Courses

The course provides an overview of the main aspects of history of the Arctic. However, it differs from the courses on history of the Arctic exploration by deeper attention to the Arctic environment, especially climate, as an important actor and driving force of the colonization of the Arctic space. It does not take climate to be the determining factor in history, but as one of the distinctive characteristics of ‘Arcticality’. Medieval warm period, Little Ice Age, ‘warming of the Arctic’ of the 1930s as well as Global Warming that goes much faster in the Arctic than in other parts of the globe are discussed in connection with human socio-economic activities and knowledge accumulation. In addition to climate and environmental history that includes history of use of biological and mineral resources, animal history, analysis of ecological imperialism, the course is enriched with history of Arctic science and technology, especially of the last century. It also touches upon such significant subjects as race and gender in polar exploration and reflections of Arctic ice in media and culture, including the indigenous ones.