2019 Vol. 11 №2

In this article, we present the results of our study into the contribution of geography to modern geopolitics in Russia. We stress the interdisciplinary nature of geopolitical studies and identify ensuing problems. Using content analysis of the eLIBRARY bibliography data­base and Elsevier’s abstract and citation database Scopus, we conclude that geography has considerably affected the development of modern geopolitics in Russia. The contribution of geographers is rather modest considering the number of PhD theses and research publica­tions. However, it becomes more visible when textbooks only are taken into account. Geo­gra­phical studies are an indispensable part of geopolitical research, which we identified us­ing the object-subject criteria reflecting the effect that properties of territories have on the poli­cies of states located within them. This relates to marine geopolitics, ethnic geopolitics, geoe­co­nomics, ecopolitics, political geoconflict studies, and mediageopolitics. We consider geopo­litics and ethnic geopolitics to be priority areas of geographical and geopolitical stud­ies. Geo­graphy plays a major role in the comprehensive geopolitical studies into territories of dif­ferent size. Geopolitics of post-Soviet space, geopolitics of Russia, domestic geopolitics, and cri­tical geopolitics examine the combined effect of the properties of territories on the policies of states implemented in them. We stress that most geographical and geopolitical works focus on analysing the geopolitical location of territories, the geopolitical interests of states, and the identification of mechanisms behind the geopolitical vision of the population.

In this article, we address the little-researched and complicated problems of the genesis, periodisation, and development of political geography and geopolitics as academic and re­search disciplines across the Baltic region in general and the contribution of Saint Peters­burg University in particular. The terms ‘political geography,’ ‘geopolitics’ and the corre­sponding academic disciplines, as well as the first concepts of political geography and geo­politics, emerged in the Baltic. The Russian and German schools of thought made a valuable contribution to these fields of research. Using the historical, structural-genetic, and activity-geospace approaches, we identify and analyse the major historical, research, and academic paradigms in the development of political geography. In doing so, we consider the case of Saint Petersburg University. These paradigms (state-descriptive, anthropogeographical, state-geopolitical, and activity-societal) differ in their methodological frameworks and the­matic priorities. We demonstrate that the term ‘political geography’ and the science it de­notes are of Russian origin, having been developed by German scientists during their aca­demic service for Russia. Further, we analyse the contribution of German and Russian re­searches to the development of the Saint Petersburg school of political geographic and geo­political thought and describe its current state.