Kirov Family Embraces Arctic Wonders in Murmansk Region

Daria Smolentseva and her family from Kirov had long dreamed of seeing the Far North. Not even a fuel crisis could deter them. Their gamble paid off: they returned with a wealth of impressions and already have plans to visit the Arctic again.

Daria told 51.RU journalists what captivated them about the Murmansk Region.

“We Did Something Very Important”

Due to fuel shortages, the journey was not easy: in the Vologda Region, the tourists nearly turned back because the situation at gas stations was critical.

“But at the hotel where we made an unplanned overnight stop, we met a man from Murmansk, and he suggested we drive through the Leningrad Region, where things were better. In the end, we took a 500-kilometer detour, but we reached our cherished destination,” our interviewee said.

Daria admitted that when they crossed the Arctic Circle with their family, it felt as if they had done something very important. The tourists were immediately struck by the nature, the midnight sun, and the drivers:

“Our impressions far exceeded expectations! These incredible hills, lakes, the Khibiny Mountains in the distance… It’s very, very beautiful. We were driving late at night, and our relatives kept calling, suggesting we stop somewhere so we wouldn’t have to travel in the dark. But we sent them a photo — like, look, the sun is blinding us here!”

Memorials, Museums, Loud Seagulls

The Kirov family has an old friend living in Murmansk — he told them what to see. They began their acquaintance with the city at the sea terminal, where they saw sea urchins for the first time, though they didn’t eat them that day.

Then the tourists headed to “Alyosha.” They couldn’t approach it due to reconstruction — so they viewed the memorial from the other side of the bay, from Abram-Mys. They visited the monument to Sailors Who Died in Peacetime.

“Very touching. We remembered the story of the Kursk submarine. I told the kids about it. We felt the harsh, important, dangerous, difficult, and courageous work of sailors,” Daria shared.

The next stop was the local history museum. The guests of the Arctic had little time, but they were delighted:

“You could study everything there, look, listen, and touch, evaluate it tactilely and visually.”

In the evening, the tourists went to a café and tried the local cod. Then they went on a tour of the nuclear icebreaker Lenin:

“The sheer power we saw simply amazed us. You feel so small and at the same time immensely proud of the country, its capabilities, its courage and bravery.”

Besides museums and monuments, the travelers remembered the blooming lilacs… and the loud Murmansk seagulls:

“In July the lilacs were blooming. We were surprised, because back home they bloom in May. And the seagulls!”

Before their trip to Murmansk, the Kirov residents had studied the city’s military history.

“We’ve been to Volgograd, and I can say that in terms of emotional impact, Murmansk felt very similar. We read about everything it endured during the war, how it held out and didn’t let the enemy through,” the tourist said.

“Teriberka Breathes Whales”

The next day, the family went to Teriberka — for the sea, whales, and fish. Daria admitted that the settlement at the edge of the world especially touched their hearts.

“We thought: maybe we’ll get lucky and a whale will wave its tail. In the end, we saw a whale’s side in the distance. These are unforgettable impressions that the kids told all their friends and relatives about. In general, Teriberka is permeated with whales, as if it breathes them!” the Kirov woman shared her emotions.

On the sea trip, the tourists fished and cooked their catch right there — and according to Daria, it was the most delicious thing they had ever tasted:

“Of course, we buy cod at home too, but this is completely different. Even the kids ate it with pleasure, though some are indifferent to fish. Sea urchins, though — they’re an acquired taste; we found them unusual, unclear, and didn’t give them to the children.”

In the morning before leaving, the travelers strolled through a nature park, visited a waterfall, and stood on the shore of the Barents Sea:

“Our morning walk was memorable for the fog and mist. We were practically alone. We made coffee on the seashore and thanked the North for such a warm welcome. By the way, it really was warm — we even wore T-shirts, even though I had packed a bunch of gloves and hats.”

The Warm Embrace of the North

Daria is sure they will return to the Arctic. New goals: the Rybachy Peninsula, the White Sea, and another visit to Teriberka.

“It was some incredibly warm, sincere, genuine embrace of the North. We thank our friend, who spoke about the Arctic with such enthusiasm. We tell everyone how much we liked it here. A month ago we visited a warm sea and felt that the northern one seemed closer, more real to us,” our interviewee concluded.

More About Tourists in the Arctic

Travelers from all corners of Russia, as well as from other countries, come to the Murmansk Region and share their impressions.

The author of the blog “Travels in the Backcountry” strolled through the quiet villages of the Arctic and showed atmospheric photos. We also reported what impressed an artist from Yoshkar-Ola in the Murmansk Region.

A tourist from Novosibirsk gave recommendations to those planning a trip to the North, and a resident of St. Petersburg honestly shared her experience traveling in the Arctic.

A Chinese woman, Lulu, came to Murmansk for the northern lights and described her adventures in a video. In addition, the Murmansk Region became a place of power for a photographer from Veliky Novgorod.

A resident of Arkhangelsk went to discover the winter Khibiny Mountains. A tourist from Voronezh showed colorful photos from his trip to the North, and a family from Cherepovets came to the Arctic in a motorhome.

We also reported how a photographer from Vologda reached the Murmansk Region in a 38-year-old car. And a Moscow artist, inspired by the Arctic, painted a series of paintings.

Read what impressed a resident of Arkhangelsk in Murmansk, and how a Moscow photographer went to reindeer herders in Lovozero. And this is how tourists from Yekaterinburg saw the Arctic.