Norweigian-Russian School in Murmansk

The purpose of the school project is to invest in the youth; to build a good network for future endeavours across the border and to learn each other’s language and culture.
The school project started 2008 as a cooperation between Troms fylke, Murmansk oblast and Murmansk municipality. Since 2012, the Norwegian-Russian School has become a permanent study program.

The Norwegian-Russian School in Murmansk is a filial school under Kongsbakken videregående skole, which is a secondary school in Tromsø. In practice this means that the program follows the Norwegian study plan, but it is physically placed in Gymnasium nr.1 in Murmansk, Russia.
After completion, all students (both Norwegians and Russians) receive the Norwegian diploma of secondary school (i.e. norsk vitnemål), which allows the Russian students to enroll in Norwegian universities or colleges.

The course is very intense and demanding and the lessons are taught in English. The program offers a variety of courses encompassing both social science and natural science. It is mandatory for the Norwegian students to take lessons of Russian 5 hours per week. For the Russian students it is mandatory to take lessons in Norwegian 14 hours per week.

The Norwegian-Russian school is a living example of how sound cooperation between the West and Russia is not only achievable but also fruitful and effective. During the past 10 years 155 students have completed their studies so far!

In addition, the school successfully satisfy the target population: the youth of the Barents region. A recent graduated Russian student said to the local leader of the program, Øyvind Bockelie, that the year she spent on the school was the best year of her life.