UDC

339.924

Authors

Drachkova Lyudmila Nikolaevna
Northern (Arctic) Federal University named after M.V. Lomonosov (Arkhangelsk, Russia)
е-mail: drachkowa2010@yandex.ru
Toskunina Vera Eduardovna
Arkhangelsk Scientific Centre, Ural Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences (Arkhangelsk, Russia)
е-mail: ver4741@yandex.ru

Abstract

The article presents an analysis of the historical and socio-economic preconditions for cross-border cooperation in the integration space of Russia and Finland, describes the stages of economic integration of the border regions of two states and reflects the main trends in contemporary economic cooperation. Regional integration becomes intense and characterizes the economic interaction of the border states. By the beginning of the XX century at the territory of the Russian-Finnish border a cross-border economic area was formed, which originated on the unique border - the Russian Empire and the Grand Duchy of Finland. Destruction of cross-border relations after the October Revolution of 1917 led to the need for a compensation of the paper industry in the USSR, because of the loss of the main centers of the timber industry. Trade and economic relations between two countries at the interwar period were negligible compared to the pre-revolutionary activities. The existing cross-border economic region was destroyed. Active integration of the Karelian Isthmus and Northern Ladoga in the Soviet economy in the postwar period was developed to restore the pre-revolutionary system of economic relations of the former once a single territory. The main measures were aimed at the development of the timber industry areas such as an expansion of existing businesses, improvement of the structure of the timber industry by establishing pulp and paper industry, development of the export-oriented production. The collapse of the Soviet Union caused a serious crisis in the various sectors of Finnish industry. Since the mid-90s of the last century began a “blurring” of the boundaries and the direction and intensity of commodity, technological, financial, intellectual and labor flows changed.

Keywords

cross-border cooperation, economic integration, the North-West of Russia, Finland, border regions, Northern Europe

References

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