The ‘Arctic: Territory of Dialogue’ International Arctic Forum (IAF),
which will take place on 26–27 March in Murmansk with the theme ‘To Live in the
North’, has released the cultural
programme for the
Forum on its official website. The Forum is being organized by the Roscongress Foundation
with the support of the Russian government.
“The IAF cultural programme focuses on showcasing the
uniqueness and achievements of the Arctic regions, as well as Russia’s leading
role in the development of the Arctic. It combines a historical retrospective,
modern trends, and the image of the future of the Far North. It pays particular
attention to the culture of the Indigenous peoples of the North. The variety of
formats will enable us to present the Arctic as a territory with great
cultural, creative, and tourism potential. I am certain that the events and
venues will be of interest to the Forum participants, guests, and residents of
the Murmansk Region,” Adviser to the President of the Russian Federation and
Executive Secretary of the IAF Organizing Committee Anton Kobyakov said.
The cultural programme events will take place on 25–30 March. During the
‘Taste of the Arctic’ gastronomic festival, a collective team of restaurateurs
and chefs from different regions of Russia’s Arctic zone will present a menu of
regional cuisine using products from the northern seas and local producers.
The festival venue will feature a 25-metre tunnel with
ice engravings dedicated to the 500th anniversary of the exploration
of the Northern Sea Route. In addition to the exhibition, visitors will have an
opportunity to visit the ‘Taste the North’ ice bar, where Murmansk producers
will present Arctic beverages, as well as a fair of works by Arctic craftsmen.
The Sami village will introduce visitors to the life of the Indigenous peoples
of the North. The festival will be held on Ulitsa Vorovskovo opposite the
Central Square of Murmansk.
“The eventful programme combines formats
that are designed to demonstrate the cultural wealth and uniqueness of the
Arctic and provide a comprehensive idea of the traditions of the peoples of
the North. There will be a gastronomic festival, thematic sites, film
screenings, theatre performances, and excursions. The events will reflect the
impressive level of modern cultural life in the region and become a significant
occasion for Murmansk. For their part, the Forum participants and guests will
not only have a chance to learn more about the history and modern life of the
Arctic, but also to establish business contacts in an informal setting,”
Director of the Roscongress Foundation’s Creative Projects Directorate Ekaterina
Ivanova said.
On 25 March, as part of the cultural programme, a
ceremony will be held to transfer the ‘BRICS whale’, a figure of a humpback
whale that became one of the symbols of Russia at the 16th BRICS
Summit in Kazan in 2024, the Murmansk Regional Museum of Local Lore. The
exposition held at the Summit was as a follow-up to the BRICS National Brands
exhibition, which took place during the St. Petersburg International Economic
Forum 2024.
The Murmansk Regional Museum of Local Lore will host
tours for Forum participants that show off the uniqueness of the Murmansk
region. Other thematic expositions will also be held during the IAF, including
an exhibition of paintings about the development of the Arctic and the Northern
Sea Route from the collections of the Murmansk Art Museum, an exhibition of
works from the collection of the Siyanie Contemporary Art Centre, and works
from the collections of Vladimir Nekrasov and Andrey Malakhov that were donated
to the Murmansk Regional Art Museum as part of the ‘Malakhov. Contemporary Art’
exhibit.
Visitors can also take a tour of the Lenin icebreaker,
the world’s first vessel with an atomic propulsion unit that provided
navigational support on the Northern Sea Route for roughly 30 years. The
icebreaker has guided thousands of ships through the Arctic and travelled a
total of 654,400 nautical miles. Now it is a calling card of the Murmansk
Region and one of the most popular tourist sites in the Kola North.
Thematic film screenings will be held for Forum
participants. In particular, the films ‘North Pole’ and ‘Village of Widows’
will be presented. These films tell about the inseparable connection between
the past and the present as well as the exploits of the Russian people that
have been immortalized in stories about unity, fortitude, and love for their
country.
Forum guests will have an opportunity to attend productions at Murmansk
theatres and the ‘Set the Mood’ creative evening by Honoured Artist of Russia
Alexander Oleshko. In addition, there will be an Art Cocktail event, during
which the play ‘Prologue about the Murmansk Region’ will be shown the
accompaniment of the Red Banner Northern Fleet Ensemble.
Special attention will be paid to the ‘Arctic Dialogue’ regional
project, at which residents and guests of the region will be able to interact
with IAF speakers.
The 6th ‘Arctic: Territory of Dialogue’ International Arctic
Forum will provide a key platform to discuss topical issues concerning the
socioeconomic development of the Arctic territories and the creation of
multi-faceted, multilateral mechanisms that can both unleash and effectively
develop the Arctic region’s powerful resource potential.
Online registration for media
representatives and bloggers for the Forum events is open on the official website
until 14 March.
For more information about the event, please visit the website forumarctica.ru.