Previously, I was sure that monuments are not the most interesting thing that new cities have: yes, you can study the history of a place from them, guess the faces of familiar figures, but to make it interesting, you need to look at something else. I thought so until I found myself in polar Murmansk, where I realized: monuments are something more. They often create the atmosphere that makes us want to return to a particular city and get to know it better. The Murmansk memorials seemed very sincere and somehow “warm” to me, even though during my trip to the Arctic it was -15 °C outside.
I propose to start the review of city monuments with military ones, especially since they are the most ancient among all. If, of course, this word is appropriate in relation to the city, which celebrated its centenary in the fall of 2021.
Monument to Alyosha
Murmansk has the title of hero city, and the townspeople are very proud of this fact. Of course, only nine cities on the territory of modern Russia deserve this title! Among them are Moscow, St. Petersburg, Volgograd, Tula, Smolensk, Novorossiysk, Kerch, Sevastopol and Murmansk. The largest city in the Arctic was badly damaged during enemy raids, so there are practically no old buildings left here.
The official name of this monument is the memorial “Defenders of the Soviet Arctic during the Great Patriotic War,” but Murmansk residents call it affectionately, in a family way: “Alyosha.”
The monument represents a figure of a Soviet soldier, 35 meters high, facing the Kola Bay: it was from there that the enemies came in 1942. At the foot of the monument is an eternal flame, lit in 1975.
The place is very popular among newlyweds: it offers a beautiful view of the entire city, and it is beautiful here at any time of the year or day.
I came here in the winter twilight, and the wild icy wind did not allow me to stand at Alyosha’s for more than 20 minutes. While here, be sure to look to the right along the Kola Bay and imagine that just 50 kilometers away the Arctic Ocean begins.
How to get there
You will have to walk or take a taxi to get to the memorable place:
- if you choose the second option, just tell the driver: “to Alyosha.” A trip from the center will cost 150 rubles.
- if you go on your own, as I did, then first you will need to get to Semenovskoye Lake (from the city center, from Lenin Avenue, trolleybus No. 3 goes here, the stop is called “Gagarin Street”). After passing the lake, go out onto Alexandrova Street and go up. Soon you will see "Alyosha".
They say that it can be seen from anywhere in the city, but this is not entirely true: you will not see the monument from the city center. So it’s definitely worth taking a special walk to the monument to the Defenders of the Soviet Arctic during the Great Patriotic War.
Murmansk region: historical and cultural monuments
Church of Saints Boris and Gleb (Pechengsky district, western bank of the Pasvik River) - view from the eastern bank of the river. Photo by Bertosh Viola Vyacheslavovna, 2015.
Geographical location, natural and climatic conditions, historical and cultural specifics, demographic, social and economic features of the Murmansk region form the characteristic features of its material cultural heritage. In total, on the territory of this Arctic region there are 398 monuments that are under state protection [1] , including:
— 18 cultural heritage sites of federal significance;
— 120 cultural heritage sites of regional significance;
- 260 identified objects of cultural heritage (the status of fifteen of them is not entirely clear, since mention of them was removed from the List of identified objects of cultural heritage, but on the website of the regional executive body authorized in the field of cultural heritage preservation - the Ministry of Culture of the Murmansk Region - no regulatory legal acts have been published confirming their removal from state protection[2]).
Monuments of history and culture of the region can be divided into several groups:
Archeological monuments
The archaeological heritage of the Murmansk region includes 214 objects (about 54% of the total number of monuments accepted under state protection), including 13 objects of cultural heritage of federal significance and 201 identified objects of cultural heritage. Most archaeological monuments are unknown outside a narrow community of experts and are not updated in society; in addition, their popularization is limited by current legislation[3]. Nevertheless, a number of such objects are highly popular among tourists and are an important component of the cultural image of the region, these include:
— stone labyrinths (the so-called “Babylons”), located in the coastal areas of the Kola Peninsula, recognized as objects of cultural heritage of federal significance;
Stone labyrinth in the vicinity of the city of Kandalaksha. Photo
— an object of cultural heritage of federal significance “Complex of petroglyphs - rock paintings of the 4th–2nd millennium BC.” on the islands of Lake Kanozero (Tersky region);
Petroglyphs of Kanozero (Tersky region). Photo
- a slate slab (Bolshoi Anikiev Island, Barents Sea, Pechenga region), on which sailors from different countries left inscriptions for several centuries. This unique monument has no analogues on the territory of Russia (an identified cultural heritage site);
Anikieva slab (Pechengsky district). Photo
— Stone Age rock carvings on the Rybachy Peninsula in the Pechenga region (identified cultural heritage sites).
Pisanitsy on the Rybachy Peninsula (Pechengsky district). Photo
An important feature of the archaeological heritage is the complexity of its correlation with a specific ethnic group. Most archaeological monuments exist in the public consciousness as artifacts of the distant past of the Kola Peninsula, which do not have a clear identification. An exception in this regard is:
— several medieval settlements that are reliably Sami (identified cultural heritage sites). Despite the fact that the Sami have a legally enshrined status at the regional level as the indigenous people of the Kola North[4], these archaeological sites are among the few surviving authentic objects of their heritage;
— identified cultural heritage site (archaeological heritage site) “Pechengsky Monastery” (Pechengsky district);
— identified cultural heritage object (archaeological heritage object) “Church of the Georgian Icon of the Mother of God in the village of Teriberka” (Kola district).
Archaeological heritage site “Church of the Georgian Icon of the Mother of God in the village of Teriberka” (Kola district). Photo by Bertosh Viola Vyacheslavovna, 2021.
The work of identifying archaeological heritage and including already identified monuments in the Unified State Register of Cultural Heritage Objects is hampered by the lack of archaeologists in the region who have permission (open list) to carry out work, and experts certified by the Ministry of Culture of the Russian Federation.
Historical monuments
This group is the largest; in a broad sense, it includes almost all cultural monuments. Some of these objects have relative historical and cultural value, which is significant only on the scale of the region or even a separate part of it. The actualization of such local monuments requires preparatory scientific and methodological work aimed at including them in the general context of tourist and excursion activities. This group can be divided into subgroups, membership to which is conditional, and the same object can be simultaneously included in several of them.
Monuments of Pomeranian culture
The Pomors, as an old-time ethnocultural group of Russians, along with the Sami and a number of other peoples (Karelians, Komi-Izhemtsy, etc.) formed the traditional cultural identity of the Kola North in the pre-industrial era. The Pomeranian heritage includes residential buildings, religious buildings, religiously belonging to Orthodox Christianity, cemeteries and other objects located in the Kandalaksha and Tersky regions. The most significant monuments include:
— St. Nicholas Church of the 18th century in the village of Kovda, Kandalaksha district (a cultural heritage site of federal significance);
Church of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker (Kandalaksha district, Kovda village). Photo
- the Church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary of the 17th century in the village of Varzuga, Terek region, which is a unique example of original Russian Pomeranian architecture for the region (a cultural heritage site of federal significance).
Church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary (Tersky district, Varzuga village). Photo
Today there are prospects for identifying monuments of Pomeranian heritage that have historical and cultural value in the coastal areas of the Kola Peninsula. Such activities are complicated by the remoteness and inaccessibility of the area in which such objects are located.
Monuments of military history
In the region in the 20th century, the events of several major military conflicts unfolded (the Russian Civil War, the Soviet-Finnish War of 1939–1940), which left their mark on the local material heritage. The Great Patriotic War had the greatest influence on the history of the region, which was reflected in numerous objects, the location and type of which were largely determined by the course of hostilities.
