Daria Gritsenko and Elena Efimova continue an enquiry into sustainable regional development in the Russian Arctic by focusing on one specific case: the Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug (YANAO). The authors begin their investigation by reviewing the resource curse argument and, in particular, the variety of literature that established the negative effect that resource endowment has on potential for sustainable development. Based on a variety of statistical indicators, the authors demonstrate that the intensification of extractive activities in YANAO is associated with economic growth and a rise in quality of life, but no significant relationships for environmental indicators could be established. The authors problematise the concept of sustainable regional development and call for reconsideration of the reliance on conventional indicators when studying the Arctic.