Current issue

For a long period, the Karelians have occupied a leading position among the titular peoples of the republics of Russia in terms of the rate of population decline. The aim of the study is to identify trends and main factors in the change in the concentration of Karelians at the level of Russian regions in the period between the 1959 and 2021 censuses, broken down into two time intervals — from 1959 to 1989 and from 1989 to 2021. To do this, firstly, based on the results of the censuses, the share of each region of the country in the total number of Karelians living in Russia was calculated. Secondly, the dynamics of this indicator in the inter-census periods was calculated and mapped for all regions of the country. Between the 1959 and 1989 censuses, almost all regions of Russia saw an increase in the concentration of Karelians, which indicated the process of their migratory dispersal across the country. In the period from 1989 to 2021. In the overwhelming majority of regions of Russia, negative dynamics of the Karelian concentration indicator was observed, which is primarily due to assimilation processes. At the same time, the most significant drop in the indicator was observed in regions where the concentration of Karelians had previously been relatively high. As a geographical factor influencing the dynamics of the Karelian population, especially from the mid-20th century to the present, the proximity of their main areas of residence (in Karelia and the Tver region) to St. Petersburg and Moscow is considered.

The article examines the degree of scholarly development of the problem concerning the influence of the tram network of the city of Königsberg on the spatial development of the urban territory prior to 1945. Based on an analysis of urban studies and transport-related academic publications, including research on other European cities (London, Warsaw, and Bucharest), the key patterns of the integration of tram infrastructure into the system of urban development are identified. The role of tram lines in the formation of new residential and industrial zones, as well as in the integration of peripheral areas into the urban space, is outlined. The limited availability of contemporary academic sources devoted to the pre-revolutionary and pre-war period in the history of Königsberg’s tram network is demonstrated, which determines the relevance of further research in this field.

The article presents a comprehensive analysis of the International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC). Despite significant growth in freight traffic in recent years and its strategic importance in the context of the global transformation of logistics, the INSTC remains inferior to traditional routes and realizes only a small portion of its potential. The development of the corridor is constrained by infrastructure limitations (differences in railway gauge, seasonality of navigation, and low capacity of certain sections); geopolitical risks and sanctions that restrict financing and the use of technologies; administrative and bureaucratic barriers that increase transit time and transportation costs; and environmental risks (pollution of the Caspian Sea ecosystem). The study emphasizes that unlocking the potential of the INSTC requires not isolated measures but systemic modernization across several dimensions: standardization, large-scale infrastructure investment, deep digitalization of processes, strengthened environmental responsibility, and the creation of effective mechanisms of interstate coordination. Successful implementation of the corridor is possible only through the consolidation of efforts by all participating countries, particularly within frameworks such as BRICS, and the attraction of substantial investment. Political will and readiness for compromise are recognized as no less important than financial resources. The INSTC remains a project with high ambitions, but its transformation into a competitive global transport artery depends on the ability of the parties to overcome current systemic constraints through coordinated international efforts and comprehensive modernization.

The article examines the features of the spatial organization of student campuses using examples from domestic and international experience. The relevance of the study is determined by the growing role of university campuses as drivers of regional socio-economic development and the formation of the “creative class.” The aim of the work is to identify models of the spatial organization of university campuses, to conduct their comparative analysis, and to assess the prospects for implementing foreign practices in Russian conditions. The study employs methods of comparative geographical analysis, cartographic methods, and the classification of university spaces. The main models of campus development (the French, English, American, Asian, and “satellite campus” models) are presented, and their advantages and limitations are examined. An analysis of the spatial structure of Russian and foreign universities is carried out. It is established that the autonomous campus development model is the most effective, as it ensures flexibility of development and a high level of integration of educational, research, and social functions.

The increasing recreational needs of modern society have led to the formation and development of recreational nature management. In improving recreational nature management, it is necessary to establish a land-use system that meets not only current but also future needs of society, the state, business, and the population — the natural end users of natural and recreational resources. A new methodological approach is proposed for assessing the nature-recreational potential of a specific territory. This approach evaluates the recreational potential of an area by taking into account climate, topography, water resources, the level of agricultural development, vegetation characteristics, and the presence of protected natural areas. The results, partially reflected in the spatial zoning documents of the Pskov Region, made it possible to identify zones and districts according to the indicator of “suitability for recreational nature management.” The article emphasizes the need to enhance the efficiency of the use of recreational lands.

