This article is part of a series on Russian interests in the Arctic. Russia’s Arctic policies and postures are often misunderstood, overblown, or underrated because they take place in a complex regional context and result from complex internal politics. In an interview with Alexander Pelyasov, a professor at Moscow State University and long-time consultant for the Russian government, Morgane Fert-Malka sheds light on this central Arctic player.

“People of the North” is a series of interviews created in partnership with Arctic in Context and Kesserwan Arteau, a legal and consulting firm that works with indigenous communities.

This article is part of a series on Russian interests in the Arctic. Russia’s Arctic policies and postures are often misunderstood, overblown, or underrated because they take place in a complex regional context and result from complex internal politics. Morgane Fert-Malka explores the evolution of reindeer herding. Once a nomadic craft alone, some communities are “striving to develop a globalized and sustainable industry” without compromising a time-tested tradition.

This article is part of a series on Russian interests in the Arctic. Russia’s Arctic policies and postures are often misunderstood, overblown, or underrated because they take place in a complex regional context and result from complex internal politics. Morgane Fert-Malka contributes with an analysis, interview, or book review shedding light on this central Arctic player.

By Morgane Fert-Malka Territorial disputes in the Arctic usually feature in popular media within a narrative of a “race for resources” or militarization on the world’s “last frontier.” This article, not for thrill-seekers, is about a dispute of the tedious kind: the delimitation of the continental shelf in the five Arctic coastal states—Canada, Denmark, Norway,

Photo by Simon Marcouiller “People of the North” is a series of interviews created in partnership with Arctic in Context and Kesserwan Arteau, a legal and consulting firm that works with indigenous communities. Every six weeks, Kesserwan Arteau founders, Jean François Arteau and Karina Kesserwan will publish an interview with leaders, innovators, and community members in an

This article is part of a series on Russian interests in the Arctic. Russia’s Arctic policies and postures are often misunderstood, overblown, or underrated because they take place in a complex regional context and result from complex internal politics. Every second month, Morgane Fert-Malka contributes with an analysis, interview, or book review shedding light on

“People of the North” is a series of interviews created in partnership with Arctic in Context and Kesserwan Arteau, a legal and consulting firm that works with indigenous communities. Every six weeks, Kesserwan Arteau founders, Jean François Arteau and Karina Kesserwan will publish an interview with leaders, innovators, and community members in an effort to highlight the

This article is part of a series on Russian interests in the Arctic. Russia’s Arctic policies and postures are often misunderstood, overblown, or underrated because they take place in a complex regional context and result from complex internal politics. Every second month, Morgane Fert-Malka contributes with an analysis, interview, or book review shedding light on

By Natasha Bluth Nestled in an inlet of Svalbard, a Norwegian archipelago in the Arctic Ocean, the Soviet mining town of Pyramiden lies quiet and deserted. First founded by Sweden in 1910, the Soviet Union bought Pyramiden in 1927. The state-owned mining company Arktikugol Trust acquired ownership of the town and began operations three years