The Arctic and Antarctic Research Institute: Soviet International Contacts and Research in the Arctic in the 1960s-70s

This paper presents an analysis of the role of the Arctic and Antarctic Research Institute (AARI) and its employees in the Arctic in 1960-1970. The paper shows new aspects in this topic and studies the dynamics of international relations during the Cold War. The study examined the work of the Institute, which acted as a conduit for cooperation in the scientific field, thanks to the frequent visits of foreign specialists and the regular work of Soviet scientists abroad at international symposia and conferences. Over the years, the Institute had not only carried out large-scale territorial studies of the Arctic, but also improved the quality of expeditions, making the work of polar explorers safer. The study also analyzed the work of polar explorers at drifting stations, which, on the one hand, were the field for research projects, and on the other, performed military tasks and investigated international projects in the Arctic, which were attended by Soviet scientists, in particular, the national POLEX North (Polar experiment) and the international Soviet-American project "Bering". The study touches upon the influence of scientific ties on international relations in the Arctic region. The work of Soviet scientists abroad had of a special nature: with the help of scientific trips other states were monitored. While traveling outside the Soviet Union, scientists compared the work of institutions, clearly recognizing their affiliation with the Institute and the Soviet Union. The Institute worked with scientists from different countries, however, most international contacts both in the USSR and abroad were made with the United States and Canada.