Golovikhina Olga Sergeevna

The article discusses the main features of the consolidation of the dialogue between the Russian nuclear industry and public environmental organizations in a situation characterized by the declining appeal of the nuclear industry. The research demonstrates that public environmental organizations, experts and academics, play a signifi cant role in the transformation of the social perception of nuclear energy, from its inadmissibility to a new degree of relevance. The article provides a historical overview of the public activity concerning the environmental protection, from its inception to the recent stage, when public environmental organizations gained some infl uence over the decision-making process concerning the development of some economic sectors (illustrated by the example of the nuclear industry). The author highlights several important types of public ecological organizations activity, from concrete actions of activists (picketing, rallies, protests), to the involvement of citizens in the decision-making process by engaging in a constructive dialogue between the state and the society. The article provides a set of specifi c conditions which are necessary for an eff ective cooperation and work of the expert community, reaching the conclusion that public environmental organizations have exercised signifi cant impact on the decisions of public authorities due to the fact that their leaders are members of intelligentsia and leading experts in the fi eld, namely: military servants, scientists, politicians.

The article analyses the consolidation of public relations and dialogue between Rosatom State Corporation and civil society in the sphere of security concerns and high level of radiological anxiety of the population. The aim of Rosatom is to comply with the current legislation and fulfill the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) recommendations designated to inform the population and reduce the degree of radiological anxiety. The article first overviews the objectives and interests of the parties as well as their legislative and regulatory background hand in hand with the significance of the nuclear industry for the Russian Federation. Then the analysis takes into consideration major challenges faced by the nuclear industry and the whole civilization more broadly - namely the environmental pollution and global warming - identifying key topics of the dialogue between the State Corporation and the general public. Finally, the article demonstrates the mechanism of influence of the civil society on the decision-making process drawing on the example of two Federal target-oriented programs, “Ensuring nuclear and radiation safety for 2008 and for the period up to 2015” and “Ensuring nuclear and radiation safety for 2016–2020 and for the period up to 2030”, hand in hand with the experience of public dialogue with public organizations in the field of radioactive waste handling.