Geography of the mobile internet in the border and interior regions of Russia
Digital transformation of socio-economic processes is the basis for sustainable development of regions in the digital age. The foundation for such a transformation is the information and communication infrastructure and, first of all, the mobile Internet. The technological growth of mobile networks has provided a rapid increase in the number of users around the world, contributing to further digitalization. With the development of digital technologies, research in the field of human geography has...
Artificial Intelligence: a catalyst for entrepreneurship education in the Baltics
... international studies indicate an increasing interest in the topic of student entrepreneurship and the use of AI to nurture this potential. This trend is not unique to global research but is also evident in Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia. These countries are witnessing significant advancements in employing AI to boost the entrepreneurial abilities of students. This development is crucial, especially considering the significant changes occurring in higher education. Universities now possess ample resources ...
The Swedish institute’s scholarship policy as a soft power instrument
This paper examines how soft power, nation branding and academic cooperation came together in the scholarship policy pursued by the Swedish Institute (SI) from 1995 to 2023. An investigation of the organisation’s materials, scholarship statistics and feedback interviews with SI programme alumni suggests that the implementation of the scholarship policy was erratic during the study period. A comprehensive analysis of the Institute’s efforts was carried out to describe the relationship between...
A new role of cooperation under economic sanctions as seen by residents of the Kaliningrad region
The current economic crisis conditions call for a search for new mechanisms to maintain the population’s well-being. Within this setting, cooperation may be considered a priority form of entrepreneurial activity, enabling the consolidation of financial resources and reducing business costs. This article aims to assess the potential of consumer cooperation in the Kaliningrad region under anti-Russian sanctions. The authors analyse the features of cooperation development within the territory and...
The spread of the COVID-19 infection in Russia’s Baltic macro-region: internal differences
This article explores the spread of the Covid-19 infection in Russia’s Baltic macro-region. The monthly excess mortality rate in the Baltic region is analysed along with regional and municipal Covid-19 response acts to identify regional features affecting the spread of the disease. The spatial characteristics of Russia’s Baltic regions, germane to the propagation of Covid-19, were distinguished by examining selected social and economic statistical indicators. Based on the space of places/space...
Migration distances in Russia: a demographic profile of migrants
The distance of migration is closely linked to life course events, which are, in turn, marked by age. It serves as a criterion for distinguishing migration from other forms of spatial mobility. This paper aims to calculate the average distance of domestic migrations in Russia between 2011 and 2020, considering various migrant profiles such as sex, age, and type of residential registration. The Euclidean distance between 130,000 geocoded Russian settlements was computed to estimate migration distances...
Modern trends in paradiplomacy: a case of Russian-Finnish regional cooperation
For several decades, EU-Russian regional cooperation helped effectively respond to the local challenges. The EU terminated programmes for regional cooperation with Russia and Belarus in 2022. The existing paradiplomatic structure, however, may be of interest to scholars and policymakers as a model to be reproduced by Russia in cooperation with non-EU neighbours. The study aims to identify the main trends in paradiplomacy by examining Russian-Finnish regional collaboration. It reviews theoretical...
France’s strategy in the Baltic region: military and political aspects
This article examines the current military-political strategy of France in the Baltic region. This area has not traditionally been among the main priorities of French diplomacy. However, under President Emmanuel Macron, France pays closer attention to the Baltic Sea due to the growing tension between Russia and the West. According to France’s key strategic documents, the government assesses the present-day situation mainly in a negative way, considering Russian actions as the main reason for the...
A typology of the Baltic region states according to excellence in science and technology
Global manufacturing systems function in such a way that countries develop industrial specialisation, which leads to territorial disparities. The countries of the Baltic region are no exception despite their strong economic ties and developed industries. A significant element of any manufacturing system is its scientific and technological subsystem, which is described in this article for ten countries (Germany, Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Finland, Poland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Russia)...
