From September 17 to 22, 2026, the Murmansk Region will host international participants in the regional program of the International Youth Festival (IYF-2026). Young leaders from abroad will embark on an Arctic journey that will combine an introduction to the history and culture of the Kola Arctic, a visit to key modern sites in the region, and participation in project work.
 
The program begins on September 17 in Murmansk. Participants will be greeted at the international airport by life-size polar bears. The first day will include a meeting with Maria Chernysheva, Chair of the Murmansk Region Youth Policy Committee, and a visit to the Rodina Center and the Murmansk Regional Museum of Local History. On the same day, some participants will join a roundtable discussion on the readiness of the electoral process for the election of candidates for the State Duma and the Moscow Region, a meeting with the International Friendship Club of the Murmansk Region, and intercultural dialogue.
 
"The Murmansk Region is a unique combination of harsh Arctic nature, a rich history, and modern achievements. "We'll show them Teriberka, the nuclear icebreaker Lenin, and the Sami village of Sam-Syit. I'm sure many of them will discover a new side of the Murmansk Region," said Maria Chernysheva, Chair of the Murmansk Region Youth Policy Committee.
 
The second day will follow the standards of the "More Than a Journey" program. Participants will visit Murmansk polling stations, where they'll learn about polling station equipment and the voting procedure, and then head to the Sami village. There, they'll enjoy a tour of the Sam-Syit Museum, including a tour of tents and kuvaks, an alley of idols, a ritual lake, and an introduction to northern animals—reindeer, huskies, arctic foxes, foxes, and raccoons—as well as Sami games and sledding. In the evening, a sightseeing tour of Murmansk will take in the "Waiting" and "Chimney" monuments, the memorial to the soldiers of the reindeer transport battalions, and the "Hero City of Murmansk" stele.
 
On September 19, the delegation will split. One group will travel to Teriberka, on the coast of the Barents Sea, where they will visit a "ship graveyard," a rocky beach, and a waterfall, stroll through a protected natural area, and participate in an environmental trash collection event. The other group will visit the "Young Arctic" youth center, where they will participate in a creative workshop on making a unique product with the region's symbols—a "dreamcatcher"—and will also visit the Murmansk Region Electoral Commission. In the evening, both groups will meet aboard the nuclear icebreaker "Lenin."
 
On September 20, the participants will visit the Kola Wind Farm, the largest wind farm north of the Arctic Circle, and the Murmansk Phygital Center. On the same day, the group will visit the Murmansk Region Public Monitoring Center (PMC) to discuss video surveillance, remote electronic voting, and public oversight, as well as the city's polling stations to observe the vote tabulation process.
 
"Project work will be an important part of the program: young leaders from various countries will develop proposals for the development of tourism and international cooperation, which can serve as the basis for real initiatives and further collaboration," noted Maxim Podpolenok, Director of the State Autonomous Institution of the Youth Center "Young Arctic."
 
On the final day, September 21, participants will visit Murmansk Arctic University and the Coastal Training and Simulator Center, meet with students, and visit the Family and Children Support Center. A presentation of project ideas will be held at the Regional Management Center for the Chairman of the Youth Policy Committee of the Murmansk Region, followed by an Arctic Dialogue meeting. In the evening, a film screening and a meeting with the "Course to the North" project will be held at the Rodina Center.
 
"The 'Course to the North' project helps specialists from other regions relocate to the Murmansk Region and find employment here. One of the most in-demand positions is for guides who speak a variety of languages. "And within the community, a team of ambassadors is already being formed—local residents ready to assist new northerners. They will become guides around the region: they will help them better understand life in the Arctic, suggest places to go and see, and provide guidance on everyday matters," noted Irina Brinkova, Minister of Information Policy of the Murmansk Region and coordinator of the "Course to the North" project.
 
For reference:
The 2026 IYF regional program covers 33 routes in 35 regions of Russia. The format was first implemented at the World Festival of Youth and Students in 2017, when international participants traveled to 15 Russian regions. This successful experience was continued at the 2024 World Festival of Youth: 2,000 international guests visited 30 Russian cities. In 2025, the program was continued following the World Festival of Youth in Nizhny Novgorod. In 2026, the International Youth Festival was held, attracting 10,000 participants. The regional track is operated by the Rosmolodezh program “More than a Journey.”

/Ministry of Information Policy of the Murmansk Region/