KHANTY-MANSIISK, February 24. /TASS/. The Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Region completed creating Internet access points on most ancestral lands for representatives of the North's indigenous peoples living in remote territories. In 2025, the region organized seven new IT Camps, and the Internet access now is available for more than 3,700 people. By 2029, the region will launch another six new access points, the local Department of Information Technology and Digital Development told TASS.

The Khanty-Mansi is the only Russian region where IT Camps have been created on ancestral lands of the North's indigenous peoples since 2018. Thanks to the project, nomadic people and those engaged in traditional crafts can access the Internet, state and municipal services online, since those ancestral lands may be rather far from settlements - up to 100 km away-with no access to public services, and very limited opportunities in healthcare, social protection and employment. The project has favored organization of distance learning for indigenous children. There are 475 traditional nature use territories in the region, where about 5,000 people live.

"We have installed Internet access points in the vast majority of camps that meet the criteria. By late 2025, the Internet access became available for 3,713 people living in 182 territories of traditional nature use (95 IT Camps), which is about 73% of the North's indigenous peoples who lead a traditional way of life. In 2025, we installed seven Internet access points in five territories of traditional nature use," the department said.

The region plans launching in 2026-2028 up to two IT Camps annually. The department's Director and the region's Deputy Governor Pavel Tsiporin told TASS that residents of remote territories commented positively on the IT-Camp project, as they could easily use the Internet, study online, use telemedicine services and communicate with their relatives more often. "This project has pushed another project - the Camp Kindergarten, where children of North indigenous peoples can study school subjects on the ancestral lands. Right now, 45 children aged 3 to 7 from 32 families study this way. The indigenous population has demonstrated great interest in online platforms to sell wild plants and other national products," he told TASS.

Region's projects implemented due to IT-Camps

To join the Camp Kindergarten project, parents file applications to have indigenous children enrolled in the kindergarten for remote education, the official continued. Educational programs are up to four hours daily. Direct online communication between children, parents, and teachers is no more than three 15-minute sessions per day, with mandatory activity changes and physical activities. Children attend classes together with their parents. All teachers are native speakers and therefore they mind fully the specifics of teaching young pupils.

Presently, 16 camp pre-school groups operate in the Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Region at eight educational institutions in three municipal districts: Beloyarsk, Nefteyugansk and Surgut. Since 2020, 37 graduates of camp kindergarten schools have enrolled in the first grades of the region's general education institutions.

In 2022, in the region's village of Sosva in the Berezovsky District, part of the Russian Arctic Zone, was implemented a pilot project, dubbed Green IT Camp - to ensure round-the-clock operation of communication equipment through the use of solar panels and storage batteries with a backup gasoline generator. By the end of 2025, four autonomous power supply systems were installed in the Berezovsky and Kondinsky Districts. As a result, stable operation of communication equipment, refrigerator, lighting and the possibility of recharging phones are currently provided around the clock for nine months a year in camps of the North's peoples in those territories. The gasoline generator is used only in extreme cases and in winter.

"The installation of these systems has improved comfort, quality of life and living conditions in the camps. The indigenous people now can use small household electrical appliances daily, as well as stay in touch and have the Internet access," the deputy governor said.

In 2025, the region launched a new project - Healthy IT Camp in the Arctic Zone - to monitor remotely health indicators of the North's peoples and to offer telemedicine services. The project will work at three IT Camps - two in the Berezovsky and one in the Beloyarsk Districts.