“Methodological Clashes in Moscow” as Misinterpreted by an American Geographer

David Hooson of the University of British Columbia is accused of prejudiced interpretation of the Soviet discussion of V. A. Anuchin's book Teoreticheskiye problemy geografii and of open hostility toward the Marxist basis of Soviet geography. The authors reject Hooson's suggestion that there may be a growing rapprochement between Soviet and American geography, and they reassert the fundamental political orientation of Soviet geography. In the authors' view, the only useful contact between the two sides must be sought in what they call a complete and objective exchange of information and opinion.     

Study,Utilization, and Transformation of Natural Resources in the Mountain Territories of the Southern USSR

The authors urge greater utilization of mountain territories in the south of the USSR for purposes of electric-power generation and recreation. Geographers are expected to make a significant contribution to the planning of development projects involving regulation of water resources, prevention of soil erosion, mudflows and avalanches, and other distinctive mountain phenomena.     

The Importance of Home-Area Studies for Soviet Geography

The article discusses the Soviet Union's nation-wide program of krayevedeniye, a Russian term that is difficult to translate but equivalent in meaning to the German Heimatkunde. The English “home-area studies,” though admittedly unsatisfactory, has been used to avoid foreign terms. The Soviet home-area study program includes amateur studies by local residents, school-sponsored studies to acquaint students with their school district, and government-directed study programs centered on regional museums.     

The Role of Eastern Siberia in Solving Some of the Economic Problems of the Pacific Basin

The abundance of resources in the Soviet Far East and Eastern Siberia, combined with the known scarcity of fuel and energy supplies and certain raw materials in the countries of the Pacific basin, suggests that the resources of the eastern regions of the Soviet Union, could, if properly developed, find a wide market in countries bordering on the Pacific Ocean.     

The Basic Tendencies of Development of the Industrial Complex of the Volga Region

A review of the principal problems of economic development of the Volga region, with special emphasis on the oil, gas, chemical, and power-generating industries.     

Basic Principles of Economic Evaluation of Agricultural Lands

The land-evaluation indicator, in points, should be based on the ratio of gross output to costs on specific soils, or the economic fertility of soils. The derivation of the indicator is illustrated with particular reference to collective farms in Vinnitsa Oblast in the Ukraine.     

The Development of new Areas and Economic Complexes in the West Siberian Plain

An economic-geographic model of the development of the new resource areas of the West Siberian plain envisages a hierachy of support bases providing equipment, food, and manpower for the areas. Effective economic development requires that much of the investment in the first phase of development be channeled into auxiliary activities and service facilities to provide the infrastructure of the new oil and gas complexes. Only in the second stage should most of the investment be directed into facilities for basic oil and gas production.