The "Course to the North" program, implemented in the Murmansk Region, achieved record results by the end of 2025. Deputy Governor Alexandra Kondaurova reported on the project's implementation at a briefing today. As a reminder, the "Course to the North" personnel support program was developed in 2023 at the initiative of Governor Andrei Chibis as part of the "Live in the North!" strategic plan. 

"Course to the North" offers each project participant a comfortable transition from the moment they apply to the project until they begin working. Project staff assist with employment, including for family members, meet them at the airport, help enroll their children in kindergarten or school, and provide a personal mentor to address all relocation-related issues," Alexandra Kondaurova emphasized.

According to the Vice Governor, 469 people have moved to the Kola Arctic this year under the "Course to the North" program, and 850 people from 76 Russian regions and four foreign countries have moved since its inception. Project participants live and work in all municipalities of the region. The proportion of young professionals is growing; the average age of participants in 2025 is 31. Importantly, participants are moving with their entire families: thanks to "Course to the North," the region has become richer by more than 230 children, with more than half of them moving in 2025. Interest in the program and the region is growing rapidly. Over the last five months of 2025, the number of applications for relocation has doubled, and December set a record with 240 applications. Among the new residents of the region are doctors, teachers, miners, scientists, IT and PR specialists, civil servants, and architects. 

"The project team has established effective collaboration with businesses. "We help each other: the project promptly receives new vacancies, and businesses receive applicants' resumes," emphasized Alexandra Kondaurova, calling on organizations in the Murmansk Region to actively enter into agreements with the "Course to the North" project.
Working with young people has become an important area of ​​the project's development. In 2025, more than 1,500 students from leading universities in the country learned about career opportunities in the Arctic. Around 700 people are considering the Murmansk Region as a place to complete their internship—a kind of "test drive" for both the employer and the region. Ninety-five students have already completed such an internship this year. Since the summer of 2025, in partnership with the "Star of the North" project, the program has been helping find employment for the wives of military personnel arriving to serve in the region. Thanks to this, 16 women have already found fulfilling careers.

"The project has begun actively collaborating with the tourism community. We offer the opportunity to live where others dream of vacationing. "We believe that every tourist who comes and falls in love with our region can become a permanent resident," emphasized Alexandra Kondaurova.

The Vice Governor also presented the annual results of the regional ambassador program  "Return with Friends ," implemented under the governor's "Live in the North!" plan. As part of the program, 40 students from across the country spent eight months talking about internships, practicums, and careers in the Murmansk Region. As a result, 200 applications were received from students for internships and employment opportunities in the region. In December, 14 of the best ambassadors spent three days in Murmansk. 

/ Ministry of Tourism and Entrepreneurship of the Murmansk Region /

The All-Russian "More Than a Journey" award ceremony took place at the Rossiya National Center. The event brought together over 600 participants—finalists, experts, award guests, and program partners. Awards were presented to the creators of 42 projects from 26 regions of the country, demonstrating through their example that tourism is becoming more than just entertainment, but a tool for educating the younger generation, a form of meaningful leisure, and a way to explore Russia.

The All-Russian "More Than a Journey" award is the first in Russia to recognize projects, organizations, and individuals who instill a value-based foundation in youth travel and inspire by their example. The award is organized by the Rosmolodezh "More Than a Journey" program, which is part of the national "Youth and Children" project.

Over 450 experts evaluated the applications, including representatives of the tourism industry, non-profit sector, and state corporations, as well as executives and industry specialists from partner organizations. The final stage was a public vote, which took place on the official "More than a Journey" program page on VKontakte and on the awards website. Over 125,000 votes were cast from across the country.

At the ceremony, the winners were announced in the main categories: "More than a Tour," "More than an Excursion," "More than a Hike," "More than an Enterprise," "More than a Point of Attraction," and "More than Media." The winners in the "More than a Traveler" category were also announced. Earlier, during the "Time of the Young" awards ceremony on December 20, five laureates were announced in the "More than a Region" category.

The winner in the "More than a Point of Attraction" category was "Icebreaker of Knowledge," a scientific and educational project from the Murmansk Region—Rosatom's international Arctic expedition to the North Pole aboard the nuclear icebreaker "50 Years of Victory." Its mission is to popularize natural sciences, nuclear industry technologies, and Arctic exploration, as well as to identify and support talented children from around the world. Over the course of the project's six seasons, more than 400 gifted schoolchildren have participated in Rosatom's Arctic expeditions.

Arina Pervushova and her project "Miracle Everywhere" received a special Student Tourism Choice award in the "More Than a Traveler" category. Arina, representing the Murmansk Region, created a multi-platform initiative that helps people become their best selves through travel.

Reference:
ANO "More Than a Travel" operates the Rosmolodezh program "More Than a Travel," which has enabled more than 320,000 young people to see unique places in our country, learn about the achievements of universities and industrial enterprises, develop a socially significant project, and make new friends.

Winners and winners of national projects—schoolchildren, students, young professionals from the regions, and military family members—are sent on trips across the country.
In addition to the traditional tourist program—exploring the natural, cultural, and historical features of the regions—young people visit Russian manufacturing facilities, educational institutions, and other significant sites. They have the opportunity to contribute to urban development, volunteer, and co-author trips. This diverse tourism also offers professional development—trip participants can prove themselves and receive internship and employment offers or apply their acquired knowledge in their home region.

The "More Than a Journey" program is part of the Federal Agency for Youth Affairs (Rosmolodezh) ecosystem and is implemented as part of the "Youth and Children" national project. The program is supported by the Movement of the First, the Russian Society "Knowledge," the "Russia – Land of Opportunities" platform, the Ministry of Education and Science, the Ministry of Culture, the Ministry of Education, and the Ministry of Economic Development of Russia.

/Ministry of Information Policy of the Murmansk Region/