History of Science and Engineering Annotation << Back GEOPOLITICAL CONTEXT AND SCIENTIFIC TASKS OF THE EXPEDITION ON THE ARC OF MERIDIAN MEASUREMENT ON THE SPITSBERGEN ARCHIPELAGO 1899–1901 N.V. Kyzyurova At the end of the XX century the issue of climate change has become topical on the international agenda. In this regard, discussions have arisen about the need to study natural resources previously hidden under ice, including in the Arctic. The Arctic is a region with a fragile environment, but it is also a point of convergence of interests of states in different regions. The combination of these factors makes us pay attention to the need to study the Arctic in a historical context. An important role in the process of cognition and development of the Arctic is assigned to the scientific community, without the active help of which, if you look back into the historical past, the modern development of the Arctic expanses is impossible. The article discusses the experience of the Swedish-Russian expedition on the degree measurement on Svalbard in 1899–1901. This paper discusses the impact of geopolitical processes during this period which influenced the decision-making on the expedition, and also analyzes the scientific tasks that influenced the balance of power in the international arena in the Arctic region. Keywords: Arctic, science in Arctic, Spitsbergen expedition, meridian arc measurements. DOI: 10.25791/intstg.12.2021.1327 Pp. 28-35.