Rostourism To Hold Competition To Support Arctic Crafts
The Federal Agency for Tourism (Rostourism) has begun accepting applications for the first national competition to support Arctic crafts and tourist souvenirs. Applications to take part in the event will be accepted until 24 October 2022. The competition aims to preserve and develop traditional folk art crafts, improve the quality of crafts and souvenirs, and support regional companies in Russia’s Arctic zone.
The event will take place in several stages. During the qualifying round, participants will present a portfolio of their work, a presentation, photographs, a video, diplomas, certificates, and other documents. After the applications are accepted, experts will form a catalogue of creative works from among the contestants.
In addition, leading industry experts will hold a series of educational webinars, which will be available to all participants during the stage when applications are being collected, as well as face-to-face seminars for semi-finalists and finalists. The programme envisages joint discussions and a set of practical tasks.
The competition will be held in five categories:
- Best Carving Art Craftsman
- Best Leather and Fur Trade Craftsman
- Best Creative Craftsman
- Best Arctic Art Project
- Best Gastronomic Souvenir Craftsman
The competition is open to representatives of the tourism, hospitality, souvenir, gastronomic, and related folk arts and crafts industries, people working in cultural creativity, applied folk art, artistic creative activities, and various crafts, people with self-employed or individual entrepreneur status, and employees of specialized organizations who hold positions related to the specific nominations, including the Indigenous peoples of the North. Participation in the competition will be free for them.
Upon conclusion of the competition, semi-finalists and finalists will receive certificates, souvenirs, and a cash reward of up to RUB 75,000, and the rest will receive certificates of participation.
The conditions for participating in the competition, the rules for submitting applications, and other useful information are available on the website: https://city.russia.travel/konkurs-arktika.
The first Professional Skills Championship in Northern Professions took place in August in Murmansk as part of Russia’s chairmanship of the Arctic Council in 2021–2023. Eighty contestants aged 16 to 22 from nine Arctic regions took part in the competition. The competitive skills included the operation of water transport vessels, geospatial technologies, livestock breeding (reindeer breeding), folk crafts of the Indigenous peoples of the Arctic, national cuisine, wood and bone carving, network and system administration, welding, and electrical installation.
A cross-cutting priority of Russia’s chairmanship of the Arctic Council is to ensure responsible governance for the sustainable development of the Arctic, which is largely determined by the quality of human capital. Priority attention is being given to work to maintain the sustainability and viability of the peoples of the North, promote measures to adapt them to climate change, improve people’s well-being, health, education, and quality, and ensure sustainable socioeconomic development throughout the region. The Roscongress Foundation organizes the events of Russia’s chairmanship of the Arctic Council.