Historical Geography Journal ISSN 2782-6511 (Print) | ISSN 3034-5286 (Online)

Arsen M. Usenov
First President of Russia Boris Yeltsin Kyrgyz-Russian Slavic University (Kyrgyzstan, Bishkek)
ORCID: 0009-0001-6758-6822
E-mail: A.M.Usenov@krsu.kg

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UDC: 913(575.2):327
DOI: 10.58529/2782-6511-2025-4-3-126-137

ABSTRACT. The article analyzes the geographical location of Kyrgyzstan as a key factor determining the evolution of its strategic interests in the international arena. It examines the country’s unique location in the center of Central Asia, at the crossroads of historical trade routes and close to such major powers as China and Russia. It describes Kyrgyzstan’s challenging high-mountain geographic location, which complicates communication within the republic, as well as its geographic isolation due to natural mountain barriers and the lack of access to the ocean. The article also examines the historical evolution of the republic’s strategic interests in the international arena from 1991 to the present day in the context of the country’s geographical position. Four key stages in the development of the country’s interests are identified, beginning with the period of adaptation to the international system in 1990 and ending with the period of global transformation in the 2020s. The impact of the geopolitical environment on the formation of Kyrgyzstan’s foreign policy priorities, including issues of security, economic cooperation, and regional integration, is emphasized. At the same time, internal factors of political instability are discussed, which influenced the determination of not only domestic but also foreign policy vectors. The article analyzes historical and contemporary aspects demonstrating how Kyrgyzstan’s geographic location facilitates or limits its participation in global and regional processes. Particular attention is paid to the challenges and opportunities this geographic location presents for sustainable development and strengthening the country’s position on the global stage. In conclusion, forecasts for the development of the country’s strategic interests in the international arena in the medium term are presented.

KEYWORDS: Kyrgyzstan, geographical location, Central Asia, strategic interests, international arena

For citation: Usenov А. М. [The Geographical Position of Kyrgyzstan as a Determining Factor in the Evolution of Strategic Interests in the International Arena]. Istoriko-geograficheskiy zhurnal [Historical Geography Journal], 2025, vol. 4, no. 3, pp. 126–137. DOI: 10.58529/2782-6511-2025-4-3-126-137 (In Russian).

Received 10 September 2025
Accepted 11 November 2025

© 2025 The Author

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Nadezhda M. Ignatova
Candidate of Historical Sciences, Institute of Language, Literature and History of the FRC Komi Science Centre, Ural Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences (Russia, Syktyvkar)
ORCID: 0000-0002-1075-9382
E-mail: ignatova11@rambler.ru

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UDC: 94(470.12)«1930»
DOI: 10.58529/2782-6511-2025-4-3-138-151

ABSTRACT. The article presents material based on the data first introduced into scientific circulation, found in the Veliky Ustyug Central Archive, on the work of the Veliky Ustyug office of the Northern Regional Department of the State Administration for the organization of the territory and the preparation of resettlement funds (Goszemtrest of the RSFSR). The work on surveying territories is described, including that with the aim of identifying areas for the organization of special settlements in the Veliky Ustyug, Kotlas and Lalsky districts, which in 1929–1930 were part of the Severo-Dvinsky Okrug, the center of which was the city of Veliky Ustyug. The operational activities of the Veliky Ustyug office of the Northern Regional Department of the Goszemtrest are considered. Directive documents regulating the work of the Goszemtrest departments and land management works are presented. During the collectivization period, Goszemtrest carried out state tasks on organizing territories, inventorying the land fund, identifying and preparing land funds for settlement. The Goszemtrest regional offices carried out land management work based on general and local agreements with local authorities, enterprises, and institutions. The most extensive land surveys were conducted to establish new settlements, including special settlements for forced migrants. The need to expedite such large-scale work led to organizational difficulties that complicated the implementation of the assigned tasks. In particular, there was a shortage of qualified personnel, tools, and initial geodetic data on the lands being surveyed. The lands surveyed by the Goszemtrest Veliky Ustyug office in the early 1930s were developed in the 1930s and 1940s. The experience of the regional offices of Goszemtrest is little-studied and unique, since such large-scale land management work was not conducted in the following decades.

KEYWORDS: Goszemtrest, land management, special settlements for forced migrants, city of Veliky Ustyug

For citation: Ignatova N. М. [The Work of the Veliky Ustyug Office of the Northern Regional Department of the State Land Administration on the Survey of Settlements for Forced Migrants Plots in 1930]. Istoriko-geograficheskiy zhurnal [Historical Geography Journal], 2025, vol. 4, no. 3, pp. 138–151. DOI: 10.58529/2782-6511-2025-4-3-138-151 (In Russian).
Received 19 March 2025
Accepted 21 August 2025

© 2025 The Author

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