Substantiation for including municipalities of the Magadan oblast in the arctic zone of the Russian Federation

The relevance and significance of the study are determined by the following: the analysis of international and Russian practices of establishing borders of the Arctic zone, trends and their changes observed in recent years in Russia, the study of the characteristics of economic activity in the Arctic, the adoption of the federal law to support business activities in the Arctic zone of the Russian Federation. The purpose of the work is to substantiate the inclusion of a number of such municipalities of the Magadan Oblast as Severo-Evensky, Omsukchansky, Srednekansky and Susumansky urban districts in the Arctic zone of the Russian Federation. The reason is the similarity of their natural, climatic and geographical characteristics with the Arctic regions, identity of the socio-economic development problems, unity of the Magadan Oblast municipalities and the Arctic regions of the Far Eastern Federal District by a common infrastructure. Scientific novelty of the study lies in proving the homogeneity of the conditions of the Magadan Oblast districts and the Arctic regions using the selected criteria. On the example of the project on the development of the Omolon iron-ore cluster, we assessed the effectiveness of its implementation for investors, considering the measures of state support in the Arctic zone of the Russian Federation. Thus, resource savings for the investor, taking into account the Arctic benefits, are more than twice as much as the savings from the use of the preferential economic zone regime in the Magadan Oblast. The research findings formed the basis of the expert conclusion on the expediency of inclusion of a part of the territory of Magadan Oblast into the Arctic zone of the Russian Federation, which will help create favorable conditions for investors in the development of natural resource potential, as well as ensure socio-economic development of the entire region.