Home – Home – Jornals – Humanitarian sciences in Siberia 2019 number

This article objective is to reveal main issues related to peculiarities of the Arctic economic development during the Soviet period. The study is essential to define the historical experience of industrial development of the region rich in natural and mineral resources. The article’s problematic field includes step-by-step implementation of industrial programs in the Arctic. The first program was the industrial project’s realization in Norilsk: the metallurgical plant construction began in 1935; the first portion of nickel (the most important metal for the military-defense industry) was smelted in 1942. Norilsk industrial area continued its development after the World War II. In 1950s Norilsk had already been able to produce a substantial amount of nonferrous metals, which became even larger after Nadezhdinskiy smelter start-up. The article points out other events of the industrial modernization taking place after the World War II in the Arctic and northern Siberia regions under industrial program’s implementation. The next program was forming the West Siberian oil and gas complex to produce large volumes of natural gas and oil. Hydrocarbon extraction in Sub-Arctic and Arctic regions started in the late 1950s and actively developed in 1960-1980s. Nowadays, it is still the main source of fuel and energy resources in the country. The state strategy was aimed exclusively at promoting the growth of industrial capacity of eastern regions including Arctic Siberia. The Northern Sea Route along the Soviet Union’s northern border was very important for economic development of Soviet Arctic. The author concludes that the main factor of economic development of Siberia and Arctic in the USSR was industrial modernization which pre-determined the state approach to this region.