Stalin. Arctic project

The Arctic and the North always attracted romantics and scientists. Attempts to penetrate the coast of the Arctic Ocean have been known since the eleventh century. The first major success can be considered the Russian polar scientific expedition of 1900-1902. Its goal was not only the study of the coast of the Arctic and the discovery of the legendary land of Sannikov, but also the search for ways to protect the integrity of the Russian territory.

, by the beginning of the twentieth century, two white spots remained on the map of the world - North and South poles. As Soviet researchers wrote, it was an imperialist race for the Earth. During the 30-year period of Soviet history, including the difficult years of the Great Patriotic War, the Stalinist project “Arctic” has implemented all the proposals of the report of the Minister of Finance S.Yu. Vutte (1894), ignored by Alexander III and Nikolai II.

What is the valuable of our extreme north? Golden mines of Chukotka and North Yakutia, diamond deposits in Central Yakutia, nickel, platinum, gold mines of Norilsk, oil fields of Eastern and Western Siberia, Yamal gas. The guarantee of the preservation of these wealth is the Russian Arctic and the capable Northern Fleet.

After the collapse of the USSR, Russia refused to protect national interests in the Arctic. But in 2013, the attention of the country's leadership again turned to the Arctic project: the strategy for the development of the Arctic zone of the Russian Federation and the ensuring national security for the period until 2020.

What was the basis of the Soviet Arctic Shield? What difficulties did Stalin meet then? How did the growth of tension between the USSR and the USA have an increase in the strategic parity of forces in the Atlantic?