The Murmansk region is the only region of the Russian Arctic where large-scale land battles of the Great Patriotic War took place. The actualization of monuments associated with these events is of particular importance in the context of the socio-political challenges of our time. Such objects can have not only ideological, but also significant historical and cultural value, for example:
— Monument to the heroic submariners of the Northern Fleet who fell in the fight against the Nazi invaders, located in the city of Polyarny (ZATO Aleksandrovsk), which was built in 1944 by the famous Soviet sculptor L.E. Karbal (cultural heritage site of federal significance);
Monument to the heroic submariners of the Northern Fleet who fell in the fight against the German invaders (ZATO Aleksandrovsk, the city of Polyarny). Photo
— The defense lines of the Soviet troops on the Musta-Tunturi ridge (Pechenga region) and at an altitude of 314.9 (Kola region), recognized as objects of cultural heritage of regional significance, which are unique examples for the Arctic zone of the Russian Federation of large-scale defensive structures from the period of positional battles of 1941–1944 years[5].
The line of defense of Soviet troops in 1941–1944 at an altitude of 314.9 (Kola region). Photo by Bertosh Viola Vyacheslavovna, 2016.
In the territories of the Kola Peninsula, where a fierce confrontation unfolded during the Great Patriotic War (Pechenga region, including the Rybachy and Sredny peninsulas, part of the Kola region), there are significant prospects for identifying objects of this period that are valuable from a historical and cultural point of view.
Monuments of science and technology
In the Murmansk region there are a number of objects of this type, among which are:
— the world’s first nuclear icebreaker “Lenin”, recognized as an object of cultural heritage of federal significance;
Nuclear icebreaker "Lenin" (city of Murmansk). Photo
— restored copies of aircraft from the period of the Great Patriotic War, located on the territory of the branch of the Naval Museum of the Northern Fleet - the Museum of the Air Force of the Northern Fleet (ZATO city of Severomorsk, urban-type settlement Safonovo), classified as objects of cultural heritage of regional significance.
There is information about the existence in the Murmansk region of a number of objects that are of interest for identification as monuments of science and technology. Examples include:
— a steam locomobile on the territory of the abolished settlement of Chalmny-Varre (Lovozersky district);
- a steam engine built in 1906 in the Khibiny mountain range[6].
Steam engine 1906 (Khibiny). Photo
Monuments of the history of exploration and development of the region
This subgroup includes objects and structures related to scientific activities, economic development and colonization of the Kola Peninsula. Among them:
— The lighthouse, operating since 1862, and lighthouse houses located on Cape Svyatoy Nos in the closed city of Ostrovnoy (identified cultural heritage site);
Svyatonossky lighthouse (then the city of Ostrovnoy). Photo
— Polar-Alpine Botanical Garden, founded in the city of Kirovsk in 1931 (a cultural heritage site of regional significance);
— Production building (laboratory) of the Murmansk Marine Biological Institute in the settlement of Dalnie Zelentsy, Kola District, built in 1938 (identified cultural heritage site);
Laboratory building of the Murmansk Marine Biological Institute (Kola region, Dalnie Zelentsy village). Photo by Andrey Alexandrovich Bertosh, 2021.
— The building of the Polar Research Institute of Marine Fisheries and Oceanography named after. N.M. Knipovich, built in 1952, located in the city of Murmansk (cultural heritage site of regional significance);
— Obelisk in memory of the foundation of the Murmansk commercial port, installed in 1945 (a cultural heritage site of regional significance) and others.
A number of monuments of the study and development of the Kola North, which have the characteristics of cultural heritage objects, have not yet been accepted for state protection, for example: - Terek-Oryol lighthouse, operating since 1842 (the coast of the White Sea, the closed city of Ostrovnoy);
— lighthouses of the late 19th – early 20th centuries on the territory of the abolished settlements of Podpakhta (Kola district) and Rynda (Lovozersky district);
— a number of industrial facilities in the cities of Kirovsk and Apatity.
Monuments of international interaction
The border location of the region determined the presence on its territory of objects testifying to the history of international relations. Such monuments include the church in the name of the Holy Blessed Passion-Bearing Princes Boris and Gleb, located in the village of Borisoglebsky, Pechenga district. The first wooden church with this name was built on the Pasvik River in the 16th century by the holy Venerable Tryphon of Pechenga. During the demarcation of the state border in 1826, a small plot of land around the ancient temple became the only Russian enclave on the western bank of the Pasvik River, while the rest of the territory went to Norway, then under the rule of the Swedish king. In 1874, in the Pazretsky churchyard, on the site of which the modern Borisoglebsky np is located, another wooden church was erected in the name of Saints Boris and Gleb[7]. The building of the ancient church burned down during the battles of the Great Patriotic War in 1944, but the new church survived, although it was badly damaged. Currently, this church is a symbol of the Russian state on the border line; The temple building is recognized as a cultural heritage site of regional significance.
Church of Saints Boris and Gleb (Pechengsky district, western bank of the Pasvik River). Photo by Bertosh Viola Vyacheslavovna, 2015.
In addition to the mentioned church, similar monuments include “Ekaterininsky Kopets” - a border sign made of stone, located on the territory of the Catherine Outpost (Pechenga district), on the northernmost section of the Russian-Norwegian border. Kopets was established during the demarcation of 1826 and is still used for its original purpose, being one of the oldest border markers in Russia (an identified cultural heritage site).
Ekaterininsky Kopets (Pechengsky district, Russian-Norwegian border, Ekaterininskaya outpost). Photo
Other historical monuments of the region
In addition to those mentioned above, there are also other historical sites in the region. For example, a whole complex of monuments is concentrated in the oldest city of the region - Kola. These include, but are not limited to:
— The worship cross of 1635 is the oldest historical monument of the region (if you do not take into account archaeological ones), recognized as an object of cultural heritage of federal significance;
Worship cross of 1635 (city of Kola, building of the Church of the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary). Photo by Andrey Aleksandrovich Bertosh, 2015.
- the Church of the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary, built at the beginning of the 19th century on the site of a wooden church of the same name, known since the 16th century - the oldest and only stone church building preserved in the region from pre-revolutionary times (a cultural heritage site of regional significance);
Church of the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary (city of Kola). Photo
— The Kola Necropolis is a cemetery with stone tombstones unique to the Murmansk region from the 19th – early 20th centuries (a cultural heritage site of regional significance).
In addition, we can name two barns built in 1898, located on the territory of a military unit in the city of Polyarny (ZATO Aleksandrovsk), which are a year older than the city itself (identified objects of cultural heritage), the oldest surviving building in the city of Murmansk, built in 1917 (identified object cultural heritage), and other historical and cultural monuments of the region.
Monuments of urban planning, architecture and monumental art
Architectural objects of the Soviet period, erected in the 1920s–1980s, form the distinctive historical appearance of a number of cities in the region (Murmansk, Monchegorsk, Kirovsk, Polyarny), these include residential buildings, public buildings, public gardens, memorial buildings, etc. P. Another regional feature of such objects is that they were often built in virtually undeveloped, wild areas (this is especially true for Kirovsk and Monchegorsk) and were intended to form an exemplary “socialist city.” Most of them can be classified as historical monuments, but their main value lies precisely in the preservation of the existing urban planning composition (usually in the so-called “historical” center of the city).
Paradoxically, such objects from the Soviet period also include church buildings. Despite the active use of the thesis “Murmansk is a city without churches” in anti-religious propaganda, the Murmansk region became one of the few regions where large-scale church construction began in the first half of the 1980s. In 1984, construction began on the complex of buildings of St. Nicholas Cathedral, completed in 1991.
Cathedral of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker (city of Murmansk).
Photo from here.
In the same 1984, the Orthodox community of the city of Kirovsk was given a two-story building of a typical residential building built in 1964, which was converted into the Church of the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God. Currently, both buildings have the status of cultural heritage sites of regional significance.
In the Murmansk region there are architectural monuments, the cultural value of which is relevant not only within the region, but also on a national scale. For example, the Building of the Maritime College named after I.I. Mesyatseva in Murmansk (an identified cultural heritage site) and the Building of the first Khibinogorsk cinema "Bolshevik" in Kirovsk (a cultural heritage site of regional significance) are striking examples of the architectural movement "constructivism", popular in the initial period of the Soviet era.
