Dmitry Chernyshenko: Yamal and its Arctic nature are capable of posing serious competition to well-known ski resorts

Published on: 2026-09-13

Source: Government of the Russian Federation –

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During a working trip to Salekhard in the Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug (YNAO), Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Chernyshenko, together with the head of the region Dmitry Artyukhov, inspected the sites where the tourist complex “Ray-Iz” and the international Arctic station “Snezhnika” will be built.

The “Ray-Iz” tourist complex is the first sectoral project in the country, being created from scratch in the Arctic zone of Russia under a concession agreement for a term of 30 years.

“We see a steady growth in interest in domestic tourism. Today, the creation of a ski resort is more timely than ever. Under the national project ‘Tourism and Hospitality,’ we are building a new tourist cluster in the polar region. I am confident that Yamal and its Arctic nature can seriously compete with well-known ski resorts,” emphasized Dmitry Chernyshenko.

Due to its uniqueness and complexity, the project is being implemented in several stages. In the first stage, accommodation and catering facilities, ski slopes, and other recreational facilities will be created. The second stage is expected to increase the simultaneous capacity of the ski resort.

“It is necessary to clearly understand the segment of the tourist complex audience and prepare different routes and programs accordingly. You are making the Arctic accessible, which no one else will be able to replicate. There is potential for international tourists,” noted the Deputy Prime Minister.

The “Snezhinka” station is being created to conduct scientific research in the harsh climatic conditions of permafrost based on renewable energy sources of wind, solar, and hydrogen energy. The construction of the station is being carried out within the framework of a tripartite agreement between the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of Russia, the Government of Yamal-Nenets Autonomous Okrug, and the Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology.

“Both projects – ‘Snezinka’ and ‘Ray-Iz’ – are drivers of comprehensive development of the western part of the district, which shape the new economy of the region beyond traditional industries and provide opportunities for youth self-realization. The station will become a federal scientific center where young scientists and engineers will come to work. A world-class resort, the only one of its kind in the Arctic, will create new jobs in the promising tourism industry – a field that young people are eager to enter today. Together, science and tourism create a new direction in the Yamal economy – modern, technological, and interesting to the youth,” said the head of YNAO Dmitry Artyukhov.

The station’s perimeter will include a center for receiving and processing data from space satellites, giving it a unique advantage due to its location in the polar zone – here the trajectories of orbital constellations intersect. This will enable the rapid acquisition of information about the state of the Arctic region, the ice conditions on the Northern Sea Route, and allow for real-time monitoring of emergencies.

“The construction of the international Arctic station ‘Snezhnika’ is being carried out under the directives of President Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin. The project is included in the federal targeted investment program. This is important because the station will serve as a platform for testing hydrogen energy technologies, autonomous energy complexes, and satellite communications in polar latitudes. Research will also be conducted here in the fields of ecology, health preservation, transportation, navigation, and testing of materials under Arctic conditions,” noted Dmitry Chernyshenko.

The scientific program “Snowflakes” also includes testing hydrogen energy technologies and autonomous hybrid power complexes, creating ground terminals for satellite communications in polar latitudes, and testing hydrogen vehicles.

In addition, the site for the future scientific station has been marked out: stakes have been installed to delineate the boundaries of areas for placing the wagon-town, the power complex, and other infrastructure facilities. The first phase of construction for the “Snezhinka” station will involve the placement of a temporary wagon-town for scientists.

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