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Hotels, motels and where to sleep
Restaurant, taverns and where to eat
Murmansk (in 1916-1917 - Romanov-on-Murman,
Kild.-Sami. Murman Lann, North-Sami. Murmánska) is a city in the
north-west of Russia, the administrative center of the Murmansk
region. Population - 270 384 people. (2021). A city corresponding to
the category of regional significance forms an urban district.
Murmansk is the world's largest city located beyond the Arctic
Circle. Murmansk is located on the rocky eastern coast of the Kola
Bay of the Barents Sea. One of the largest ports in Russia. Thanks
to the warm North Atlantic current, Murmansk is an ice-free port,
which distinguishes it favorably among the ports of the North and
North-West of Russia.
On May 6, 1985, Murmansk was awarded
the title of Hero City for defense against German troops during the
Great Patriotic War. He was awarded the Order of Lenin, the Order of
the Patriotic War of the 1st degree, the Order of the Red Banner of
Labor and the Gold Star medal.
From January 1, 2021, at the
level of the municipal unit, the city district was named the Hero
City of Murmansk.
In the Far North, Murmansk experiences cold winters with temperatures routinely dropping below −20 °C (−4 °F). The brief summer offers mild temperatures between 10–15 °C (50–59 °F). Strong winds are common, especially at the higher parts of the city.
1 Area Five Corners (Pyatina). Central square of
the city. On the square is the 17-storey business center Arktika,
the highest in Murmansk, and, as they say, beyond the Arctic Circle.
Around the square, in particular along Lenin Street, you can find
nice well-groomed buildings from the time of Stalin.
2 Sea
trading port. Murmansk Commercial Sea Port occupies a special place
among the northern ports of Russia. Unique natural and climatic
conditions and geographical position beyond the Arctic Circle, a
relatively close location to the ports of Western Europe, and it is
here that access to the Northern Sea Route is made. After all, the
Murmansk port, unlike other ports of the North-West region of
Russia, does not freeze all year round. Also, all Russian nuclear
icebreakers are assigned here, and if you are lucky, you can see one
of them. Here you can take a walk, inspecting the ships standing at
the pier and in the roadstead, observe the daily work of the port
and take many wonderful photos.
3 Nuclear icebreaker "Lenin",
Portovy pr-d, 25 (Pontoon berth of the Marine Station) You can get
there on foot from the railway station via a pedestrian crossing
over the railway track or by bus. ☎ +7 911 3456777, (8152) 55-35-13,
55-35-12. Adult 400₽, child 100₽. The nuclear icebreaker "Lenin" is
the world's first surface vessel with a nuclear power plant, built
in the USSR, at a shipyard in Leningrad. Put into operation in 1959.
The ship worked for 30 years and in 1989 was put on eternal parking
in Murmansk. In 2009, work began to transform the ship into a
museum. This is the second most visited object in the Murmansk
region; in a year, the first-born of the nuclear fleet is examined
by about 50 thousand people. The organization of visiting the ship
is inconvenient: you can get on the icebreaker only with excursions
that are held at strictly defined times from Wednesday to Sunday -
12:00, 13:30, 15:00 (2023). The queue here is like a real Lenin in
the Mausoleum, and the number of people is limited (no more than 20
people in a party, as a rule, up to three parties), so dress warmly
and take a seat in advance. The tour is very informative and lasts
about an hour.
4 Memorial "To the Defenders of the Soviet
Arctic" ("Alyosha"). A huge sculpture on a 7-meter pedestal,
commonly referred to as "Alyosha", the second highest sculpture in
Russia (only the Volgograd "Motherland" is higher). The cape on
which it is installed rises 173 m above sea level, thanks to which
the monument can be seen from almost anywhere in the port part of
the city, which makes a particularly strong impression. Near the
monument there is an eternal flame, an alley of memorial plates of
hero cities and two anti-aircraft guns - at the location of an
anti-aircraft battery that protected the sky over the port during
the war years.
5 Memorial complex in memory of sailors who died
in peacetime. The central place in the complex is occupied by a
lighthouse built in 2002. Inside the lighthouse there is a hall of
memory: there are commemorative plaques and books of memory -
everything about the sailors who died in peacetime. Near the
lighthouse, there is a cabin of the infamous nuclear submarine K-141
Kursk, which crashed in 2000, with a commemorative plaque telling
about all submarine accidents that occurred in peacetime. Above the
memorial complex is the Church of the Savior on the Waters, and
below you can find an excellent observation deck with views of the
port part of the city.
6 Monument "Waiting".
7 Palace of Culture and Technology. S. M. Kirova,
Pushkinskaya st., 3. The building on the site where Murmansk was founded
8 The building of the regional and city administrations (House of
Soviets), ave. Lenina, 75. The building was filmed in an episode of the
film "The Way to the Pier".
9 Rosprirodnadzor administration
building, Kolsky prospekt, 24A. Original for Murmansk (and not only) a
large two-story wooden log building with a turret, nice decor and
loggias, next to two small log cabins-kiosks. The house is harmoniously
surrounded by trees and shrubs, and among typical panels and other brick
and concrete structures, it looks something incredible.
10 Okhotny
Ryad, Kolsky Ave., 25A. Covered staircase from Kola Prospekt to Stone
Plateau. In the 90s it was adapted for a shopping center.