The building of the Maritime College named after I.I. Mesyatseva (city of Murmansk). Photo
The building of the first Khibinogorsk cinema "Bolshevik" (city of Kirovsk). Photo
Moreover, the Monument to the Victims of the Intervention of 1918–1920 in Murmansk (a cultural heritage site of regional significance) is one of the few surviving memorial structures built in the constructivist style in the world.
Monument to the victims of the intervention of 1918–1920 (city of Murmansk). Photo
The priority in identifying monuments of this type that have historical and cultural value is to accept for state protection those of them whose existence is under threat. Objects of cultural heritage can include both buildings that are significant from a historical or architectural point of view, as well as those that are typical of their era. For example, in relation to Murmansk, the issue of preserving wooden architecture is relevant. The idea of memorializing one of the standard multi-apartment residential buildings made of wood from the 1920s - 1930s that is subject to demolition, which could become a monument to an entire era in the development of the city, seems promising.
Unfortunately, over the past few years, regional executive authorities have regularly removed objects from state protection. Thus, in 2021, a number of historical and cultural monuments were deprived of the status of identified objects of cultural heritage, including: - Monument to the heroic submariners of the Northern Fleet, dedicated to the breakthroughs of submariners into the Liinakhamari harbor during the Great Patriotic War of 1941–1945 (the locality of Liinakhamari Pechenga district);
— an object of archaeological heritage “Church of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary in the city of Kandalaksha”, which is the stone foundation of a temple built in 1865 (a church with that name has been in this place since the mid-16th century);
— The building of the former county treasury is the first (!) secular stone building in the region, built at the beginning of the 19th century (city of Kola).
In total, in 2016–2019, 16 monuments were accepted for state protection, and 59 were excluded from the List of identified cultural heritage sites (the status of another 15 identified cultural heritage sites is currently unknown).
Today, after a number of optimizations in cultural institutions, the sphere of state protection of the cultural heritage of the region is experiencing an acute shortage of qualified personnel with specialized education. A trend has formed towards a reduction in the number of state-protected monuments in the Murmansk region, which continues to this day. A number of issues related to the identification, study and popularization of cultural heritage sites of the Murmansk region have actually come under the auspices of non-profit organizations and other non-state institutions of civil society.
Author:
Bertosh Andrey Aleksandrovich, postgraduate student of the Kola Scientific Center of the Russian Academy of Sciences.
SOURCES AND LITERATURE
1. Alekhin V.D. Problems of identification and state registration of historical and cultural monuments in the Murmansk region // Proceedings of the Kola Scientific Center of the Russian Academy of Sciences. – Humanities Research, vol. 13: Collection of selected works based on the materials of the regional scientific and practical seminar “Sociocultural and economic imperatives of the Euro-Arctic region of Russia.” – No. 2/2018 (9). – Apatity: KSC RAS, 2021. – pp. 48–51.
2. Bertosh A.A., Korshunov E.L., Prokopchuk P.N. Interaction of museums, research organizations and archives to preserve the memory of the Great Patriotic War in the Arctic (on the example of studying the defensive line of Soviet troops on the Musta-Tunturi ridge) // Polar readings on the icebreaker "Krasin" - 2021. M.: Paulsen Publishing House ", 2021. – pp. 37–60.
3. Identified objects of cultural heritage [Electronic resource] // Ministry of Culture of the Murmansk Region. URL: https://culture.gov-murman.ru/napravleniya-deyatelnosti/okhrana-obektov-kulturnogo-naslediya/objects… (access date: 01/19/2020).
4. Brief historical description of the parishes and churches of the Arkhangelsk diocese. Vol. III. Counties: Onega, Kem and Kola. – Arkhangelsk: Arkhangelsk Diocesan Church and Archaeological Committee, 1896. – 267 p.
5. On approval of the list of individual information about objects of archaeological heritage that are not subject to publication: order of the Ministry of Culture of the Russian Federation No. 2328 dated September 1, 2015 [Electronic resource] // Ministry of Culture of the Russian Federation. URL: https://www.mkrf.ru/documents/ob_utverzhdenii_perechnya_otdeln355917 (date of access: 01/19/2020).
6. Objects of cultural heritage included in the register [Electronic resource] // Ministry of Culture of the Murmansk Region. URL: https://culture.gov-murman.ru/napravleniya-deyatelnosti/okhrana-obektov-kulturnogo-naslediya/objects… (access date: 01/19/2020).
7. Charter of the Murmansk Region (as amended on December 10, 2018) [Electronic resource] // Government of the Murmansk Region. URL: https://gov-murman.ru/regulatory/charter_mo (access date: 01/19/2020).
8. Khibiny tundra. Geological map 1:50,000 and guide / Editors Yu.L. Voitekhovsky, P. Johansson, L.S. Lauri, T.A. Miroshnichenko, Yu. Ryaisyanen. – Rovaniemi: JSC “Grano”, 2014. – 58 p.
[1] Identified objects of cultural heritage [Electronic resource] // Ministry of Culture of the Murmansk Region. URL: https://culture.gov-murman.ru/napravleniya-deyatelnosti/okhrana-obektov-kulturnogo-naslediya/objects… (access date: 01/19/2020); Objects of cultural heritage included in the register [Electronic resource] // Ministry of Culture of the Murmansk Region. URL: https://culture.gov-murman.ru/napravleniya-deyatelnosti/okhrana-obektov-kulturnogo-naslediya/objects… (access date: 01/19/2020).
[2] Official publication [Electronic resource] // Ministry of Culture of the Murmansk Region. URL: https://culture.gov-murman.ru/documents/official (access date: 01/19/2020).
[3] On approval of the list of individual information about objects of archaeological heritage that are not subject to publication: order of the Ministry of Culture of the Russian Federation No. 2328 dated September 1, 2015 [Electronic resource] // Ministry of Culture of the Russian Federation. URL: https://www.mkrf.ru/documents/ob_utverzhdenii_perechnya_otdeln355917 (date of access: 01/19/2020).
[4] Charter of the Murmansk Region (as amended on December 10, 2018) [Electronic resource] // Government of the Murmansk Region. URL: https://gov-murman.ru/regulatory/charter_mo (access date: 01/19/2020).
[5] Bertosh A.A., Korshunov E.L., Prokopchuk P.N. Interaction of museums, research organizations and archives to preserve the memory of the Great Patriotic War in the Arctic (on the example of studying the defensive line of Soviet troops on the Musta-Tunturi ridge) // Polar readings on the icebreaker "Krasin" - 2021. M.: Paulsen Publishing House ", 2021. – pp. 37–60.
[6] Khibiny tundras. Geological map 1:50,000 and guide / Editors Yu.L. Voitekhovsky, P. Johansson, L.S. Lauri, T.A. Miroshnichenko, Yu. Ryaisyanen. – Rovaniemi: JSC “Grano”, 2014. – pp. 13–14.
[7] Brief historical description of the parishes and churches of the Arkhangelsk diocese. Vol. III. Counties: Onega, Kem and Kola. – Arkhangelsk: Arkhangelsk Diocesan Church and Archaeological Committee, 1896. – P. 221–222.
Monument to Anatoly Bredov
Another monument in Murmansk, dedicated to the Great Patriotic War, bears the name of Anatoly Bredov. This man, who became a Hero of the Soviet Union after the war, was born in Novgorod. After graduating from school in Murmansk, in 1942 he went to the front.
Anatoly Fedorovich accomplished the feat in the fall of 1944, being a 21-year-old young man. The Soviet regiment was defeated under fascist fire, the cartridges ran out, and only commander Anatoly Bredov and gunner Nikita Ashurkov remained among the fighters. The soldiers threw the penultimate grenade at the Germans with the words: “Russians do not surrender!”, and with the last one they blew themselves up and the machine gun. Then the soldiers of the 155th regiment, inspired by the dedication of the commander and gunner, occupied the Pridorozhnaya height and drove out the enemies. Ashurkov survived, but Anatoly Bredov died and received the title of Hero of the Soviet Union posthumously.
