Day 1. Murmansk. Searching for the Northern Lights
On the first day, take a sightseeing tour of Murmansk
Nuclear Icebreaker “Lenin”
the world’s first nuclear-powered surface vessel The icebreaker was built in just one year and launched in 1957 at the Marty Shipyard in Leningrad. Two years later, on September 12, 1959, it underwent its first trials at the Admiralty Shipyard. Over 30 years of service, the icebreaker escorted thousands of ships through Arctic ice and covered 654,400 nautical miles — more than three times the distance from Earth to the Moon, or 30 trips around the equator. In 1971, it became the first surface vessel to pass north of Severnaya Zemlya. In 1989, the icebreaker was decommissioned and permanently moored in Murmansk. Today, “Lenin” is a museum and the only federal cultural heritage site in Murmansk. The original furniture and interiors have been preserved on board: spacious corridors, a bathhouse, a recreation room, a photo laboratory, a film projection room, and a library. Visitors can take guided tours of the key rooms — from the crew dining room and medical unit to the captain’s bridge and captain’s lounge.
Address: near building No. 25, Portovy Proezd, Murmansk
Opening hours: Wednesday to Sunday, 12:00 pm, 1:30 PM, and 3:00 pm
Website: rosatomflot.ru
After 8 pm in winter, you can go hunting for the Northern Lights In summer, you can have a picnic under the midnight sun
Day 2. Murmansk. Ethno Adventures
Ice Floating in Kola Bay
Ice floating is a safe water activity in extreme conditions. With the help of a special suit that protects you from cold and moisture, your body will float effortlessly on the water. You can relax and peacefully enjoy nature or have fun splashing in the water. You do not need to know how to swim. The main feature of this activity is that it takes place in the harsh icy waters of Kola Bay.
Day 3. Murmansk. Gastronomic Experiences
Sea Urchin Processing Workshop
We invite you to visit an operating sea urchin processing facility, where you will have the opportunity to prepare sea urchin roe yourself. You can taste it on site or take it with you in professional packaging… End your journey with a visit to souvenir shops. Buy a keepsake made by local artisans — jewelry with a northern stone, a reindeer figurine, or a knitted accessory. Let your souvenir from Murmansk become a talisman preserving the memory of the majestic Arctic.
Address: 25A Sverdlova Street, Murmansk
Website: ikraezha.com
Website: dimovavv@gmail.com
End your journey with a visit to souvenir shops. Buy a keepsake made by local artisans — jewelry with a northern stone, a reindeer figurine, or a knitted accessory. Let your souvenir from Murmansk become a talisman preserving the memory of the majestic Arctic.
Memorial to the Defenders of the Soviet Arctic during the Great Patriotic War (“Alyosha”)
“Murmansk Alyosha” is the affectionate name locals use for the monument to the defenders of the Arctic, unveiled in 1974. Sculptor Isaac Davidovich Brodsky and architect Igor Alexandrovich Pokrovsky created the image of a soldier in a military rain cape, with a rifle slung over his shoulder: he stands with his back to Murmansk, looking west — toward the direction from which the war came in 1941. The 35.5-meter figure on a seven-meter pedestal is one of the tallest monuments in Russia. Its viewing area offers a panoramic view of the city and Kola Bay. The memorial ensemble includes the Eternal Flame podium and a triangular pyramid symbolizing a lowered battle banner. Nearby stand two anti-aircraft guns — anti-aircraft batteries once located on this hill protected the city and port from air attacks — as well as a stele bearing the inscription: “To the Defenders of the Arctic — soldiers of the 14th Army, 19th Army, Red Banner Northern Fleet, 7th Air Army, border detachments No. 82 and No. 100, partisan detachments ‘Soviet Murman’, ‘Bolshevik of the Arctic’, ‘Polyarnik’, ‘Stalinets’, and ‘Bolshevik’. Glory to those who defended this land!”
Address: Zelyony Mys Hill, Murmansk
The memorial is currently closed for reconstruction. However, “Alyosha” can be seen from many locations in Murmansk.
