“Domestic tourism is not only a relevant and in-demand business today, but also a key type of use of ‘hectares in the Arctic.’ Together with the Committee for Tourism of the Murmansk Region, we are planning to form a comprehensive mechanism to support tourism projects. ‘Hectare’ recipients will be assisted in the development of projects, taking into account the analysis of existing tourist flows and promising areas, and will be provided with administrative support,” said First Deputy General Director for Social Development of the Russian Far East and Arctic Development Corporation Elvira Nurgalieva.
Work is currently underway to form a team of experts. The working group will analyze the “hectares” available in the Murmansk Region, the region’s points of attraction, current routes, as well as existing infrastructure and support measures. Complex solutions will be developed for initiators of new projects.
“Land is the basis of tourism projects. With the arrival of the ‘Hectare’ program in the Murmansk Region, people have received an opportunity to develop existing areas and create new points of attraction. Our task is to create special conditions for these projects together with the FEDC,” said Chairman of the Committee for Tourism of the Murmansk Region Alexander Eliseev.
Since the launch of the “Hectare in the Arctic” program, 8,700 applications have been received, with the Murmansk Region being the absolute leader with more than 4,000 applications received. Some of the most popular uses of the sites are tourism projects and entrepreneurship.
“We’re pleasantly surprised by the demand for ‘hectares’ in the Russian Arctic, primarily in the Murmansk Region. The development of new land is, of course, a challenge. Our task is to help overcome this challenge,” commented Alexei Chekunkov, Minister for the Development of the Russian Far East and Arctic, on the results of the program in the Murmansk Region. Murmansk Region Governor Andrey Chibis noted that the program provides new opportunities for enterprising, energetic people who can become successful by developing a business on their own land.
At present, “Hectare in the Arctic” is provided in 6 regions of the Arctic Zone of the Russian Federation: the Murmansk Region, the Nenets Autonomous Region, and the Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Region, as well as in the municipal districts of the Arkhangelsk Region, the Komi Republic, and the Republic of Karelia. More than 1 million hectares are available for citizens to sel ect sites online through the portal “ГектарвАрктике.РФ,” integrated with the federal information system “НаДальнийВосток.РФ,” in these regions.
You can obtain land under a simplified procedure in a month instead of half a year. To submit an application, you must log in to the site using your Gosuslugi account, and you can select land on an interactive map. According to the “hectare” law, a citizen themselves determines the form, area, and permitted type of activity on the site. Individually, you can have a plot of up to 1 hectare, and upon application fr om a team of up to 10 people - up to 10 hectares, and each member of the group shall have no more than 1 hectare. In other words, you can have both 10 acres to build a house or a shop, and 10 hectares for a tourism project.
The rules to participate in the program for the provision of “hectares” are simple. Within 1 year, you need to notify the authorized body about the type of land use chosen, and after 3 years declare the use of the land within 3 months, and by the end of a five-year period, within six months submit an application to receive the land for ownership or lease, confirming its use in accordance with criteria.