Murmansk region: historical and cultural monuments

Murmansk is one of the largest cities in the world, which is located beyond the Arctic Circle.
This city is located on the rocky eastern coast of the Barents Sea in the Kola Bay. This city is considered one of the largest ports in Russia, founded in 1916. Due to the warm Gulf Stream, Murmansk has become a major ice-free port on the Russian Arctic coast.

The decision to create a port is directly related primarily to Russia's goal of gaining access to the Arctic Ocean, through the gulf itself, which never freezes. Therefore, life in the city is inseparably linked with shipping.

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, 2016.

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, 2022.

— 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 2022, 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, 2022. – 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" - 2022. M.: Paulsen Publishing House ", 2022. – 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" - 2022. M.: Paulsen Publishing House ", 2022. – 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.

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.

LiveInternetLiveInternet

Denis_Yakovets

all posts by the author
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

Where to go in Murmansk and what else to see

Hotel "Arctic"

The symbol of Murmansk, an 18-story hotel, has been rising in the city since 1984. 12 years later, the famous chimes were installed on the high-rise building, the chimes of which can be heard even in remote areas.

In 2014, a respectable hotel opened in the hotel building. Although the name “Arctic” is a thing of the distant past, local residents have not gotten used to the new “Azimut”. In addition to the hotel, the high-rise building houses a chic restaurant, several boutiques, a cafe and a huge conference hall.

Address: Murmansk, Lenin Ave., 82

Opening hours: 24 hours a day

"To the sailors who died in peacetime"

The memorial complex on the hill, near the Church of the Savior on Water, opened in 2002. The ensemble includes: the Lighthouse Tower, the cabin of the nuclear submarine "Kursk" and the Ship's Anchor.

A wide staircase equipped with observation platforms leads to the memorable place. The dominant feature of the complex is the Lighthouse, 17.5 m high. Inside the tower there are memorial plaques and books of memory with the names of the dead sailors in peacetime.

At the foot of the tower, a capsule with sea water is buried deep in the ground. The mass grave is crowned with an Anchor. The conning tower from the Kursk submarine was installed on the ninth anniversary of the death of the crew and represents a monument to the courageous sailors from the submarine.

Address: Murmansk, Verkhne-Rostenskoye Shosse, 1

Church of the Savior on Waters

The white-stone, single-domed church in the Old Russian style was opened in 2002. For residents of Murmansk, whose life and work are connected with the sea, the cathedral has become the main shrine.

Inside, one of the most revered relics by sailors is kept - the “Walking on the Waters” icon. Another iconic shrine of the temple is an icon depicting the Russian admiral F.F. Ushakova.

Address: Murmansk, Geroev Ave. – Severomortsev, 1

Opening hours: from 08:00 to 20:00 daily

Free admission

Official website: https://spasnavodah.su/

Marine Station

Located in the historical part of Murmansk. The station is equipped with two berths, one of which is pontoon. From here steamships depart to remote settlements located along the Kola Bay.

Tourists can stroll along the beautiful Embankment and pay their respects near the monument to the port workers who died during the Second World War. The main attraction of the sea terminal is the nuclear icebreaker "Lenin".

Address: Murmansk, Portovy proezd, 25

Opening hours: from 08:00 to 21:00

Free admission

Official website: https://morskoi-vokzal.ru/v/murmansk/

Museum of the History of Murmansk Shipping Company

Operated since 1977. The museum has 3 permanent exhibitions introducing the history of the development of the Northern Sea Route. In one of the halls, visitors will learn a lot of interesting things about the development of the icebreaker and transport Northern Fleet. In another, touch on the history of the formation of the nuclear fleet. A separate exhibition is dedicated to tankers.

Among the most interesting exhibits: models of nuclear reactors; models of ships that served the Murmansk Shipping Company in different eras. The gallery of Arctic explorers deserves special attention.

Address: Murmansk, st. Volodarskogo, 6

Opening hours: Tuesday and Friday from 14:00 to 17:00

Entrance: the cost of an adult ticket is 70 rubles, a child ticket (7-14 years old) is 50 rubles. Children under 7 years old have free admission

Nuclear icebreaker "Lenin"

One of the iconic landmarks of Murmansk, personifying the strength and power of Soviet shipbuilding. The icebreaker "Lenin" became the world's first ship equipped with a nuclear engine.

About 300 enterprises and research centers of the Soviet Union were involved in the project. The icebreaker was launched in December 1957, and the ship was decommissioned in 1989.

Now the icebreaker has been converted into a museum and educational complex. The exhibition “Icebreaker and Atom” introduces visitors to the history of the Northern Fleet and the stages of development of ship nuclear power.

Address: Seaport, floating berth of the Lenin a/l, Portovy pr-d, 25, Murmansk

Opening hours: Wednesday-Sunday from 12:00 to 16:00. Mon-Tue – days off

Entrance: full ticket price – 600 rubles. For citizens of the Russian Federation - 400 rubles, pensioners - 200 rubles, children (7-14 years old) - 100 rubles.

Murmansk Regional Museum of Local Lore

An extensive exhibition introduces visitors to the features of the northern region, cultural traditions and customs of indigenous peoples.

Of particular interest to city guests are ore samples recovered from the bottom of the mysterious and mystical Kola well. A separate room displays household items of indigenous peoples, magical objects and attributes used by shamans to perform rituals. The highlight of the collection is the Northern Lights diorama.

