We analyzed proceedings of the recent Landscape conferences, journal papers and monographies from 2010–2020s to identify priority theoretical and methodological guidelines and types of motivation for modern landscape research in Russia. The range of objectives for landscape studies is presented as two triads: “inventory—communications—forecast” (basic research) and “assessment—adaptation— planning” (applied research). We argue that current landscape studies follow nine leitmotifs: (a) geotopological “quasi”-determinism; (b) spatial structure and diversity; (c) intercomponent radial connections; (d) integrating and differentiating lateral flows; (e) sequence of states and evolutionary development stages; (f) landscape as a reactor; (g) self-development, self-regulation, self-organization; (h) emergent properties of a landscape; (i) landscape as a resource and provider of ecosystem services. For each leitmotif, a list of promising research questions was proposed. The distribution of interests of landscape scientists based on the materials of the 14th Landscape Conference showed that fewer reports follow the functional-dynamic and structural-dynamic domains (31%) than the structural-static and functional-static ones (69%). Studies of spatial structure are the focus of 59% of studies, while functioning 41%. The current stage of research is characterized by a transition: (a) from deterministic concepts to the concept of polystructurality; (b) from intuitive mapping to strict physical justification and formalization based on geomorphometry, remote sensing and field verification; (c) from revealing regular combinations of properties to statistical and physical models that allow predicting chain reactions and recognizing critical thresholds as a consequence of nonlinear effects in local responses to global changes; (d) from identifying the range and sequence of states of geocomponents to revealing the patterns of natural and anthropogenic changes in spatial structure, its self-organization and mechanisms for the development of emergent effects of interaction of geocomplexes.

Among the main axes of geographical distinctions, the north-south and west-east ones are the most universal. The article focuses on “souths” at various scales, from global to intra-state and local (on selected cases), but touching other extremes of both geographical axes, their objective features and reflection in the mass consciousness. An “absolutization” of the South fixed by toponymy is noted at any level. It turns to be special within different spatial units in terms of both their objective properties and places. In countries stretched along the meridian, its contrast with the North dominates; where the proportions are more harmonious, the two axes are roughly equal, and in large countries with a latitudinal extension, their South is shifted to the west or east. In Russia, it is limited to the European part. The сommon “minimal” South (Krasnodar and Stavropol krais), and the broad “maximal”, with Transcaucasia, Ukraine, parts of the Center, Lower and Middle Volga areas, are identified by comparing twelve selected pre-Soviet, Soviet and post-Soviet macro-regional schemes. The Southern and North Caucasian Federal districts or, less rigorous, the land southward from the Volga-Don “neck”, with its potential expansion to the west, form an “optimal” South. Various signs of the Russia’s South reveal its specifics and perception. The mass images of the South are basically positive, based on geographical concepts, absorbing foreign elements and actively used for business naming and branding. Although Russian science has traditionally been passionate about the North, the role of Southern studies is growing due to the scarcity and value of the South, along with its demographic, geopolitical and economic role.

The study presents a comprehensive analysis of articles concerning Russia in foreign academic discourse on political geography and geopolitics from 2000 to 2023. The aim of the research is to define the main thematic clusters of such publications and their transformation over time. Cluster and temporal bibliometric analysis of headlines and abstracts of over 1500 articles in the leading journals, conducted by the means of VOSviewer 1.6.19 program allowed to define four clusters of the following thematic fields: critical geopolitics; economic transformations; transport and infrastructure; polls and elections. Each cluster is associated with a country that is most frequently used in the corresponding context. In the critical geopolitical cluster that is Turkey, in the cluster of economic transformations that is Russia, in the cluster of transport and infrastructure that is China and in the sociological and electoral cluster that is Ukraine. The largest is the critical geopolitical cluster considering perception of geopolitical position and international hierarchy, as well as the impact of that perception on actors’ behavior. The most compact cluster is the infrastructure one linked to China’s transportation projects and Eurasian integration. That is exactly this cluster that includes the “newest” terms concerning China’s recent infrastructure initiatives in Greater Eurasia as well as the functioning of the Eurasian Economic Union. The oldest terms are linked to the cluster of economic transformations and represents the analysis of the course and the outcome of the transfer to the market economy in Russia and other post-Soviet countries. Analyzing the context of Russia studies in the foreign political geographic academic discourse provides a better understanding of the views on Russia in the foreign academic community and allows to formulate its characteristic features.

