Navigating Tradition: Solidarity and Local Responses on Maritime Heritage and Ecological Knowledge in Northern Russia

This paper examines how local communities in Arkhangelsk and Murmansk (Northern Russia) respond to modern Russian state policies concerning Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK) in boatbuilding and maritime culture. Due to the absence of a well-established legal mechanism for advancing traditional knowledge (in contrast, for example, to Scandinavia), local communities face constant challenges in "translating" (Graeber) and inventing a "middle path" — discursive strategies that could satisfy the changing political environment in order to navigate their interests. Using Ingold’s theory of dwelling and building perspectives, the study explores how local boatbuilders and maritime enthusiasts resist pressures from state regulations on boat registration and resource management (wood, fish, seals) to sustain their Traditional Knowledge.

The analysis is based on three summers of fieldwork, including participation in boatbuilding activities in Arkhangelsk and coastal fishing villages on the White Sea, as well as a sailing expedition on a traditional karbas boat aimed at promoting local history and culture. Participant observation was complemented by interviews with boatbuilders, navigators, activists, fish people, local authorities, and national park officials.

Contextually, the paper also considers environmental, technical, and historical aspects of boatbuilding, relations between native communities and marine life, tensions between capitals and peripheries in local efforts to preserve cultural heritage.