OREANDA-NEWS. December 30, 2014. Active exploration and efficiently realizing potential of the Russian polar north have come to the forefront of public discussion and became the topic at a roundtable titled Social and Cultural Aspects of Protecting and Developing Indigenous Peoples of the Polar North. Legal Regulations held by the State Duma of the Russian Federation engaging federal and regional authorities, public organizations and major businesses operating in the Russian Polar North.

Norilsk Nickel, a company with major operations on the Taimyr peninsula, the native land of the enets, the nenets, the nganasan, the dolgan and the evenks, presented various frameworks for support of indiginous peoples of the Polar North at the roundtable. Larisa Zelkova, Deputy CEO for Social Policy and Public Relations, MMC Norilsk Nickel, said that efficiency of social investments is one of the top priorities of the updated strategy.

"Over the last 20 years the Company has been allocating substantial resources towards various social programs. Of course they are primarily directed towards out employees, but at the same time we're striving to alter the economic environment in Norilsk, on the Taimyr peninsula and on the Kola peninsula, we support indigenous minorities of the Far North in their tranditional industries and crafts. And at that we're grounded in the principle that giving people fishing rods rather than the fish itself is the main development driver of local communities and territories.

Norilsk Nickel is the biggest employer on the Taimyr peninsula. Two years ago Norilsk switched from traditional corporate patronage to more current competitive and grant welfare contribution social projects with an annual sponsor budget totaling RUB 100 million.

Nevertheless supporting local communties would be even more productive given a more active state participation. Ildar Dzhuraev, Head of the Dolgan-Nenets Municipal District believes that despite a bountiful contribution by Norilsk Nickel towards development of the region and support of indigenous minorities, we cannot do that much without the state.

Dmitry Pristanskov, Director of the Federal and Regional Programs Department, MMC Norilsk Nickel raised the issue of developing the priority development territories (PDT). "Considering the Polar climate conditions there are few companies are capable of operating in that region, those with sufficient resources. But we're going to continue on our path. Over the next five years we are going to invest RUB 100 billion in our Russian production facilties. We're resolving social issues, for instance we're bringing optic fiber that will connect Norilsk to the broadband Internet," said Pristanskov.

One of the takeaways from the roundtable was introduction of public contracts for products of traditional polar crafts and trades. Another suggestion to the government concerned development of a project to reintroduce trading stations at tradiotional natural preserves of indigenous minorities on the Polar region.

Ahead of the roundtable, an art exhibiton under the title Faces of the Russian Arctic that demonstrated household, cultural and lifestyle items common in the Russian Polar North was held at the State Duma of the Russian Federation. Roundtable attendees were free to examine the interior of the traditional chum and look at crafts of the polar masters: bone carving. In his opening address Mikhail Starshinov, Deputy Chairman of the Nationalities Committee reminded that Russia is one of the biggest multiethnic states with a total of 160 ethnicities residing in the country with about 40 thereof representing the Polar North. Starshinov believes that preserving their uniqueness and ethnic identity as well as supporting their traditional way of life is one of the major challenges faced by our society.