The study presents a novel classification of meandering channels, as well as the hydrological and morphological drivers of their evolution. The classification includes bends in the flow that are not related to channel patterns and that exist under small runoff and sandy channel-forming sediments; side-bar channels, in which the sinuosity of the flow enveloping the side channels is manifested during the low-water period, normal bends in the channel that form specific patterns; morphologically homogeneous sections; characteristic of the sleeves of channels; floodplain-channel branches and bifurcated channels; large meanders formed on rivers with large floodplains, where the tops of adjacent meanders are located near or at opposite ends of the valley; and meander belts. For incised meanders, characteristic of limited conditions for the development of channel deformations, their shape and parameters are associated with a greater specific value of the channel-forming water flow (due to the absence of dispersion of runoff across the flooded floodplain), a reflection of the greatest water content of the river throughout the history of its existence (inherited meanders) or the geological and geomorphological structure of the territory. The morphological manifestations of the structural levels of meandering (normal and large meanders) are reflected in the newly developed, comprehensive classification of river channels. This classification includes both the meanders that determine the type and form of morphologically homogeneous sections of the channel, and the meanders of the branches of channel, floodplain-channel branches and bifurcated channels. Various forms of meandering channels and structural levels of meandering should be taken into account when substantiating water management, route (on shipping rivers) and hydraulic engineering measures, developing forecasts of channel reformations and paleochannel and palehydrological analysis.

This paper analyses the radial growth patterns of pedunculate oak (Quercus robur L.) in zonal and intrazonal broadleaf forests and subtaiga landscapes in the centre of the Russian Plain. Tree-ring chronologies were constructed for five habitats located in contrasting geological and geomorphological conditions. The average radial growth of oak trees within the study area varies by 1.9 times (1.45–2.74 mm/year), with the greatest increases typical of floodplain oak forests. A sliding-window correlation analysis revealed that the chronologies under consideration are characterized by a violation of the stationary relationships within the ‘climate–growth of stands’ system. It was revealed that a fundamental increase in the moisture content of regional landscapes since the 1970s (primarily due to increased precipitation from September to March) has had ambiguous consequences for oak stand functioning. In the Central Russian Upland, where a combination of landscape factors results in greater drainage, oak growth responded positively to increased moisture. Drought is usually the main growth-limiting factor. In less drained habitats, such as the Saltykovsky trough and the Meshchera lowland, increased moisture negatively impacted oak growth. The lowest bioproductivity (1.5 times lower than zonal values) was recorded in oak stands in the Luzhkov Depression (Saltykovsky Trough, light grey forest soils), rather than on the low-trophic sandy substrates of the Meschera: factors of relief and geological structure were found to be more important than the substrate factor. The factors responsible for the sharpest decrease in growth are characterised using the pointer years method. The results show that, since the 1970s, excess moisture has limited oak growth in most of the landscapes studied, but the climate signal has been significantly transformed by the lithogenic base of these landscapes and cannot be adequately interpreted without taking this into account.

Landscapes of Сentral European Russia were sculpted by the last Middle Pleistocene glaciation that constrained most of the following sedimentation in successive interglacial and periglacial settings to various depressions of the glacial paleolandscape. However, corresponding continuous postglacial sequences are extremely rare in the region due to the dramatic fluctuations of the regional base level and significant fluvial activity in most large depressions. Therefore, the fullest available core covering the entire last glacial-interglacial cycle from a kettle hole infill on the northeastern macroslope of the Borisoglebskaya Upland was chosen to reconstruct the local sedimentary environments and to correlate the recorded paleoenvironmental response with the major Late Pleistocene climatic changes. A thorough macro- and mesomorphological investigation of the mechanized press-auger core was complemented by the selective radiocarbon dating of organic-rich sediments. A 20 m thickness of clastic and organic-clastic deposits reflects a pronounced shift from a subaqueous rhythmic lacustrine and eutrophic palustrine accumulation of the Last Interglacial and Early–Middle Pleniglacial to sub- and superaqueous colluvial deposition during the Late Pleniglacial, followed by the final turn to the predominance of subaerial slopewash input during the Late Glacial. Based on the 14C age determinations, immanent hiatuses and sand lenses found in the sequence were correlated with the Early and Middle Pleniglacial fluvial activity, although the lacustrine sedimentation during those stages still prevailed, providing the major part of the entire sedimentary thickness.