Small towns of Latvia: disparities in regional and urban development
The article reports on the results of an economic and sociological study conducted by the Institute of Sociology of the Russian Academy of Sciences in collaboration with Daugavpils University (Latvia) in 2020—2021. The study aimed to identify the reasons for the disparity in the development of small towns in Latvia. A comprehensive approach was taken to integrate the results of territorial, spatial and socio-economic analyses. By employing the methodology of indexing and ranking large-scale empirical...
The geopolitical effect of the maritime factor on the spatial development of post-Soviet Russia: the Baltic case
... turnover, which reached 10.5 %<5> in the first six months of 2023, followed the crisis of 2008 — the starting point of a radical change in global economic and geopolitical trends [32], [33]. The increase continued in the post-Crimean period, which witnessed the dismantling of the Russia — the West system that emerged over the previous quarter century.
Provoked by the growing activity of the EU and NATO, Russia’s aspiration to maintain and extend the security perimeter in the Baltic Sea area ...
Spatial differentiation of rural territories in the Kaliningrad region: implications for socio-economic policies
... method. Data derived from sociological studies conducted when investigating social innovations in the region were also taken into account [15].
Rural population change and its territorial features
The Kaliningrad region is one of the few in Russia that witnessed an increase in the rural population, with the growth rate reaching 0.89 % in 2022. This rise is attributed to migrants from other, mostly eastern and northern, regions of the country, as well as from the CIS.
Despite this growth, the number ...
Societal security in the Baltic Sea Region: the Russian perspective
This study discusses whether the concept of societal security is embedded in the Russian formal and informal discourses as well as in the Russian strategic documents on national security and the Baltic Sea region. Particularly, the paper describes four paradigms of international relations (neorealism, neoliberalism, globalism and postpositivism) and theoretical approaches to the concept of societal security formulated in them. On a practical plane, Russia has managed to develop — together with...
Efficiency analysis of seaports in Russia’s Baltic basin: performance evaluation
... Seaports appears to be the primary factor contributing to this trend. However, it is worth noting that in March 2022, the number of vessels arriving at the port of Ust-Luga remained stable compared to the same period in 2021, while the port of Primorsk witnessed an increase in vessel arrivals. This observed imbalance emphasizes the need for seaports to have a sensitive logistics system in conditions of external instability, necessitating careful monitoring and evaluation of their activities.
Performance ...
Geopolitical Security of Russia: Remarks on the Problem Statement
This paper summarizes the results of the seminar “Geopolitical Security of Russia: Remarks on the Problem Statement”, held on August 26, 2022, at the Immanuel Kant Baltic Federal University, Kaliningrad. During the seminar, the Institute of Geopolitical and Regional Studies of the university announced an initiative to devise a system of monitoring the geopolitical (regional) security of Russia. The debate centred around the development of a conceptual framework and a geopolitical security model...
Territorial structure of inbound and domestic tourism in the Baltic States
This paper examines the transformation of the territorial structure of tourism in Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. The spatial and temporal organisation of tourism in these countries has undergone significant changes since they became independent and joined the EU. These changes have affected the geography of tourist flows and destinations of interest. This study aims to define the geographical and economic peculiarities of the development of tourism in the Baltic States and to identify the central...
The sea factor in the federal regulation of Russia’s spatial development: post-Soviet experience and current priorities
Current geoeconomic and geopolitical transformations project on Russian society and its spatial organisation, highlighting the problems of spatial socioeconomic development and its governmental regulation. This article examines the theoretical and applied aspects of the incorporation into the national regional policy of the sea factor, understood as a combination of location and resources, which is determined by a country’s jurisdiction over coasts and waters, its maritime activities and coastalisation...
Coalition Within a Coalition: The Baltics in the European Union
This article gives an overview of small power problem focusing on the behaviour of small power states within coalitions and their proneness to free riding. To pursue an independent agenda and increase their significance within large associations, the authors argue, small powers tend to create ‘coalitions within coalitions’, essentially acting as free riders and transferring costs and political responsibility for decision-making to larger players. Such an asymmetric strategy makes it possible...
