As the Antarctic Treaty comes up for renewal and global warming increasingly becomes a reality, the polar regions have attracted renewed interest. However, while Western policy in the Arctic regions is well documented, little is known of traditional Soviet policy in this area. And this, despite the fact that the Soviet Union is one of the most important nations in the field of polar exploration. Even in the era of glasnost, research remains difficult. In "The Soviet Arctic" Pier Horensma sets out to correct this situation. Horensma has based his research on the comparatively wide literature available on this topic in Russian, but barely known in the West. He traces Soviet policy of the last 100 years - giving particular importance to the Stalin period and his legacy to current Soviet attitudes in the Arctic. He also considers the international implications of this policy and the effect of technological advances. This book should be of interest to lecturers and students of history, geography, Soviet studies and politics.