Survival Mode in Murmansk: Blackout and Restoration Timeline
On the evening of January 23, the Murmansk Region faced a large-scale power supply failure. Murmansk, Severomorsk, and several suburban areas were suddenly left without electricity, and along with them, people were without stable heating, water, and communication. The accident occurred in the midst of the polar winter and quickly turned from a technical malfunction into a serious challenge for thousands of residents of the region.
What Caused the Blackout
According to preliminary data, the accident occurred on January 23 between 4 and 15 hours approximately seven kilometers from Murmansk in the direction of Severomorsk-3. On this section, five power line supports collapsed: two built in 1966, two in 1982, and one in 1988. The service life of such supports, according to investigators, is about 40 years, after which they must undergo regular inspections.
Investigators are now determining whether these inspections were carried out and safety standards were followed. The version of ice accumulation on the wires, which could have led to the accident, is also being checked. The management of Rosseti Severo-Zapad (Rosseti North-West) has already been interrogated.
Initial Decisions and Emergency Measures
After the supports collapsed, part of Murmansk and Severomorsk was completely without power. Authorities decided to temporarily cut off electricity in residential areas to redirect capacity to boiler houses, water utilities, and medical facilities. The main task was to preserve heat, water, and the ability to provide medical assistance.
To save electricity, street lighting was temporarily turned off. Pedestrians were asked to be careful and wear reflective elements. Police officers are on duty at major intersections.
Where the Situation Was Most Difficult
The Oktyabrsky and Leninsky districts of Murmansk, Roslyakovo, and Severomorsk were the hardest hit. In the Leninsky district, since January 24, a rotation of power supply has been introduced: electricity is turned on in different buildings according to a schedule, approximately for six hours. However, residents note that they have not seen a clear and understandable schedule.
According to residents, extensive areas remain without stable power supply and heating: the Leninsky district, Karl Marx Street, Severny Proyezd, almost all of Gora, Roslyakovo, as well as Severomorsk. The power supply appears uneven: somewhere lights are on during the day, somewhere only at night.
The accident has also affected city life as a whole. Public transport is operating unstably — trolleybuses are breaking down. Schools and kindergartens have switched to different modes of operation: some institutions are working remotely, some in person.
Against the backdrop of unstable power supply, by the third day, the accident has become part of the daily life of thousands of people — with cold apartments, darkness, and constant anticipation of the next power turn-on.
«Survival Mode»: How People Are Coping Without Light
A reader of 51.RU shared her experience with the editorial office. According to her, daily life in the city now more resembles survival mode.
«We cook on a gas burner. Some still have no water and heating, some have had something restored, but everything constantly gets turned off.»
She notes that in the Leninsky district, the presence of gas slightly eases daily life, but it does not solve the problem of cold.
«Yes, there is gas, cooking is easier. But many have no heating or hot water. Even if the light appears, it doesn»t mean the house becomes warm.«
According to the woman, in her house on Karl Marx Street, there was no heating or hot water for a whole day; now they have been restored, but the situation for her neighbors remains difficult. Due to constant outages, the family is practically not at home: with a small child, she is forced to go to her father«s or to a hotel, where she spends days at the reception.
Additional difficulties are created by non-working elevators — the child has to be carried from the eighth floor. Even when electricity appears briefly, using elevators is scary: due to sudden outages, people have already been stuck in them for half a day.
«There is no power supply schedule. It»s only talked about — that it supposedly exists, but no one has seen it.«
Darkness as an «Experiment»
Against the background of fatigue, irritation, and uncertainty, there are also calmer, almost philosophical assessments of what is happening. Murmansk resident Arina, who lives on Severny Proyezd, showed what her evening without electricity in the apartment looks like.
According to her, in the house, they have to walk with a candle, and the view from the window seems simultaneously romantic and a bit frightening.
— There«s something romantic about it. And this is how it looks. It»s a bit frightening, such an interesting experiment, — said Arina.
She noted that what is happening resembles an unusual experiment: darkness, silence, and rare lights create a special atmosphere. At the same time, she emphasized that there is no reason for panic.
«Everything will be fine, we will manage,» — concluded Arina and urged citizens not to worry.
Severomorsk: Short Light and Mutual Aid
Severomorsk resident Yulia said that the light was first turned on for about 20 minutes after a long time since the outage.
— Severomorsk has emerged from the gloom! For the first time since the outage, the light was given 20 minutes ago, and it became possible to properly enter Telegram. In Severomorsk, only VK is available without Wi-Fi. Batteries are normal. Water was both cold and hot all the time. I«ve never seen so many people helping each other. Most likely, in a couple of hours, we»ll be back in the dark.
Complaints About Uneven Outages
Residents continue to ask questions about power supply schedules.
— Where are the outage schedules? Where is the promised rolling blackout? Khalatina, 10 and 12, as an example. In house number 10, the light was cut off for about 3–4 hours later, turned on in both houses the same. Now Khalatina, 12 is without light, Khalatina, 10, which is 30 meters away, is all shining, — writes an anonymous user.
Maria, a resident of Chumbaryova-Luchinskogo Street, told about the complete isolation of her house.
— Oh, I wish everything would be fixed soon. We«ve been sitting without any communication for days. We are completely cut off. On the first day, we could charge small devices and LED bulbs shone a bit. At 23:00, we were completely disconnected. There was no electricity, no hot water, no heating. The light was turned on around 8–9 in the morning and until 12 noon. The batteries warmed up a bit. We were very lucky that we have gas, and we can at least cook food. All of my husband»s relatives have electric stoves. And their power supply is even worse than ours.
Aid Points and Support
Field kitchens and heating points are operating in the cities. For the convenience of residents, interactive maps have been created, showing working stores, places with phone charging capabilities, and food points.
Round-the-clock heating points are open at the DK «Sudoremontnik» in Roslyakovo and at the Children«s Art School on Polyarnoy Divizii Street, 1.
How Restoration Work Is Progressing
While residents share their experiences and try to adapt to life without stable electricity, specialists from Rosseti Severo-Zapad continue round-the-clock work. 49 emergency teams, 83 units of equipment, and nine diesel generators are on standby. The second support out of five has already been installed.
The work is complicated by tundra conditions. Whole supports cannot be delivered to the power lines, so the structures were moved in parts on all-terrain vehicles. Heavy elements were lifted by an excavator, and in the most difficult sections — almost manually.
— On site, a support was assembled from 82 elements. Several installation attempts were unsuccessful. Due to extreme tundra conditions, even special equipment broke down. Despite squally wind and the need to install directly on stones, the support was installed. Now preparations are underway to lift the second structure, — the company reported.
Forecasts and Recovery Timelines
The Governor of the Murmansk Region, Andrey Chibis, reported that the Northern Fleet and engineering troops are involved in the work. Help has also come from the Arkhangelsk Region.
According to the head of the region, five supports are damaged, effectively putting three power lines out of service. Main structures are planned to be delivered by helicopters.
«Taking into account all the conditions in which this emergency situation is being eliminated, the optimistic scenario — that under a temporary scheme, with temporary supports, this work will take at least a day.»
The final restoration of power supply with the installation of permanent metal supports will take significantly more time.
Simultaneously, the prosecutor«s office of the Murmansk Region is conducting an inspection to determine the causes of the mass power outage. Work to restore power supply continues. The editorial office of 51.RU will continue to monitor the situation.
