A SOURCE FOR THE NEW CENTURY

The City of St Petersburg is a Reliable Base for the North

Anatoly Aleksashin,
Deputy Mayor and Chairman of the Committee on Economy
and Industrial Policy answered the following questions

        -Since the foundation of the city, St Petersburg has had the name: "the Northern Capital of Russia". Although a lot has changed since then, the name is still frequently used. Anatoly Alekseevich, in your opinion, do you think that is due to its geographical position or is it a tribute paid to the tradition of some special notion?

        -If you happen to be in the North, you can't fail to notice how much brighter people's eyes become when Leningrad - St Petersburg is mentioned. This is not just accidental. There are historic ties between the region and our city. We have very close economic, scientific, and cultural relations, which have successfully passed the test of time. I can also make reference to my experience as a member of the Association of Economic Cooperation of the North West Members of the Russian Federation. St Petersburg is rightly believed to be its leader. Moreover, our Governor Vladimir Yakovlev is the President of the Association.

        -Recently there was a meeting of the Association in Murmansk. Can you tell me which questions were discussed there? Were the issues directly connected with the main topic of this meeting - the North - touched upon?

        -Of course. As well as some general Russian issues and some questions of organization I would single out two items - the formation of an investment policy for the north west region and the concept of developing the Northern Sea Route.

        -Could you give more details?

        -Certainly. As regards to the first issue, all the members of the Association agreed that the policy will be successful only if it is balanced, coordinated and aimed at forming a united portfolio of investment projects and programs. That is why it has been decided to form an Inter-Regional Security Development Fund whose job it will be to ensure the planned involvement of all kinds of assets within the competence of the bodies of state power, local self-government and economic enterprises.

        -What you have just mentioned are certainly new directions in the Association's activity. But the issue of the Northern Sea Route has been under discussion for a long time. Have there been any new developments? And could you tell me what decisions were made in general?

        -I can only say that the task of developing the Northern Sea Route has never been considered as a whole. What does that mean? First of all, it means the saving and further development of this most important transportation corridor, the protection of the Russian Navy's priority and the strengthening of national security as well as the development of the complex Arctic geo-information system. The concept involves several stages starting with the halt of the decrease and the stabilization of the work on the Northern Sea Route and finishing with the creation of financial, economic and legal conditions for its development and further transition to commercial use. All these points were mentioned in the report made by Nikolay Matiushenko, Head of the Navy Service of the Russian Transport Ministry. The report was approved by the Association members and proposed for consideration by the Russian Government.

        -Such a grand scale program calls for a great deal of effort. What can the city of St Petersburg offer to help in its implementation and in the further development of the northern territories?

        -Our city has great potential and a vast experience of cooperating with the North. It has always played an important role in the development of offshore gas and oil fields in the Russian shelf. At the present time this role is becoming the leading one. This is conditioned by the fact that in our city there are many scientific research institutes, design centres specializing in shipbuilding, hydraulic engineering, geology and the geological prospecting of the entire north west region. It can be said that St Petersburg is undoubtedly a scientific centre where the majority of equipment and facilities are developed and installed. For example, the Central Scientific and Research Institute named after the academician A. N. Krylov conducted the research of planning and designing the representation of the gas and oil fleet and floating technical installations for offshore fields. Here with the use of unique installations and basins unique research was conducted that allowed to receive optimal constructive decisions, hydraulic engineering and other characteristics of the objects in project. In the MALAKHIT Central Design Bureau submarine units were made that are used for the construction and consequent maintenance of mining units and pipelines; RUBIN Central Design Bureau developed projects of stationary bases of crane and assembly vessels and oil collecting vessels. The Central Scientific and Research Institute of Technical Shipbuilding developed the construction and assembly of drilling units in the absence of industrial infrastructure. Our city also offers new marine technologies of the under-water transportation of cargo for use in Arctic conditions.
        One also cannot fail to mention the role of the colleges in St Petersburg where thousands of specialists who come from the North are taught, retrained, and attend courses to improve their professional skills.

        -Maybe St Petersburg as the capital of Russian shipbuilding should have its say in the issue of the fleet formation?

        -Without a doubt. All the more so, because St Petersburg specialists work with peculiarities of the climate and the geography of the region: for example, complicated ice situations, distances from shore bases, short navigation periods. They are trying to diminish nomenclature, to cut down on the number of vessels and floating units by making them more universal and combining their functions. Here is an example of such a non-standard decision: the provision vessel is at the same time a tugboat, a supplier of anchors and a passenger ship able to do emergency rescue operations. Along with those are submarine units and tankers of reinforced ice glass made by the Admiralty Shipyard, self-rising drilling units of the Vyborg Factory and tankers of the Baltic Factory, ecological catamarans of the Almaz, diving vessels and complexes of the Sredne-Nevsky Factory. A lot more can be named of what has been made in St Petersburg for the development of the oil and gas field of the Russian continental shelf.

        -So, all this allows us to come to the conclusion that St Petersburg is a reliable scientific and industrial base for the North. But doesn't it mean only one-sided benefits?

        -Not at all. The City Administration considers the participation of St Petersburg in the development of the North as an important direction in the regional economic and industrial policy. It is strengthening the city budget, helps the conversion and restructuring of defense factories, and creates new jobs. It is a mutually beneficial cooperation.

Marina Alekseeva