Address: Murmansk, st. Academician Pavlova, 1A

Opening hours: from 11:00 to 18:00 daily. The ticket office closes at 17:00

Admission: full ticket for citizens of the Russian Federation – 210 rubles, reduced – 60 rubles. For foreign citizens the ticket price is 300 rubles.

Official website: https://mokm51.ru/

Regional Art Museum

In 1990, the first and only art museum in Murmansk opened in an ancient building on Five Corners Square.

The exhibition halls display about 8 thousand unique exhibits. The collection is based on paintings by artists of the 19th–20th centuries. A separate room displays the works of local lacemakers, wood and bone carvers. Every week, art museums hold master classes for schoolchildren, teaching different types of crafts.

Address: st. Kominterna, 13, Murmansk

Opening hours: Wednesday – Sunday from 11:00 to 19:00

Entrance: full ticket from 70 rub.

Oceanarium

One of the most favorite attractions of children and adults is located on Semenovsky Island. Inside, visitors will get to know the inhabitants of the northern seas. In addition to numerous aquariums with sea inhabitants, there is a scientific center whose employees study Arctic seals.

Sea hares, representatives of pinnipeds, and ringed seals put on an unforgettable spectacle for spectators, demonstrating their unique abilities and performing circus tricks. The stars of the program are gray seals listed in the Red Book. Shows are held daily.

Address: Murmansk, Geroev Ave. – Severomortsev, 4

Opening hours: Wednesday - Sunday, performances at 11:00; 15:00; 17:00. The box office is open from 10:30 to 18:00 from Wed to Sun.

Entrance: adult ticket – 400 rubles, children’s ticket (from 3 to 14 years old) – 300 rubles. Ticket price for foreigners is 600 rubles.

Monument to the victims of the intervention

There have been many difficult periods in the history of the Russian Arctic. One of them began with the arrival of the English ship Gloria, which delivered detachments of marines to the North. During the 2 years of intervention, hundreds of political prisoners died in the Yokange convict prison. In the fall of 1919 alone, 1,500 people were imprisoned.

The memorial was erected on a mass grave containing the remains of 136 Iokange prisoners and 24 rebels. The ceremonial opening of the monument, created by Murmansk iron workers, took place in 1927. Later, a beautiful square with alleys appeared around the memorial.

Address: Murmansk, square on the street. Leningradskaya

St. Nicholas Cathedral

In 1924, the last church in Murmansk closed. Some church buildings were destroyed, others were converted into warehouses. The year 1989 became significant for Orthodox townspeople; it was marked by the opening of St. Nicholas Cathedral.

The cathedral building is made in a strict, ascetic style. Its appearance emphasizes the severity of the Arctic. The azure-colored domes that crown the cathedral add color to the temple. Unlike the exterior, the interior is striking in its beauty and splendor.

The main shrines: myrrh brought from Italy, caskets with the relics of Matrona of Moscow and Seraphim of Sarov.

Address: Murmansk, st. Green, 11

Opening hours: from 8:00 to 19:00 daily

Free admission

Official website: https://murman-mu-1.cerkov.ru/

Drama Theater

The first season of the theater opened in 1939 with the play “Consul General”. For about 30 years, performances took place on the stage of the House of Culture, and in 1963 the troupe moved to a new building. One of the most beautiful buildings in Murmansk was erected according to the design of the architect A.P. Maksimov.

The theater's repertoire includes productions based on classic works of Russian and foreign literature and many modern performances. On its 65th anniversary, the troupe of the Murmansk Drama Theater was on tour in Moscow.

Address: Murmansk, Lenin Ave., 49

Opening hours: Tuesday-Sunday from 09:00 to 20:00

Entrance: tickets cost from 500 rubles.

Naval Museum of the Northern Fleet

The museum opened in 1946. The first exhibition was dedicated to the defense of the Arctic during the Great Patriotic War. Over the years, the museum's holdings have grown, and unique exhibits dating back to different eras have appeared.

One hall is dedicated to the history of the formation and development of the Northern Fleet, starting from 1693. The exhibition “Military Murom”, which tells about the defense of the Arctic, deserves special attention.

There is a model of a bomb shelter of those times installed here, a cinema hall is equipped inside, and a typical one for the 40s. In the communal room you can get acquainted with photographs, archival documents, notes of sailors participating in the defense.

A separate hall of the museum introduces the tragic history of the Kursk submarine. In one of the exhibition windows there are several photos of the diary of commander D. Kolesnikov.

Address: Murmansk, st. Tortseva, 15

Opening hours: Monday, Thursday-Sunday from 09:00 to 17:00, break from 13:00 to 14:00. Tuesday and Wednesday are days off

Entrance: adult ticket – 100 rubles, children’s ticket and for privileged categories of citizens – 50 rubles.

Train Station

The beautiful station building was erected in 1954, on the site of a small pre-war building that burned down in a fire. The white and turquoise station stands out as a bright spot among the gray northern landscapes.

The architecture of the building is typical of the 50s. and differs little from similar structures erected at the same time. Above the central part is a rounded tower with a bright green roof, topped with a spire with a star.

The design of the Murmansk station has its own peculiarity - the station building is located much higher than the track. The platforms can only be accessed through passages provided on the ground floor.

The entrance from Station Square leads to the main hall, located in the central tower of the building. There is an information board and a waiting room; the ticket offices are located in the northern wing.

Address: Murmansk, st. Comintern, 14

Opening hours: 24 hours a day

Official website: https://murmansk.dzvr.ru/