The monument to Bredov was erected in 1956 on the initiative of cadets of the Higher Naval School. The townspeople collected funds for the construction of the monument by donating waste paper and scrap metal.
Now streets in Murmansk, Veliky Novgorod, Apatity, Nikel and Monchegorsk are named after Bredov.
How to get there
The monument to Bredov is located on the main avenue of Murmansk, Lenin Avenue, near house No. 88. More precisely, the monument is located at the intersection of Lenin Avenue and st. Trade Unions (it's right behind the Azimut Hotel).
The easiest way to get there is on foot: you will probably pass this avenue up and down while walking around Murmansk. And opposite the monument there is the Yunost cafe - a nice place to drink coffee and buy gingerbread with reindeer, for example.
Cultural guide to Murmansk
View of the city and the Central Trade Union Stadium. Photo: Lev Fedoseev / TASS
Memorial "Defenders of the Soviet Arctic during the Great Patriotic War." Murmansk. Photo: Lev Fedoseev / TASS
View of the memorial complex to the sailors who died in peacetime. Murmansk. Photo: Lev Fedoseev / TASS
Kola Peninsula
Murmansk region
The city of Murmansk takes its name from the old name of the Kola Peninsula , which Scandinavian tribes called "Murman" in ancient times.
The Kola Bay was recognized as a strategically important project only in the 20th century, when the largest port in the Arctic Circle was founded here. In the Stone Age, the coastline was developed by Finno-Ugric tribes. Russian villages appeared after the arrival of the Novgorod colonialists. Since ancient times, the population of the peninsula has been engaged in reindeer husbandry and fishing on an industrial scale.
The Kola Peninsula, nicknamed “Russian Lapland,” is a treasure trove of unique nature and history of our country. This is an amazing world of snow-capped mountains and clear lakes, fast rivers and wide stone plateaus.
Nuclear icebreaker "Lenin"
Murmansk
icebreaker Lenin stands at the pier . This is the first ship in history to be powered by atomic energy. It was created to ensure navigation along the Northern Trade Sea Route in winter, when the ice cover spreads.
During the times of technological progress in the Soviet Union, the icebreaker plied the ice of the Arctic Ocean. In 1989, she moored for the last time in the port of Murmansk, completing a 30-year watch in the northern seas. Now the powerful flagship ship is a publicly accessible, widely visited museum with a historical exhibition.
Naval Museum of the Northern Fleet
Murmansk
The Naval Museum of the Northern Fleet reflects all stages of the formation of the Russian Northern Fleet. The exhibition covers the period from 1693 - the founding of the Navy by Peter I - to the present.
Now the museum's holdings number more than 70 thousand exhibits. The scientific archive contains hundreds of newspaper files, histories of units and ships of the Great Patriotic War and the post-war period. There is a unique negative fund, which has more than 30 thousand units. These are genuine negatives created by war photojournalists: Evgeniy Khaldei, Robert Diament, Sergei Shimansky and Nikolai Verinchuk.
Murmansk Regional Museum of Local Lore
Murmansk
Murmansk Museum of Local Lore is the oldest museum in the region, founded in 1926. The building, which is a monument to the history of the city, has 17 exhibition halls. In the “Nature” section there is the only exposition of the seabed in Russia: a dry aquarium, a unique geological collection extracted from depths of 100 meters to 12 kilometers during the drilling of the Kola superdeep well.
The entire history of the region from ancient times to the present is presented in the exhibitions “History of the region from ancient times to the 17th century”, “Economy and life of the Sami in the 18th–19th centuries”, “Kola Peninsula of the 17th - early 20th centuries”, “October Socialist Revolution, Civil war and intervention in Murman”, “The region in the period 1920–30s”, “Murmansk region 1945–1985”. The final section of the history exhibition is devoted to changes in the political, socio-economic spheres of life in the region from 1985 to the present day.
The museum's library is one of the oldest in the region, containing 18 thousand books and magazines on local history.
Murmansk Regional Art Museum
Murmansk
The Murmansk Art Museum is located in the oldest stone building of the city and is located in its historical center. Its permanent exhibition gives an idea of the development of Russian fine art from the 18th century to the present day.
Now the collection of the Art Museum includes about seven thousand items. Paintings from the 18th, 19th and 20th centuries are presented, along with a rich collection of graphics, including graphics by Leningrad artists. Visitors to the exhibition can see works by Vladimir Favorsky, Ivan Pavlov, Georgy Vereisky, Alexey Pakhomov. A significant place is occupied by the collection of works by Murmansk artists. The graphic works of Mikhail Kirin, Tatyana Kovaleva, Yuri Pankov, and Vladimir Chernov are of great interest.
The decorative and applied arts section presents examples of Russian artistic crafts. Visitors can get acquainted with the main northern crafts: wood painting, making clay toys, bone carving, lace making, birch bark weaving, wood carving. Of particular interest are Pomeranian roe deer - dough figures that have been baked since ancient times on the Terek coast of the White Sea.
Murmansk Regional Drama Theater
Murmansk
For many years, the Murmansk Drama Theater played on the stage of the House of Culture named after. S. Kirov, and in 1963 he moved to one of the most beautiful buildings in Murmansk. The austere theater building, with a six-column portico topped with a rectangular attic with sculptural relief, is the creation of the architect A.P. Maksimova.
The Murmansk Drama Theater became the initiator, organizer and participant of the International Theater Festival "Polar Star".
In 2004, the year of the theater’s 65th anniversary, a triumphal tour took place in Moscow. The performances of the northerners took place at the Moscow Drama Theater under the direction of Armen Dzhigarkhanyan. It was an unconditional, well-deserved success. The performances of “The White Cloud of Genghis Khan”, “Theater of the Times of Nero and Seneca”, “Competition” were attended by the authors Ch. Aitmatov, E. Radzinsky, A. Galin, who highly appreciated the work of the Murmansk residents.
Murmansk Regional Puppet Theater
Murmansk
The Murmansk Regional Puppet Theater was founded in 1933 and is the oldest professional theater in Russia beyond the Arctic Circle. In recent years, the theater has taken part in 17 festivals outside the Murmansk region. Among the numerous thanks, certificates of honor and diplomas there is an international diploma “For the development of theatrical art” (2003), an international diploma “Silver Knight” in the category “Children’s Theater” (2005).
The theater's repertoire includes 49 performances; every year the theater stages three or four new performances.
The theater annually holds an unusual children's theater competition “Golden Ant”. During the season, spectators attend performances, save and place tickets in special personalized envelopes, which are stored in the theater until the end of the season. At the end of the year, the results are summed up, and the most active viewers become the winners.
Trifonov Pechenga Monastery in the village of Luostari...
Murmansk region
Trifonov-Pechenga Monastery is the northernmost Orthodox monastery in the world. The history of the monastery goes back more than four centuries. The first stone was laid by the Apostle of the North, Venerable Tryphon of Pechenga. Like Sergius of Radonezh, he combined feats of renunciation of the world with practical activities aimed at serving the Fatherland.
The new buildings of the monastery complex are located on a historical site. They are similar to those lost as a result of fires in the mid-twentieth century. Nowadays, the monastery does not have its own production and exists at the expense of donations. Its main task is to perform the daily liturgical cycle.
Currently, about 10 people live in the monastery (three of them are monastics). When people come here, they often discover an entire Orthodox era.
Church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Varzuga, Murmansk...
Murmansk region
The Church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary on the right bank of the Varzuga River was built in 1674. The wooden structure has survived to this day with virtually no alterations. An outstanding work of wooden architecture belongs to the group of hipped churches. It was built using the unusual architectural technique of "barrel splitting", in which the upper tier barrels rest on the covering of the lower ones.
The temple is the center of the Assumption complex, which, in addition to it, includes the Church of Athanasius the Great and the bell tower. But the Assumption Church is not only the most ancient of them, but also superior in artistic merit.
The wooden carved four-tiered iconostasis dates back to 1677. It contains icons of different styles, painted in the 17th–19th centuries.
