Investigation of the role of clusters in the Russian economy is facing with the problems of their identification. Another problem is the lack of comprehensive data on clusters in Russia because all of existing databases are incomplete. So, first of all, the information about the 191 clusters has been collected and systematized, based on which the map of regions of Russia was created with places of the cluster arrangement marked on it. Then the group of regions without clusters was sorted out and GDP of these regions was compared by regression analysis with GDP of the regions with manufacturing clusters on their territory. In addition the paper attempts to evaluate the differences in the development of the regions, which received a support under the cluster policy, with the other regions of Russia. A clear correlation was not found, although it’s not necessarily pointing to its absence, but may be due to the brevity of the period that has elapsed since the beginning of the adoption of specific support measures. The main conclusion of the article is that economy of the region’s part (municipality, for instance) or enterprise economy should be an object of investigation of the cluster influence. The reason is that it is very difficult to identify the influence of a cluster on a region because the share of the cluster in the region’s economy is too small.

In the article, based on the original author’s methodology, the influence of the transboundary clustering factor on the economic and residential dynamics of the territories of the Leningrad Region was assessed. It is established that the economic potential is primarily concentrated in the cities (particularly, in the regional centers), as well as in rural settlements, on the border with St. Petersburg. In the context of the crisis trajectory, which emerged from the summer to autumn of 2014, most of the settlements containing the components of transboundary clusters (in such areas as shipbuilding and automotive, woodworking, pharmaceuticals, IT technologies, etc.), increased its taxable base and simultaneously indicated positive demographic dynamics. The clusters themselves in this generally unfavorable situation (against the backdrop of monetary and financial turbulence, sanctions confrontation and, correspondingly, partial curtailment of the volumes of export-import transactions), demonstrating the ability to adapt, emerged as a significant factor in the socio-economic resistance of the territory.

The article presents the results of the study of dynamics of the coastline of the western part of Kotlin Island, where in the early XVIII century naval fortress Kronstadt (now the district of St. Petersburg) has been founded. Over the past 300 years, the Western part of the island has been dominated by abrasion (scour) processes. According to the comparison of multi-temporal aerial and satellite images, the average rate of abrasion of the territory for the period of 1939-2005 is estimated at 1120 m² per year, and for the period of 2005-2016 is estimated at 4512 m² per year. The rate of linear abrasion of the island, calculated using historical maps and other evidence, estimated at 12 m per year from the beginning of the XIX century and 16m per year since the beginning of the XVIII century. A significant (more than 2.5 times) increase in the rate of abrasion of the coast in the last decade compared to the second half of the XX century can be explained by the increase in the number of storms, with surge in ice-free autumn-winter period. Observations on the permanent key plots in the natural protected area «West Kotlin», carried out since 2012, allowed to study the processes of landscape dynamics in coastal areas subjected to the processes of abrasion and accumulation. On the areas with land increase, overgrowing successions take place with the formation of grass, shrub communities and stands of small-leaved trees (especially aspen). At the prevailing areas of abrasion occur abrupt changes in ground vegetation cover of forest, shrub and bog communities, until its destruction by being covered by sand. Forest stands, including black alder (Alnus glutinosa) groves, are also exposed to abrasion but have a much higher sustainability. The results of the research allow predicting the dynamics and evolution of landscapes in the western part of Kotlin Island and planning measures to prevent unwanted coastal processes and preserve the valuable natural territorial complexes of St. Petersburg.

The paper is devoted to nature features of southwestern part of Hokkaido Island - Oshima Peninsula. Components and factors of present-day landscapes (geology, relief, climate, vegetation, soils as well as population and sectors of economy) are described in their interrelationships. The map of landscapes is compiled (scale 1: 1 000 000). The prevailing present-day landscapes of the peninsula are ascertained. About 20 % of Oshima Peninsula are the landscapes of broad leaved forests with cambisols (with Fagus crenata in canopy layer and Acer species in sub-canopy layer) in combination with forest plantations (Cryptomeria japónica, Chamaecyparis obtusa, Pinus resinosa). Agricultural landscapes cover about 10 % of the territory.

The concept, proposed by German scientist A. Hettner (1859-1941) in 1905 strongly influenced the development of Russian geography in the first three decades of the XX century. Despite of a wide popularity of Hettner’s ideas in Russia his concept of Chorology had been perceived by Russian geographers in very different ways. This was a result of complexity of theoretical basics of geography as well as internal controversies of the concept. Anyway until the end of 1920s the concept played as a major stimulus of theoretical discussions in Russian geography. The situation changed radically in the very beginning of 1930s when Hettner’s concept became the main subject for ideological attacks. It interrupted creative discussions on theoretical issues in Russian geography.

The continuing global warming and the growth of climate extremes are strongly identified at the terrain with special climatic conditions. In this regard, the urgency of using zoning of Russia by the natural conditions of life of the population increases. It is used for assessing the conditions of the modern climate and forecasting the living conditions of the population for the future climate, especially for the terrain with special climatic conditions. The zoning is based on the degree of action of the main natural factors: cold, heat, moisture, altitude, catastrophic events (hydrometeorological, seismic, geocryological). We have analyzed nature conditions of human life in the second part of the 20th century and their possible changes in the middle of the 21th century. The results of numerical experiments on global climate model of the Institute of Numerical Mathematics (INM) of RAS were used. As the result of the warming in 1991-2010 years there was a significant reduction of the territory with absolutely unfavorable and very unfavorable conditions. The scale of the reduction is similar to the change of discomfort area in the «hard» anthropogenic scenario for the period of 2046-2055 years.