Witnessing in criminal proceedings
This article analyses witness participation in criminal proceedings. The author pays special attention to witness immunity and relevant forensic analysis. The significance of this institution is characterized from the perspective of the identity of a witness. The author stresses ...
The modern economy of Russia’s Baltic regions in the municipal context
This article analyses the differentiation of municipalities at the municipal and urban district levels in the Kaliningrad and Leningrad regions based on their economic development and the response of their economies to the crises of 2020 and 2022. Emphasis is placed on the possibilities of conducting such assessments by merging Rosstat statistics with publicly available accounting and tax reporting data from the Federal Tax Service. The contribution also assesses the role of small businesses in municipal...
Economic development of Russia’s north-western regions and migration to the St. Petersburg agglomeration
... role in advancing education and technology in its surrounding regions by dispatching its graduates to work in other areas. The progress of St. Petersburg, in turn, contributed to the progress of adjacent regions [14], [15].
Since the 2000s, Russia has witnessed an acceleration in the concentration of its population in the largest urban agglomerations. This trend is attributed to higher wages, improved working conditions, and more comfortable living standards [16]. The centralization of power corresponds ...
Comparative analysis of the territorial support frame of settlement in coastal areas: the case of St. Petersburg and Kaliningrad regions
As a scientific method, comparative studies respond to the needs of society. However, the logic of globalisation has reduced the demand for comparative analysis in international and national (regional) studies. Nevertheless, old, settled coastal areas — which European urban science considers as evidence of the decisive effect of coastal position on spatial development and urbanisation — remain valid research objects. Achieving corresponding theoretical and practical goals requires qualitative...
Estonian ‘Balticness’ as a social construct: meanings and contextual specifics
This paper explores the Estonian vision of Baltic identity. Estonia’s authorities have repeatedly articulated their scepticism towards the concept of a stand-alone ‘Baltic region’ and the inclusion of Estonia in it, preferring to position their state as a Nordic country. Yet, in numerous cases, they have clearly labelled Estonia as a Baltic State. To identify the contexts and meanings labelling the country as a Baltic State, this contribution provides a content analysis of official speeches...
The Role of the Sublime in Kant’s Religion: Moral Motivation and Empirical Possibility
I show that Kant’s depiction of the christic figure in Religion within the Boundaries of Mere Reason is not contingent but explains how this figure functions in two essential ways: as a representation of a maximum of morality that can ground our moral disposition and in so doing acts as a standard for morality. More precisely, the following argument is made: 1) the sublime nature of the image of Christ — as an image of universal respect for the law — awakens the moral feeling of subjects...
Normal range of liver stiffness measurement in healthy people
The article focuses on normative values of the liver shear wave elastography and comparison of various works in elastography of the international and Russian research. A variety of normal values of liver stiffness during shear wave elastography obtained by different authors when measuring on various devices are presented. The normal range of liver stiffness measurements in healthy people varies widely: the normal liver elasticity values may vary in range of 1.5—7.5 kPa on measuring...
On the Role of Gesinnung in Kant’s Ethics and Philosophy of Religion. Part II
The sources of Kant’s term Gesinnung and a review of the problems of its translation into English were presented in the first part of this article; the second part examines the novel features that Kant brings to the interpretation of this concept in the critical period. In the Critique of Practical Reason these include the questions of manifestation of Gesinnung in the world, apprehended through the senses, the method of establishing and the culture of truly moral Gesinnung, as well as the problem...
The Image of the World Revealed In Words: Ludwig Wittgenstein and The Iсonic Semiotics
The article discusses an alternative version of semiotics in which the process of semiosis is based not on metonymic symbolization (substitution), when one entity stands for another, but on the metaphorical (iconic) representation. The author suggests considering iconicity as a basis for relating the signifier and the signified. This relation is understood as a construed one rather than something determined by physical similarity. The basis for such a revision of iconicity can be found in Lessing's...