Church of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker in Kovda, Murmansk region
Murmansk region
The Church of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker in Kovda is the only monument of the cage type in the Murmansk region. It was built in 1705 instead of the St. Nicholas Church, which was erected here no later than the 15th century. In addition to the church, the complex includes a small bell tower from the 18th century and a log fence. The building is formed from the altar, the church itself, the refectory and the vestibule. Everything except the refectory, built from thick logs, was built from thin timber.
In 2009, the regional television of the Murmansk region “TV-21” held the “Seven Wonders at the End of the World” competition. During it, seven main attractions of the region were chosen based on the results of voting on the website. The Church of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker was also among the seven winners.
Cathedral of the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Murmansk Kola…
Murmansk region
The Cathedral of the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Kola is one of the oldest stone buildings. In the temple there is a wooden cross from 1635 - an architectural monument of federal significance. On February 27, 1783, Catherine II, in the form of a special royal favor, granted the northernmost city of the Russian Empire eight thousand rubles for the construction of a stone cathedral. Governor General T.I. Tutolmin instructed assessor Dvoinikov to find a contractor who would agree to build a church in Kola for the specified amount.
There were no takers. The money was handed over to the bank to issue loans at interest until an amount sufficient for the contract was accumulated. By the end of the 18th century, the amount donated by the queen grew due to interest to 14 thousand rubles. Most of the materials were purchased, and on July 7, 1800, Arkhangelsk resident Vasily Ivanovich Myshkin took over the stonework of the Kola Church.
Monument to the Victims of the Intervention
Residents of the capital know very well that the monument to Minin and Pozharsky was erected on Red Square for their services in liberating Moscow from Polish invaders. Did you know that the Russian North also had its own British interventionists?
You can read more about this story, in which almost all the leading world powers were involved after the First World War, on other sites or in books, but I will tell you about the monument.
Initially, this white building with stairs was supposed to serve as a platform for Soviet rulers during their public speeches or on holidays.
Agree, it is very convenient, considering the location of the monument: the central square of the city. Over time, the structure was left alone. By the way, the monument to the Victims of the intervention is the oldest in Murmansk: it was opened in 1927, just a few years after the intervention itself.
Now the building looks rather dull, but for the overall development it is worth spending a little time visiting this place. Moreover, you will probably pass by it.
How to get there
The Monument to the Victims of the Intervention is located in the Park to the Victims of the Intervention, not far from the Five Corners Square. An excellent landmark is the tallest building in Murmansk, which houses the business and Azimut hotel. If you stand facing it, the park and the monument will be on your left.
The best way to get here is on foot, checking the map.
Unknown monuments of forgotten Murmansk
Text: Ermolaev Dmitry
(Continued. Starts at No. 116, 125, 130, 136, 141, 148.)
Among the people whose sculptural images were ever created in our country, the undisputed primacy both in the number of monuments and in the duration of their existence belongs to Vladimir Ilyich Lenin. Fluctuations in the general line of the party, which regularly led not only to the appearance, but also to the disappearance of monuments to some Soviet leaders, had almost no effect on his statues, which stood and continue to stand in large numbers throughout the cities and towns of the largest power on the planet.
Didn't show enthusiasm
The first Lenin monument was supposed to appear in Murmansk in 1927. As MV has already said, it was assumed that the statue of Ilyich would crown the monument to the Victims of the intervention. But it didn’t work out.
Five years later, workers in the Murmansk district of the Leningrad region began saving money to install another sculpture of the organizer of the revolution in the polar capital. On the pages of Polar Pravda there were announcements that “a current account has been opened in the Murmansk branch of State Bank No. 764 for the fund for the construction of a monument to Lenin in Murmansk.”
Monument on the territory of the Murmansk Thermal Power Plant.
Surprisingly for that era, the residents of the Kola Arctic did not show much enthusiasm in raising funds. As a result, victorious reports in the style of “the book center workers worked the day of May 2 and contributed all their earnings for that day to the construction of the monument to V.I. Lenin” were interspersed in Polyarka with messages of a different kind. For example, in the issue dated May 27, 1932, information appeared about Taibol lumberjacks who “called” lumberjacks from the Pulozersky and Kitsky logging stations, as well as the Shongui and Olenya work stations to take part in the construction of the Lenin monument. Information with a characteristic ending: “The call has not yet been answered.”
And in the minutes of the general meeting of workers and employees of the 6th construction site of the Murmansk Railway dated May 21, 1932 it is stated: “We listened to: information from Comrade Abramov about raising funds for the construction of a monument to Comrade Lenin in Murmansk... Our site lagged behind in fundraising from other organizations... Resolved: To issue subscription sheets for voluntary donations to all teams of workers and employees.”
In the end, we managed to collect the required amount. And on November 7, 1932, on the day of the 15th anniversary of the October Revolution, Murmansk residents witnessed the grand opening of the first Lenin sculpture in the city. A large demonstration headed towards the statue, which was covered for the time being with canvas. “Hundreds of banners and a black ribbon of human flow connected the port territory with the TPO area,” Polyarka said then. “Today a great beacon was lit at the gates of the Murmansk ice-free port. Today, the working people of Murmansk are unveiling a monument to the teacher and leader of the world proletariat, Vladimir Ilyich Lenin.”
Leninian variants
In accordance with the unwritten tradition of that era, a crowded meeting was organized in honor of the opening of the monument. One of the party leaders, the secretary of the party organization of the port Luzgin, gave a speech at it. “The workers of Murmansk,” he said, “are unveiling a monument to the one who on this day raised the Russian proletariat to overthrow the capitalist system, to an armed uprising, to a socialist revolution! The monument to Vladimir Ilyich Lenin has been opened!” The final part of the ceremony was accompanied by the singing of the Internationale and a gun salute. “The veils are falling off the monument,” Polar Truth ended the story. “Before the eyes of those present is the infinitely close, beloved figure of Ilyich.”
Monument on the territory of the motor vehicle fleet of the Murmansk sea trade port.
Soon after this, other Lenin monuments appeared in Murmansk: near the building of the Murmansk Fish Processing Plant, at the Intervoyage Rest House for Trawler Fleet Sailors, and on the territory of the Murmansk Thermal Power Plant.
The most common version of sculptural Leniniana in the polar capital were copies of one of the works of Sergei Merkurov. Vladimir Ilyich sits on them, leaning forward, carefully listening to the speech of his interlocutor. With his left hand, leaning on his knee, he holds a notebook, his right hand behind the back of the chair. There were, however, sculptures of a standing Ilyich, extending his hand forward with a characteristic pointing gesture.
After the war, the number of Lenin statues in the regional center continued to increase. On November 3, 1957, at the height of the Khrushchev thaw, on the central avenue, which a month before still bore the name of Stalin, but then renamed in honor of Vladimir Ilyich, the main city monument to the “great inspirer and organizer of the construction of socialism and communism” by sculptor Nikolai Tomsky was unveiled. At exactly noon, the veil was removed from the statue. “On a pedestal made of polished red-brown granite is a bronze figure of the unforgettable Ilyich,” the Komsomolets Zapolyarya newspaper reported. — The leader’s gaze is directed forward. He's wearing an open coat. The left hand is on the lapel, the cap is clutched in the right with an energetic gesture characteristic of Ilyich. It seems like you are seeing Lenin alive with your own eyes.”
Quantity and quality
Starting from Khrushchev's times, the attitude towards the first Soviet leader and his monuments increasingly acquired a certain ambivalence. On the one hand, Vladimir Ilyich still remained the most revered figure of the communist pantheon, on the other, his image in the minds of part of the population gradually “drifted” from the majestic and pathetic leader of the world proletariat to the simplified and ironic grandfather Lenin. Monuments also played a role in this.
First of all, because there were too many of them. So much so that on February 18, 1975, at the 5th reporting and election conference of the Murmansk regional branch of the All-Russian Society for the Preservation of Historical and Cultural Monuments, the famous Murmansk historian Alexey Kiselev stated that members of the society “faced such difficulties that they could not name the number - how many monuments "I. Lenin in our region."
