Federal and Regional Development Strategies and Programs of the Russian Arctic in the Context of Protecting the Rights of Indigenous Peoples of the North to Their Traditional Economic Activities: Update for the Beginning of 2026

Annotation

The article is devoted to a systematic analysis of policy documents in the field of strategic planning at the federal and regional levels concerning the protection of constitutional guarantees of the rights of Indigenous Minorities of the North (IMN) to engage in traditional economic activities. At the federal level, the study evaluates the Arctic Strategy 2035 and the Program for Socio-Economic Development of the Arctic Zone of the Russian Federation (AZRF). These documents are consistent with the Concept for Sustainable Development of Indigenous Small-Numbered Peoples of the North until 2036. At the regional level, strategic and program documents of nine Arctic constituent entities were examined. Based on this assessment, the following conclusions were drawn: 1. At the federal level, support for Indigenous Minorities focuses on the following areas: social, healthcare and construction services for members of indigenous communities; support for traditional economic activities through state programs; special emphasis on the provision of mobile power supplies. 2. At the regional level, the main priorities, directly or indirectly related to traditional economic activities, are as follows: Murmansk Oblast: premium-quality reindeer products; Republic of Karelia: ethnographic tourism (Vepsian community); Arkhangelsk Oblast: ethnographic tourism focused on northern rural heritage (“Northern Village”); Nenets Autonomous Okrug (NAO): comprehensive support for traditional economic activities of the Nenets people; Republic of Komi: reindeer herding in the Vorkuta Urban District; Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug (KhMAO): integration of reindeer herding and traditional crafts of IMN into a unified agro-industrial complex; Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug (YaNAO): promotion of IMN traditional economic activities as a contribution to non-energy exports; development of reindeer herding and fishing within the agro-industrial complex; Krasnoyarsk Krai: reindeer herding and construction of “ethno-villages” in areas of traditional residence and economic activity of Indigenous Small-Numbered Peoples of the North; Republic of Sakha (Yakutia): comprehensive support for IMN, Northern Yakuts, and Russian Arctic old timers; promotion of traditional economic activities, including through projects and grants such as “Young Reindeer Herder” and “Arctic Innovative Biotechnologies”; Chukotka Autonomous Okrug (ChAO): reindeer herding and marine mammal hunting.

About authors

Maksim Yu. Zadorin, Cand. Sci. (Law), Associate Professor
Northern (Arctic) Federal University named after M.V. Lomonosov, Naberezhnaya Severnoy Dviny, 17, Arkhangelsk, Russia
m.y.zadorin@yandex.ru, ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2080-6752

Konstantin S. Zaikov, Dr. Sci. (Hist.), Associate Professor
Northern (Arctic) Federal University named after M.V. Lomonosov, Naberezhnaya Severnoy Dviny, 17, Arkhangelsk, Russia
k.zaikov@narfu.ru, ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6479-416X

Keywords

Russian Arctic, AZRF, indigenous small-numbered peoples, traditional economic activities, Federation, regions, development strategies

DOI

https://doi.org/10.37482/issn2221-2698.2026.64.251

UDC

[342+332.1](985)(045)