The aim of the work is to assess the technical potential for heat and electricity production from wood harvest residue for Russia, identifying the most promising regions in terms of potential substitution of imported fuels with local wood resources. The study uses data on forest resources, logging, timber processing and waste management of the forest industry, energy production and consumption, including government and corporate statistics and analytics for Russia and other countries, the results of previous research in the regions of Russia, the EU, China, North America, guidelines for determining the amount of logging waste. Basing on the analysis and comparison of the collected information, the authors made their own assessments of the waste amount generated and of their energy potential. The article includes an assessment of the volume of wood harvest in the regions of Russia, the wood waste generated and its energy value. Further, there was carried out a comparison of the current production of heat and electricity with the energy potential of wood waste for each subject of the Russian Federation. The regions with the following highest indicators were identified (among the top 10 in Russia according to this indicator): (a) the absolute value of the logging waste generated; (b) the share that logging waste can make up when used to generate thermal energy; (c) the share that they can make up when used to generate electricity; (d) the share that they can make up to compensate for the shortage of electricity production (if there is a shortage in the region). 23 subjects of the Russian Federation included in at least one of these four groups have been identified. These are: the republics of Komi, Karelia, Altai, Tyva, Bashkortostan, and Buryatia; Krasnoyarsk, Perm, Khabarovsk, Zabaykalsky, and Primorsky krais; Irkutsk, Vologda, Arkhangelsk, Kirov, Sverdlovsk, Kostroma, Tomsk, Novgorod, Bryansk, Pskov, Kaluga, and Kaliningrad oblasts. The federal subjects included in at least 2 of the 3 groups are identified as the most promising. These are 7: the republics of Karelia and Komi; Irkutsk, Vologda, Arkhangelsk, Kirov, Novgorod oblasts. Of these, three units have been identified as the most promising, falling simultaneously into all groups: Arkhangelsk, Kirov, and Vologda oblasts, characterized at the same time by large volumes of logging combined with the greatest shortage of electricity production.

The transport development of Tibet began in the 1950s, but it was especially rapid in the first quarter of the 21st century, despite the extremely harsh natural conditions of this high-mountain region. According to information collected from Chinese sources, the process of development of the territory has been reconstructed chronologically almost completely. Six stages have been identified: (1) transport isolationism from the outside world (before 1954); (2) road penetration from the outside, the emergence of the first elements of the internal road network and the only airport (1954–1979); (3) the formation of the internal framework of the road network and large local airports (1980–2005); (4) the first penetration of the railway from the outside, the formation of a cyclical structure in the road network, the expansion of the network of local airports (2006–2013); (5) expansion of the internal railway network, the appearance of the first high-speed highways (2014–2023); (6) construction of new railway entrances from the outside, creation of a framework of internal high-speed highways, expansion of the network of civil airports (2024–2035). Transport development of the territory gradually accelerated, and its characteristic time was compressed. The experience of transport development of Tibet can be used in drawing up programs for the development of transport in the regions of Siberia and the Russian Far East, similar to Tibet. It is recommended to include in them the construction of new, additional entrance railways and highways, the creation of intraregional railways and highways of high technical quality, duplication of the most congested highways with new highways parallel to them, the construction of new airports in remote points and areas isolated from the ground transport network.

On the Kandalaksha and Tersky coasts of the White Sea there are three geological nature monuments of regional significance, created to preserve unique geological or mineralogical objects: “Fluorites of Yolokorgskii Navolok,” “Granitoids of Mikkov Island,” and “Amethysts of Cape Korabl.” In 2019–2022, comprehensive field botanical and geological studies were carried out, the purpose of which was to assess their environmental significance. All three nature monuments have a geological profile. They preserve manifestations of rare mineralization, outcrops of characteristic or rare rocks with visual signs of their composition, structure and texture, as well as other clear evidence of the processes of their formation. In addition to valuable geological formations, protected plant species listed in the Red Books of Murmansk oblast and/or the Russian Federation were found at all three sites. From a botanical point of view, the ecosystems of Mikkov Island and Korabl Cape have a significant importance. The diversity of plants on Korabl Cape is determined by geological structures that are not present in other strictly protected nature areas of Murmansk oblast. The largest population of sand pink (Dianthus arenarius) in Murmansk oblast was found here, which is also not represented in other strictly protected nature areas of the oblast. The diversity of plants on Mikkov Island is primarily due to the complex structure of the vegetation cover and the Holocene history of this area. Rock formations play an insignificant role in preserving habitats of rare plant species. Despite the presence of vein body outcrops on the surface within the boundaries of the nature monument “Fluorites of Yolokorgskii Navolok,” suitable habitats for rare plant species are very limited due to its small area. Currently, anthropogenic impact varies greatly across the three nature monuments studied. The lowest impact is typical for the Yolokorgskii Navolok, moderate for Mikkov Island, and very high for Korabl Cape, which is reflected both in the direct transformation of ecosystems and is determined by the number of alien species found. For the last two nature monuments, it is recommended to change the profile from geological to complex (landscape). In order to preserve the ecosystems of Korabl Cape, it is recommended to strengthen the protection regime, both to avoid illegal extraction of geological samples and to preserve populations of rare plant species. The high importance of the proposed changes is explained by the increasing recreational pressure on the ecosystems of natural monuments caused by the growing popularity of Arctic tourism.