University performance and regional development: the case of Russia’s North-West
The role of universities in regional socio-economic systems is pivotal. However, despite the overall trend of GRP growth, regions of Russia’s Northwestern Federal District underperform on education-related measures. These include the share of education in GRP, the percentage of individuals employed in the education sector and the number of universities and students. These trends pose a substantial challenge to regional development, especially in the context of the fourth industrial revolution and...
Sanctions risks and regional development: Russian case
Economic sanctions and countersanctions are expanding worldwide, posing spatially heterogeneous threats to most countries. The study aims to develop and test a methodology for assessing regional exposure to sanctions risks using Russian data. The share of foreign trade with the countries that introduced restrictions can be used to evaluate the exposure to new trade barriers. In several cases, this share exceeded 50 %, necessitating a rapid reorientation of product flows in Nenets, Khanty-Mansiysk...
International political status of an observer state to the EAEU: problems and prospects of institutionalization
The issue of the development of the observer state institution within the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) has been considered. An attempt has been made to assess the possibilities for the current observer states to acquire full membership and increase the number of observer states within the EAEU. Based on the analysis of regulatory acts and the application of comparative positional analysis, it has been established that the relatively recent institution only took on a more or less complete form by...
Evaluating the efficiency of the research sector in Russian regions: a dynamic data envelopment analysis
The nonparametric method of dynamic data envelopment analysis (DDEA) has become increasingly popular for conducting comparative efficiency evaluations. In recent years,
dynamic data envelopment analysis (DDEA), a variant of this method, has gained significant attention. This article applies dynamic analysis to evaluate the efficiency of the research sector in Russian regions. Traditional input variables such as the number of research staff and R&D expenditure are considered, while publication and...
Expansionism in Poland’s strategic culture: historical retrospective and variations
This article deals with the problem of assessing and interpreting expansionist elements in Poland’s international political behaviour. The problem is approached using the concept of the strategic culture of states, which covers beliefs, perceptions, and the language states use to describe their own and other countries’ actions. The study examines what expansionist types of strategic culture have developed in Poland, how relevant they are in the current political landscape, and describes their...
Reputation core of Russian authorities: the case of the regional level of executive power
The importance of studying the reputation of authorities is connected, on the one hand, with the formation of a consolidated system of political power and, on the other hand, with the highly social orientation of the category of the ‘reputation of authorities’, reflecting the value-based attitude of citizens towards them. The article presents the results of research aimed at the analysis of the reputation of Russian authorities, with a special focus on the regional branch of executive power....
Cohen and Natorp’s Philosophy of Religion: the Argument about the Boundary of Reason
The philosophy of religion as presented by Hermann Cohen and Paul Natorp, the founders and main representatives of the Marburg School of Neo-Kantianism, is an important and at the same time controversial part of their philosophical systems. The discussion around the problems of religion began within the Marburg School and still continues among those who study that School. The reason for this is that “fitting” philosophical thinking about the phenomenon of religion into the classical triad of...
Models for countering the segregation of ethnoreligious immigrant areas in Denmark and Sweden
... characteristic of an ‘especially vulnerable area’ (särskilt utsatt område). A sense of insecurity among residents of “parallel societies” determines their unwillingness to take part in the judicial system of Sweden to avoid acts of violence against witnesses and informants. At the same time, the police often do not have physical access to these areas and the ability to implement their own tasks.
Swedish integration policy influenced by the Danish model of countering the ghettoization
Due to the ...
Polydiscursive paradigm of specialised translation in the glocal multilingual coordinates
The professional activity of translators is most often realized in specialized professional discourses, especially those regionally conditioned. Specialized discourses, as an institutional type of discourse, exhibit a poly- and inter-discursive character, determining a complex, polyvalent translational process. This study, based on the author’s extensive translation experience, focuses on horticultural discourse in two non-cognate linguistic and cultural environments (Russian and German)...