Abram Cape. Abram-Mys is an urban-type settlement
located on the western shore of the Kola Bay, opposite the main part of
Murmansk. The most spectacular and complete panoramic view of the city
opens from here, the port and all three districts of Murmansk are
visible in all its glory. The distance from Abram-Mys to the central
part of the city across the bay is only one and a half kilometers.
Excellent viewing platforms are located at the memorial to the soldiers
of the 1st Air Defense Corps, where at the same time you can look at
anti-aircraft systems and other equipment. How to get there. By public
transport: Abram-Mys stop, buses No. 24 (stops near the railway station)
and No. 111 (departs from the bus station), the journey will take about
an hour, they run from 7:00 to 24:00 approximately every hour. By car:
the journey from the center of Murmansk will take about half an hour,
there is parking in front of the memorial complex.
Bridge across the
Kola Bay, Pervomaisky district. You can get there by bus number 19 to
the stop "Post", st. Dostoevsky; by bus number 18 to the final stop, st.
Bauman; trolleybus number 4 to the stop st. Bochkova; then walk to the
Kola bridge. The bridge across the Kola Bay is the second longest bridge
beyond the Arctic Circle, its length is approximately 2.5 kilometers.
The bridge offers a beautiful view: to the north - the Murmansk port and
the Kola Bay stretching into the distance, to the south - to the
neighboring city of Kola, the hills. All in all, picturesque and
definitely worth a visit. The most impressive bridge looks at night with
illumination. Every year in the second half of June, the Murmansk Mile
sports festival is held here, everyone can take part. This is a bright
and unforgettable event in the life of the city - spectacular
performances, sports competitions, biker rides, walrus swimming, food
from the camp kitchen.
Semyonovskoe lake
Semyonovskoe lake.
Boat station, Murmansk, Semenovskoe lake. From May to October inclusive
- daily from 12.00 to 24.00. Here you can rent a boat, a catamaran, a
river bus and take a pleasant walk on the lake. There is a beautiful
fountain in the middle of the lake and there are many, many ducks that
will be happy to eat your bun :) Nearby there are children's attractions
and a cafe "Grandfather Semyon's Hut", where you can have a bite (they
cook quite edible shish kebab) and if you still have some strength left
after refueling , then visit the oceanarium (50 meters) or make a march
on foot to the memorial "Defenders of the Arctic" and from there admire
the panoramic views of the city and port (≈1 km.)
House of the
Murmansk Society of Walruses, ave. Heroes of the North Sea. House on the
shore of Semyonovskoye Lake in the form of a log cabin.
Lamb's
forehead near Semyonovskoe lake. Geological monument of nature.
Museums
Murmansk Regional Museum of Local Lore, 90
Lenin Ave. ✉ ☎ +7 (8152) 42-26-17. Sat–Wed 11:00–18:00. 100 rubles
(2013). The oldest museum in the region, founded in 1926, is located on
the main street of the city in a building that is a historical monument.
There are 17 halls with various expositions on 4 floors - here you can
see the only exposition of the seabed in Russia - a dry aquarium, a
unique geological collection extracted from depths from 100 m to 12 km
when drilling the Kola super-deep well and much more. Every year the
museum organizes over 50 exhibitions. The museum library is one of the
oldest in the region, it has 18 thousand books and magazines on local
history, the museum regularly publishes its own publications.
Murmansk Regional Art Museum, st. Comintern, 13 ( tb. 2.4
avt. 1,5,33,29 to the stop "Privokzalnaya Square"). ✉ ☎ +7 (8152)
45-03-85. Wed–Sun 11:00–19:00. 100 ₽. The only art museum in the Russian
Arctic, located in the oldest three-story stone building in the city, in
the historical center of Murmansk on Komintern Street. The collection of
the art museum contains about seven thousand items - paintings of the
18th and 19th and 20th centuries, a rich collection of graphics, a
collection of sculptures of the 20th century, a collection of works by
Murmansk artists, samples of Russian art crafts. Here you can get
acquainted with the history of the cultural development of the city.
There is a nice square next to the museum, you can also devote your time
to it - just take a walk or sit and rest while examining the very first
Murmansk monument - "The Monument to the Victims of Foreign Intervention
of 1918-1920". Here in the square there is another interesting thing - a
capsule of a message to posterity.
PINRO Museum (Polar Institute of
Scientific Fisheries and Oceanography), st. Knipovicha, 6 trolleybuses
No. 2,3,4,6 (stop "Knipovicha Street"). ☎ +7 (8152) 47-23-97. On
weekdays from 9:00 to 16:00. Pre-registration by phone with Tatiana
Efimovna).. free of charge. The exposition of the PINRO Museum, created
in the mid-1950s, consists of several sections: the history of fishery
research in the Russian North, the development of domestic fisheries in
the northern seas, the basics of marine biology and commercial
oceanography. The biological sections of the exposition are represented
by invertebrates, ichthyofauna, marine mammals and a panorama of the
bird colony. Technical sections of the museum - exhibits of industrial
fishing, models of ships and underwater vehicles. Currently, the
exposition is located in the main building of the institute and occupies
two halls with a total area of about 120 m2.
