Translation. Region: Russian Federation –
Source: Government of the Russian Federation – Government of the Russian Federation –
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The agenda of the meeting of the State Commission on Arctic Development included the implementation of long-term plans for the comprehensive socio-economic development of key settlements in the Arctic Zone of the Russian Federation, the development of utilities, energy, and social infrastructure in closed administrative-territorial entities (ZATOs), and the expansion of the Affordable Rental Housing program to the Arctic region.
"Master plans for 15 Arctic key settlements were developed at the direction of Russian President Vladimir Putin and approved by the Russian Government on October 27 of this year. They were created taking into account the opinions of residents, their wishes, and the accumulated experience of implementing master plans in the Far East. By 2035, the plans provide for the renovation of housing stock, the development of housing and utilities infrastructure, transportation, healthcare, education, sports, and culture. In short, they aim to create better living conditions for people. The required funding by 2035 amounts to 2.9 trillion rubles, of which 555 billion rubles comes from the federal budget, almost 1.8 trillion rubles from extra-budgetary sources, and the remainder from regional budgets. Therefore, it is essential to ensure ongoing oversight of the use of these funds," Deputy Prime Minister and Presidential Plenipotentiary Envoy to the Far Eastern Federal District Yury Trutnev opened the meeting.
The master plans were developed with input from residents, who identified priorities in healthcare (57%), infrastructure (43%), and culture, sports, and leisure (25%). Based on the master plans, the government approved long-term development plans for the period up to 2035.
The implementation of long-term plans is aimed at achieving the national goals set by the Presidential Decree of May 2024, in terms of improving the quality of living environment, increasing investment in fixed assets, and increasing the share of the tourism industry in GDP.
Of the 516 planned activities, 77 (15%) are aimed at developing transport infrastructure. The Kolyma-Omsukchan-Omolon-Anadyr highway in Chukotka will be built, and the Vorkuta airport airfield will be reconstructed.
The implementation of 130 projects (25%) will improve the quality of housing and utilities services and transform the urban environment. Embankments in Arkhangelsk and Murmansk will be improved, and water and heat supply networks in Krasnoyarsk Krai and Yakutia will be reconstructed.
81 projects (16%) will be implemented in the field of scientific and educational activities. These include the creation of the Snezhinka international Arctic station in Yamal, the Arctic Star inter-university campus in Arkhangelsk, and a world-class university campus at Murmansk Arctic University.
Ninety-seven projects (19%) are aimed at creating sports and cultural infrastructure. The "Cradle of the Russian Fleet" historical and cultural park will be built in Murmansk, a community center will be built in the workers' settlement of Iskateley in the Nenets Autonomous Okrug, and the Trud stadium in Arkhangelsk will be modernized.
As Alexey Chekunkov, Minister for the Development of the Far East and Arctic, noted, the goal of implementing long-term plans is not only to rejuvenate the appearance of agglomerations but also to create conditions for new investment projects. "More than 120 investment projects with an investment volume of 19 trillion rubles are planned for implementation in key areas. For example, in Komi, we are working on creating a chemical complex for the production of ammonia and urea. The investment is estimated at 200 billion rubles. The creation of 2,000 jobs is planned, and taking into account the work of related enterprises and social infrastructure, approximately 10,000. In the Murmansk Region, the site of a former ship repair yard for the navy is planned for development. S7 Airlines is building a new modern ship repair yard on the territory adjacent to the Murmansk seaport. In Chukotka and Novodvinsk (Arkhangelsk Region), there are plans to develop the Sovinoye gold deposit and create a private industrial park for the pulp and paper industry," he added.
Under the program to write off two-thirds of the outstanding budget loan debt, 35 billion rubles have been allocated for long-term planning activities. In Karelia, the program will support the construction of wastewater disposal networks in Kem and the modernization of heating networks in Belomorsk. In Krasnoyarsk Krai, it will help reconstruct drinking water supply systems in Dudinka. In Murmansk Oblast, it will help relocate residents from dilapidated housing and conduct major repairs to buildings. In Komi, the funds will be used for the major repairs of the Usinsk water pipeline.
Within the framework of treasury infrastructure loans, the allocation of limits among regions for long-term plan activities totaling 30 billion rubles has been approved, starting in 2026. Currently, the Russian Government is gradually supporting proposals for distributing treasury loans: 3.5 billion rubles have already been approved for the Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug, the Republic of Karelia, and the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia) for the reconstruction of housing and utilities networks and the creation of tourism and sports infrastructure.
The primary source of funding for the federal budget will be sectoral state programs, in accordance with the President's directive to allocate 5% of these funds to the implementation of long-term development plans for the Arctic and the Far East. Federal agencies have allocated 67 billion rubles in their programs for the 2026–2028 budget cycle. Thus, for the first three years, the federal budget's share of long-term plans will amount to almost 50% (the required federal funding in 2026–2028 is 149.8 billion rubles).
The meeting's agenda included a discussion of the implementation of an action plan for the development of utilities, energy, and social infrastructure in closed administrative-territorial entities and settlements in the Arctic Zone of the Russian Federation where military units are stationed.
