Norinickel's participation in Norilsk development plan can be example to other companies in Arctic regions, according to the Federation Council

In recent years, it has been possible to achieve a significant increase in the investment attractiveness of the Arctic region, including through the favorable conditions for business and socially oriented initiatives. Since 2020, about 600 residents have already taken advantage of the support measures. It is expected to attract investments to the region in the amount of more than 800 billion rubles and create 23 thousand new jobs.
This was announced by Galina Karelova, Deputy Chairman of the Russian Federation Council, at a meeting of the Council for the Development of the Far East, the Arctic and Antarctic with the heads of relevant ministries and departments, representatives of the regions.
“The implementation of these opportunities requires the intensive development of the transport and logistics complex. One of the key logistical issues is the creation of an integrated system of northern delivery. Of course, attracting qualified personnel is a serious problem,” the Vice Speaker of the Federation Council believes.
She noted that almost 5,000 people have already received a hectare in the Arctic. “We need people to come and settle in the North. For this purpose, Arctic cities and towns must become modern, convenient, and their development must be carried out on a systematic basis. For each settlement, as is already being done in a number of regions, a detailed analysis of the state of the housing stock, networks, social infrastructure, and transport provision should be carried out,” Galina Karelova said. According to her, such work has begun at the federal level. “Under the auspices of the State Commission for the Development of the Arctic, a study was conducted of Arctic settlements with a population of more than 500 people according to 57 criteria, including the placement of medical, educational organizations, and logistics infrastructure. It is proposed to allocate 158 reference settlements. I believe that this work should be continued in all cities and towns of the Arctic.”
It is very difficult to solve such a large set of issues only at the expense of budgetary funds, Galina Karelova said. “Therefore, it is important to involve companies that operate in the Arctic. There are many positive examples. In the city of Yakutsk, for example, a children's rehabilitation center was built at the expense of ALROSA. In Yamal, NOVATEK financed the construction of a dormitory building for a school in the village of Gyda. Norinickel provides serious support in the renovation of the city of Norilsk. As part of a comprehensive plan for its development, residential buildings, kindergartens, a school, and a clinic will be built.”
This practice needs to be scaled up, the senator believes. “The Ministry for the Development of the Far East should be actively working in this direction,” said the Vice Speaker of the Federation Council. She urged to speed up the development of the necessary design and estimate documentation for the construction of social facilities, to make the most of the favorable summer period for construction.
The Arctic Quarter program, by analogy with the same program launched in the Far East, could become an effective tool for creating comfortable living conditions for people in the Arctic, the senator believes. “State support for developers will make it possible to multiply the volume of housing construction in the Arctic. New housing would become more affordable for citizens,” the legislator said.
Currently, on behalf of the President of the Russian Federation, the cities of the Far East are being renovated, reminded Galina Karelova. “Master plans are being developed for them. They are prepared on the basis of socio-economic and spatial analysis of the territory, systematic work with the population, the business community. I believe it is expedient to consider the possibility of extending this practice to the cities of the Arctic zone.” In addition, the senator believes that the Ministry for the Development of the Far East and the Ministry of Construction of Russia needs to accelerate a special standard for the development of the urban environment and the improvement of public and courtyard spaces in Arctic cities. Such a standard will make it possible to determine the main approaches to a comfortable urban environment, taking into account both climatic conditions and the characteristics of the socio-economic development of cities in the Arctic.

Andrey Ershov for Rough&Polished