Languages

The 29th Midnight Sun Film Festival held in Sodankylä, Lapland, wrapped up Sunday. 25,000 visitors flocked to see films in the northern cult festival.

KAUTOKEINO: Even though the Kildin Sámi language is at risk of dying out, the culture and traditions can be saved through music.

Northern Norway is preparing for the second edition of the Arctic Race of Norway. This year’s race goes through four stages from Alta to Tromsø.

How cold is it really to swim 1,000 m in ic cold water? See the photos from the World Championship that took place in Murmansk.

Solovki

-The projected 100 meter high statue of Christ will ruin the landscape of the Solovki archipelago, director of the local museum says. Famous Russian architect Zurab Tsereteli still wants his monumental work to be placed on the far northern island.

Natural gas is not only of high importance for the Russian economy, but also for Russia’s cultural life as the Shtokman field in the Barents Sea gets its own symphony.

Canadian Inuit and Sami youth meet in Karasjok, Norway to celebrate their similarities and exchange cultures.

KIRKENES: The Barents Spektakel is Norway´s most border-crossing festival. For five days each year the little Norwegian border town of Kirkenes explodes in culture events, concerts with international top bands and political debates. See photos from the 2013 festival.

Arkhangelsk city and Norwegian Barents Secretariat cooperate on making the annual winter festival international.

The Russian Chess Federation looses its court case against the organizers of the Tromsø Olympiad. And Norway’s World Chess Champion Magnus Carlsen decides to leave the championship.

Four Norwegian artists are opening an art exhibition in Murmansk to show how the icing generation – the one that comes after the desert generation – sees the task of taking care of our planet.

The Kola Peninsula

For a three month test period there will be weekly radio broadcastings in kildin sami language for all radio listeners in Murmansk Oblast.

Photo: Destination Tromsø

It will be the first ever Chess Olympiad in the Barents Region.

Eight short films from Northern Norway are touring North-West Russia.

Countdown to Sochi 2014 Olympic winter games has started. Torch-bearers will bring the flame through the entire Russian part of the Barents Region in October and November.