Museum of the Fishing
Industry of the Northern Basin, st. Podgornaya, 82, buses No. 19. ☎ +7
(8152) 45-03-38. The exposition of the museum, which includes several
hundred exhibits, is located in one of the buildings of the Murmansk
Higher Technical University (MSTU). The reconstruction of the building
was liquidated, the museum's collection was scattered around the city.
In May 1996, it was revived and, taking into account the profile and
importance of preserving the exposition, was located on the territory of
MSTU. The name of the museum, which speaks for itself, is supported by
the corresponding exhibits - a step-by-step history of the formation and
development of the fishing industry of the North is literally at a
glance.
Naval Museum of the Northern Fleet, st. Tortseva 15 (in the
building of the Murmansk House of Officers). ☎ (8152) 22-14-45. Daily
09.00-13.00, 14.00-17.00. Days off Tuesday, Wednesday. Currently, the
museum's expositions contain materials related to the history of the
development of nuclear submarines, surface ships and naval aviation, as
well as the entire Northern Fleet as a whole, the museum's funds include
about 65 thousand exhibits.
Museum of the History of the Murmansk
Shipping Company, st. Volodarsky, 6 (Oktyabrsky district). ☎ (8152)
48-13-56. 09:00 - 17:00. adults: 10 p. pupils and students: 5 p.
excursion (per group): 150 rubles. The Museum of the History of JSC
"Murmansk Shipping Company" was opened in 1977. Today it is deservedly
called the museum of the development of the Northern Sea Route. During
this time, the museum has accumulated unique photo documents, a portrait
gallery of polar captains, marine instruments, ship bells, a model of a
nuclear reactor, stuffed penguins, etc.
Museum of the Murmansk
Commercial Port, Port passage. ☎ +7 8152 48-01-11. Tue-Fri: 13:00 -
18:00, Sat: 11:30 - 17:00; Day off: Sun, Mon.
Cultural and Exhibition
Center of the Russian Museum, st. Sofia Perovskoy, 3 (2nd floor of the
regional philharmonic building). ☎ +7 (8152) 99-43-56; +7 (8152)
99-43-57. Wednesday-Sunday from 11:00-19:00.
Museum of Folk Life and
Traditional Crafts, st. Safonova, 28.
Drama Theater.
Drama theater of the Northern Fleet.
Puppet theatre, st. Sofia Perovskoy, 21A (in the building of the
regional library).
Murmansk regional center for the development of
creativity of children and youth "Lapland".
Swimming pool, st. Chelyuskintsev, 2.
Ice Palace of
Sports. Venue for sports and music events.
Central Stadium of Trade
Unions, st. Chelyuskintsev, 1 (Sport Square).
Stroitel Stadium,
Komsomolskaya st. Here in winter you can go ice skating or watch bandy
matches.
Valley of Comfort. In the Valley of Uyuta you can go skiing
in winter and watch the Festival of the North.
Feast of the north
Fisherman's Day
Day of the
city
Green Mile
sun festival
"Murmans", "Urmans" Russians called Norwegians,
Normans. Later, this name was transferred to the land where events took
place with the participation of foreigners. "Murman" began to be called
the coast of the Barents Sea, neighboring Norway, and then the entire
Kola Peninsula. Accordingly, the name "Murmansk" means "the city on
Murman".
According to the Kola local historian, doctor of
historical sciences, I.F. Ushakov, the word "murman" comes from the word
"norman", which means "northern man" in Scandinavian languages. The
sound "n" on Russian soil changed into "m" due to complex
dissimilation-assimilation of nasal sounds in neighboring syllables:
n-m-n > m-m-n. As for the pronunciation of the sound "o", it is still
pronounced in this word as "u" in Norwegian and Swedish.
Plans for a port city beyond the Arctic Circle appeared in the 1870s. The first prospectors came to Murman to explore new places in 1912. Three years later, on April 3 (16), 1915, during the First World War, on the eastern shore of the Kola Bay of the Barents Sea, the Murmansk sea port was founded and, with it, the port village of Semyonovsky, named after the bay where the berths were built. The creation of the port was associated with the desire of Russia to get access to the Arctic Ocean through an ice-free bay in order to uninterruptedly deliver military cargo from the Entente allies in the conditions of the blockade of the Black and Baltic Seas. The idea of creating the city of Romanov was voiced in the report of the Minister of Railways A.F. Trepov “On the establishment of a city on the Murmansk coast”, which was approved on June 29 (July 12), 1916 by Emperor Nicholas II. On July 6 (19), 1916, Nicholas II imposed a resolution to name the new city Romanov-on-Murman. The official founding date of the city is September 21 (October 4), 1916. On this day, on a low hill, where the Palace of Culture and Folk Art named after S. M. Kirov is now located, a solemn ceremony of laying the foundation stone of the temple in honor of the patron saint of navigators Nikolai Mirlikisky was held. The city became the last city founded in the Russian Empire. In the winter of 1916-1917. Entente warships anchored in the Kola Bay. On April 3 (16), 1917, after the February Revolution, it received its current name - Murmansk.
