10:00 03.07.2026
“I Feel Sad Without the June Snow.” A Moscow Artist Inspires Tourists to Fall in Love with the Culture of the North
© Russian Arctic and Far East Development
Yulia Koreyeva was born and raised in Moscow, but at the age of 22 she decided to make a dramatic change in her life and move to the Murmansk Region. For the past seven years, she has worked as a tour guide, leading excursions for Russian and international visitors and helping guests of the Russian Arctic fall in love with the culture of the Saami, the indigenous people of the Kola Peninsula.
Read this feature by the Arctic and Far East Development portal to learn how difficult it was for Yulia to decide to relocate, why she chose the Murmansk Region, and what attracts foreign tourists to the Russian High North.
Tourism has been part of Yulia Koreyeva’s life since she was a teenager. She joined Scout groups, travelled extensively across Russia, and organized hiking trips for fellow outdoor enthusiasts. Even when choosing placements for her practical training at the Stroganov University, she deliberately selected remote towns and cities across Russia.
Yulia says that it has always been important for her to see new places, explore, and keep learning. One day she had the opportunity to visit Murmansk, fulfilling a long-held dream of travelling beyond the Arctic Circle.
“At the time, I hadn’t seen Teriberka or the Khibiny Mountains. I didn’t even know they existed. But the city itself impressed me so much that I fell in love with it. I was 19, and I was overflowing with inspiration. I returned just two months after my first visit,” Yulia said.
From that moment on, she dedicated all of her university projects to the North. For example, one of her assignments involved designing lamps, and she created them in the shape of northern berries.
One day, a friend invited Yulia to visit the Museum of the History of the Kola Saami in the village of Lovozero. That trip became a turning point in her life: she was so deeply impressed by the culture and traditions of the Saami that everything changed afterward. However, when she returned to Moscow, she was surprised to find out that neither her fellow students nor her professors knew much about the Saami.
“I thought, how is that even possible? The only semi-nomadic people in Europe have such a fascinating culture, yet people in Moscow know nothing about them. They are an entire people with their own language, songs, art, and beadwork traditions,” she said.
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Tasma, an element of traditional Saami costume
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Seidi – a sacred Saami stone – on Lisya Mountain
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Kuksa with chips made from reindeer antlers
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At that moment, Yulia made up her mind to introduce as many people as possible to the Saami. She also made another life-changing decision to move to Murmansk, the capital of the Russian Arctic.
“I’ve travelled to many places: southern Russia, the Urals, Siberia, and, of course, the North. I realized that Murmansk was my happy place, so I moved here when I was 22. It happened quite spontaneously. I didn’t even collect my master’s degree documents from the university, even though I had been accepted and had already been offered a job after graduation,” she recalled.
From the Nation’s Capital to the Capital of the Arctic
According to Yulia, moving to the Murmansk Region gave her the opportunity to work directly with the Saami and promote their culture. She also fell in love with the region’s spectacular natural surroundings, which help her recharge and inspire her creativity. On weekends, she can reach the Barents Sea in just a couple of hours, see the Arctic Ocean, hike in the Khibiny Mountains, or explore the Lovozero tundra.
“What I love about this place is that I can hop into my car and be on Lisya Mountain 20 minutes later. After moving here, I found a job I was trained in, an artist, and decorated a tourist lodge. Whenever I get tired, I go berry picking, and at moments like that I think to myself that my former classmates are now riding the Moscow metro,” Yulia said with a smile.
Nor is she intimidated by the harsh climate of the Kola Peninsula. According to Yulia, all of these challenges can be accepted - and even learned to love.
“If it’s cold, you just put on another jacket and a pair of boots, even if it’s summer. And June snow is what I love most. Without it, I feel sad,” she says.
Since 2021, the Koreyev family has successfully run its own tourism business. During the winter and summer seasons, Yulia leads excursions based on her own itineraries, while her husband Dmitry organizes fishing tours from mid-May through mid-October.
“International visitors are happy just to see snow, huskies, and reindeer, take a tour around Murmansk, and, of course, witness the Northern Lights. Russian tourists usually want more - ice floating, dramatic scenery, trips to Varzuga, the Tersky Coast, and traditional wooden architecture,” she said.
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Map of the Murmansk Region on reindeer hide by Yulia Koreyeva
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Swing on top of Lisya Mountain in the Murmansk Region
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Saami myth of the creation of the world in drawings by Yulia Koreyeva
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Souvenirs with Saami designs
© Russian Arctic and Far East Development
Yulia conducted her first guided tour back in 2019 and has warm memories about it to this day.
“My first group came from Thailand. I wasn’t very confident and felt nervous, but everything went well. We quickly found common ground, and within a couple of hours it felt as though we were one big family. They still keep in touch with me and follow my social media,” she said.
A Passion Project and a New Dream
Today, Yulia continues working as a guide while also developing several related projects. As with her university work, she combines her love of art with her passion for the North.
“My passion project is Tundra and Painting, where I’ve combined my work as a guide with my profession as an art teacher. We take groups out into the tundra, set up easels, and paint landscapes together. I teach both children and adults, even if they’ve never painted before,” Yulia said.
The Koreyev family is also readying itself for another major change - moving from their apartment into a home of their own on the shores of Lake Kildinskoye.
“When I tell people I’m building a house here, they ask, ‘What? Are you planning to stay? Forever?’ But this is my dream: having 50 meters of shoreline all to myself,” Yulia said.
