Finno-ugric cultural rights in the context of sustainable tourism in north-western federal district of russia

Abstract

Cultural rights of ethnic cultural communities are enshrined in national and international law and have been incorporated into concept and policies of multiculturalism. The sustainable tourism, aimed at intercultural dialogue, preservation of historical and cultural monuments, strengthening local identity and existing way of life, engaging the local residents in tourism could serve as a development tool to promote cultural rights. The tourism industry needs to support projects, which take cultural and ethnic characteristics of communities into account, and to ensure that tourists are educated regarding the local culture and respect for nature. Much depends on the active contribution of all levels of public administration, international, national, regional public and private organizations. The protection of the cultural rights lies at the very core of the Finno-Ugric movement which has declared tourism to be a tool for preservation of cultures of Finno-Ugric peoples and put forward a concept of Finno-Ugric tourism at the thematic session of the 7th World Congress entitled “The Finno-Ugric Peoples – Towards Sustainable Development”. Current Russian legislation stresses the rights of indigenous small-numbered peoples. Their rights are contained in the federal law “On guarantees of the rights of indigenous small-numbered peoples in the Russian Federation” and in the “Conception of sustainable development of the indigenous small-numbered peoples of the North, Siberia and Far East of the Russian Federation”. The Conception regards the development of ethnotourism and ecotourism with involvement of representatives of small peoples of the North in their traditional habitat and traditional economic activities as a mechanism for their modernizations and creation of conditions for employment. However, the indigenous groups cannot be prevented from developing their own ethno-tourism businesses, as occurs in some other regions. A general problem is the decline of cross-border cooperation. A vital role in the implementation of cultural rights has been assigned to constituent entities. At the level of federal district and federal subjects, issues relating to the tourism are being incorporated in Socio-Economic development strategies which include plans for strengthening interregional and international cooperation at the European level. The regional development of the tourism depends on various aid programs and is largely project-based. The paper illustrates the case of regions of North-Western Federal District which has the advantage in development of international cooperation. In the North of Russia the cross-border cooperation with Finno-Ugric states and Russia’s active partnership in Joint Working Group on Tourism (BEAR) promote the access to best European and best world practices of sustainable tourism, realization and funding cross-border tourism project as well as strengthen Finno-Ugric movement as a cooperation factor between Russia and the European Union. One of the objectives is to provide a cultural and legal analysis of the current situation with cultural rights of Finno-Ugric minorities in the European North of Russia.