or social sciences.
shops were organized over the years with consid-
In 1993, ISIRA was organized as an international
erable multinational participation. Annual outputs
group advising the IASC Executive Committee on
were recorded in annual workshop publications.
the development and promotion of international co-
Some of the research outputs can be found in the
operation in the Russian Arctic. Members were from
publications referenced at the end of this chapter.
countries with bilateral projects in the Russian Arc-
The LOIRA concluded in 2005 after about 10 years
tic, and from the Russian side participants included
of successful planning and implementation.2,3
a representative from the Academy, one from the
Problems of Indigenous Peoples in the Russian Arc-
major polar research agency (the Arctic and Antarc-
tic was a project development process based on
tic Research Institute – AARI), and a key person from
workshops in which users (indigenous peoples and
the federal bureaucracy.
GOSCOMSEVER - the State Committee for Social
and Economic Development of the North) defined
Initially, ten countries appointed members to this
their priority problems, which then should be ad-
group. Russia was naturally a key stakeholder in this
dressed by scientists working with the users. In to-
initiative and several authorities were involved, re-
tal, four projects were chosen and work was started.
flected in the troika composition of Russian repre-
Unfortunately, GOSCOMSEVER was abolished and
sentation in the group.
succeeded by the Russian Finance Ministry, which
ussian policies and regulations with regard to their
informed IASC that these projects were no longer
northern regions changed rather often, so increas-
acceptable. Consequently, one project was trans-
ingly field activities had to be based mainly on bi-
ferred to the Caribou/Reindeer project (IASC), one
lateral collaborations (some of which were very
was completed during the summer of 2001, and the
successful). As a result, the multinational program
last two were merged into one (‘Health and Nutri-
idea diminished. However, membership in ISIRA also
tion’) and became a significant Russian contribution
had value for sharing information through regular
to the circumarctic project “Nutrition and Health of
updates.
Northern Indigenous Peoples (NUHIP): Interactions
Information was a basic need both for members of
with ethnicity, social status and environment.”
the ISIRA group and for anyone else interested in
undertaking research in the Russian Arctic. In the
Over the years, the activities of ISIRA have changed,
beginning, such information was made available
from the initial ‘partnership’ role, to bringing scien-
on the IASC website. Later, AARI developed a very
tists together for project development workshops,
good information website as a part of their role as
funding advice, etc., to linking related bilateral pro-
the IPY Eurasian Sub-Office (see: www.ipyeaso.aari.
jects. Because the next generation has other obsta-
ru). Hopefully, this website will continue to operate
cles to address, changes are being implemented to
for many years.
assist young scientists.
Several projects emerged under this initiative, bot