This article is devoted to the fundamental problem, associated with the contradictions between strengthening geopolitical and economic importance of the Arctic zone of the Russian Federation and the simultaneous growth of socio-economic losses of these territories, strengthening the structural disproportions of the economy, the depletion of the searchable reserve of the raw materials' sector. The paper states that in the conditions, when raw materials' complex still defines the competitive positions of the Russian Federation and serves as the donor of the budget, as the basis for modernization and as the consumer of high technologies, declared orientation to the dominating development of the innovative sector of the national economy do not match the reality. The author reviews normative statements of the international organizations and the specificity of the Russian understanding of the problems, stated by these organizations. The paper contains positive scientific researches of the problems of social and economic development of Arctic regions and also summarizes the views in the sphere of economy of natural resources' utilization, including natural sciences' aspects. Despite of rather stable operating of the mineral-raw complex of the North-Arctic zone of the Russian Federation, the exhaustion of the search reserve of the USSR period still remains one of the basic problems. The paper provides references to new natural sciences' concepts of the Russian researchers, indicating perspectives of early stages geological works in the Arctic zone of Russia. The author comes to the conclusion about the necessity of the inter-branch approach to researching development problems, focused at the Russian Arctic zone.