Writers from all over Russia can enter the contest for the Russian Arctic Literary Prize established by Murmansk Region Governor Andrei Chibis and the Writers' Union of Russia.

Writers from every part of Russia can submit their poetry and prose for the biannual award, given that these works reflect the Arctic. Winners in each of the three categories – Modern Prose, Modern Poetry, and The Kola Region: Gateway to the Arctic – will be awarded 250,000 rubles each. The winners and finalists will be invited to the Murmansk Region to participate in the Arctic Literary Landing project.

The contest documents and rules for submitting entries are available on the website of the regional Ministry of Culture.

This unique award was established to commemorate Vitaly Maslov, an author, polar explorer and public figure who lived and worked in the Murmansk Region, participated in the conquest of the Arctic on the world's first nuclear icebreaker, the Lenin, and revived the tradition of celebrating the Day of Slavic Literature and Culture. For many years, Maslov led the regional branch of the Russian Writers' Union.

The prize was first awarded in 2022. The first winners included Kamil Ziganshin from Ufa for his novel Journey to the Chilly Sea; Andrei Popov from Syktyvkar for The Snowstorm poetry collection; and Murmansk author Dmitry Korzhov for the book The Unhumbled Painter and the novel Murmansk People.