Published on March 10, 2025 Decree of the President of the Russian Federation "On the celebration of the 500th anniversary of the beginning of Russia's exploration of the Northern Sea Route." Events dedicated to the history, current state and prospects of the transport corridor are planned within the framework of the program of the International Arctic Forum "The Arctic – the territory of dialogue". The forum will be held in Murmansk on March 26-27 under the slogan "Live in the North!". The organizer is the Roscongress Foundation with the support of the Russian Government.
"The Northern Sea Route is not only the main transport artery of the Arctic, but also a unique logistics route between Europe and Asia. The year 2025 marks the 500th anniversary of the beginning of Russia's exploration of the NSR. In accordance with the Presidential Decree, a plan will be developed for the main events for the preparation and celebration of this event, which is of fundamental importance for securing Russia's status as a leading Arctic power. The role of the route in the socio-economic development of the Arctic, its history and prospects, as well as the strengthening of international cooperation within the framework of the Northern Sea Route will be the topics of discussion at the forum in Murmansk. In turn, the IAF cultural program will allow participants to get acquainted with the history of the opening of the logistics corridor and the peculiarities of the Russian North," said Anton Kobyakov, Adviser to the President of the Russian Federation, Executive Secretary of the IAF–2025 Organizing Committee.
A separate section will be devoted to the Northern Sea Route in the business program of the Forum. Sessions on the history of the route and a retrospective of Russian scientific achievements and discoveries that contributed to its development are planned. There will also be a discussion of the long-term development model of the NSR, taking into account Russia's partnerships with the countries of Southeast Asia, the Persian Gulf and other regions. In addition, a strategic session will be held where experts will discuss the development vectors of the Arctic, including taking into account the impact of the Northern Sea Route on the region.
The IAF-2025 business program includes about 20 thematic sessions divided into four blocks: "The Arctic and the NSR: how to win the competition of world routes", "The Arctic and the NSR: the pole of attracting investments", "The Arctic and the NSR: the development of anchor settlements", "International cooperation and ecology". A joint meeting of the commissions of the State Council of the Russian Federation on the areas of the Northern Sea Route and the Arctic, Efficient Transport System and International Cooperation and export is also planned.
During the cultural program, a 25-meter tunnel will be built in Murmansk, where ice engravings dedicated to the 500th anniversary of the development of the NSR will be placed. In addition, there will be screenings of films "The Great Northern Way", "The Russian Way" and other films dedicated to the development of the Arctic.
The VI International Arctic Forum "The Arctic – the Territory of Dialogue" is a key platform for discussing topical issues of socio-economic development of the Arctic territories, developing multi-level multilateral mechanisms for joint disclosure and effective development of the powerful resource potential of the Arctic region.
Online registration of media and blogosphere representatives for the Forum's events is open on the official website until March 14.
More information about the event is available on the website forumarctica.ru .
/Roscongress Foundation/