UST: News

From 9 to 13 September 2018 Orenburg hosted the VIII International Steppe Symposium of the Russian Geographical Society "Steppes of Northern Eurasia" arranged by the Institute of Steppes under the Ural Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences (RAS) on the basis of the Federal State funded educational institution of higher education "Orenburg State University". The event was supported by the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation, Russian Foundation for Basic Research, Russian Geographical Society (RGS), Orenburg State University, North Kazakhstan State University and the United Directorate of State nature reserves "Orenburg" and "Shaitan-Tau".

The participants of the symposium were RGS vice-president, Academician of RAS A.A. Chibilyov; Adviser to RAS, Academician of RAS V.N. Bolshakov; Doctor of agricultural sciences, Academician of RAS K.N. Kulik; Academician of RAS A.S. Rulev; Corresponding Member of RAS A.A. Tishkov; Doctor of geographical sciences, Professor А.N. Zolotokrylin; Doctor of biological sciences G.S. Kust; Doctor of biological sciences, Professor, Honored Scientist of the Russian Federation S.V. Saksonov; Corresponding Member of RAS G.S. Rozenberg; Doctor of historical sciences, Professor, Honorary Member of NAS of the Republic of Kazakhstan M.N. Sdykov.

The agenda for the International symposium was the discussion of urgent problems on preserving the cultural, historical and natural heritage, as well as ecological rehabilitation of landscapes in the unique geographical region — the steppes of Northern Eurasia. As one of the solutions contributing to the development of national economy and preservation of environment in this region, the symposium participants considered the concept of creating an innovative nature-like transport and infrastructure network "Orenburg Shawl" proposed by V. Litovsky, Doctor of geographical sciences. It is based on engineering solutions worked out by Anatoly Yunitskiy.

"In this paper, the theoretical and methodological basis for spatial location and connection of the second-level transport network (on supports) to the "growth poles" (key deposits) of the steppe zone of Eurasia is the author's gravitational geographic method that was successfully applied previously for the Schemes of economic unit location and its transport infrastructure for the Urals Arctic ("Urarctic" project). This method proposed the innovative infrastructure and Yunitskiy's efficient ecological transport as a fundamental platform for re-industrialization and reformatting of the Urals economy taking into account the range of its natural diversity from arctic deserts to steppes; the project of interacting development of the Urals and the Arctic is positioned as the initial project of reformatting not only the country's economy to a qualitatively new pattern of economy, but also the entire area of Eurasia on the basis of the infrastructure that is outrunning world achievements in transformation", — points out V. Litovsky.

According to the author's opinion, application of SkyWay engineering basis in the context of developing the territories of Northern Eurasia will be able to create a highly efficient and environmentally friendly infrastructure in the region that will become the basis for the development of new branches in the national economy and power generation of the future.

Those willing to review V. Litovsky's scientific work under the title "Gravitational geography and the nature similar network "Orenburg shawl" on the base of "Sky Way" web infrastructure of Anatoly Yunitskiy for the steppes of Eurasia" can do it here. The concept is included in the final digest of symposium writings scientifically edited by the academician of RAS A.A. Chibilyov.