Andrey Chibis, Governor of the Murmansk Region, took part in the business breakfast "Creative Capital: Infrastructure and Content", which was held in St. Petersburg as part of the International Conference on the Creative Economy. The head of the region presented the Kola Arctic Region as the flagship of the Russian Arctic and a sought–after platform for creative industries, primarily for film production.
"The growth rates of the local film industry are significant: 130 film projects have been implemented over the past 5 years.If about 10 years ago, not a single one of our specialists participated in the filming of the famous film Leviathan, now, in the film Philately, which was highly appreciated by international awards, 30% of the film crew were from the Murmansk Region," said Andrey Chibis.
Every year, the region attracts more than 30 film projects, including the feature films "Fog" and the TV series "Chelyuskin. The first", "The Barents Sea".
"By the end of 2024, the region entered the TOP 20 leaders in Russia in implementing the standard for the development of creative industries. There are a number of reasons why film companies prefer the Kola Peninsula. One of them is logistics, just a 2.5-hour flight from Moscow. The variety of locations does not leave film makers indifferent either," the head of the region added, noting the uniqueness of the nature of the northern latitudes.
The tundra, taiga and the picturesque coast stretch beyond the Arctic Circle. And summer days, during which the sun does not set below the horizon, are great for round-the-clock filming.
To systematically support the industry in the region, the Murmansk Region Film Commission and the Film Production Development Center have been established, which organize location tours. More than 120 representatives of major film companies have already taken part in them.
"An additional incentive is the rebate program, which covers up to 30% of the costs of film groups. Investments in cinema are paying off and bringing direct economic benefits to the region. Each ruble invested in grants and rebates brings 4.2 rubles of income to the region," the governor said.
In five years, film crews have spent over 228.6 million rubles in the region.
The development of the film industry also stimulates the tourist flow. In 2024, 761 thousand tourists visited the region, including from China, Belarus and Kazakhstan. This growth has a positive impact on small businesses: for example, 18 accommodation facilities and more than 10 catering establishments operate in Teriberka alone.
Separately, the governor spoke about the "Live in the North!" plan, which includes support for the creative industry and talents.
At the conference as part of the panel discussion "Cinema 2050. Technologies, Alliances and the global stage" Olga Obukhova, the Minister of Culture of the Murmansk Region, presented a more detailed report on the success of the region in the development of film production in the Murmansk Region.
/ Ministry of Information Policy of the Murmansk Region /
Photo: Milena Osipova