Two hundred kilometres above the Arctic Circle hundreds of refugees and asylum seekers are finding a new life in northern Norway, but recently the doors have been shutting on those desperate to start fresh in the High North.
With the Arctic becoming an object of steadily growing attention, Murmansk Oblast establishes the “Arctic University” to prepare Barents students for jobs in Arctic oil and gas projects.
Members of the LGBT community in Murmansk speak out about living in a country where the government has declared them an enemy of the state. One organization is reaching out to help youth and adults overcome the stigma and prejudice of homosexuality and live openly. But some are finding escape from Russia is the only way to gain freedom.
As Syrian refugees in the hundreds cross over from Russia, capacities in Kirkenes reach the limits. Now an abandoned military compound is turned into refugee reception center.
Nikolai Alekseyev, founder of Russia’s gay pride movement, files a lawsuit with the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) contesting Arkhangelsk’s new law banning homo-propaganda.
The world’s northernmost Hells Angels motorcycle clubs are shoring up for cross-border cooperation. Police fears gang wars and more international organized crime.
The Russian Orthodox holiday of Epiphany has for the first time been celebrated in Kirkenes with a traditional plunge into ice cold water that has been blessed.
Three cadets from the Norwegian Police University College claim they were assaulted and robbed on their way out after a late evening at the striptease bar XXXX in Murmansk. Local law enforcement sources tells another story.
JARFJORD: Increasing focus on sharing news from the Barents Region pushes editors to discover and cooperate with news-desks across borders, language barriers and different styles of journalism.
The Komi Republic will this year receive 468.7 million rubles (app €10.3 million) from the state budget to move people to more central parts of Russia.
