Nornickel’s President, Vladimir Potanin, and regional governor, Andrey Chibis, have inked a deal to bolster the socio-economic growth of the Murmansk Region.
Building on a history of collaboration, Nornickel and the Murmansk Region renew their commitment, following a previous pact from 2020 to 2022.
The fresh agreement, spanning 2023-2025, promises an investment of 10 billion rubles. The Murmansk Region is upping its contribution to 3.78 billion rubles. This collaboration aims to improve the quality of life in the cities hosting Nornickel’s operations and make these locations more attractive to the younger generation. It will focus on enhancing healthcare, education, urban spaces, and housing. Additionally, there’s an emphasis on revitalising local sports and community services.
Among the projects are the renovation of the Monchegorsk Central District Hospital, housing repairs for doctors coming to work in the region, modernisation of the Palaces of Culture in Monchegorsk, Nikel, and Zapolyarny, construction and renovation of housing and sports institutions, design of the visitor centre for the Lapland Reserve and the future tourist cluster of the Pechenga Municipal District, which will include Kola Superdeep, Smelting Shop, and the decommissioned Kaula Kotselvaara Mine.
Under the prior agreement, Monchegorsk and the Pechenga District benefited from 36 impactful projects spanning healthcare, culture, education, sports, and urban development. Among the highlights: Monchegorsk gained a state-of-the-art MRI centre, its Polytechnic College underwent significant upgrades, and several educational facilities were enhanced for energy efficiency. Furthermore, both the Monchegorsk and Pechenga Polytechnic Colleges earned accolades in the “Professionalism” competition, positioning them to train the next generation for Nornickel’s advanced operations.
During the pandemic, Nornickel took proactive steps to support the Murmansk Region, committing a substantial 474 million rubles towards COVID-19 relief efforts. This investment was channelled into vital areas like hospital equipment, backing educational bodies, aiding urban entities, supporting local businesses, and helping individuals facing challenges.
To amplify their impact, Nornickel backed the creation of two pivotal development institutes: the “Pechenga District Social Projects Centre ’Second School’” and the “Monchegorsk Urban Development Agency”. Both entities focus on driving business growth, urban enhancement, tourism, and community engagement, actively contributing to the region’s evolving identity. Notably, the Monchegorsk Development Agency’s project, Imandra Viking Fest 2023, clinched an award from the Presidential Cultural Initiatives Fund, underscoring their nationwide acclaim.
The governor of the Murmansk Region, Andrey Chibis, noted: “This socio-economic agreement has become the largest in the history of the Murmansk Region in terms of private investments. Together with Nornickel, we will allocate more than 10 billion rubles to implement over 50 initiatives in Monchegorsk and the Pechenga District. Of course, we are also involved in co-financing: 40% of the entire amount comes from the consolidated budget of the region. It is extremely important and valuable to us that agreements on social support are concluded with all key enterprises for the territories they operate in.”
Vladimir Potanin commented on the signing of the agreement: “For Nornickel, the Murmansk Region is one of the most crucial areas. We are not only continuing our collaboration but are elevating it to a fundamentally new level. Implementing our investment programme and launching new projects invariably lead to the emergence of new social initiatives. They aim to enhance the comfort of residents, attract young specialists to the region, and develop Arctic tourism. Active collaboration between big business and the regional government on these crucial issues ensures maximum efficiency, which means the best outcomes for the residents of the region and our employees.”
The Kola MMC — a wholly-owned subsidiary of Nornickel — is one of the leading production complexes in the Murmansk Region. As of the first half of 2023, Nornickel’s tax payments constituted about 23% of the region’s own revenues.
