​The awards ceremony for the winners of the 9th All-Russian literary competition with international participation "The Arctic Star – Umka" took place in Krasnoyarsk. The competition is held annually by the Krasnoyarsk Roev Ruchey Zoo.

This year, young writers aged 5 to 17 from 72 regions of Russia, including Crimea, the Donetsk and Luhansk People's Republics, and the Kherson and Zaporizhzhia Oblasts, participated in the competition. The jury also received prize-winning submissions from China, Belarus, Mongolia, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, and Cyprus. The main goal of the competition is to raise awareness about the conservation of polar bears and other unique Arctic fauna.

Over the event's nine years, the number of submitted works has increased ninefold exactly. In 2025-2026, nearly 4,000 works were submitted for consideration across four age groups and five categories: story, fairy tale, poem, essay, and article. The authors of the 125 best works received diplomas, special prizes, and commemorative gifts.

Last year, by order of the Russian Ministry of Education, the Competition was included in the official list of Olympiads and intellectual and creative events in Russia. The names of the winners and runners-up are now included in the national "Talents of Russia" database and the registry of the Russian Educational Center "Sirius," entitling high school graduates to preferential admission to universities.