The interpretation of multi-temporal satellite images from 1964 to 2021 revealed that modern landslide processes are most active on the left side of the Geysernaya River valley, within the Geysernoe and Verkhnegeysernoe thermal fields. During this period, the proportion of exposed slope areas showing signs of dynamic processes increased by 11–17%. By 2021, this figure had risen to 30–40% of the total slope area. Large-scale debris flows associated with the collapse of significant parts of the left side of the valley have been observed three times in the last 40 years. Analyzing debris flow activity in the Geysernaya River basin revealed that debris flows predominantly form in the left tributaries of the river in its middle and lower reaches. In addition, the debris flows on the left side of the valley may be off-seasonal, as they are formed within the thermal fields under conditions of constant heating and outlets of gas-hydrotherms. We investigated the distribution of manifestations of endogenous processes (areas of thermal anomalies, modern uplift, faults and epicenters of local earthquakes) and areas of activation of exogenous processes (debris flows, rock mass movements, erosion and aggradation) in the valley. We identified the zone where catastrophic slope and debris flow processes could potentially occur. This zone is confined to the bottom of the Geysernaya River valley and the left side of the valley, as well as the Lavovyi Creek basin. Slope processes are activated by the transformation of bedrock into clay due to gas-hydrothermal impact, as well as slope wetting and heating. When planning the development of recreational facilities in the Kronotsky Reserve, the high risk of rockfalls, landslides and debris flows, most likely on the left side of the valley, should be considered. In order to ensure safe tourism, it is necessary to create a system for monitoring slope processes.

In the next decade, the Tactile Internet is expected to be deployed, capable of providing ultra-reliable and low-latency transmission of not only traditional data (text, audio, video), but also tactile sensations (touch, pressure, vibration, roughness, etc.). This can lead to both positive and negative impacts on the society. To identify the geographical consequences of such an impact, it is necessary to develop a methodology for studying the Internet-tactile transformation of the territorial organization of society. This kind of work has not been done before. The purpose of our study was to determine the negative socio-geographical consequences of the future deployment of tactile communication using the example of the Siberian Federal District of Russia. The primary identification of negative consequences is related to the need to develop measures to minimize future digital inequality. The article considers the negative consequences for society and the spatial consequences of the Tactile Internet deployment as the form of the formation for closed territorial communities of tactile communication, the emergence of a new type of spatial digital (Internet-tactile) inequality and the emergence of zonally distributed algorithmic bias. Federal Service for State Statistics of the Russian Federation (Rosstat) data on the population and data from telecom operators on the length of fiber-optic lines between Siberian settlements as of January 1, 2023 were used. It is assumed that existing urban settlements and the distances between them will continue to exist in the 2030s. An algorithm for identifying territorial communities of tactile communication is proposed, based on the calculation of the circular delay in the transmission of tactile data between settlements. There are fifteen such communities in Siberia, covering 52 out of 114 cities and 45 out of 147 urban-type settlements. It has been established that as tactile communication develops, there will be an uneven reduction in digital inequality across regions. After the fifth stage of deployment, more than 30% of residents in Irkutsk oblast, as well as more than 18% of the population in Krasnoyarsk krai and the Republic of Tuva, will be out of tactile communication. The practical significance of the results obtained is related to the formation of regional programs to minimize future Internet tactile inequality.