The study of the spatial development of territories is one of the pressing tasks of social geography of the XX—XXI centuries. In the era of modern globalization and transformation of the world economy, strengthening of agglomeration effects and concentration of economic forces and population in a small number of centers, the problem of development, recovery and revival of depressed and peripheral territories is of particular importance. The purpose of this article is to conduct a critical analysis of the concept of “depressive territory” and concepts close in meaning to it, to identify criteria and approaches to the allocation of such territories, to note measures to overcome the socio-economic depression of the territory. The study showed that depressed territories were formed under the leading role of economic factors (economic crises, reforms), while they are not able to independently get out of the current situation without targeted state support. Such similar definitions as “marginal territory” and “marginalization”, “periphery” and “peripheralization”, “abandoned places”, “polarization” are analyzed. The author, based on domestic and foreign works, as well as personal approach, identified six main approaches to identifying depressed territories: production, social, financial, demog­raphic, environmental, subjective. A system of indicators characterizing a depressed territory in accor­dance with the identified approaches is proposed. Measures to overcome socio-economic depression and possible ways of improving and reviving these territories are noted.

For the first time, data on the landscape structure of the coastal zone in the northwestern part of Sevastopol are presented. Landscape studies were conducted during the summer seasons from 2017 to 2024. A landscape map was created for both the terrestrial area and the marine waters. The study identifies the characteristics of the landscape structure in the investigated region. Most of the coastline is occupied by high structural watershed plains. The natural coastal landscapes have been transformed by economic activities. In the marine area, landscapes dominated by Ericaria crinita, Gongolaria barbata, and Phyllophora crispa are prevalent, while in the bays Zostera marina, Zostera noltei, and Stuckenia pectinata dominate. It is noted that the insufficient representation of stabilizing landscapes leads to a deterioration of the geoecological situation. Optimization of the protected area network plays an important role in preserving the landscape and biological diversity of the coastal zone.

The state of the macrozoobenthos of the Curonian Lagoon of the Baltic Sea under complete ice cover during the hydrological winter was examined based on data from 2010 and 2011. No information on the under-ice benthos of the lagoon has been previously published. Benthic grab samples were collected at six stations in the profundal zone of the lagoon, and underwater video recording was also performed at one station. The composition and structure of the macrozo­obenthos at most stations were similar to each other and to those in the summer period, although quantitatively richer in winter. In the macrozoobenthos of the open part of the lagoon on silty substrates, chironomid larvae (Chironomidae) and oligochaetes dominate. In the central part of the lagoon, the gastropod Valvata piscinalis is the dominant species in the benthic community. In the area near Cape Rybachy, an extensive biocenosis dominated by the bivalve Dreissena polymorpha was observed, whereas in the area influenced by the Deima River, where the same biocenosis existed for decades, only its derivative was present—without living individuals, but with well-preserved shells — indicating their relatively recent mortality. It was shown that the environmental conditions during both winter seasons were favorable for hydrobionts in terms of temperature and dissolved oxygen content; in this context, active growth of the potentially toxic cyanobacterium Planktothrix agardhii is discussed as a possible cause of Dreissena mortality. Quantitative data on the subglacial macrozoobenthos of the Curonian Lagoon are presented for the first time.

The paper presents the results of a study of the acute contact toxicity of imidacloprid and thiacloprid to honey bees (Apis mellifera Linnaeus, 1758). The experiment assessed survival and behavioral activity of insects at 4, 24, and 48 hours after a single exposure to various concentrations of the insecticides. It was found that both compounds exhibit high insecticidal activity; however, the nature of their effects differs significantly. Thiacloprid shows an earlier onset of toxic effects and bee mortality, particularly at the maximum concentration (10 μg/ bee). Imidacloprid acts with a temporal delay, reaching maximum effectiveness 48 hours after exposure. Analysis of behavioral activity revealed a depressive effect of both compounds on the central nervous system of bees: imidacloprid induces mixed responses, whereas thiacloprid demonstrates consistent suppression of locomotor activity without a stimulation phase.

The aim of this study was to investigate morphological anomalies in representatives of the Carabidae family in industrial areas of Tula city and to assess environmental quality in these territories. Such sites are subject to intense anthropogenic impact, which can disrupt normal organism development and manifest as various morphological deviations — teratologies. A total of 1,675 ground beetle specimens were collected from the sanitary-protection zones of two metallurgical enterprises, as well as from control sites. Beetle sampling was carried out using standard Barber soil traps. Five types of morphological anomalies in Carabidae were identified during the study. The highest number and frequency of anomalies were recorded in the industrial areas of the two metallurgical plants — 14.66 and 11.17 %, respectively. At the control sites, these values were significantly lower — 2.52 and 1.82 %. Based on the frequency of morphological anomalies, environmental quality in the industrial areas and control territories was assessed. In the sanitary-protection zones of the metallurgical enterprises, environmental quality was classified as “very heavily polluted,” whereas at the control sites it was classified as “good” and “excellent.”