The Eco-City of Baikalsk: Ethno-Regional and Psychological-Economic Problems and Resources of Formation

The problems of Baikalsk, the ambiguous and contradictory brainchild of the Sacred Sea, which is transforming from a “scarecrow” of ecologists of the USSR, Russia and even the world into the country's first eco-city, are considered. It shows the unnatural nature of phenomena when the splendor and well-being of all flora, fauna — plant and animal nature, created over a long time in Lake Baikal and on its shores, can be crippled by the selfish economic and political interests of modern people. Based on the materials of socio-psychological research, real and virtual problems of ensuring human harmony with nature and society are shown — the foundations of the life of an eco-city. The expression “the economy should be eco-friendly and the environment economical” is being updated again and again, which, according to the authors, should become one of the main mottos of Baikalsk. It is shown that in recent years the concepts of economic and environmental patriotism have spread, often used in relation to people who show a high level of care for the protection and restoration of the nature of Lake Baikal, as well as actively participating in specific measures to strengthen the ecological well-being of their small homeland, including Baikalsk. The significance of such phenomena not only for the city, but also for the country as a whole can be judged by such well-known phenomena as import substitution and the growth of the Russian economy, despite the most severe Western economic sanctions.