We'd probably need to screen for colonists ~ the Russians didn't so they're mostly outta' there! But it is livable, and life can be pleasant no matter where you go.
One of the more interesting things I ran into doing my research into the Skolt Sa'ami ~ and talk about some thin stuff ~ was that the 5,000 or so left behind in Russia in the Kola peninsula were usually small enough, and rigorous enough they were great candidates to be fighter pilots in the Russian air force. Even their best planes had a very tight fit and bad heating ~ these guys could survive. With that they became important rather than just Europe's smallest minority. Modern gear has no doubt made them less special, but you'd need folks like that to deal with Siberia and much of Canada. They exist.
Just think what we could do with Siberia if we tried applying the cashola and technology being considered for extra-terrestrial habitation. But, apart from some pragmatic reasons not to, the enviro wackos would block it to protect the rare Eagle-sized Siberian Mosquito or some other unique gem of nature.