Settlement system of the Kaliningrad region: dasymetric analysis
The article examines the settlement system of the Kaliningrad region using the dasymetric method, first proposed in the early 20th century by the Russian geographer V. P. Semenov-Tyan-Shansky as a more precise alternative to population density cartograms. Several dasymetric analysis approaches (buffer zone delineation and grid methods) of the settlement system and mapping of the territory in the Kaliningrad Oblast are demonstrated using GIS tools. Areas of the highest population concentration...
Knowledge and innovation dynamics of the Northwest Russia under geopolitical changes
Over the past 25 years, Russia has faced several economic and geopolitical challenges, including the 2008 global financial crisis, sanctions imposed in 2014, and the COVID-19 pandemic. To remain resilient in the face of these challenges, Russia needs to adopt a flexible development strategy and transition to a new path of development. This transition requires the development of new knowledge-intensive industries, expansion into promising markets, strengthening trade and economic partnerships, and...
The specifics of psychological atmosphere within inclusive groups of university students
The description and results of an empirical study conducted within two inclusive student groups at the Immanuel Kant Baltic Federal University are presented. The instrument used for this research was the “Psychological Atmosphere in the Group Scale” (F. Fiedler’s scale adapted by Yu. L. Khanin) with the inclusion of open-ended questions to assess participants’ attitudes toward inclusion in the university. The study aimed to understand how students evaluate the positive and negative effects...
‘Definition of poetry’: Frege vs. Jakobson
This article presents a comparative analysis of two approaches to describing the reference within poetic statements: the pragmasemantic approach, which builds upon Gottlob Frege's ideas of the poetic sign as "a sign with meaning but without reference," and aesthetic-functional theories of poetic language linked to Roman Jacobson's concept of the poetic function. The pragmasemantic interpretation of the referential capabilities of a poetic sign explores questions regarding the principles...
The Mobius strip of the pragmasemantics of sense: from culture through subjectivity to nothingness and back
The author endeavors to systematically present sense formation through the lens of the pragmasemantic approach. It enables the demonstration of how the primary factors of sense formation, socio-cultural practices and personal agency interact. Their relationship is non-linear: subjectivity results from the assimilation of socio-cultural experiences and the accompanying narrative communication. Self-consciousness of the Self arises from the socialization of the individual through reflexive self-description...
Geoecological aspects of various types of archaeological sites in the North-West of the Russian Plain
The study of geo-ecological factors allows not only to determine the nature of human economic activities but also reveals natural influences affecting the placement of archaeological objects in the past. Special attention is given to «Stone piles» («Lappish cairns») — stone piles widely found within the studied territory. Despite years of archaeological research, the nature of these structures remains enigmatic, though archaeological artifacts are often absent. The application of geo-chemical...
The impact of the food embargo on consumer preferences and cross-border practices in the Kaliningrad region
The Russian food market has been a fascinating subject for researchers investigating food security risks and ways to mitigate them since the embargo was imposed in 2014. The Kaliningrad region, an exclave of Russia, responded more sensitively to the restrictions than any other territory of the country due to the heavy dependence of its food market on imported finished products and raw materials, as well as the transit from Russia via third countries. This study aims to explore how the consumer preferences...
Cultural discrepancy within Russian-speaking community in Israel
The objective of the present research is to discover and explain a variety of cultural preferences within the Russian-speaking community in Israel. We juxtapose veteran immigrants of the ‘1990 wave’ (including children and teenagers who came with their parents, so called 1.5ers) and representatives of the ‘Putin Exodus’ who arrived in the country in 2014—2018. The divergence in preferences and attitudes was revealed thanks to the discourse, semantic and comparative analysis. The research...
The opposition of homeland — foreign country in “american” novels “For Daily Bread” by H. Sienkewicz and V.G. Korolenko’s “Without Language”
The article deals with the peasant emigration to America in the novels of Henryk Sienkiewicz “For Daily Bread” and Vladimir Korolenko “Without Language”. The plot structure of the stories and the system of characters are contrasted for spatial oppositions “close — far” and “homeland — foreign land”. It is demonstrated that the peasant traditional patriarchal picture of the world is in conflict with the image of America as an urban civilization of modern times. The authors reveal...