In 1917, after the October Revolution in Petrograd, in Murmansk, a provisional revolutionary committee was created, headed by the Bolsheviks. But in connection with the conclusion of the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk, in March 1918, an armed landing was landed from the military courts of the Entente - this was the beginning of the intervention. In 1919, power in the city passed to the Whites, and the Provisional Government of the Northern Region recognized the supreme power of Admiral Kolchak. In the autumn of 1919, the Entente troops were forced to evacuate from Murmansk. On February 21, 1920, an anti-White Guard uprising took place in the city, Soviet power was established in the city on March 13 with the arrival of regular units of the Red Army.
By the early 1920s, Murmansk had less than 2,500 inhabitants and was
in decline. The industry was represented mainly by handicraft artels,
the fishing industry fell into decay. The urban landscape was made up of
two or three streets of one-story houses, overcrowded workers' barracks,
a disorderly cluster of shacks, railway cars adapted for housing, and
"suitcases" abandoned by the interventionists - houses made of
corrugated iron with a semicircular roof. One of the districts of the
city was nicknamed the "Red Village" because of the red caravans adapted
for housing.
In the 1920s-1930s, due to changes in the
administrative-territorial division, the city changed its status several
times. In 1921, Murmansk became the center of the province of the same
name.
From the second half of the 1920s, the city began to
develop rapidly, since the Soviet Union had a strategic need to equip a
large port, transit through which would not depend on relations with
neighboring countries. Streets were laid with wooden sidewalks and rows
of one- and two-story log houses. In 1927, the first multi-storey brick
building appeared, which has survived to this day. Since 1927, Murmansk
has been the center of the district of the same name as part of the
Leningrad Region. Since 1933, Murmansk has been one of the supply and
ship repair bases for the Northern Fleet. In addition to
military-strategic goals, sea communication was carried out through the
port with the Norilsk MMC under construction, the development of the
Murmansk port also pursued the task of increasing fish catches: in the
city, on the site of the former military enterprise for fish processing
and ship repair, a fishing port was created, which began to develop
rapidly and after a few For years, it provided supplies to other regions
of the USSR of two hundred thousand tons of fish annually.
In
1934, the first shuttle bus went through Murmansk - from the northern
outskirts to the southern part of the city. At the same time, the Polar
Arrow express train began to run to Leningrad along the railway line.
Since 1938 Murmansk has been the center of the Murmansk region. In 1939,
for the first time in the city, asphalt laying began on Leningradskaya
Street.
By the beginning of the Great Patriotic War, there were already
several dozen brick and stone buildings in Murmansk, and the population
of the city reached 120 thousand inhabitants. During the Great Patriotic
War, Murmansk was repeatedly attacked from the air, starting on June 22,
1941. On June 24, anti-aircraft gunners of the army and the Northern
Fleet opened their combat score by shooting down 2 German bombers. To
protect the city, the port and the railway junction, the Murmansk Air
Defense Brigade District was created. The 150,000-strong German army
stationed in the Arctic had Hitler's directive to seize the city and the
port of Murmansk, through which cargoes from the allied countries went
to supply the country and the army under Lend-Lease. According to the
calculations of the German command, Murmansk was to be taken in a few
days. Twice - in July and September, German troops launched a general
offensive against Murmansk, but both offensives failed. After the Soviet
troops on the distant approaches to the city repulsed the offensive, the
Germans proceeded to the methodical destruction of the city, the port
and the railway junction by aviation forces, making up to fifteen to
eighteen raids on separate days and dropping a total of 185 thousand
bombs during the war years and making 792 raid. In terms of the number
and density of bombings inflicted on the city, Murmansk is second only
to Stalingrad among Soviet cities. As a result of the bombing,
three-quarters of the buildings were destroyed, wooden houses and
buildings were especially damaged. From June 1941 to the beginning of
June 1942, every third administrative, industrial and residential
building in the city was destroyed, 7 warships, 10 allied transports and
31 other ships were sunk in the port. Convinced that there were no hopes
of capturing the city in the summer campaign of 1942 either, the Germans
tried to completely destroy the city by undertaking 4 massive
bombardments one after another. The heaviest bombing was on June 18,
1942, when about 12,000 incendiary and about 60 high-explosive bombs
were dropped on the city. German planes dropped mainly incendiary bombs
on the predominantly wooden city; in order to make it difficult to fight
fires, mixed bombardments were used using fragmentation and
high-explosive bombs. Due to dry and windy weather, the fire spread from
the center to the northeastern outskirts of Murmansk. After these raids,
over 80% of all buildings in the city were destroyed. In total, during
the war years, 103 German aircraft were shot down over Murmansk (8 in
1941, 59 in 1942 and 36 in 1943).
On October 7, 1944, Soviet
troops launched the Petsamo-Kirkenes offensive operation in the Arctic,
and the threat to Murmansk was removed.
By the end of the Great Patriotic War, the city
was almost completely burned down. Only port facilities and the
central part of the city, consisting mainly of stone houses, have
survived. In November 1945, by decision of the government, Murmansk
was included among the fifteen cities of the country, along with
Moscow and Leningrad, the restoration of which was declared a
priority. 100 million rubles were allocated for the development of
the city. In the first post-war years, industrial enterprises,
mooring lines, social infrastructure facilities, and a television
complex were built. The city was rebuilt by the early 1950s. On
September 30, 1958, the working settlement of Nagornovsky was
included in the city.
By 1952, the volume of living space in
the city had reached the pre-war level, and ten years later the
housing stock had tripled. After the house-building plant was put
into operation in 1962, standard panel houses began to be built
instead of brick houses.
