Ethnic branding technologies of the Arctic zone of Russia (on the example of the Murmansk region)

The article focuses on the analysis of some technologies that are used for ethnic branding of the Arctic zone of Russia on the example of the Murmansk region. The main features of the Kola Sami and Pomors who are indigenous people and old-timers of the Kola Peninsula respectively by branding this northern territory are considered. The study presents interpretation of the results of the scientific research in the area of branding, sociological imagination and phenomenology. The concept of humanitarian geography and geographical images plays a significant role in this article. The increasing importance of the Arctic in the context of political and economic governance gives more relevance this topic, especially with respect to regional branding, strengthening regional identity, popularizing and preserving the ethnocultural heritage. The research is based on the content of Internet sites, media texts, modern ethnological work. Methods of virtual anthropology, phenomenology, visual and textual analysis of sources, practical branding were used. The study draws conclusions that as a result of branding, the Arctic region often appears as an imaginary space and ethnic images of the Arctic population at the same time are distorted. To a large extent, this process is facilitated by modern Internet technologies that reinforce stereotyping, exoticization and visualization of Arctic peoples' images.