At the end of 2024, RG journalists discovered the 'world's northernmost' apiary. In the Murmansk Region, Artem Aniskin acquired a plot of land under the Hectare in the Arctic programme a year ago and set up 40 beehives. In the pine forest between the Pushnoy and Loparsky settlements, a unique Arctic honey is now produced—according to the apiary owner, its properties differ significantly from its southern counterparts.

Artem Aniskin is far from the first beekeeper to have the idea of raising bees in the Far North. In the article 'Beekeeping in the Arctic: Global Crisis and Arctic Prospects for Apiculture,' the authors note that the oldest publication on beekeeping in the Murmansk Regional Scientific Library is A.M. Butlerov's manual from 1916. Interestingly, it went through 10 editions. In the 1930s, bees pollinated plants at the Murmansk State Farm 'Industriya,' and from 1949 to 1952, a large-scale experiment was conducted by specialists from the K.A. Timiryazev Agricultural Academy. At the conclusion of the expedition, beekeepers noted that bees in the Murmansk Region can produce honey, but significant work is needed to organise the industry, develop recommendations for obtaining northern honey, protect insects from cold weather and so on. Evidence of this expedition was found in the NKVD archives.

In 2008, as part of the Polar Bee project, an experimental apiary called 'Northern Lights' was established in the Umba settlement. Over 11 years of operation, the project fully validated the Soviet beekeepers' findings and expanded on their practical recommendations. Special domestically produced hives were tested to survive the long polar winter, and the properties of polar honey, which differs in taste and characteristics from its counterparts, were studied. Additionally, the study's authors accumulated numerous practical observations on the vegetation of honey-bearing plants in the Murmansk Region and methods to mitigate the impact of low temperatures on bees. They developed practical recommendations for establishing polar apiaries in the Murmansk Region. Interestingly, after the conclusion of the experiment, 'Northern Lights' continues to operate, reliably supplying social institutions and residents of Umba with fresh honey. The new apiary owner plans to build a small mead factory, which should help brighten up the long polar winter. We should add that Artem Aniskin was also inspired by the work of Soviet beekeepers—the media reported on this at the start of his project.

Arctic beekeeping has taken root over the past decades in Yamal, Yakutia and other regions. Unlike in the Murmansk Region, insulated hives are not sufficient here—Ignatiy Sleptsov had to build a log cabin with heating to save his bees in the Barylas settlement in Yakutia. At –60°C, the insects simply wouldn't survive otherwise. However, today, the beekeeper supplies honey to all his fellow villagers, which is crucial given the village's remote location.

The goal of Arctic beekeeping is to reduce dependence on sugar and honey supplies in the Arctic Circle. In the Kola Peninsula, beekeeping may become a significant branch of the region's agro-industrial complex in the future. Scientists note that artificial sowing of honey plants can expand the available forage base for bees, eliminating the need to feed the insects and, consequently, maintaining the quality of honey. According to experts' calculations, the construction of apiaries pays for itself in just one season—purchasing equipment and bees in May can recoup costs by October if, in addition to honey, propolis, bee bread, pollen, wax and royal jelly are also sold.

Incidentally, in addition to cold-resistant hives, scientists and beekeepers, Russia is also home to particularly hardy bees. The wild northern bee is characterised by high productivity, resistance to extreme weather conditions and good immunity. It consumes less food in winter, and in summer it works intensively to store the honey necessary for survival. It is widely distributed in Siberia and the Far East, including Arctic regions.

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