Moskovsky Komsomolets has written about on a new study by the European University. Scientists analyzed seasonal snowmobile and all-terrain vehicle routes in the Khatango-Anabar region (northern Krasnoyarsk Krai) and Yakutia. For this purpose they proposed a new approach to mapping northern territories, combining remote sensing using satellite imagery and social anthropology methods.
Here is an excerpt from the story:
"University scientists studied over 200 satellite images — from archival ones dating back to the 1970s to modern ones. This allowed them to map existing Arctic routes and assess their historical dynamics over several decades. The collected data formed the basis of a complex spatial database in a GIS (geographical information system). The researchers found and scanned archival maps from various periods, digitized them, and georeferenced them."
Following the survey, the scientists traveled to the tundra to conduct in-depth interviews with local residents. Project leader and senior researcher at the Center for Social Research of the North, Valeria Vasilyeva, noted:
"In recent years, the intensity of snowmobile traffic in eastern Taimyr has decreased. Apparently, this was influenced by the rising cost of equipment and stricter environmental controls. In fact, we are witnessing a gradual shrinking of the living space of local communities."
"Our research isn't just a scholarly endeavor. It's a tool for bridging the gap between the real lives of northerners and government support measures, which, due to the region's geographic and informational remoteness, don't always align with the real needs and logic of life on the ground."
The project "Maps of Social Connections: Arctic Land Movements in Satellite Images and Their Cultural Meaning" was supported by the Russian Science Foundation under grant 25-28-01342.