In addition, quantity did not always translate into quality. The situation was accurately assessed back in 1968 by the head of the culture department of the Murmansk regional executive committee, Lidia Klyusheva. “A monument executed at a low artistic level discredits the very idea of monumental propaganda,” she argued during one of the meetings with the public. And she added: “Particular attention should be paid to the construction of monuments to V.I. Lenin.” There are still a lot of repetitions, stereotyped and one-dimensional solutions in them... Comrade. Furtseva (Ekaterina Furtseva - Minister of Culture of the USSR - D.E.) said that the time has come to get rid of those unaesthetic works dedicated to V.I. Lenin, those monuments, sculptures, busts painted with silver and gold paint that are still standing at forks in roads in parks and squares. Let there be one, but really good, monument in the city.”
"Criminal" dismantling
And in fact, they began to get rid of the most unattractive, time-worn and unusable monuments. So, on April 18, 1973, on the eve of Ilyich’s birthday, at a meeting of the presidium of the Murmansk city branch of the Society for the Protection of Historical and Cultural Monuments, the issue “On the demolition of the monument to V.I. Lenin near the old building of evening school No. 13 on K. Liebknecht Street” was discussed. The outcome of the discussion is recorded in the protocol, which is now stored in the State Archive of the Murmansk Region: “This issue will need to be resolved as quickly as possible... The matter must be brought to an end.” As a result, there is one less Lenin monument in the polar capital.
In the 60-80s of the last century, a statue of Vladimir Ilyich - one of those “seated” copies from Merkurov’s work - stood at the House of Fleet Officers in Rost. By the early 80s it had become very dilapidated. The report on the technical condition of monuments in the Leninsky district of Murmansk dated April 1, 1981 states: “The sculptural figure is in unsatisfactory condition. Due to unprofessional restoration, facial features are deformed, there are cracks, and paint has come off in many places.” On November 11, 1985, the monument was removed.
According to Murmansk writer and local historian Mikhail Oresheta, during the dismantling a literally criminal story took place. In order not to cause unnecessary speculation, the statue was taken away at night. And some particularly vigilant old woman who lived next door saw such a blatant disgrace through the window - where this was seen, the whole monument was taken away! - I immediately called “where I should go.” The policemen who arrived on call detained the participants in the demolition of the plaster Lenin “until clarification.” But then, having sorted it out, they let me go. The monument itself was safely transported to the territory of the military unit in Kildinstroy, where it remains to this day.
Was and remains
Another Ilyich once stood on the territory of the regional hospital, in the park near the building of the old surgical building. The right arm is extended forward, the left, with the cap clamped, is bent and pressed to the chest. On memorable days, as expected, flowers were laid at his place, and doctors gathered near him before going to festive demonstrations. For what purpose it was installed there is not entirely clear. Either to strengthen the morale of doctors and patients, or to help treat and heal with his appearance. In the latter case, obviously, there was a mistake, since already in the 70s of the last twentieth century it became clear that the statue required at least a major overhaul. In 1977-1978, the question of demolishing the monument was raised “since it does not correspond to the artistic design of the image of V.I. Lenin and does not contribute to the aesthetic and political education of the working people.” According to the recollections of hospital workers, in the late 80s the sculpture was transferred for restoration to the economic service of the Oktyabrsky district of Murmansk. What happened to her afterwards is unknown.
Perestroika, glasnost and the subsequent collapse of the USSR sealed the fate of many Lenin monuments throughout the country. Among the statues that disappeared at that time was a bust of Vladimir Ilyich, which met and saw off railway passengers at the end of the first platform near the Murmansk station building.
Nowadays there are four of his monuments left in the polar capital. Two pre-war ones - of the same type, from Merkurov - are located in the port and on the territory of the thermal power plant. And two were located on different sides of Lenin Avenue: the main monument, the work of Tomsky, in front of house No. 63, and the bust - on the wall of house No. 54. In general, the leader of the revolution still remains the most “immortalized” person in Russia in general and Murmansk in particular. Almost according to Mayakovsky: “Lenin is still more alive than all the living...”
Dmitry Ermolaev, employee of the State Archive of the Murmansk Region
Monument to Submariners
Murmansk is the only ice-free port in Russia beyond the Arctic Circle. It was founded in 1916 precisely as the northern outpost of the country, so it is not surprising that the atmosphere here is appropriate.
However, seas, oceans and ships do not always mean romance and beauty. Tragedies also happen. It was in memory of such incidents that a monument to submarine sailors who died in peacetime was erected in Murmansk. Sometimes it is called in short: the Kursk monument.
However, this is not just a monument, but a whole memorial complex. It represents the black metal cabin of the same Kursk submarine, which sank in the summer of 2000 in the Barents Sea with 118 crew members on board.
The felling was located here in 2009, and before that the Church of the Savior on Water and a lighthouse tower 17 meters high were built on the site.
The temple is beautiful in appearance and has an unusual iconostasis: it is made in the northern Russian style, made of linden wood.
The opening of the complex took place in 2002, and since then the place has become a favorite among citizens. The unofficial name of the place is the Kursk Monument.
The observation decks here offer a beautiful view of the city, so don’t be lazy and get to this city outskirts.
How to get there
If you want to feel all the complexity and heroism of naval service even in times of peace, come to the Leninsky district of Murmansk: the Kursk monument is located on the descent between the street. Chelyuskintsev and Heroev-Severomortsev Avenue.
You can get here from the center (for example, from Five Corners Square) by the same trolleybus No. 3 or even on foot.
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The Church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Varzuga is a pearl of Russian wooden architecture. [/td]
There are more than four hundred historical and cultural monuments in the Murmansk region, 97 of which are protected by the state (of which 10 are monuments of federal significance).
The most famous historical and cultural objects are monuments of wooden architecture and archeology. The archaeological heritage of the Kola Peninsula is unique: stone labyrinths near the White and Barents seas, rock paintings, sites of ancient people.
The first petroglyphs were discovered in the 70s of the 20th century by Leningrad archaeologists in the town of Chalmny-Varre on the Ponoy River. In 1997, a complex of rock paintings of the 4th-2nd millennium BC was found. on Lake Kanozero in the middle reaches of the Umba River. In 1999, by order of the Committee on Culture and Art of the regional administration, employees of the Institute of the History of Material Culture of the Russian Academy of Sciences carried out certification of this monument. More than 200 rock paintings with images of people, boats, deer, fish, sea animals, birds, bears, and reptiles were discovered. There are scenes of sea and land hunting and fishing. Many Kanozero rock paintings are stylistically, thematically, and compositionally similar to petroglyphs from Chalmna-Varre, Alta (Northern Norway), Zalavruga (White Sea Region), and Lake Onega (Karelia). According to experts, the archaeological find on Lake Kanozero has the status of a national and world heritage.
The International Scientific and Practical Conference, which took place in September 2001 at the Murmansk Regional Museum of Local Lore, was devoted to the study and preservation of petroglyphs.
On the Kola Land, two remarkable architectural monuments of the 17th century have been preserved in the ancient Pomeranian villages of Varzuge and Kovde. The Church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Varzuga is a pearl of Russian wooden architecture. Built in 1674 master Clement, it is one of the most beautiful single-domed tented churches in the North of Russia. The iconostasis of the Assumption Church is unique, consecrated 3 years after its construction. It has 4 tiers and preserved icons of outstanding ancient writing. In 1999 The Assumption Church was transferred to the use of the Murmansk and Monchegorsk Diocese.
The architectural complex in the village of Kovda consists of St. Nicholas Church and a separate bell tower. The church belongs to the cage type; today it is the only surviving example in the country of a religious building with a two-tier gable roof.
In the city of Kolya, since 1992, the Annunciation Cathedral, erected at the beginning of the 19th century, has again become operational.
| The Church of the Savior on the Waters is the youngest on the Kola land |
In its right side aisle there is an eight-pointed wooden worship prayer cross, the oldest wooden monument on the Kola land. Erected in 1635, apparently in honor of Varlaam Keretsky, it originally stood near the ship pier in Kola. The Kola Cross is a monument to our ancestors, who for centuries mastered the harsh northern seas.
