The article is devoted to the international sports competitions taking place in the Arctic. A distinctive feature of the article is that the competition is not considered an instrument of sports diplomacy and cultural and humanitarian cooperation. International sports competitions in the Arctic region are analyzed by the author from the standpoint of the theory of soft power and public diplomacy. The author aims to find out how sports competitions in this region contribute to the formation of interest in the Arctic, the preservation and promotion of the culture of the indigenous peoples of the North, the strengthening of friendly contacts and generally improve the image of Russia.