Full steam ahead in new Arctic oil region
Lukoil signs cooperation agreement with regional authorities over the development of the East-Taymyr field. Geological mapping is due to start in 2017.
By Atle Staalesen, January 27, 2016
Independent Barents Observer
Photo: Thomas Nilsen
The cooperation deal signed by Lukoil President Vagit Alekperov and Krasnoyarsk Governor Viktor Tolokonsky includes 350 million rubles, TASS reports. The money will be invested in social development projects in Khatanga, the Arctic town located near Lukoil’s newly obtained license area.
“This is a very important project not only for the town of Khatanga, but for the whole region of Krasnoyarsk“, Tolokonsky says, a press release from his regional government reads.
For Lukoil, the East-Taimyr is seen as a gateway to a new and untouched region. Resources in the area could be significant and the company might be interested in developing them in a similar way as in the Timan-Pechora province. There, Lukoil pipelines oil to the terminal of Varandey, from where tankers ship the hydrocarbons to the world markets through the Barents Sea.
The privately-owned company cashed out 1,9 billion rubles for the East-Taimyr license, as much as 600 times higher than the tender starting price.
The license was won in strong competition with Rosneft, Privately-owned Lukoil was first declared winner of the license. However, Rosneft disputed that decision and took the case to court. An appeal court settled the case in December 2015.
Indigenous peoples’ organization declared as foreign agents
Indigenous peoples’ organization declared as foreign agents. An organization supporting indigenous peoples in Russia’s northern regions has been fined 300,000 rubles for failing to register as foreign agent.
January 28, 2016, by Trude Pettersen Independent Barents Observer
The organization “Center for Support of Indigenous Peoples of the North” (CSIPN) has been fined 300,000 rubles for breaking Russia´s much-criticized law on foreign agents, Gazeta writes. The organization had failed to register itself, and was in November 2015 declared “foreign agent” by Russia´s Ministry of Justice.
“I can only regret that yet another organization for indigenous people is hit by the implementation of this law”, says Christina Henriksen, leader of the Working Group for Indigenous Peoples (WGIP) in the Barents Region, to Independent Barents Observer. “I am going to raise this issue with Russian authorities next time I meet with them”, Henriksen says.
In the Barents Region, seven groups are have been branded “foreign agent” by Russia’s Ministry of Justice. In September 2015 the organization Yasavey Manzara in Nenets Autonomous Okrug became the first Indegenous Peoples NGO to get the stamp.
Although WGIP doesn´t have any formal cooperation with CSIPN, Henriksen knows the leader of CSIPN, Rodion Sulyandziga well after many years of cooperation through RAIPON, the Russian Association of Indigenous Peoples of the North, where he used to be part of the leader team.
CSIPN was established in 2001 as a non-governmental organization that provided help to indigenous peoples and their communities in the transfer to the market economy conditions of present-day Russia. It offered practical training in institution-building, economic development, land and natural resources use, legislation, environmental protection, and cultural heritage, according to University of the Arctic.
Henriksen hopes that the issue of persecution of organizations that support indigenous peoples will be brought to a higher political level: “I hope that Russia´s partners in the Barents Council and the Arctic Council will address this case with their Russian colleagues. WGIP raises this question whenever we can, but it would definitely help if Norwegian authorities would improve their relations to our neighbouring country, so that there would be room for constructive discussions on such challenges”.
The law that came into force in 2012, imposed organizations receiving funding from abroad or engaging in political activity to register as foreign agents. Very few organizations voluntarily agreed to designate themselves as such, and from 2014 the Ministry of Justice was granted powers to name agents of their own.
The number of NGOs operating in Russia has declined with more than 30 percent during the last three years, Interfax reported.
t/m 29.04.2016 – Mythen in IJs – Lunteren
Expositie Inuit Art: Mythen in IJs
30 januari t/m 29 april 2016
Museum Oud Lunteren, Dorpsstraat 55, 6741 AB Lunteren
T. 0318 486 254 – Open di t/m za, 13:30 tot 16:30 uur.
oudlunteren.nl
Opening expositie Mythen in IJs: 29 januari 2016, 16.30 uur
Partycentrum Floor, Dorpsstraat 36, 6741 AL Lunteren.
Sprekers: Peter Kuipers Munneke, poolonderzoeker en meteoroloog en Cunera Buijs, cultureel antropoloog en conservator van het Museum voor Volkenkunde in Leiden.
In samenwerking met Canuit organiseert Museum Oud Lunteren de expositie Inuit Art, Mythen in IJs. De hedendaagse kunst van de Inuit uit Canada (voorheen: eskimo’s) is fris en modern, weet galeriehouder en gepassioneerd collectioneur Karel Stevens. Hij verzamelt en verkoopt al 25 jaar authentieke kunst van rond de Noordpool, zoals hij het zelf noemt. Van grote, gedetailleerde sculpturen tot fijne, gedetailleerde beeldhouw-werkjes. Afgewisseld met intrigerende, mysterieuze transformaties van mens en dier. Gemaakt in prachtige tinten serpentijn (groen en bruin) en speksteen (van wit tot grijs en groen). De beelden worden gecomplementeerd door kleurrijk en krachtig grafisch werk.
De directe reflectie van cultuur én natuur uit het poolgebied is een van de aspecten die deze kunst zo aantrekkelijk maakt. Daarnaast de eenvoud, het haast primitieve van de sculpturen. Ook bijzonder is dat deze kunstvorm amper 60 jaar oud is. Pikant is verder de mengvorm van traditionele Inuit-kunst met moderne kunst. “Jonge, alweer derde-generatiekunstenaars tonen in hun werk respect voor hun eigen cultuur. Laten daarin de roots en trots zien”, verklaart Stevens.
Op de tentoonstelling valt het materiaalgebruik op. Canada veel meer steen, Groenland meer gewei. Ook de thematiek is anders. Canada veel dieren, jachtscènes en transformaties. Groenland meer tupilaks of wraakbeeldjes. Canada grafisch georiënteerd, Groenland aanzienlijk minder.
1595 Nova Zembla
Gerrit de Veer – Levinus Hulsius: De tocht van 1595: het kielhalen. Twee bemanningsleden, die huiden gestolen hebben van Nenets (Lappen), worden gekielhaald. Van de ene blijkt na het ophalen slechts een half lichaam te resten, de ander wordt nat aan land gezet.
Gerrit de Veer – Levinus Hulsius: The Journey of 1595: the keelhaul. Two crew members, who have stolen skins of Nenets (Lapps), are keelhauling. From one after getting hauled only half a body was left, the other put ashore wet.
