the background of a decrease in testosterone levels in men of the European North with the 4th degree of adaptive potential and in men of the Asian North with the 5th degree of adaptive potential, which can be considered as a compensatory reaction to preserve the function of the cardiovascular system.

Since the collapse of the Soviet Union, local communities have been adapting to new political and socioeconomic realities. These changes have prompted dramatic outmigration among rural populations, especially in the Russian Arctic. Despite these changes, some communities remain viable, with some residents exploring new economic opportunities. This study uses findings from qualitative interviews to understand what factors shape community viability, interviewing residents and relevant regional stakeholders in two case areas in the Arkhangelsk oblast: the Solovetsky Archipelago in the White Sea and islands in the delta of the Northern Dvina River. The results indicate that community viability and the reluctance of community members to leave their traditional settlements are shaped by livelihoods, employment opportunities, and social capital. Social capital is characterized by such empirically identified factors as shared perceptions of change and a willingness to address changes, place attachment, and local values. We conclude that further development or enhancement of community viability and support for local livelihoods also depends on 1) bottom-up initiatives of engaged individuals and their access to economic support and 2) top-down investments that contribute to local value creation and employment opportunities.

In the European North of Russia, the need for scientifically based normative and reference materials for stands’ survey, including nonprincipal tree species, such as treelike willow, represented in the region mainly by sallow Salix carpea L., northern willow Salix borealis Fries, almond-leaved willow Salix triandra L., and their hybrids, was and remains relevant. Without maintaining a unified system of forest survey standards, it is impossible to conduct intensive forestry. Forest survey standards for a treelike willow were developed, taking into account the specifics of forest growing conditions of forest areas. The absence of forest survey standards for a treelike willow makes it difficult to improve the accuracy of accounting forest resources in the European North of Russia, to fulfill functions of protecting, safeguarding and restoring forest resources, and to increase the ecological functions of forests. The article presents new tables of volumes of willow tree stems in diameter and height in the north-taiga region. When developing the tables, the data of 42 sample plots were used, which were established in the Verkhnetoemsky and Arkhangelsk forestry districts of Arkhangelsk Oblast, on which 105 sample trees were measured. Tables of stem volumes by diameter and height of a treelike willow are used to determine the stock of stand, as well as to determine the volume of individual tree stems in the sample plots during the studies. The shape of willow stems were studied using sample trees using the old form factor. The height range with the appropriate diameter was taken from the sample plot data and the measured sample trees. Forest survey standards for a treelike willow in the north-taiga region of the European part of the Russian Federation previously have not been developed.

Assessment of forest regeneration using remote sensing data is a priority scientific research topic worldwide today. Threshold values for successful reforestation can be defined using multi­temporal satellite scenes and indices for analysis of vegetation on cutting and burned areas. The analysis of successful reforestation has practical value for Russian government organizations for transferring burned and cutting lands to forest cover land. The rate of reforestation depends on climate, soil conditions in the region of studies. Collection of field data and the studies were carried out in northern and middle taiga of Arkhangelsk Oblast. This territory belongs to boreal forest. Calculations of spectral indices for each research object were made using multi­temporal scenes for 20 years based on Google Earth Engine platform. Optimal spectral index was selected based on the analysis of collected data. The optimal threshold values of the index for transferring pixel of satellite imagery to forest cover land were found using this data. Optimal spectral index for transferring non­forest cover to forest cover land SWVI was selected. The optimal threshold value for transfer to forest cover land equals 80 % recovery of the index after a disturbance in forest cover. Method for transferring land to forest cover land was developed based on analysis of dynamic of the spectral index. The result was the spatial layer of transferring land to forest cover land in 2018 on the territory of Severodvinsk and Onega forestry district of Arkhangelsk Oblast.

The increased attention paid by the state and the public to the Russian Arctic in recent years has led to a new round of its economic development. Nevertheless, major features of the Arctic nature are its vulnerability and the difficulty of recovery after anthropogenic impacts. This fact, as well as the exceptional climatic, ecological and cultural significance of the nature of the Russian Arctic, predetermines the need for its careful protection and for preservation of its fragile ecological balance. The defining role in these processes belongs to protected natural areas (PNS). Our paper emphasizes that one of the main barriers to the development of the network of protected natural areas both in Russia as a whole and in its Arctic territories consists in numerous conflict situations and disputes related to the organization and existence of protected areas. In the framework of the study, we develop a universal algorithm for analyzing the conflicts related to the establishment and functioning of protected areas. The proposed algorithm was tested on the example of the Arkhangelsk Oblast – the largest region in the European part of the Russian Arctic. Using content analysis, systematization, expert survey and general scientific research methods, we identify 58 conflict situations in 35 currently functioning protected areas and in two protected areas that are planned to be created in the region; we classify the situations according to the parties, subject and phase of the conflict. On the basis of this work, we formulate a set of specific recommendations to address, prevent and reduce the number of conflicts in the protected areas of the Arkhangelsk Oblast

The article provides an overview of literary and archival materials on the historical geography of pearl fishing, as well as a list of rivers of the Southern White Sea Region, where in the 17th-20th centuries pearls were mined. The most significant resources of pearls have been concentrated in the rivers Solza (with the tributary Kazanka) and Kozha (with the tributary Syvtuga) where there was regular and profitable trade of pearls for a long time. At present, pearl mussel populations have been preserved in these rivers, sometimes with a fairly high density. The volumes and frequency of pearl fishing can be indicators of shellfish abundance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents analysis of the Arkhangelsk City Clinical Hospital № 7 capacity and medical personnel staffing. The new coronavirus infection incidence, cases of temporary disability due to disease and quarantine of COVID-19 were analyzed in the Solombalsky district of Arkhangelsk. The issues of primary health care support and readiness of medical personnel to work with medical information systems in in conditions of COVID-19 pandemic were studied. The management decision-makings improving quality and accessibility of medical services using information technologies are demonstrated.

Water bodies in the city of Mirny (Arkhangelsk oblast, Russia) and its environs are the northernmost sites where the introduced Chinese sleeper is registered. The first data on the Chinese sleeper parasite fauna in this region are obtained; Trichodina mutabilis, Goussia sp., Spironucleus sp., and larvae of Nematoda gen. sp. are found. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article considers the results of continuous retrospective documentary study of regional characteristics of road traffic injuries with medical consequences on the Federal highway M-8 "Kholmogory" in the Arkhangelsk oblast in 2012 - 2018. The analysis was applied to 906 medical records of patients older than 18years hospitalized with urgent indications after road traffic accident and received in-patient treatment in medical organizations of the Arkhangelsk Oblast located in area of the Federal highway M-8 "Kholmogory". The significant decreasing of number of accidents with medical consequences recorded in the covered area as well as significant decreasing number of victims and perished with minimal rate ​​in 2018 was established. It is revealed that the largest number of victims of road traffic accidents was recorded in summer - 300 (31.1%) and autumn - 270 (29.8%) of this year. The Saturday and Sunday occurred to be the most dangerous days of the week in this respect. In day periodicity, maximal number of victims was recorded in the evening time (18-24 PM, 35.1%) and the smallest number in the night time (1-6 AM, 14.6%). Among injured individuals, significantly dominated males (p<0,001) and in total sampling young people under the age of 40.