Cities of the Kola Peninsula: Murmansk

Worlds biggest city above the Arctic Circle

Murmansk is the capital of our region. The population is about 375 thousand persons! Murmansk was born just after the First World War. The settlement was determined by the survivors as a terminal point of Murmansk railway and a quay for unloading various materials and military supplies in February 1915.

The construction of living quarters for the workers began the same year. The 4th of October 1916 became a birthday of the city, when an Orthodox Church was laid (on the place of the present Palace of Culture of Kirov) and official opening of Romanov-on-Murman city. Romanov-on-Murman was renamed in Murmansk in April 1917. The city began to grow swiftly; only 2,5 thousand persons lived here in 1920 and in 1932 already 42 thousand. In the beginning the city consists of wooden buildings. The first stone building was built in Murmansk in 1927 and it still exists nowadays as a Regional Art Museum. The first stone apartment houses were built in 1935 and they decorate the centre of Murmansk till now. These are the buildings on Lenin prospect.

The growth of the city was interrupted once - during the Great Patriotic War. 1400 apartment houses were destroyed and burnt as a result of German bombardments of Murmansk. The city was heroically defending itself and working, allied convoys were coming here for unloading and even fishing continued in the Barents Sea.

Murmansk was awarded a rank of Hero-City for heroism shown by Murmansk dwellers during the War. A majestic monument for The Defenders of the Arctic was installed on a high hill above Murmansk in 1974 in memory of the War; a figure of a watchman with a rifle of a height of 34 meters, which is visible almost from any point of the city. The folks have christened the monument as "ALYOSHA". He is the first to meet ships arriving to Murmansk and from his foot opens the best view of Murmansk and Kola Bay.

• What to see in Murmansk:
  • The city has a Regional Historical Museum, where you can listen to an excursion in English language. The museum includes historical, mineralogical, nature, cultural and other exhibitions.
  • You can visit the Picture-museum; exhibitions of different painters or the Sport Museum where you will know about the famous sportsmen and a story of the development of the Northern sports.
  • In the Polar Research Institute of Marine Fisheries and Oceanography (PINRO) you will meet the fascinating world of the dwellers of the sea bottom.
  • The Museum of Northern Navy will show you different models of military ships and submarines, uniforms of the Russian navy military and many other things connected to Northern Russian Navy.
  • Nuclear Icebreaker "Lenin". Watch Worlds first nuclear icebreaker in the passenger harbour. Everyday free excursion on board. See Murmansk by the Captains eye from the bridge, the cabins and engine room.
  • Regional Centre of Folk Arts may interest you in the special for Russia kind of handicraft.
  • You can visit Russian Orthodox Temples and enjoy listening to a nice church choir.
  • You will see the enormous Memorial of a Warrior named by citizens 'Alyosha' which dominates above the city like a huge tower.
  • Memorial of the sunken submarine Kursk. It sunk the 12th August 2000, all 118 Seamen died. The Kursk memorial you can find on the territory of the Memorial Complex to the Soldiers and Seamen Who Died in Peaceful Time.
  • You can have a walk in the shining with lights city in Winter time, or under the never setting sun in Summer.
  • And at night you can have dinner in a restaurant with a nice variety show.
• How to travel to Murmansk?
  • By own means of transport from Saint Petersburg or Finland and Norway.
  • Regular busses from Finland or Norway.
  • By airplane; Murmansk has an international and domestic airport.

Interesting streets for walking and to get Murmansk better are: Lenin prospect, Pushkingskaya, Leningradskaya, Profsoyuzov, Sofiya Perovskaya, Samojlovoj, Knipovicha and Arcticny Zori.

During our excursions we will show you almost all of these places. Let Kola Travel guide you!