System of social regulation of the nuclear industry in Russia in the context of STS Dmitriy B. Medvedenko1  1 Institute of Scientific Information for Social Sciences of the Russian Academy of Sciences 51/21 Naximovskyi Ave., Moscow 117418, Russian Federation e-mail: sleeved2000@gmail.com Relevance. The development of nuclear energy in Russia is associated with high technological risks, requiring not only technical but also socio-legal solutions. In the context of growing public concern about safety, tr

Relevance. The development of nuclear energy in Russia is associated with high technological risks, requiring not only technical but also socio-legal solutions. In the context of growing public concern about safety, transparency, and intergenerational responsibility, the legal regulation of the industry needs to be fundamentally rethought, considering ethical and social aspects. Contemporary challenges require the integration of social assessment approaches into legal practice.

The purpose of the study is to analyze the effectiveness of legal regulation of the nuclear industry in Russia from the perspective of ethics and social assessment of technology and technologies.

Objective. To achieve the objective, the following tasks were addressed: an analysis of the existing regulatory framework and international obligations of the Russian Federation was conducted, the level of public participation and information transparency in the industry was assessed, the impact of radiation and media fears on risk perception was studied, and gaps in the nuclear risk management system were identified.

Methodology. The following were used: content analysis of legal acts, comparative legal method, analysis of sociological data, case studies of court cases, and graphical analysis of the location of nuclear power plants. The sources were official reports, international documents, data from the Levada Center, VTsIOM, Roshydromet, and the Russian Ministry of Emergency Situations for 2023–2025.

Results. Systemic problems were identified: low public confidence in the nuclear industry as a whole, lack of public oversight, insufficient transparency, formalistic public hearings, and failure to implement international recommendations. Most nuclear power plants are located in close proximity to large population centers (less than 50 km), which increases potential risks. The analysis confirmed that radiation fear is a social construct reinforced by secrecy and a lack of dialogue.

Conclusions. To increase the legitimacy and safety of nuclear energy, legislation needs to be modernized to include the right to information, mandatory public hearings, the creation of independent public councils, and corporate social responsibility standards. Only such an approach will ensure the sustainable development of the industry in the interests of society.

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