Murmansk
Home to Murmansk's ‘walruses’ – hardy souls who swear by the health benefits of regularly bathing in icy waters – this wooden hut on the edge of Lake…
Must-see attractions in Kola Peninsula
Murmansk
Murmansk is a centre for nuclear icebreakers that carve their way to the North Pole, but even in port you can give in to your wildest seafaring–Arctic…
Abandonded Soviet Train Station
Kola Peninsula
This colossal Soviet-era train station stands abandoned and half-forgotten amid the harsh Arctic landscape. The two-platform station, which once took…
Kola Peninsula
Every November, ice sculptors from all over the region make their way to Kirovsk to chisel the snowy halls and tunnels of the Snow Village into existence,…
Murmansk
One of Murmansk’s most memorable sights is a gigantic concrete soldier nicknamed Alyosha, erected to commemorate the Arctic fighters who perished in the…
Kola Peninsula
This excellent museum delves into the Sami people's troubled history and their way of life, which continues to be threatened. It also celebrates the…
Kola Peninsula
This museum has over 900 types of minerals and ores, many of them rare and unique. Entry is by an appointment made in advance; friendly academics speak…
Murmansk
Comprehensive exhibits at Murmansk's oldest museum include one on Sami culture and handicrafts, a vast natural-history section with all manner of…
Murmansk
The mass of exhibits inside this crumbling turquoise anchor-flanked building covers everything from the founding of Russia’s first navy in Arkhangelsk, to…
Polar-Alpine Botanical Gardens
Kola Peninsula
Russia’s vast, northernmost botanical gardens and its special hothouses nurturing tropical plants can only be accessed on one of three tours offered daily…
Murmansk
The 1927 Fine Arts Museum hosts temporary exhibitions that range from female nude photography and Kanozero petroglyphs to severe Arctic landscape painting.
Kola Peninsula
Everything from classical concerts to Miss Kirovsk pageants are held in this impressive, becolumned, lemon-yellow building.
Church of the Saviour on the Waters
Murmansk
This gold-domed church, built in 2002 from public donations, is part of a memorial complex dedicated to the memory of Murmansk's seamen who perished in…
Murmansk
In 1919 the British navy assisted the White Russians against the Reds – Winston Churchill, war secretary at the time, wanted to see if the Bolsheviks…
Murmansk
This bronze monument to a fat little cat carrying all his worldly possessions in a knapsack was unveiled in 2013 in honour of an act of incredible feline…
Kola Peninsula
Features ores, rocks and minerals of the Kola Peninsula; it's best to arrange a guided tour in advance. Labelled mineral fragments are sold here as…
North-Russian Exploration Museum
Kola Peninsula
Showcases the settlement of the Kola peninsula, the history of science in the region and the culture of Kola's indigenous population – the Sami.
Kola Peninsula
In a building that resembles an oversized chumy (tepee-shaped tent), this Sami cultural centre hosts occasional exhibitions.
