Creative Business Forum

The Arctic is an environment that originally denied human presence, a realm of extreme challenges, super-stress and super-achievements. It is this philosophy that underpins the image of a human against the backdrop of vast expanses and perpetual cold. This image is reflected in the design of the Arctic station, in the construction of Northern cities, and in the local brands. Nevertheless, the 'true richness of Russia', which lies in the cultural diversity and age-old traditions of small peoples, is still not in full demand, while the need to develop creative industries in Northern territories remains unapparent to many. What impact can the creative industries have on the socio-economic development of the North and the achievement of Russia's national development goals? How do the creative industries change the wellbeing of people living in the North? What conditions and infrastructure are necessary for the development of creative industries in the Northern territories?

Moderator
Alisa Prudnikova, Programme Director Ges-2; Commissioner, Ural Industrial Biennale of Contemporary Art

Alisa Prudnikova

Programme Director Ges-2; Commissioner, Ural Industrial Biennale of Contemporary Art

Director for Regional Development of the ROSIZO’s National Centre for Contemporary Arts (NCCA), Commissioner of the NEMOSKVA project, Commissioner and Artistic Director of the Ural Industrial Biennale of Contemporary Art. Art historian and curator Alisa Prudnikova is one of Russia’s leading specialists in regional art and art industries. From 2005 to 2016, she headed the Urals branch of the National Centre for Contemporary Arts; during that time Ekaterinburg became one of Russia’s most important centres of modern art and was ranked in Russia and abroad as one of the country’s main creative centres. In 2016, Alisa Prudnikova became a board member at the International Biennial Association (IBA), which includes the world’s leading biennials. She is a member of the ICOM and AICA associations, and the two-times recipient of the Innovation national award in the field of contemporary art.

Panellists
Oleg Zotov, Photographer
Natalya Komarova, Governor of Khanty‑Mansi Autonomous Area–Yugra
Nikolay Korchunov, Ambassador-at-Large of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation; Chair of the Senior Arctic Officials, Arctic Council
Maksim Mironov, Director, Norilsk Development Agency
Timofey Moldanov, Master of folklore, candidate of historical sciences, ethnographer
Mikhail Pogodaev, Deputy Minister for Arctic Development and Northern Affairs of the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia); Special Representative of the Russian Chairmanship in the Arctic Council on Indigenous Peoples Issues and Regional Cooperation
Rustam Romanenkov, Deputy General Director - Secretary of State, Center for Arctic Initiatives
Afanasiy Savvin, General Director, Sakha Republic Development Corporation

Natalya Komarova

Governor of Khanty‑Mansi Autonomous Area–Yugra

Natalia Komarova was born on the 21st of October 1955 in Pskov Region, she is married and has two children. In 1978 she graduated from Kommunarsk Institute of Mining and Smelting, the faculty of Engineering and Economics, majoring in “Economics and organization of construction” with awarding of qualification Engineer-economist. She began to work at the Kommunarsk Metallurgical Factory as a labor engineer of the laboratory of industrial engineering in 1978. Then she worked as an economist of the planned-economic CCB department. In 1980 Natalia moved to Novy Urengoi of Tyumen Region, Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug. There she began to work in the municipal executive committee as a senior inspector. In 1988 Natalia became the chairwoman of the city planning commission. Then she worked as the deputy chairwoman of the municipal executive committee, the deputy of the City Council. In 1992 she became the first deputy of the Head of Administration in Novy Urengoi. In 1994 Natalia was designated as the Head of the city Administration. That year she was elected as a deputy of the State Duma of Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug and as a deputy of the NoviyUrengoy Municipal Committee. On the 16thof March 1997 Natalia Komarova continued working as the Head of the municipal formation of NoviyUrengoy up to October 2000 according to the elections results. From October 2000 to December 2001 Natalia worked as a deputy of the Governor of Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug, leading the Economic Committee of the Okrug. At the same time Natalia lectures at the University: she is an associate professor of the Social Management of the Yamal Oil and Gas Institute (branch) of the Tyumen State Oil and Gas University (since 1999). In December 2001 Natalia was elected as a Deputy of the State Duma of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation inYamalo-Nenets Autonomous Electoral Okrug. From 2004 to 2007 she is the Head of the Natural Resources and Nature Management Committee of the State Duma of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation. In December 2007 Natalia was elected as the deputy of the State Duma of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation in Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Electoral Okrug for the third time. In the State Duma of the fifth assembling she continued to be the Head the Natural Resources and Nature Management Committee. On the 8thof February 2010 the President of Russian Federation Dmitry Medvedev submitted a proposal to the deputies of the Khanty-Mansiysk Autonomous Okrug Duma a candidature of Natalia Komarova as the Governor of the Khanty-Mansiysk Autonomous Okrug –Ugra. At the unscheduled meeting on the 15thof February the deputies in a unanimous vote voice supported her candidature.On the 1stof March Natalia entered the office of the Governor of the Khanty-Mansiysk Autonomous Okrug –Ugra.

