Current issue

To attract in-demand professionals from various regions of Russia to the labor market in the Kaliningrad region (including teachers, medical professionals, and IT specialists), support measures have been implemented at both the federal and regional levels. However, the region continues to face a demand for skilled workers, with instances of professionals returning while difficulties in their adaptation are often noted. The article analyzes the current government support measures and their effectiveness for key professional groups in the Kaliningrad re­gion, such as teachers, medical professionals, and IT specialists. The research is based on the results of in-depth interviews conducted by the authors during the summer and autumn of 2022 with migrants from different regions of Russia, employers, and experts. Additionally, publicly available information from relevant ministries about the outcomes of attracting spe­cialists was utilized. The study evaluates the practice of migrants seeking government sup­port, examines the professionals' perception of existing measures, and highlights the need for adjustments to ensure the influx and retention of professionals in the region. In conclusion, suggestions are provided to enhance the effectiveness of government support for migrants from various regions of Russia in the Kaliningrad region.

The aim of the article is to characterize the peculiarities of passenger transportation with­in the regional railway transport system of the Transaucasus. The research relies on the sta­tistics of railway passenger transport and published schedules on the railway networks of the countries in the region. It is demonstrated that in the post-Soviet period, passenger rail transport has declined, and its potential is underutilized: the volume of transportation is min­imal, the movement intensity is low, and on a significant portion of the network, passenger transport has been completely discontinued. One notable exception in recent years is the Baku agglomeration. The decline can be attributed to the dissolution of the Soviet Union and the sub­sequent fragmentation of the region's railway network, competition from air and road transport, as well as the specific transport policies in the countries of the region. The im­provement of the situation is associated with the potential expansion of domestic railway communication as the population's income grows and as a result of changes in transport poli­cy.

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 within the region, coinciding with the agglomeration's influence territory, have been identified. A decrease in population density to the east of Kaliningrad is also shown. For the municipal entities of the Kaliningrad region, the area and density of inhabited territories have been calculated. Dasymetric analysis has re­vealed areas of compact placement of rural settlements, aligning with the designated govern­ment rural agglomerations. The conclusion is drawn regarding the existence of stronger con­nections between settlements within different municipal entities and the potential for the ex­pansion of rural agglomerations beyond administrative boundaries. The connectivity of rural and urban settlements within the boundaries of the Kaliningrad agglomeration suggests the formation of second-order agglomerations. The dasymetric method can be utilized in further research to analyze the settlement system for studying the development of rural territories.

Currently, there is a growing need for a more precise theoretical justification and the def­inition of a methodology for studying geographical disciplines to optimize the interaction be­tween society and nature, ensuring environmental safety. The specificity of modern education requires the implementation of a new, practice-oriented approach. A historical perspective on the development of scientific research and the training of specialists in the field of geograph­ical science is presented. The article analyzes the scientific and pedagogical activity of the geographical faculty of Kaliningrad State University — Immanuel Kant Baltic Federal Uni­versity on the basis of a retrospective study for 1963—2023. Positive trends and the role of dissertation research in geoecology and oceanology in preparing personnel for scientific and production activities are highlighted. The prospects and directions for the further development of geographical science at Immanuel Kant Baltic Federal University are assessed.

Nine plant community types were identified in the central part of the Vittgirrensky Peat­land (designated the Rossyanka Carbon Supersite). All community types represent succes­sional stages of vegetation development on areas transformed by peat milling. Data on the structure and species composition of communities are provided, along with typical phytoso­ciological descriptions for each vegetation variant. Physiognomically, the plant communities on the milled fields consist of low-stature tree stands with varying canopy closure, mainly dominated by Betula pendula, but they exhibit substantial differences in the composition of herb-shrub and moss cover. The described community types are considered as non-hierarchical units in the classification of vegetation cover (at the micro-landscape level). Their identification through electronic and field mapping methods allows for a rapid visualization of the vegetation cover's characteristics on a map and enables its quantitative assessment, which is of practical importance for the purposes of the carbon supersite.

The Kaliningrad region is a unique constituent entity of the Russian Federation. In re­cent years, due to the global political and epidemiological situation, the recreational attrac­tiveness of the Kaliningrad region has significantly increased, thereby placing greater pres­sure on the coastal zone. However, there is a lack of research dedicated to assessing the vul­nerability of the coastal area. The practical significance of this study lies in the potential for further utilization of its results to evaluate and analyze the vulnerability of the coastline of the Kaliningrad region and make decisions on implementing a series of measures to protect and preserve the coastal zone. For the study, the Coastal Vulnerability Index (CVI) methodology was selected, which is considered the most versatile compared to others but requires specific parameters for the studied object/territory. The research goal is to assess the vulnerability of the coastal zone on the Kaliningrad Oblast coastline. The CVI method represents a classic scoring system that allows identifying key areas and suggesting a series of measures to pre­vent the deterioration of the coastal condition.

