The role of Peter the Great in the development of the Russian Arctic

Abstract

Aim. The purpose of the article is to study Peter the Great’s plans for the Russian Arctic and analyze the development of the Arctic coast of Russia in the Peter the Great’s era.

Methodology. The study is based on the authors’ work with sources, as well as the generalization of data given in the Russian historical literature. The article uses problem-chronological, historicalsystematic and comparative-historical methods.

Results. The study of the development dynamics of the Arctic coast of the Russian Empire under Peter I showed that at that time there was a transition from a resource scheme to the logistics one. New proofs of the «Japanese vector» of Peter the Great’s aspirations and the organization of the search for the Northeast Passage are presented

Research implications. The concept of three factors of domestic development of the Arctic was created: resource, logistics and military-strategic. According to the authors, it is more productive than the idea of waves of Russian colonization of Siberia (fur, metal and agrarian) which exists in historical literature today. The materials of the article can be used in the development of special courses and special seminars on the period of Peter the Great’s transformations, the history of the Russian Arctic, the history of geographical discoveries.