Dec 2025: Article by Elena Davydova and Olga Povoroznyuk in Polar Geography
The quarterly peer-reviewed academic journal Polar Geography has recently published the article “Temporality of Arctic Transport Infrastructure: Bridging Seasonal Supply in Egvekinot, Chukotka” by InfraNorth researchers Elena Davydova and Olga Povoroznyuk.
The article explores local impacts of, and responses to, seasonal configurations of connectivity and disruptions in the functioning of transport infrastructure in the Russian Arctic. While paying due attention to longue durée – historical processes and modernization ideologies – in the shaping of infrastructure, communities, and social relations in the Russian Arctic, the authors’ main focus is on the cyclical, repetitive, and fleeting seasonal time.
Building on social science and anthropological literature on temporality and seasonality of infrastructure and social life, they engage with the concepts of rhythm and taskscape. Drawing on qualitative ethnographic data collected in the coastal town and regional hub of Egvekinot, Chukotka Autonomous Okrug, Russia, the authors emphasize how transport infrastructures, subject to ongoing social and environmental changes, are perceived and used as highly seasonal and constantly evolving structures.
Their case study shows how local residents and actors manage seasonal interruptions in chains of supply through future-oriented dwelling activities. Davydova and Povoroznyuk argue that different seasonal configurations of transport infrastructure serve to fill the gaps in supply chains and to ensure local mobility and provisioning throughout most of the year.
This article is part of a special issue guest edited by Timothy Heleniak. You can find it open-access in Polar Geography.