One direction in the development of food packaging involves the use of biodegradable safe materials along with antimicrobial agents. Among the promising prescribed ingredients for biodegradable films are biopeptides with antimicrobial properties. The research goal was to develop a biodegradable food film using a synthesized antimicrobial peptide. The objects of the study were the peptide, test strains of C. albicans, Escherichia coli, and Bacillus subtilis. The confirmation of the purity and primary structure of the peptide was conducted using mass spectrometry. The antimicrobial activity of the peptide was studied using the disc diffusion method on both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. The degree of film biodegradation was determined after 1, 3, and 6 months by exposing it to microorganisms. The peptide ACSAG was synthesized, and its quantitative and qualitative composition of amino acids, sequence, and molecular mass corresponded to a known antimicrobial peptide. It was estab­lished that the synthesized peptide possesses antimicrobial activity against E. coli ATCC 25922 and B. subtilis. A composition for the biodegradable film was developed, incorporating agar-agar, glycerin, antimicrobial peptide, and distilled water. It was demonstrated that the addition of the peptide to the film composition reduces its biodegradability.

An assessment of environmental pollution in the city of Orenburg was conducted using the fluctuating asymmetry method. The common mountain ash was chosen as an environ­mental indicator. Leaf collection took place at seven points in the city with varying anthropo­genic loads. The research aimed to determine the impact of aerotechnogenic pollution on the magnitude of the fluctuating asymmetry of the leaf blade of the populations of mountain ash within the city of Orenburg. The study revealed that the leaf blades of mountain ash in urban conditions are affected by anthropogenic factors, experiencing air pollution and accumulating harmful substances. The fluctuating asymmetry method can be used as an indicator of plant development instability in urban ecosystems. Elevated environmental stress, based on the integral indicator of fluctuating asymmetry, was noted at all points except the Ural River Embankment. In this area, the growing conditions for plants were characterized as satisfacto­ry. Through pairwise correlation analysis of the examined characteristics, the closest connec­tions were found between two pairs: the width of the leaf half — the distance between the ba­ses of the first and second order veins; the distance from the base of the leaf plate to the end of the second-order vein — the angle between the main vein and the second from the base of the leaf.

A review of scientific literature describing the state and dynamics of the Eastern Baltic cod population over the past 30 years has been conducted. The Eastern Baltic cod is one of the most important commercial species in the Baltic Sea. An ecological regime shift in the early 1990s, resulting from a reduction in the frequency of large North Sea inflows, led to a de­crease in salinity and oxygen levels in the bottom layers of the deep basins of the Baltic Sea. This caused a sharp deterioration in the spawning conditions. Factors influencing the Eastern Baltic cod population and changes in the population under the influence of these factors are described. The decisive impact of North Sea inflows and their prolonged absence on the popu­lation's development, the influence of oxygen saturation levels on all life stages of cod, and the negative consequences of hypoxia for the feeding of Eastern Baltic cod are noted. Among the changes in the population, a decrease in the number of eggs in spawning areas during the peak spawning period, a reduction in the average individual sizes and weights of specimens, and a shift in the spawning peak to later dates are highlighted. The conclusion is drawn about the unsatisfactory state of the population and the impossibility of its recovery in the medium term, regardless of commercial catch rates.

The long geological history of the region, changes in marine and terrestrial deposits, and magmatic activity have determined the modern geological and geomorphological structure of the Kemerovo Region — Kuzbass, as well as the distribution of mineral resources. The aim of the study was to investigate the physico-geographical conditions of the Kemerovo Region — Kuzbass to carry out reclamation work. The main deposits of the region are located in the mountainous areas of the Kuznetsk Alatau, Salair, and Mountain Shoria. Combustible min­erals belong to a discontinuous belt in the central part of the region, where more favorable conditions for sediment accumulation are created. Kemerovo Region is characterized by di­verse geomorphological conditions and a varied climate. The main factors contributing to the climate include atmospheric circulation, relief, and vegetation. The combination of these fac­tors shapes the climatic characteristics of the region. Overall, there is a general pattern in the distribution of temperature and humidity. In the mountains of the Kuznetsk Alatau and Mountain Shoria, it is humid, but there is a deficit of warmth. The most favorable conditions have developed at the foot of the windward slopes of the Kuznetsk Alatau, where the soil is moist enough to provide warmth. Various soil coverings are formed on the territory of the Kemerovo Region, the majority of which are forest soils (brown soils and sub-brown soils, podzolic soils, gray forest soils). It has been established that based on the physico-geographical conditions in the territory of the Kemerovo Region — Kuzbass, it is advisable to carry out forestry, sanitary-hygienic, agricultural, recreational, and water management reclamation.