Among the historical and revolutionary monuments, the Monument to the Victims of Foreign Intervention of 1918-1920, erected in 1927 in Murmansk according to the design of the architect A. Savchenko, deserves special attention. Constructivist in style, designed in the form of a captain's bridge-tribune, it expresses the spirit of the revolutionary era. This is the first monument in Murmansk. It was built with money collected by subscription from Murmansk residents.
An unusual monument in honor of Ermak, the grandfather of the Russian icebreaker fleet, was opened in 1965 near the building of the regional museum of local lore. The pedestal with the anchor of the legendary icebreaker is installed against the background of a majolica panel - “Ermak paves the way in the ice of the Arctic.”
It is difficult to imagine Murmansk today without the monument to S.M. Kirov, with whose name a lot is associated in our city and region, a monument to fishermen and ships of the trawl fleet who died during the Great Patriotic War, without a memorial “Defenders of the Soviet Arctic during the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945.” and many other memorial signs.
In 1990, a monument to the creators of Slavic writing, Cyril and Methodius, by the Bulgarian sculptor V. Ginovski was erected in Murmansk (a copy of the original monument located in Sofia). The monument was presented to Murmansk by the state-public organization “13 centuries of Bulgaria” on behalf of the Bulgarian people as a sign of gratitude for the revival of the Days of Slavic Literature.
| Monument to the heroes of the North Sea, defenders of the Arctic (Severomorsk) |
In the cities and districts of the Murmansk region there are numerous monuments to military and labor glory. In 1944, the People's Artist of Russia, sculptor L. Kerbel, erected a monument to the submarine heroes of the Northern Fleet in the city of Polyarny who fell in the fight against the Nazi invaders during the Great Patriotic War.
The largest number of monuments of military valor are located in the Kandalaksha, Kola, Severomorsk and Pechenga regions.
The monuments of the North Sea land are closely connected with the history of the Red Banner Northern Fleet. These are monuments to aviators, submariners, surface ship sailors, miner sailors, and naval builders. Among the North Sea monuments are not only the usual monuments, busts, obelisks, but also airplanes, the monument “Torpedo boat TK-12”, the monument-memorial “Submarine “K-21”. The famous submarine was installed in Severomorsk in 1983 and operates as a museum.
Every year on May 9, the Valley of Glory becomes the venue for celebrations in memory of the soldiers who died defending the Kola Arctic. The memorial complex “Valley of Glory” is located on the 74th kilometer of the Murmansk-Pechenga highway. Its basis is a sculptural group created in the 1950s - two warriors with bowed banners
In 1974, memorial plaques with the names of 2 thousand fallen soldiers were installed here.
text and photos ON THE MAP
Monument to cod
Murmansk, as we have already found out, is a city thoroughly saturated with the sea. Therefore, it was quite natural that the townspeople decided to erect a monument to cod, the “most” Murmansk fish. During the hungry war years, the basis of the diet of any local family was cod.
Perhaps this is the youngest monument in the city: it was opened in 2015 with funds raised by the townspeople. It depicts a fish in its life size: approximately 1 meter 20 centimeters. The cod appears to be caught in a metal net. And the base of the monument is a granite hemisphere.
How to get there
The fish faces the business side and is located on the street. Pushkinskaya (which is easily accessible from the already familiar Five Corners Square).
Monument to the Waiting Woman
And this monument is dedicated to the women of Murmansk who are awaiting the return of their sailor relatives.
It is curious that they could not install it for almost 30 years. All because of the difficult economic situation in Russia, which developed in the 80s and continued until the early 00s.
The idea of creating a monument was expressed by the poet Viktor Timofeev back in 1984. He himself worked as a navigator at sea for many years, where he wrote the poem “Sentimental Watch,” so he knew what he was talking about. The city leadership immediately approved the poet’s intention to erect a monument to women waiting for their loved ones from flights, but the plans were only implemented in 2012.
The Waiting Monument is a three-meter bronze figure of a woman looking towards the Kola Bay. The same bronze seagull sits next to the girl.
The words of Viktor Timofeev are engraved on the pedestal of the monument:
Let all those who go to sea for a long time, Fishing boats and ships - Let this Waiting One bring them home to their native port - like the image of the whole earth.
It is noteworthy that the poet waited until the opening of the monument and even attended its grand opening.
How to get there
The traveler has only one difficult task related to this monument: “Waiting” is located far from the city center and the seaport.
However, this is easily explained: in Murmansk the entire coastline is a closed port area, so it was not possible to install “Waiting” on the embankment.
To look at the monument to women's love and patience, you need to take bus number 18 and just go to the final stop. The exact address of the monument: the intersection of Kovalev Street with Chumbarova-Luchinsky Street. The best place to sit down is on Lenin Avenue. The cost of a bus trip in Murmansk is 28 rubles.
Beautiful places in Murmansk that are worth visiting
Although there are few natural attractions worth visiting in Murmansk, they are unique and captivating with their beauty.
Ram's forehead rock
Once on Cape Verde, you should definitely see a natural and unique in appearance landmark of the city - a rock visually similar to a ram’s forehead. The rock formation is classified as a natural monument of regional importance, but these are free places. The rock was formed under the influence of a glacier, has a height of 50 m, a length of 100-200 m.
Address: Cape Verde.
How to get there: by bus 5, stop. "Restaurant "Vstrecha"
Get directions
Semenovskoye Lake
The largest body of water in Murmansk is located within the city. This is a famous vacation spot for city residents.
The depth of the lake is 4-5 m, the area is 64 thousand m2, the length is 17 m. The reservoir is named in honor of Semyon Korzhnev, the only fisherman who lived on the shore. And now the lake is rich in fish, so it is a favorite place for fishing.
Address: central part of the city.
How to get there: take bus 5, 25, 10A or trolleybus 3, 4, stop. "Semyonovskoye Lake" Walk 3 minutes.
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Kola Bay
It washes the Murmansk coast of the Kola Peninsula, separating the city from the western settlements. It is a bay of the Barents Sea, length – 57 km, width – 7 km.
In 2005, a road bridge was built across the Kola Bay, which became part of the federal highway. Its length is 1.64 km. Until 2009 it was the longest bridge in the Arctic.
Address: st. Coastal.
How to get there: by bus 18, final stop.
Then walk. Get directions
Monument to the cat Semyon
There are cat monuments in many cities around the world: Lyon, Regensburg, Rome, Vladivostok. But the Murmansk monument is special: it was erected as a symbol of the devotion of domestic animals.
Several years ago, a Murmansk family was returning home from vacation in the capital. In Moscow, their favorite cat, Semyon, disappeared, but the family, having suffered a little, was forced to leave for Murmansk. What a surprise it was when, 6 years later, Semyon came home! The cat walked almost 2,000 kilometers, and the townspeople, appreciating the animal’s feat, decided to erect a monument to it.
In general, a distinctive feature of most monuments in Murmansk is that they are installed on the initiative and at the expense of local residents. In my opinion, this characterizes Murmansk residents on the good side: they love their city and are trying to make it better.
How to get there
The monument to the cat Semyon in Murmansk is located near the Semenovskoye Lake, already known to us. You can get there from the center by trolleybus No. 3 (stop “Ulitsa Gagarina”). Walk along the shore of the lake (it will be on the left), and after 5 minutes, on the right side, you will see “Seeds”.
Be careful: the monument is small and easily lost among the attractions of the local amusement park.
A local resident told me that if you rub a cat's nose, all your wishes will come true. Two of her wishes have already come true, she came for the third. I also rubbed the cat’s nose and wished to return to Murmansk again, in the summer.
Where to go for tourists in Murmansk, interesting places
In addition to monuments, there are other famous places here - museums, amusement parks, and an aquarium.