"The program is being implemented at the President's direction, and 30 billion rubles from the federal budget have been allocated for its implementation. The President has ordered the program to be extended until 2030. Today, we will discuss how the President's instructions are being implemented in this regard," said Yuri Trutnev.
Utilities and social infrastructure are being upgraded as part of the presidential unified Arctic subsidy, provided by the Ministry for the Development of the Russian Far East since 2021. Between 2021 and 2023, 1.6 billion rubles were allocated, enabling the construction of a school in Pechenga, a community center in Alakurtti, and an indoor swimming pool in the closed administrative-territorial entity of Severomorsk. This funding also enabled the completion of military apartment renovations, major repairs to apartment buildings, the upgrading of over 5 km of roads, and the demolition of hazardous structures.
Following his visit to Murmansk in 2023, the President of Russia decided to develop a closed administrative-territorial entity (ZATO) renovation program for 2024–2026. The program covers 28 closed administrative-territorial entities and populated areas in the Murmansk and Arkhangelsk regions. 30 billion rubles have been allocated from the federal budget for 2024–2026.
Currently, using funds from the presidential unified Arctic subsidy, major repairs have been completed on 161 apartment buildings, 24 vacant housing stock buildings have been demolished, and 440 apartments have been renovated. Major repairs have been completed on four housing and utilities facilities. Fourteen youth spaces and one cultural space have been opened. Thirty-eight courtyards and five public areas have been improved.
Following the International Arctic Forum, the Russian President ordered the program to be extended until 2030.
"The renovation of closed administrative-territorial entities (ZATOs) is a crucial program, and we are devoting special attention to it, as the well-being of our defenders and their families depends on it. From 2027 to 2030, 148 projects totaling 31.8 billion rubles are planned. These include major renovations of schools, cultural, sports, and healthcare facilities, construction of social facilities, apartment and road repairs, landscaping work, and much more. It's important that our President, Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin, supported the program's extension. But we also need support for a number of decisions, namely, approving the proposed approaches to drafting the plan and ensuring its approval by the end of this year, reducing the decision-making period for issuing special work permits in closed administrative-territorial entities to 30 days, and increasing it to 90 days. This is necessary to ensure the work is completed promptly and efficiently. Furthermore, we need support for our proposals to amend the renovation plan, and we need to establish a ceiling for co-financing," noted Murmansk Region Governor Andrei Chibis.
The third item on the agenda was the expansion of the Affordable Rental Housing program to key communities in the Arctic zone. In accordance with the head of state's directive, a mechanism for providing rental apartments for young professionals will be launched in the Arctic on January 1, 2026. Apartments built with state funding will be rented at significantly below market rates thanks to subsidies from the federal and regional budgets.
"This mechanism is already in place in the Far East. Since 2023, more than 2,000 apartments have been transferred to regional operators. Almost all of them are already occupied. The apartments are in demand and allow young people to afford comfortable living conditions and start families. Thanks to this program, families' rental costs will be approximately a quarter of the market rate," noted Yuri Trutnev.
To expand the program to communities in the Arctic zone, the Ministry for the Development of the Russian Far East, together with DOM.RF, developed a joint program, "Affordable Rental Housing in the Far Eastern Federal District and the Arctic Zone of the Russian Federation." The need for rental apartments was addressed jointly with constituent entities of the Russian Federation located in the Arctic zone and the Far Eastern Federal District.
Taking into account the freed-up apartment limit under the current program in the Far Eastern Federal District, a distribution of rental apartments has been prepared among the constituent entities of the Russian Federation within the Far Eastern Federal District, as well as the constituent entities of the Arctic zone within the approved limit.
"There's a lot of work ahead. There's always a desire to get started faster. Russian President Vladimir Putin has announced large-scale reforms. The Arctic stronghold development program runs until 2035. This will span several budget cycles. We'll need to work with the Ministry of Finance to secure the necessary funding levels in the next budgets. We'll need to monitor these funds to ensure they're spent wisely. About 50% of the federal funding has already been allocated. Decisions have been made to continue the closed administrative-territorial entity (ZATO) restoration program and to build rental apartments for northerners. All these decisions will help improve living conditions in the challenging northern climate," Yuri Trutnev concluded.
That same day, the Deputy Prime Minister visited the Voin Center's Murmansk branch and spoke with cadets. In less than two years, the branch has trained nearly 5,000 cadets, including over 1,000 who completed the summer patriotic sessions of the flagship "Time of Young Heroes" program. On Heroes of the Fatherland Day, December 9, 2025, the grand opening of the center's main space, located at the Governor's Lyceum, will take place. It will be named after Hero of the Russian Federation Ivan Vyacheslavovich Kabanov. It will house five specially equipped and branded training spaces, including a pneumatic shooting range, a multi-purpose classroom for first aid and tactical medicine, and a room with underwater piloting equipment. These spaces will be used for firearms training, first aid, tactical medicine, and underwater drone piloting classes.
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