This paper examines the existing discourses surrounding environmental issues in Russia using a large oil Spill in Norilsk as a case study. The spill, which occurred in the summer of 2020, is the largest man-made disaster to ever occur in the Arctic, resulting in around 21,000 tons of diesel fuel being spilled into the ground and surrounding waterways. This case presents a unique opportunity to study the discourses created in the aftermath of the spill and identify how different actors (conservationists, politicians, media, industrial actors) react and perceive the natural environment in Russia. Through the lens of Critical Discourse Studies, 9 interviews taken with actors representing various positions were analyzed through a qualitative content process, focusing on what and how was said in the interviews to identify and understand the primary discourses and what can be revealed about the groups that promote them. The analysis uncovered a range of discourses that appeared surrounding the spill, however the overarching discourses can be defined as the Expedition Discourse (representing members of the scientific community), the Conservation Discourse (representing environmental and NGO actors) and the Industrial Discourse (representing industrial and political actors). Each discourse assisted in illuminating the power structures that exist within and amongst the actors and discourses themselves. There is a delicate balance of actors promoting and pushing their own narrative whilst recognizing and respecting the existing power structures within society. The study found that the Industrial Discourse actors had the most influence and control over how the spill was perceived and reported, however, actors within each discourse worked to maintain their agency and place in the discussion. Given the limited scope of this research and specificity of the case, it is difficult to make inferences about how all actors within Russia understand and perceive environmental issues. Despite this, the research contributes to pressing issue of environmental development, especially in the context of the Arctic, and suggests continued research in this field is essential in coming years.

В контексте ярко выраженной территориальной конкуренции, возрастающей роли социальных медиа в нашей повседневной жизни, важным аспектом развития территории становится создание и коррекция её имиджа в сети интернет. Норильск не является исключением. Ввиду особого арктического климата, экологических проблем города, а также слабой изученности маркетинговых инструментов продвижения подобных территорий, в нашей работе мы изучили опыт сторонних авторов, провели собственные исследования и разработали программу корректировки имиджа города, применимую к территориям с подобными характеристиками и проблемами. Для этого мы изучили сущность понятия «имидж города» и инструментов его корректировки, специфику социальных медиа, а также российский и зарубежный опыт корректировки имиджа. Также мы определили основные характеристики города Норильска, изучили мнение его жителей и мнение экспертов относительно имиджа территории, провели контент-анализ социальных медиа и оценили работу властей города по корректировке имиджа в сети интернет. Все это позволило нам разработать программу, рассчитанную на создание положительного имиджа территории инструментами социальных медиа. / In the context of territorial competition and the increasing role of social media in our daily life, the creation and correction of its image on the Internet becomes an important aspect of the development of the territory. Norilsk is no exception. Due to the special Arctic climate, ecological problems of the city, as well as lack of knowledge of marketing tools for promoting such territories, in our work, we studied the experience of other authors, conducted our own research and developed a program for correcting the image of the city, which can be used by other territories with similar characteristics and problems. To do this, we studied what the "image of the city" is and the tools for its correction, the specifics of social media, as well as Russian and foreign experience of image correction. We also identified the main characteristics of the city of Norilsk, studied the opinion of its residents and experts about the image of the territory, conducted a content analysis of social media and assessed the work of the city administration to adjust the image on the Internet. All this allowed us to develop a program designed to create a positive image of the territory using social media tools.

The main objective of this thesis is to evaluate the circumstances and transition of the socio-economic system of the Russian Federation. It is also focused on the regional economy of Sverdlovsk region as a socio-economic subsystem. Uralmash plant is presented here as an example of an economic player in a process of transition. The thesis is based on several specific theories: socio-economic system and its transition, evolution of the economic systems by J. Schumpeter, social choice between chaos and dictatorship based on the new comparative economics, regionalist theory and corporate finance. It is chosen comparative-historical and empirical-statistical methodology. The main finding of the thesis is the inability of the socio-economic system of the USSR to continue in development as a result of dictatorship. However, the new Russian economy fell into a structural shift. The contribution of the thesis is a comprehensive view on transition process in Russia both at national and at regional and local level. Both theoretical and practical sites of transition are reflected. Not only macroeconomic but also microeconomic point of view is taken into account.