Children's city park "Fairy Tale"
The most popular place where you can walk with children is the children's park, which occupies an area of 10 thousand m2. There are playgrounds and sports grounds, sculptures of fairy-tale characters, and attractions. Performances are held on holidays.
Address: ave. Geroev-Severomortsev, Semenovskoye Lake area.
Opening hours: weekdays – 12:00-21:00, weekends – 10:00-21:00.
How to get there: by bus 5, 10A, 18 or minibus 10, 51, 53, 55. Stop. "Semyonovskoye Lake"
Get directions
Park named after O. P. Naydenova
What to visit in Murmansk is the park of culture and recreation, located next to Semenovskoye Lake. The initiator of its creation was the head of the Murmansk administration, Oleg Petrovich Naydenov. The park was named after the mayor of the city.
In 2021, beautiful landscape sculptures in the form of a flower and a bear were installed here. There are children's attractions, recreation areas, cafes, and cinemas.
Address: ave. Heroes-Severomortsev.
Opening hours: 11:00-20:00.
How to get there: by bus 5, 18, 24, 25, 105, 107, by trolleybus 3, 4. Stop. "Yuri Gagarin Street".
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Church of the Savior on Waters
First of all, after examining the architectural monuments, it is worth visiting not a museum or an aquarium, but a temple, which is part of a memorial in honor of the dead sailors.
Built in 2002.
Address: st. Heroev Severomortsev, 1.
How to get there: minibus 10, 51, 53, stop. "Semyonovskoye Lake"
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Oceanarium
Famous place in Murmansk and Russia. The only trained sea hare in the Russian Federation performs here. Also among the “artists” there are Arctic seals and seals.
Children under 3 years old have free admission. Photo and video shooting are paid.
Address: ave. Heroev Severomortsev, 4.
Opening hours: performances take place at 11:00, 15:00, 17:00 from Wednesday to Sunday.
How to get there: take bus 5, 10A, 18, 24, trolleybus 3, 4. Stop. "St. Gagarin."
Get directions
Museum of the History of Murmansk Shipping Company
Where to go to see the ships is the museum. The building is small, but there are many unique exhibits here - scaled-down models of steamships, transport ships, icebreakers. Tourists can see old photos and a collection of minerals from the Black and Barents Seas.
Address: st. Volodarsky, 6.
Opening hours: Tuesday, Friday, 14:00-17:00.
How to get there: minibus 51, 53, 61, trolleybus 4, stop. "Swimming pool".
Get directions
Museum of Local Lore
The museum's fund includes more than 150 thousand exhibits. The library contains 18 thousand books.
The exhibition halls contain historical, cultural and natural exhibits, including the following:
- "The seas washing the Kola Peninsula."
- "Bird market".
- "Landscapes of the northern taiga."
- "Economy and life of peoples of the 18th-20th centuries." and others.
Address: st. Pavlova, 1A.
Opening hours: Saturday-Wednesday, 11:00-18:00.
How to get there: minibus 52, 54, stop. “Kirova Avenue”, bus 1, 5, 27, 108, 109, stop. "Kola Avenue".
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Monument to Valentin Pikul
It would seem, how are the writer Pikul, born in 1928 in Leningrad, and the polar port of Murmansk connected? It’s very simple: the future writer spent his youth here, serving in the Northern Fleet.
Valentin Savvich's first novel was Ocean Patrol. Then there were many works dedicated to Murmansk and the region. If you want to get to know these places better, read Pikul, you won’t regret it. The writer loved this region very much and, like no one else, knew how to express the beauty of northern places on paper.
How to get there
On the writer’s birthday, in 2013 (he would have turned 85 years old), in the park on the street. Captain Burkov, a monument dedicated to him was unveiled. By the way, it was on this site that during the war there was a military hospital for sailors. A walk to the monument from Five Corners Square will take no more than 10 minutes.
And now a bronze monument in the form of a figure of a writer, who for many years glorified these harsh lands, on a granite pedestal seems to peer into his beloved city.
“They left the harbors, as a rule, at night, went into a confusion of alarming splashes, towards the winds rushing from Spitsbergen, and the dank darkness of the ocean absorbed them for a long time in its deserted space.”
What to see in Murmansk in 1 day
The main attractions of the city are historical and architectural monuments. You should watch them on the first day. The history of the creation of most of these attractions is connected with military liberation actions during the Second World War.
Five Corners Square
Where to take a walk if not in the central square of the city, which is located at the intersection of five roads (now only four)? The square is located between the House of Trade and the Palace of Culture. It is illuminated in the evenings, decorated with fountains, sculptural compositions, and benches.
A monument to cod has been erected here, a music alley has been created - a beautiful street with benches in the shape of musical instruments with huge butterflies installed in flower beds.
Located in the area of the Murmansk Regional Scientific Library.
Address: st. Vorovskogo, 15.
How to get there: by bus 18, trolleybus 3, 6, stop. "Five Corners Square"
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Nuclear icebreaker "Lenin"
What a tourist should see in Murmansk is the world’s first nuclear icebreaker, which today has become a functioning museum. The ship, 134 m long and weighing 16 thousand tons, amazes with its grandeur. Tourists can explore it from the inside. Paid entrance.
Address: Portovy proezd, 25.
Opening hours: Wednesday-Sunday, 12:00-18:00.
How to get there: take bus 103, 106, 108, 120, 124, stop. "Marine Station".
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Memorial to sailors who died in peacetime
What the city is famous for is its historical heritage, part of which is the memorial, opened in 2002. It is a lighthouse tower 18 m high. Inside there is a memory hall where there is information about the dead sailors.
The memorial complex also includes a temple, a ship's anchor located on the square in front of the tower, and part of the deckhouse of the Kursk submarine, which was raised from the bottom of the sea.
Address: Verkhnee-Rostinskoe highway, 1a, shore of Semenovskoye Lake.
How to get there: take bus 18, minibus 18, 55, stop. "Semyonovskoye Lake"
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Memorial "Alyosha"
It is visible from the lighthouse tower and is located on the highest hill of the Kola Bay. This is the place you definitely need to visit. The Alyosha Memorial is the main visiting card of Murmansk. The monument is dedicated to the soldiers who died during the Second World War. It is a statue of a soldier 35.5 m high, standing on a 7-meter pedestal.
Address: Cape Verde hill.
How to get there: take bus 5, stop. "Askoldovtsev", then on foot.
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Monument "Waiting"
Continuing the military theme, it is worth going to the monument erected in honor of wives and mothers waiting for their men from the war. The statue looks like a woman looking out to the sea. Installed on the shore of the Kola Bay (2012). There is an observation deck nearby for citizens and tourists.
Address: st. Chumbarov-Luchinsky.
How to get there: by bus 18, stop. "Sasha Kovalev Street".
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Monument to the cat Semyon
A cat sitting on a bench is an interesting place for children. You can sit next to him and take a photo. Semyon the cat is not a fictional character, but a real pet who got lost in Moscow, but returned home after 6 years, having covered a distance of 2 thousand km.
The sculpture was installed in 2013.
Address: park named after. O. Naydenova.
How to get there: minibus 10, 33, 51, 53, stop. "Gagarin street".
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Monument to Anatoly Bredov
Dedicated to a USSR soldier who until the last fought with the Nazis for an important point - Pridorozhnaya Height. When Bredov and his comrade were surrounded by enemies, the heroes blew themselves up with grenades.
The sculpture is made in the form of a soldier holding a grenade.
Address: Lenin Ave., 88.
How to get there: bus 29, minibus 51, stop. "Trade Union Street".
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Monument to the “Conquerors of the Arctic”
Since Murmansk is the capital of the Arctic, an interesting attraction for tourists was erected for the 100th anniversary of the city - a memorial to the conquerors of the Arctic. This is a small copy of the globe, next to which there is a bas-relief in the form of the bow of an icebreaker with images of members of the polar expedition.
Address: st. Volodarsky, 4.
How to get there: trolleybus 4, bus 1, 5, 24. Ost. "Volodarsky Street".
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