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 /