ABSTRACT
The complexity of Northwestern Russia is striking in at least three respects, all relevant to a study of legal relations with the federal centre. Firstly, Northwestern Russia reflects the diversity of the legal-administrative composition of the Russian federal structure. Of the six categories of fed eral subjects, three are found in Northwestern Russia: republic (Karelia), oblast (Murmansk and Arkhangelsk), and autonomous okrug (Nenets). In addition to relations with the federal centre, the Northwest also includes an intraregional legal relation, since Nenets Autonomous Okrug formally is a part of Arkhangelsk Oblast.