A significant expansion of the
territory of Murmansk occurred in the 1970s - early 1980s. The feat
of volunteer builders who rebuilt the city during the war is
immortalized in the monument "In honor of the builders who died in
1941-1945", opened in 1974.
Modernity
The active
construction of residential buildings in the city was interrupted in
the early 1990s. During this time, the Eastern microdistrict was
erected, the city expanded from three sides - north, east and south.
Later, in the 2000s, large hypermarkets and supermarkets were built
in empty places. In 2016, Murmansk celebrated its 100th anniversary.
In 2015, the urban-type settlement of Roslyakovo was included in
the city from the ZATO of Severomorsk.
In 1971, the city was awarded the Order of the Red
Banner of Labor for the successes "achieved by the working people of the
city in fulfilling tasks for the development of industrial production."
In 1982, for the courage and steadfastness shown by the inhabitants in
the fight against the German invaders during the Great Patriotic War,
the successes achieved in economic and cultural construction, the city
was awarded the Order of the Patriotic War of the 1st degree. In 1985,
for outstanding services in the Great Patriotic War, the city of
Murmansk was awarded the title of "Hero City" with the award of the
highest award of the Soviet Union, the Order of Lenin and the Gold Star
medal.
The city is marked on the alleys of hero cities in many
cities that received this title, on the Alley of World War II Veterans
in Washington (USA).
By plane
Murmansk Airport (MMK IATA). Has multiple
daily flights to Moscow and Saint Petersburg, and limited services
to other Russian cities including Arkhangelsk, Sochi and
Rostov-on-the-Don. There are also several flights per week from
Tromsø and Kirkenes. Seasonal flights are available from Helsinki
too.
The airport is about 40 km (25 mi) south of Murmansk,
near the town of Murmashi. Taxis to the city center cost RUB600-700
and make the trip in about 40 minutes. Catching a taxi waiting
outside the airport is more expensive, expect to pay up to RUB800,
depending on your language and negotiation skills. For cheaper (and
official) taxi service, you have to order a taxi, expect to wait up
to 30–40 minutes for it to arrive, though. Bus 106 goes to the train
station, stopping at Detsky Mir near the Poliarnie Zori Hotel on its
way, is less expensive but much more sluggish than a taxi.
By
boat
During the summer months, Murmansk Shipping Company offers
occasional trips to and from Barentsburg on Svalbard. They also
serve remote villages along the northern coast of the Kola
peninsula, most notably the isolated naval base of Ostrovnoy, with
2-3 trips per month.
A few cruise lines also visit the city
during the summer season. The pier facilities are nil, basically a
bare pier in a freight handling area, but with areas for buses,
taxis, etc. Any scheduled ship will be greeted by port and
immigration/customs officials.
By train
Murmansk can be
reached from most places in north-west Russia by train. Moscow is
35–40 hours away and Saint Petersburg 27–30 hours, depending on the
train. The Arktika (Арктика) branded train is the fastest option,
with first-class wagons and a restaurant on board. All long-distance
trains make stop-overs in cities such as Kandalaksha and
Petrozavodsk on their way. Other night trains reach Murmansk from
cities as far east as Arkhangelsk or from Minsk and Brest in the
west. Trains from Saint Petersburg and Moscow are daily, most others
2-3 times a week. During summer additional routes are added, mostly
to Ukraine and the Black Sea.
Murmansk railway station is in
the city center, one block downhill from Five Corners Square on ul.
Kominterna (Коминтерн), 16. Tickets can be bought either at the
station or online at the webpage of national operator RZD.
By
car
Murmansk can be reached by the P21 (Kola) motorway connecting St.
Petersburg and Norway. The road, in general, is not bad, work is
constantly underway to replace the road surface in problem areas. From
Murmansk you can get to Norway - in 3-4 hours via P21 (Borisoglebsk
checkpoint), to Finland - in 4 hours via 47A059 (Lotta checkpoint) and
in 5 hours via 47A001 (Salla checkpoint).
The East Bypass Road
departs from P21 (in the common people - Leningradka), from which there
are 5 exits to the city. 1st, 2nd, 3rd lead to Pervomaisky district of
the city, 4th to Oktyabrsky district and 5th to Leninsky.
It is
convenient to move around Leningradka to quickly get to another part of
the city.
By bus
Bus station, Murmansk, st. Comintern, 16. ☎
+7 (8152) 45-47-26, 45-48-84. 6.00-21.00. Murmansk can be reached by bus
from Karelia, Finland, Norway.
The bus station is located on the left
side of the railway station, on the first floor of a neighboring
building. Buses arrive and depart from two terraces - upper and lower,
the ticket office is located in the bus station building.
On the
ship
Marine station, Murmansk, Portovy proezd, 25. ☎ +7 (8152)
48-06-16. Monday-Friday 9.45 - 18.45, day off - Saturday, Sunday. From
the seaport, boats go to the area of \u200b\u200bthe city of Abram-Cape,
located on the other side of the bay. Boats run in the morning and
evening.
Murmansk Shipping Company. During the navigation season, the
Murmansk Marine Company offers tours to Barentsburg, and some villages
on the coast of the Kola Peninsula, in particular to the 'Ostrovnoy'
base, which departs 2-3 times a month.
