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Seismic-tomography studies were conducted in the Kyrgyz Tien Shan using two different observation schemes. The first was based on the arrival times of P and S waves from regional earthquakes recorded with local seismological networks (local scheme). Nonlinear tomographic inversion with the LOTOS algorithm was used to construct the 3D distributions of P and S wave velocities in the crust beneath the Kyrgyz Tien Shan and to refine the earthquake locations. The second scheme was used to study the upper-mantle structure based on data from world earthquake catalogs (regional scheme). All the data on waves which at least partly travel within the volume studied were used here, including (1) those from regional earthquakes recorded at world seismic stations and (2) teleseisms recorded at the local stations. This approach was earlier applied to calculate the upper-mantle structure beneath Asia. We used a fragment of this structure beneath the Tien Shan and adjacent areas. A series of synthetic tests was performed to estimate the resolution provided by both schemes. The tomography shows traces of the delamination of the Tarim mantle lithosphere from south to north. Also, the local and regional schemes reveal evidence for cold-matter descent from north to south in the northern Tien Shan but on a much smaller scale. Low velocities in the upper mantle beneath the Tien Shan indicate lithospheric thinning. These data suggest that mantle lithosphere delamination is taking place underneath both the northern and the southern margins of the Tien Shan collision belt. Lack of the mantle lithosphere beneath the Tien Shan leads to lithospheric weakening and active deformation, thus causing intense orogeny.

The adsorption and photosorption properties of precipitated aerosol produced by dispersing mineral magnesite crystal, MgCO₃, under ambient air were investigated. Analysis are carried out of the texture of precipitated aerosols sample, the crystal structure and the adsorption layer composition of micro particles formed by grinding of crystal under ambient air. The kinetics of desorption and photodesorption of CO₂ from micro particle surfaces and the interaction of Freon 22 (CHF₂Cl), CO, O₂, and N₂O with its surfaces under darkness and illumination were studied. The quantum yields and their spectral dependencies for CO₂ photodesorption and O₂ photoadsorption were determined. It is shown that magnesite mineral aerosol is active under illumination for removal of oxygen containing electron-acceptor gases from Earth’s atmosphere.

The paper shows that there has always been a clear awareness of the military strategic and geopolitical importance of Russian arctic regions for the future of the country observed among the county administration. At present, it is of more importance due to the improved technological infrastructure for our marine transport. The paper proves the author's thesis that to realize both economic goals of the development of this region and strategic ones could be done through building a system of arctic aqua-territorial business complexes in the regions adjacent to the Northern Sea Route. The paper also offers the author's approach to analyzing and proving feasibility of coordination of the national, regional, and corporate interests by changing parameters of the corporate structures of such complexes. A case-study is presented for the Taimyr-Yakutsk aqua-territorial business complex where different variants of the corporate structure of this complex are analyzed.

The paper analyzes the features of the Russian socio-geographic space connected with a current settlement pattern. We can conclude that Russian network of settlements proved to be non-homogeneous, and to be more precisely, there is a lack of cities; an urban skeleton does not cover all the territory of the country; the settlement patterns have shaped on rather limited territories mostly of local levels; and such settlement patterns do not unite the socio-geo-graphic space. The key trends are the domination of conglomerated settlement patterns, polarization, and shrunk social space. We prove that the features of the socio-geographic space in Russia, in contrast to the key territorial features of a non-correctable nature, could be corrected, and therefore, this could become a goal of further spatial modernization of the country.

The paper analyzes management risks Russia can face in implementing its arctic strategy, and the approaches to how coordinate national and regional priorities within this strategy. We prove a necessity to build an authorized body of the RF Government level whose mandate would be to coordinate the development and implementation of the development sub-programs and regional socio-economic strategies for Arctic area. We offer a project approach to administer the Arctic strategy.

The paper characterizes the Russian Arctic areas and eastern regions, and it proves that they (both or either of them) should not be considered as a united object of planning and management. The development strategies for each of the regions should be specified not only in the regional documents, but also in federal ones. Taking into consideration the realities of current regional management in the country and a principle of indivisibility of RF subjects, it seems advisable to give a priority to the level of RF subjects. However, it is also reasonable to treat the regions under study as independent targets of our public regional policy, administration, and, first of all, strategic planning.

The paper considers how notions and criteria of federalism correlate with decentralization of powers and resources, as well as how quality of federative institutions correlates with regional policies. Our analysis of the recent regulatory documents concerning problems of the Russian federalism and regional policy shows that practical solutions proved to be inconsistent with the diagnosed regional problems. Moreover, decentralization of resources under these conditions will enhance the role the federal authorities play in making decisions rather than will bring higher effectiveness of the regional policies.

The paper considers the current dimensions of competition and groups of consumers for which regions compete with each other. A definition of competitive potentials in a region is presented as well as the calculations of such potentials according to five factors such as the economic development, development of infrastructures, innovation development, quality of life, and human potential, each by a 100-point appraisal plan. We present our assessment of the competitive potentials for several Russian federal districts and regions classified by the technique proposed and discuss how such assessments could be applied.

The paper states that the technique to monitor the socio-economic development based on the system of the indicators common for all units of the Russian Federation does not allow applying scientific paradigms to regional governance. We offer a list of indicators which could reflect regional specifics in a proper monitoring of the regional socio-economic development and test its application for the Irkutsk Oblast.

The paper proves that measuring regional poverty should be comprehensive and include an analysis of the socio-economic and environment situation as well as effectiveness of the existing institutes. We analyze an official approach to and major problems of measuring regional poverty through our case-study for Tyumen Oblast. To describe a full picture of poverty in the oblast, we apply a multidimensional approach and compare indicators of people's experience of deprivation such as lack of income, lack of capacities for human development, inadequate living standard, social exclusion, and peoples' poverty assessments. We can also conclude that there is a need to solve problems of the increased social poverty and those of economic poverty observed in the Tyumen Oblast simultaneously.