Arctic Day: what you can learn about the Russian North at the National Centre RUSSIA

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The Arctic holds vast reserves of natural resources, shapes climate processes and remains home to Indigenous peoples whose culture and way of life have been connected to this land for centuries. Arctic Day is celebrated in Russia on 28 February. The holiday marks the end of the calendar winter and serves as a reminder that the North is a territory of the future for the country, requiring special attention and continuous development.

The Arctic region is unique and remarkable. It is the northern lights and tundra covered with Arctic lichens, polar bears and bowhead whales. These are not merely symbols of the North, but a fragile ecosystem whose condition largely determines the ecological balance of the entire planet. The Northern Sea Route begins here, the nuclear icebreaker fleet is developing, and major energy and infrastructure projects are being implemented. All of this contributes to strengthening Russia’s sovereignty and opening new opportunities for science, logistics and the economy.

In order to preserve this unique region and continue its development and exploration, Arctic Day was established in Russia in 2011. The initiators included the Northern Federal University named after M. V. Lomonosov, the Arctic Initiatives Centre, regional authorities and public organisations. Today, lectures, educational initiatives, environmental campaigns, exhibitions and themed programmes in museums and public spaces are held on this day.

The National Centre RUSSIA has become one of the venues where the Arctic is discussed through contemporary expositions, data and personal stories. In 2025, the presentation of the "Arctic Dossier" took place here — a national report on Russia’s contribution to restoring Arctic ecosystems within the framework of the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration. It became an important contribution by Russia to the global environmental protection movement.

Deputy Prime Minister of the Russian Federation, Dmitry Patrushev, speaking at the National Centre RUSSIA, emphasised that environmental rehabilitation of the North is one of the state’s key priorities. He noted that Russia, as the largest Arctic power, is establishing federally protected natural areas within the Arctic zone covering approximately 40 million hectares. This makes it possible to preserve the region’s unique biodiversity and maintain populations of rare animal and plant species.

The Arctic theme at the National Centre RUSSIA is presented not only through business events and reports, but also through expositions available to every visitor. At the exposition "Journey Across Russia", the Arctic is represented in the thematic zone "Arctic and the North-West". Here visitors can feel like the captain of a nuclear icebreaker: take the helm, chart a route through frozen seas and understand how navigation is organised in conditions of polar night and ice fields. Panoramic screens displaying the northern lights create the atmosphere of the real North, while multimedia installations tell the story about the nature, people and technologies that make life and work in the Arctic possible.

Through such expositions, guests of the National Centre RUSSIA have the opportunity to literally "try on" the role of an explorer and pioneer of the North, and to see how ecology, science, industry and everyday life in the Arctic zone are interconnected.

A special place in the narrative about the Arctic is given to technological achievements. In the materials of the National Centre RUSSIA and the special project "25 Reasons for Pride", particular attention is paid to flagship Arctic projects, such as universal nuclear icebreakers. They have become symbols of Russia’s technological and industrial sovereignty and a clear example of how the country is returning to the Arctic as a global leader.

Thus, the National Centre RUSSIA becomes a place where the Arctic is presented from multiple perspectives: as a home to unique ecosystems and Indigenous peoples, as a territory of breakthrough technologies and energy security, and as a space of responsibility and strategic planning.