On foot
Although
Murmansk is long and thin, most sites of interest to visitors are
within a fairly compact area in the city center. Prospekt Lenina is
the main north-south thoroughfare through the city center and the
central Five Corners Square. Avid walkers could cover the entire
stretch of the central area from the Poliarnie Zori Hotel on the
south end of the city center to the Alyosha Statue, on a plateau on
the north side of the city, in less than two hours.
By bus
Trolleybuses are available on most larger streets and generally
follows a north-south route, if you are heading east ("up the hill")
you have to rely on the small mashtruka buses. Both buses and
trolleybuses can be much delayed during rush hours due to traffic
jams. A route planner showing real time location of trolleybuses on
the most used lines is available online, the catch is it's in
Russian only.
By taxi
Another option is to use taxis which
are plentiful and cheap, few drivers speak anything other than
Russian, so memorize the street or name of the place you are going
to. A typical journey in the city centre will cost somewhere around
RUB400. Unmarked taxis can be cheaper, but are generally a bit
unreliable to use for those not fluent in the native tongue.
Shuttle taxi
The route network of Murmansk practically duplicates
public transport routes, covers the city and some settlements in the
region. The fare is 32 rubles.
Department store "Volna". Medium-sized shopping center right on the
central square of the city, near the railway station and bus station.
Grocery supermarket, catering points, souvenir shops and much more.
Murmansk Mall. 10.00-22.00. The largest shopping and entertainment
center in the city. Five floors, many shops, food court, grocery
hypermarket.
Shopping center "Lenta".
Shopping center "Forum".
Cheap
Delicious - period, st. Leningradskaya, 20/3 (Volna
shopping center, separate entrance). 07:00-00:00. An ordinary
McDuck, but this one is the northernmost in the world, as evidenced
by a sign hanging at the checkout.
Dining room "SchiBorschi",
Lenina Avenue 19a (Shopping Center "Liga", second floor). Dining
room with modern interiors and decent food. Lunch will cost about
300 rubles.
Average cost
Youth. One of the oldest and most
famous restaurants in the city. Delicious desserts and pastries,
including those with northern cloudberry filling. However, the
inspection of the Revizorro institution did not pass.
Mug. A
small network of several cafes in the city.
Night club "Slightly Single".
1 Bulldog Pub (Паб Бульдог), ul. Karla Marksa, 48 (up
the stairs and right from intersection ul. Karla Marksa/ul.
Poliarnie Zori), ☎ +8 8152-260017. Sports bar showing matches from
the Barclays Premier League and more. A good selection of draft
beer, including ales. Typical pub food is also served.
2 Club
Marrakesh, ul. Shmidta 43, ☎ +8 8152-476464. F Sa 23:00-06:00. A
swank club hosting many events. Has a fine selection of wines and
even a cigar room. Open til early morning.
3 Moisey (Моисей),
9/1 Kominterna St. (downstairs in shopping complex across from the
train station). There don't seem to be a lot of wireless internet
hotspots so Моисей is a good option. With cheap draft beer and
(uninviting) food, this is not a bad place to get one's bearings and
check emails after arriving in the city.
1 Azimut Hotel Murmansk, Prospekt Lenina 82 (north side of the
central Five Corners Square), ☎ +7 8152 550350. Located in the
Arktika building, the tallest above the arctic circle, this former
Soviet flagship hotel have finally reopened after years of
renovation as the city's premier business hotel. Rooms on the upper
floors have some fantastic panoramic views over the city and fjord.
Free WiFi and breakfast included. Standard rooms from RUB5400 per
night.
2 Hotel Ogni Murmanska, ul. Ogni Murmanska 1 (on the
bypass road towards Severmorsk), ☎ +7 8152 554000. Hotel and resort
complex overlooking the city from its eastern mountain slopes. This
is a good option if you are exploring the surrounding nature and
wildlife rather than Murmansk itself. Standards are good, there's 80
beds in 37 rooms as well as several cottages. The restaurant is very
nice and popular, if somewhat overpriced. All major credit cards are
accepted. From RUB3500 per night.
3 Meridian Hotel, ul.
Vorovskogo 5/23 (south side of the central Five Corners Square), ☎
+7 8152 288800. Not related to the international chain of similar
name. The lobby displays photos of notable former guests, including
President Medvedev, which gives an indicator of class of service and
of price. Beginning at RUB3500 for a single.
4 Park Inn
Poliarnie Zori, ul. Knipovicha 17 (a short walk up the hill from the
Detskiy Mir bus stop), ☎ +7 8152 289500. A clean, well-located hotel
with helpful front desk staff. Includes the very popular nightclub
Ledokol ("Ледокол") which often hosts live music performances. From
RUB1300 for a basic single.
Finland Finland (Murmansk office of the General
Consulate of Finland in Saint Petersburg), Karl Marks street, 25 A,
☎ +7 8152 445-382, fax: +7 8152 448-341, e-mail:
sanomat.msk@formin.fi. M-Th 09:30-12:00.
Netherlands Netherlands
(General Consulate), Sofyi Perovskoy street, 5 (at General Consulate
of Norway), ☎ +7 (8152) 40-06-00 (common), +7 8152 40-06-20 (visas),
fax: +7 (8152) 45-74-51, +7 8152 47-61-78, +7 8152 45-68-71, e-mail:
visum-mmk@mfa.no. M-Th 09:00-12:00.
