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- Mountain goal: the authorities will allocate 27 billion for the development of the North Caucasus
Mountain goal: the authorities will allocate 27 billion for the development of the North Caucasus
Over 27 billion rubles will be spent on the state program for the development of the North Caucasus Federal District (NCFD) in 2026-2028, the press service of the Ministry of Energy told Izvestia. Since 2021, 38 breakthrough projects in industry, agriculture, energy, IT, ecology, transport and logistics have been operating in the regions. The tourism industry is also actively developing. For example, the Mamison resort will be officially opened this year, and the Elbrus will also be upgraded. The region is even negotiating with China on mutual tourist exchange and investments. What attracts the North Caucasus is in the Izvestia article.
How do the authorities support the development of the North Caucasus Federal District
The authorities plan to allocate 27.2 billion rubles for the state program "Development of the North Caucasus Federal District" in 2026-2028, the press service of the Ministry of Economic Development told Izvestia. So, the amount for 2026 is 12.7 billion, for 2027 - 8.5 billion, and for 2028 - 5.9 billion.
The ministry explained that the authorities support infrastructure facilities, for example, in the fields of education, housing and communal services and landscaping. The allocated funds are also directed to the development of a tourist cluster — resorts Veduchi (Chechnya), Mamison (North Ossetia-Alania), Elbrus (CBD).
In 2025-2030, it is planned to support 12 investment projects in the regions in the amount of 42.5 billion rubles. At the same time, one third is funded by Kavkaz.RF. The Development Institute provides preferential financing for priority projects and residents of tourist, recreational and industrial zones, the ministry said. That is, active investment attraction is carried out through government programs, development institutions and private companies for the integrated development of the region, explained Ekaterina Novikova, Associate Professor of the Department of Economic Theory at Plekhanov Russian University of Economics.
— The North Caucasus is now one of the most dynamic macro—regions of Russia. In 2023, the investment portfolio of the NCFD regions grew by 30%. In 2024, the database of the largest investment projects in the district includes 196 of them with a total value of 1.27 trillion rubles," said Tatyana Kreidenko, Associate professor at the Faculty of Economics of the RUDN University.
What projects are currently being developed in the North Caucasus
Since 2021, 38 breakthrough projects have been operating in the North Caucasus Federal District, consisting of 103 subprojects in industry, agriculture, tourism, energy, IT, ecology, transport and logistics, the Ministry of Energy noted. As of the second quarter of 2025, 516 billion rubles have been invested in them. The ministry gave Izvestia examples of major initiatives: green energy facilities in Stavropol and Karachay-Cherkessia, the construction of a new airport complex in Vladikavkaz, and a greenhouse complex in Kabardino-Balkaria.
However, tourism and the agro-industrial complex remain the main growth points in the region. Thus, of the 50 largest investment projects launched in the North Caucasus in 2024, 16 turned out to be tourist projects. The most important of them is the construction of the Lazurny Bereg microdistrict in Dagestan, recalled Tatiana Kreidenko from RUDN University. It is expected that its construction will be fully completed by 2030.
In addition, the Mamison resort in North Ossetia is being prepared for the official opening in 2025. The technical launch took place in March, and now the complex will be accessible to everyone. This year, skiers will find 10 trails with a total length of 19 km. Now the service center is almost ready — by November 1, cash desks, rental, and an information center will be operational on its site. The resort has two cable cars — a gondola (it is the longest in the North Caucasus, the length is 3.4 km, which is about 15-20 minutes), which rises to a height of 2,950 meters, and a chairlift (about 6 minutes).
Together with the resort, there is an eco-village with two settlement formats. There are 17 barnhouses (for a family and a small company) and 20 capsule modular houses. The window offers views of the mountains and the stormy river. The capsules are similar in design to spaceships, but this placement format is suitable only for one or two people.
The development and development of the Elbrus mountain region in Kabardino-Balkaria is also continuing — skiers and mountaineers have been coming here for more than half a century. Athletes and fans of winter sports are attracted by Mount Elbrus — its height is 5642 m above sea level. The season lasts from November to June (sometimes to July), but you can climb the cable car for the sake of scenic views all year round.
Currently, the Elbrus resort has more than 15 km of equipped ski slopes with seven lifts. Three of them are modern gondola type. There is also an old pendulum rope that provides movement, but it is not as comfortable. As explained by the engineer of the complex, the famous red trailers provide lifting for only 160-180 people with equipment per hour. In this case, you will have to drive standing up slowly. For comparison, the new cable cars can transport up to 1,000 travelers.
In general, the ascent from the lowest point of "Azau" to "Garabashi" (3847 m) takes about half an hour — transfers take place at the stations "Krugozor" and "Mir". At the same time, each site has viewing platforms and small cafes where you can drink herbal tea and warm up. Night skiing and snowboarding will also be available this year.
What else is there in the North Caucasus
Tourism in the regions of the North Caucasus is developing dynamically: in 2024, the flow amounted to 3.3 million people, which is 75% more than in 2021, the Ministry of Energy said. For example, about 2 million people visited ski resorts.
—There are six tourist and recreational special economic zones (SEZs) in the North Caucasus Federal District, 43 infrastructure facilities were commissioned in 2020-2024, more than 160 km of ski trails, 35 cable cars and 30 thousand accommodation facilities are planned by 2030," the ministry explained.
In general, the tourist potential of the North Caucasus combines high-altitude resorts, mineral springs, cultural and ethnographic heritage, said Andrei Glushkin, a member of the council of the MRO Delovaya Rossiya. He added: this creates the basis for all-season tourism.
Now, not only Russians who have changed the vector of interest after the pandemic and anti-Russian sanctions, but also foreigners are coming to the region to relax. As the Minister of Economic Development of North Ossetia, Marat Sokaev, noted, representatives of the region are negotiating with their Chinese counterparts on mutual tourist exchange and investments. Delegations from China also visited the region.
The Caucasian regions attract many with their culture and local cuisine. For example, in North Ossetia, travelers can both taste and cook Ossetian pies with different fillings (potato, cheese, meat) at master classes. Other traditional dishes include cheese and wheat porridge dzikka, an alcoholic drink called arak, which is made from barley, corn and other grains and served warm.
The Kabardino-Balkarian Republic is also rich in unusual dishes: lamb shurpa will be served here for the first, and frogur with pasta (dried smoked meat with millet and creamy gravy) for the second. A separate place in the list is occupied by pancakes made from unleavened dough — khichiny. Among the additives, there can be absolutely any products — vegetables, berries, wild herbs, even truffles. The most common are with potatoes and cheese, as well as with cottage cheese and herbs.
Tourism is becoming a powerful driver of growth, as it stimulates the development of the hotel business, transport, services and local entrepreneurship, says Andrey Glushkin from MRO Delovaya Rossiya. According to him, there are also challenges — infrastructure restrictions, seasonality, image and security issues. Solving these problems will further increase the attractiveness of the region for vacationers and investors.
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