Temporality of Arctic transport infrastructure: bridging seasonal supply in Egvekinot, Chukotka

This article explores local impacts from and responses to seasonal configurations of connectivity and disruptions in the functioning of transport infrastructure in the Russian Arctic. While paying due attention to longue durée – historical processes and modernization ideologies – in the shaping of infrastructure, communities, and social relations in the Russian Arctic, our main focus is on the cyclical, repetitive, and fleeting seasonal time. Building on social science and anthropological literature on temporality and seasonality of infrastructure and social life, we engage with the concepts of rhythm and taskscape. Drawing on qualitative ethnographic data collected in the coastal town and regional hub of Egvekinot in Chukotka Autonomous Okrug, Russia, we emphasize how transport infrastructures, which are subject to ongoing social and environmental changes, are perceived and used as highly seasonal and constantly evolving structures. Our case study shows how local residents and actors manage seasonal interruptions in chains of supply through future-oriented dwelling activities. We argue that different seasonal configurations of transport infrastructure serve to fill the gaps in supply chains and to ensure local mobility and provisioning throughout most of the year.