Norway (General Consulate),
Sofyi Perovskoy street, 5, ☎ +7 8152 40-06-00 (common), +7 8152
40-06-20 (visas), fax: +7 8152 45-74-51, +7 8152 47-61-78, +7 8152
45-68-71, e-mail: cons.gen.murmansk@mfa.no. M-Th 09:00-12:00.
Sweden Sweden (General Consulate), Sofyi Perovskoy street, 5 (at
General Consulate of Norway), ☎ +7 8152 40-06-00 (common), +7 8152
40-06-20 (visas), fax: +7 8152 45-74-51, +7 8152 47-61-78, +7 8152
45-68-71, e-mail: visum-mmk@mfa.no M-Th 09:00-12:00.
Some neighborhoods may be unsafe at night,
particularly Rostu and Zhilstroy.
Flocks of stray dogs roam
around suburban areas and have been known to attack humans carrying
food. There are also bear sightings along the road leading to the
airport. Although bears usually flee upon contact, mothers
protecting cubs may be aggressive.
Waterfall on the river Lavna. Getting to the waterfall is not so
easy, and in the off-season it can be dangerous. Nov 2018 edit
Kola
is an ancient city on the southern border of Murmansk.
Severomorsk is a naval base 13 km northeast of the city (travel is
limited - by passes).
Teriberka is a village on the coast of the
Barents Sea, 120 km from the city. Known for the sensational film
"Leviathan". It consists of two parts: the old Teriberka and the village
of Lodeynoye (pronounced through E). In old Teriberka there are several
camp sites and a shop. Housing is mostly settled and is preparing for
demolition. There is a dairy farm, the products of which can be bought
in a small shop near the main one. The majority of the population lives
in Lodeynoye. There are several shops and even a bakery. A road passes
through Lodeynoye to the shore of the Arctic Ocean (the only place in
the European part of Russia that can be reached by road to see the open
Arctic Ocean) and a waterfall.
Murmansk is the world's largest city located beyond the Arctic Circle, the largest city in the cultural and ethnic region of Lapland. The city stretches for more than 20 kilometers along the rocky eastern coast of the Kola Bay, 50 kilometers from the exit to the open sea. Murmansk is located 1490 kilometers north of Moscow and 1020 kilometers north of St. Petersburg. The city of Severomorsk, the base of the Northern Fleet, is located 16 km northeast of the city. Between Severomorsk and Murmansk is the satellite village of Safonovo, which belongs to the ZATO. The nearest neighbor from the south is the ancient city of Kola. Murmansk, expanding, has already reached the southern microdistricts of the outskirts of this city. From the west and east the city is surrounded by forests. The highest point of Murmansk is the Solnechnaya Gorka hill on the eastern border of the city, 305 meters high.
Murmansk is located in the MSK (Moscow time) time zone. The offset of the applicable time relative to UTC is +3:00. According to the applicable time and geographic longitude, the average solar noon in Murmansk occurs at 12:48.
The city is located in the Atlantic-Arctic temperate zone. The climate of Murmansk is formed by the proximity of the Barents Sea (below is the table of its water temperature), the influence of which is enhanced by the warm North Atlantic Current. This factor contributes to the strong difference between the climate of Murmansk and the climate of most cities located beyond the Arctic Circle. Unlike many northern cities, Murmansk experiences high winter air temperatures for the North. The average January-February temperature in Murmansk is about -10 ... -11 °C. Severe frosts are rare, and occasionally there are thaws. Due to the proximity of warm air masses carried by the Gulf Stream, the onset of cold weather in Murmansk usually occurs about one month later than in other northern regions. The wind in Murmansk has a monsoonal character - in winter, southerly winds from the mainland prevail, bringing dry frosty weather to the city, and in summer - northerly winds from the Barents Sea, bringing increased air humidity and rather cool summer weather to Murmansk. The change of winds occurs around June and September. The average July temperature is approximately +12…+13 °C, while rainy and cloudy weather lasts two thirds of the month, and the air temperature is highly variable. However, from time to time, hot continental air masses from the south or southeast reach the city, and then the temperature rises to +25 °C, very rarely - above +30 °C for a short time. Most of Murmansk's precipitation of about 500 mm per year falls from June to September, with the peak of cloudy and rainy days in August. Snow lies in the city for an average of 210 days and completely disappears by May (in the vicinity of the city, snow can lie until June). Snowfalls are not uncommon in the first half of June. The minimum temperature of -39.4 ° C was recorded in Murmansk on January 6, 1985 and January 27, 1999, the maximum temperature of +32.9 ° C - on July 9, 1972. The polar night at the latitude of Murmansk lasts from December 2 to January 11, the polar day - from May 22 to July 22.
The city is located on the eastern shore of the Kola Bay, on 4 terraces. The elevation changes are very strong. The highest point of the city is a nameless hill on the outskirts with a height of 305.9 meters. The lowest point in the city is the shore of the Kola Bay, which coincides with sea level.