Nikolay Korchunov

Ambassador-at-Large of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation; Chair of the Senior Arctic Officials, Arctic Council

Mikhail Pogodaev

Deputy Minister for Arctic Development and Northern Affairs of the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia); Special Representative of the Russian Chairmanship in the Arctic Council on Indigenous Peoples Issues and Regional Cooperation

Rustam Romanenkov

Deputy General Director - Secretary of State, Center for Arctic Initiatives

Born in 1976 in Krasnovo village, Vladimir Region.
1999: Graduated from Vladimir State University with a degree in legal studies.
2005: Graduated from the Russian School for Private Law under the President of the Russian Federation, Moscow with a master’s degree in private law.
1999–2000: Served in the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation.
2001–2002: Launched his career with legal consulting.
2002–2007: Headed the legal services divisions in several companies in the oil and gas sector, including ZAO Novotek-Holding, Zapsibregiongaz, and VNIIST.
2007–2011: At Gazprom Neft he served as the Chief Legal Advisor, project manager, Head of the Mineral Management Control and Expert Department, Head of the Legal Support for Exploration and Production Department. He managed many company’s legal and corporate projects.
2011: Appointed Deputy General Director for Legal, Corporate and Property Issues, Gazpromneft-Sakhalin.
From 2012 to 2019 - Deputy General Director for Legal, Corporate and Property Issues of Gazprom Neft Shelf LLC

Afanasiy Savvin

General Director, Sakha Republic Development Corporation

Afanasiy Savvin was born on May 7th, 1986 in Yakutsk, Republic of Sakha (Yakutia). In 2004 he graduated from the Institute of Mathematics and Information Science of M.K. Ammosov Yakut State University. From 2017 to 2019, he studied at Massachusetts Institute of Technology via Regional Entrepreneurship Acceleration Program. From 2004 to 2006, he worked as an assistant of the Department of computer and mathematical modeling at the Institute of Mathematics and Information Science of M.K. Ammosov Yakut State University. From 2005 to 2008 - Holding the position of the Head of system integration and telecommunication department Display Ltd, he successfully managed the implementation of more than 50 IT projects into the public sector, energy, telecommunications and banking. Further, Afanasiy Savvin joined Sakhaenergo JSC as the Head of information technology, automation and communications Department, as well as the Deputy chief engineer. His work included but was not limited to the development and implementation of the system project of complex company automation. From 2013 to 2017 - Vice-rector for innovative development and commercialization of scientific developments of M.K. Ammosov North-Eastern Federal University. His responsibilities included the development of the innovation ecosystem of the university and support of the technological entrepreneurship among students and staff of the university. In 2017, he founded the startup company "Replio Technologies", which attracted venture capital investments from large South Korean funds, namely SparkLabs and Mirae Asset Venture Investment. In 2018, Afanasiy Savvin was appointed as CEO of Sakha Republic Development Corporation.

Front row participant
Mikhail Yurchuk, Director for Interaction with Federal Authorities, Norilsk Nickel