The article provides an overview of the five-year phase of the municipal strategy development in Russia from 2010 to 2014, based on the expert analysis of strategic planning documents using the method of formalized description of the content of municipal strategies. The article presents the generalized results of the analysis of 40 long-term strategic documents and pointed out that examined strategies of this period vary widely in shape and approaches to planning. Examined documents were compared with the results of analysis of earlier documents. The conclusion is that the content of the strategic documents was gradually transformed in the direction of strengthening the properties which are recognized as the attributes of a «good» strategy within the consensus of the expert community: ambitiousness of strategies were increased, priorities in the economic bloc were shifted towards the selective economic strategy, the number of strategies from exceptional attention to the implementation were increased significantly. Particular attention was paid to the analysis of the main objectives and mission set forth in the strategic documents.

With the use of remote sensing technology (Modis sensor 2000 and 2014, resolution of 2 X 2 km) a comparison was held for one-time evaluations of the transformation of landscapes of the Russian Arctic and the adjacent territory (forest-tundra and open woodland), as well as the trends of vegetation productivity. This allowed us to identify multi-scale, multi-temporal and multi-directional landscape changes in terms of the synergy between a changing climate and expanding economic activity. It is shown that at the modern stage simultaneously the two processes are observed: the growth of productivity («greening»), which is regarded as the effect of climate warming and anthropogenic transformation and its reduction due to focal frontal and anthropogenic disturbances of the vegetation cover. The mechanisms of reaction of vegetation, clarified by field studies and remote sensing data, are examined, such as shift of the forest border to the North, growth of bushes and grass and «delichenisation» of tundra. The conclusion is made about irreversibility of some changes and growth of areas with a destabilized condition of the arctic biota.

The complex results of the study of the 5 sites with the middle and late Pleistocene marine sediments are discussed. Sixteen marine and freshwater mollusc and eight marine foraminifera species were found in the three Mga stage localities in the vicinity of St. Petersburg. Forms of western Arctic origin dominate within these complexes. Eight molluscs species were found here for the first time: Arctica islandica (Linn.), Macoma balthica Linn., Musculus niger (Gray), Modiolus modiolus (Linn.), Margaritifera margaritifera Linn., Pisidium amnicum (Mull.), Sphaericum solidum (Norm.), Corbicula fluminalis (Mull.). These fauna inhabited in narrow shallow-water boreal marine and partly freshwater basins, which were connected with the Arctic Ocean during the late middle and late Pleistocene. Marine sediments with IR-OSL ages of 21.1 ka and 20.3 ka and paleontological characteristics were found in two sections near St. Petersburg at the heights of 20-130 m above modern sea level.

The paper discusses impacts of the catastrophic floods in 2013 on the Amur river channel, channel processes and water flow redistribution between sub-channels in the Amur middle and lower reaches. The analysis of river morphology and hydrologic regime in Amur main channels made it possible to reveal the problem river passages with the most active channel transformations. It was found out that in 2013-2014 the Amur channel processes, caused by the influence of the 2013 flood impacts were highly accelerated. The authors assessed the intensity of modern erosion-accumulative processes in some areas of the branched channel and revealed the confinement of increased accumulation zones to the outlets of secondary sub-channels and the confluences of major Amur tributaries. For the first time measurements of water discharge were carried out in the sub-channels of the Amur border areas in order to identify trends in their development. Particular attention was given to assessing flood impacts on the water flow redistribution between the sub-channels in the areas of river branching as causing the risks of undesirable changes in channel processes. Similar works are of particular relevance in the Amur middle reaches within the Jewish Autonomous Oblast, where Russian-Chinese border follows the Amur fairway.

Restoration of historic cultural landscapes, becoming more common in developed countries, brought to life two non-alternative practices: special package of measures for the reconstruction and maintenance of the landscape («management plans for territories») and assessing the acceptability of impacts on the visual properties of the landscape (so called «Visual Impact Assessment»). The development of management plans for areas is associated with a concept of the target state in which the landscape, preserving its functionality, includes the characteristics of the historical «reference landscape». The search for such signs is carried out within the reconstruction of landscape history using geographic information systems and old cartographic sources. Implementation of Visual Impact Assessment requires a preliminary modeling of the structure of visual space relative to inside observers, photographic images, identification of the role of individual components in shaping landscape scenes, as well as the definition the visual deformations changing unfavorable aesthetic qualities of the landscape. An unwanted change of aesthetic properties can occur as a result of new human impacts, and as a result of the natural landscape dynamics including the «wilderning» (overgrowing of abandoned arable lands and hay meadows). Creation of three-dimensional computer model of cultural landscape in combination with the step-by-step parameterization of various aspects of expected changes allows objectifying the whole process of assessment the validity of impact on aesthetic qualities and also uses it to solve the conflicts of development in the territories with high historical, cultural and natural value. The experience of such a study, realized for state historic-architectural and ethnographic culture preserve «Kizhi», is regarded.

Nowadays the cognitive and the predictive function of cartographic products have connected. A technical means of information processing, modern design, marketing in cartography, using of visual models in territorial management provide the opportunities for production of internal tourist maps and atlases, aimed at the development of regions. In the article the characteristics of small towns tourist maps of the North-West of the Russian Federation are examined, the various functional types of human settlements, scale, design and layout of cartographic products are analyzed, the features of the field work during their manufacture are discussed, the specificity of their use by the consumer are considered. Creating a series of tourist maps of small towns located on a managed territory is the simplest and most favorable investment tool in the development of the regional economy.

In 1946, by decision of the Main Directorate of the Northern sea route the All-USSR Arctic Institute had organized a large comprehensive East high-latitude expedition on the icebreaker «North Pole» leased from the USA. The expedition consisted of 35 scientific staff members of different specialties. However, full implementation of the expedition plans failed due to extremely unfavourable ice conditions in the Arctic basin after a period of warming of 1920-1930s. The icebreaker moved about 800 km to the North along the meridian of Bering Strait and was faced with an insurmountable barrier of perennial ice. An attempt to move to the West, passing to the North of Wrangel island, had led to long-term drift in the ice cluster in the East of the East Siberian sea. Despite these setbacks, the research had significant scientific and practical importance. For the first time the comprehensive oceanographic study of the Chukchi sea was carried out, the Ayon ice cluster regime was investigated etc.

Reminder of V. V. Vlasov who was the scientist, devotee of geographical education and science popularizer in the first third of the 20th century, a world traveler and member of Russian geographical society as well. He was the author of 300 scientific and methodical works on geography and geographical education.