Murmansk officials continue the strategy In the North - to Live! - a short slogan that even became a basis for merchandise. The primary purpose of this strategy which was implemented in 2019 is to stop the population outflow and to stimulate people to live and work in the North. 

It is worth noting that other Northern regions in Russia, like Karelia, may be somewhat jealous of recent Murmansk’s successes.

Since the region’s infrastructure had been quite disrupted after the 1990s (not to mention the basic harsh weather conditions), the migration rates were quite high. Many people preferred to move to the centre or southern parts of Russia.

According to officials, in 2023, the trend was broken for the first time. The demographic dynamics were positive: more people came to live in the Murmansk region than left.

At the heart of the strategy In the North - to Live! lies close cooperation between the public and regional officials. The plans are constructed with the help of experts and leaders of public opinion. The region also created a website where every citizen can voice a problem. The officials report the relevant results and dates when the issue is solved.

Since one of the first priorities is to attract specialists from other Russian regions, the objective is to construct new ventures and subsequently provide more jobs for the people. To date, 8.5 thousand jobs have been created. The plan for the next ten years is to increase that figure to 20 thousand.

Thanks to the growing interest towards the Northern Sea Route and a subsequent creation of enterprises, the Murmansk region has become a strategic point which orients at international cooperation and actively seeks to attract foreign investment. In recent years, the region has been transforming its role of a ‘military border region’ into an attractive logistics hub. 

One of the recent examples is the planned project of a lithium mining facility. The geological exploration of the field showed that lithium reserves are higher than initially expected. The key question remains, however, whether a processing plant will stay in the region so as to not disrupt the production chain.

Another important aspect of the strategy is to attract specialists in education and healthcare. Aside from the federal programs that work in Russia, e. g. the so-called Arctic mortgage that comes with a discount, last year, Murmansk region introduced a social program Course to the North that is supposed to cover the deficit of such specialists. According to officials, it already decreased by 40%.

Interestingly, international experience in that field of retaining the youth and specialists is quite the opposite. For example, in Norway, the Tromsø youth program True North focuses on cultural values rather than direct financial stimuli. The program puts sustainability, inclusivity and creativity as pillars for youth participation in politics, but no exact measures are mentioned. 

Similarly, the Finnish city of Rovaniemi also focuses on cultural integration and diversity in its strategy. In both cases, the lifestyle aspect is more vivid while the Murmansk program is clearly economically oriented.

This demographic problem is relevant for most Northern regions of Russia. The negative dynamics and migration of specialists to the centre of the country is one of the most important trends for the North-West of Russia, Siberia and the Far East.

The experience of the Murmansk region may possibly serve as a model to look towards stimulating the population and providing better conditions of work and life in other parts of the country.

The Editorial Board of the Arctic Century

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