Friday, 7 January
The meeting of the steering committee, chaired by the vice-governor Ludmila Chistova was held in Murmansk. The meeting was dealing with the holding of 71st North Festival and 45th North Festival for schoolchildren of the Murmansk region. According to the correspondent of Information Agency REGNUM, the plan of work of the steering committee, the program and the jury of appeal of the North Festival were approved. 45th North Festival for schoolchildren will occupy the period from December 2005 to April 2005. 9 kinds of sport will be included into the program of the festival, these are: ski race, bandy, ice skating, figure skating, tobogganing, biathlon, national kinds of sport, mountain skiing, ice hockey. On the first stage (1st of December – 15th of April) in the municipal and state educational establishments mass health-improvement and sporting events will be organized. The second stage (1st January-15th April) will include town and regional competitions of the North Festival. The third stage (March – April) is devoted to the final competition of the North Festival for schoolchildren. The opening ceremony of the 71st North Festival will take place on the 3d of March on the central square (five Corners’ Square) in Murmansk and the closing ceremony – on the 3d of April, it is the day when the 32nd traditional Murmansk ski marathon is held. Traditionally, 19 kinds of sport will be included into the program of the North Festival. But in the year 2005 it is the first time when instead of bandy, snowboard competitions are to be held. The program of the festival: 1. Fellowship skiing of the Barents Region Countries. Rayakosky settlement, Pechenga community, 5th of March, 2005 2. Winter football. Polyarny Zori, 10-13 of March, 2005 3. Tobogganing, Kandalaksha, 17-20 of March, 2005 4. Ice-skating. Olenegorsk, 18-20 of March, 2005 5. Winter orienteering. Murmansk, 18-20 of March, 2005 6. Mountaineering on the artificial relief. Apatiti, 21-25 of March, 2005 7. Biathlon. Murmansk, 22-27 of March, 2005 8. Ice-hockey, Polyarny Zory and Olenegorsk, 23-27 of March, 2005 9. Winter windsurfing. Kola community, 27th кm Verhnetulomskoe highway, 24-27 of March, 2005 10. Ice car racing. Kola community, 26-27 of March, 2005 11. Ski race. Murmansk, Dolina Ujuta (the Valley of Comfort), 29 of March – 3 of April, 2005 12. Reindeer-breeder competitions. Murmansk, Dolina Ujuta,. 1-3 of April, 2005 13. Aeromodelling sport (show). Murmansk, dolina Ujuta. 2-3 of April, 2005 14. Winter swimming. Murmansk, Semenovskoe lake, 2nd of April, 2005 15. Ski marathon according to Euroloppet program. Murmansk, Dolina Ujuta, 3rd of April, 2005 16. Motocross. Monchegorsk, 3rd of April, 2005 17. Mountain Skiing. Kirovsk, 8-10 of April, 2005 18. Snowboard. Kirovsk, 8-10 of April, 2005 19. Rod winter fishing. Kandalaksha, 15-17 of April, 2005