In the city, forests occupy 43% of the area of the city, natural plantations prevail on the hills, in the Valley of Comfort and on the outskirts of the city. There the vegetation is spruces, pines and birches. There are many mountain ash plantations in the city, poplars, lindens, willows and larches grow in the city center. A maple grows near the railway station. Shrubs (honeysuckle, lilac, bird cherry) are also common. There are 4 square meters of landscaping per inhabitant. The grass turns green from May to October.
There are many lakes in the city (Semyonovskoye, Srednee, Bolshoy, Potyanoe, Okunevoe, Footcloth, Ice, Glubokoe, Quarry, Rogozero, Varnichnoe, Pure, nameless lake on Marata Street, etc.). Within Murmansk there are six springs and three streams: Varnichny, Trifonov and Fadeev, before the industrialization of the city, there were trout and salmon in them. A small river Rosta flows in the northern part of the city.
The city is located on the hills, with strong differences in height, which determines the features of planning and development. Many houses standing on slopes have a stepped foundation and a variable number of storeys. Most of the houses in the city do not exceed the height of 9 floors. The tallest building is the eighteen-story Arktika hotel and business center. The main buildings of the Pervomaisky district and the eastern part of the Oktyabrsky (informally allocated to a separate, "Vostochny" district) are nine-story panel buildings. The city center is dominated by Stalinist buildings, the main part of the Leninsky district consists of "Khrushchev", in some places you can find post-war wooden one-story and two-story semi-barracks. Nine-story panel buildings are often decorated with multi-colored mosaics, painted stones can be found on the streets of the city - this is how Murmansk residents fight color starvation: in winter in Murmansk, the main colors are white and black, and winter can last almost eight months.
The average radiation in the city is 8-13 microR/h, which corresponds
to the norm. The main enterprises are located in the Industrial Zone and
on the coast of the Kola Bay.
The level of air pollution in 1997:
low. The content of dust in the atmosphere of the city is below the
level of sanitary standards. The city's comprehensive air pollution
index is 2.99, which is below the national average. The level of
pollution is decreasing every year.
The main sectors of the economy of Murmansk are fishing and fish
processing (until 2014, a fish processing plant operated). The home port
of all nuclear icebreakers (Atomflot), maritime transport (Murmansk
Commercial Sea Port), ship repair, sea, rail and road transportation,
metalworking, food industry, marine geology, exploration work on the
shelf of the Arctic seas. Other major enterprises of the city: -
"Murmansk Shipping Company", "Union of Fisheries of the North",
"Murmansk Shipyard of the Ministry of Marine Fleet" (bankrupt),
"Sevmorput", "Arktikmorneftegazrazvedka", research and production
enterprise "Morgeo" and the largest in the fishing industry "Murmansky
trawl fleet.
The main types of products manufactured in the city
include fish products, canned food, metal products, fishing equipment,
containers and packaging material.
Trading networks
There are
trading enterprises of many federal and regional retail chains in the
city, including such large ones as Eldorado, Svyaznoy, Pyaterochka,
Magnit, O'Key, DNS, Detsky Mir, M.Video”, “Sportmaster”, “BERSHKA”,
“Reserved” and many others. etc. Large catering chains are also
represented in Murmansk, such as Tasty - and the point, Burger King,
Subway, etc.
Hotels
The city has a well-developed hotel
network. The largest hotels in the city include Azimut Hotel Arktika,
Meridian, Park Inn Polyarnye Zori, Sailor, Lights of Murmansk, Parallel
69, Morskaya, etc.
In Soviet times, the Murmansk Marine Biological Institute was established in Murmansk, where they study the state of the biological resources of the seas and conduct environmental monitoring, the Polar Geophysical Institute and the N. M. Knipovich Polar Research Institute of Marine Fisheries and Oceanography (PINRO). The main goal of the research of the scientific team of the latter is to develop the biological foundations for rational fishing in the seas of the East European Basin and the North Atlantic, to provide fishing organizations with scientifically based forecasts of the state of the raw material base and the conditions for fishing fish and invertebrates. PINRO participates in the activities of the bilateral Joint Commissions for the development of fisheries cooperation with Norway, the Faroe Islands and Greenland. Within the framework of bilateral projects, cooperation is carried out with scientific centers in Norway, Finland, Canada, Spain, Germany, Greenland, and the Faroe Islands.
At the beginning of the 2005/2006 academic year, 188 educational
institutions functioned in the city, including: 86 preschool
institutions, 6 pre-gymnasiums and 56 general education institutions. In
2006-2007, there was a tendency to reduce general educational
institutions: 4 educational institutions were closed in two years. The
reason was the low birth rate and the outflow of the city's population
to other regions of the country in the early 1990s and, as a result, a
small number of students. Back in the late 1980s, some Murmansk schools
worked in three shifts and had 9 classes in parallel, but now most
schools work in one shift.
The polar night makes its own
adjustments to the educational process: at the request of doctors from
December to February, lessons are reduced by 5 minutes, additional
"February holidays" are introduced.
Due to its proximity to the
Arctic, Murmansk was chosen as the location of the Arctic Institute of
Arts.
The training of specialists of various profiles is carried
out by: 4 higher, 7 secondary, 7 elementary educational institutions and
13 branches of universities in Moscow and St. Petersburg. Today, about
30 thousand students study in them[8], half of them are at two
universities in the city, Murmansk State Technical University and
Murmansk Arctic State University.
On September 1, 2017, a branch
of the Nakhimov Naval School was opened.