The climate of the Murmansk region is unique and differs from the climate of other regions of the country that lie at the same geographical latitude. What is this uniqueness?
The Kola Peninsula receives much less heat and light than the more southern regions of the country. In winter, the sun does not appear above the horizon at all, and a long polar night hangs over the Kola tundra. But in the summer the sun does not set around the clock. In this regard, our seasons do not coincide with the generally accepted calendar seasons.
Of great importance for the climate of the region are the movements of air masses, on which temperature fluctuations depend on the formation of clouds and precipitation. Atmospheric vortices in the form of cyclones and anticyclones are characteristic of our latitudes. The movement of air masses in this case occurs hundreds of thousands of kilometers. Cyclones and anticyclones replace each other many times.
The climate features of the Murmansk region are also due to its position between the sea in the north and the mainland in the south. The coast and the continental part of the Kola Peninsula are different in climate.
In the areas of the Kola Bay and the Murmansk coast, the climate is formed mainly under the influence of the warm Gulf Stream, thanks to which the southwestern part of the Barents Sea does not freeze even in severe winters. This determines the high humidity of the air, frequent fogs, clouds, storms. The climate here is moderately cold, maritime, with relatively mild winters and cool summers.
In the central regions of the Kola Peninsula, the climate is more continental. In the Khibiny and Lovozero mountain ranges. located above 500 m above the surrounding area, the climate is influenced by high layers of the atmosphere.
On the Terek and Kandalaksha coasts of the White Sea, colder winters and springs, fewer storms are observed.
The average monthly air temperature experiences significant annual fluctuations. The lowest temperature is observed in February, and in some places in January. During these months it fluctuates from -5 to -9° on the Murmansk coast, from -10 to -14° in the rest of the region. On some days in winter, the air temperature can drop to 40-45°C, and in summer it can rise to 30°C. The highest temperature is observed in July, and on the coasts - in some places in August: on the Murmansk coast from +9 to +10° and in other parts of the region from +11 to +14°.

JANUARY JULY

Isotherm maps for January and July

In winter, the average air temperature in Murmansk is almost the same as in Moscow, -10°. Summer in our region is colder than in Moscow. The hottest is July. This month the air temperature in Murmansk averages 12.9°C.
In mountainous areas in summer, the average monthly temperature decreases with an increase in altitude by about 0.5-0.6 ° per 100 m of elevation. The frost-free period lasts from 100-120 days on the coasts to 70-100 days in the central regions of the region. It begins, as a rule, in more eastern regions in the first, second or even third decade of June. In the mountains, at an altitude of 700-900 m - in the first decade of July. The frost-free period ends on the Murmansk coast at the end of September, on the Tersky coast - in the middle of this month, and in areas remote from the coasts - in the second half of August or early September.
The average annual relative humidity varies across the region from 76-80% in the western to 80-85% in the eastern regions. On the coasts, the lowest air humidity is in May-June, and the highest in August-September. In areas inland, the highest is in December and the lowest is in June.
Cloudy weather prevails in our area. The most cloudy is in the northern regions. The annual number of clear days on the Murmansk coast ranges from 13 to 15, in the extreme south of the region - from 22 to 28 days. The clearest months of the year are March and April, and the most cloudy months are September-November.
During the year we have from 180 to 200 days with precipitation. The annual amount of precipitation in the region is from 500 to 700 mm, in the mountains it increases to 900-1300 mm. The smallest number of them falls in March, and the largest - in June and August, with 40-49% of precipitation in the form of snow, 40-46% - rain and 12-14% - sleet with rain. A stable snow cover is formed mainly in late October or early November and is destroyed in the first or second decade of May. The snow cover reaches its maximum height in late March or early April. In protected places, it usually reaches 50-70 cm, in the mountains - up to 100-200 cm.
Fog on the territory of the Murmansk region forms at any time of the year, but on the Murmansk and Terek coasts it is most often observed in summer, when winds blow from the sea. In the central regions, the number of foggy days in winter is 10 times greater than in summer.
Snowstorms are frequent in winter; they start in October and end in May. In the mountains of the Kola Peninsula, precipitation and snowstorms cause the formation of multi-meter snow cornices, which, collapsing, give rise to avalanches.
Among the winter natural phenomena characteristic of our region is ice, which forms during rain or fog during mild frost. Hoar frost most often occurs in mountainous areas covered by clouds. Here, its deposits sometimes reach several hundred centimeters; under their weight, communication and power lines are cut off.
The seasons in the Murmansk region are distributed as follows:
winter (November-March), spring (April-May), summer (June-August) and autumn (September-October),
The polar winter lasts 5-6 months, but it is relatively warm compared to winter in other areas located in the same latitudes. It happens that in January there comes a thaw. This is explained by the proximity of the Gulf Stream branch of the warm sea current penetrating into the Barents Sea.
In the Murmansk region, except for the extreme south, there is a polar night. In November, the sun shines from 3 to 9 hours a month in the north and from 10 to 17 hours in the south of the region. The sunniest month of winter is March. You can see the exact length of the day in the table.
In early spring, severe frosts are not uncommon. The clearest month of spring is April, with significant cloud cover in May.
In spring there are still snowfalls, snowstorms, storms, but much less frequently than in winter. In warm springs, the snow usually melts by the end of May, and leaves appear on the trees.
In summer, in June, and in the northern regions and in July, the sun does not set during the day. The average temperature is kept above 10°, and only on the coasts does it in some places remain on average below this level.
In summer there are also hot days with temperatures over 20°C. The average number of such days ranges from 6 to 15 on the coasts and from 16 to 27 in areas remote from them. Frosts occur mainly in June. In July and August they are also possible, but very rare. Sometimes it snows in June, but it melts quickly.
Thunderstorms are relatively rare. On the Murmansk coast from 3 to 4, and in other areas - from 5 to 8 days per season.
In autumn the day is fading fast. The temperature is dropping. At the beginning of autumn, although very rarely, hot days are possible with temperatures above 20 °. At the very end of autumn in the central regions of the peninsula there can be severe frosts with temperatures below -20 °. In autumn, significant cloudiness and air humidity are observed, precipitation often falls, mainly in the form of rain. Snow falls in October, but usually does not form a stable cover.
In general, the climate of our region, with low temperatures, a short growing season, is unfavorable for the development of crop production. However, the lack of heat necessary for plant life is partly compensated by the abundance of light during the long polar day.

Murmansk region. Territory. Relief. Climate

Territory of the Murmansk region
The Murmansk region is located in the northwest of the European part of Russia. Almost all of its territory lies beyond the Arctic Circle and is located on the Kola Peninsula - 66 ° 03 "- 69 ° 57" N. sh. and 28°30" - 41°26" E. e. Part of the western and southwestern sections of the region overlook the mainland. Its area is a little more than 140 thousand square kilometers, the largest length is about 400 km from south to north and about 570 km from west to east.

The northern shores of the Kola Peninsula are washed by the Barents Sea with the non-freezing Kola Bay deeply protruding into the land. There are the Ainovy, Kharlovsky and Litsky Islands. The eastern and southeastern borders are formed by the shores of the White Sea. Some White Sea islands also belong to the territory of the Murmansk region. In the south-west, the region borders on Karelia, and in the west - on Norway and Finland.
The Kola Peninsula occupies the northeastern part of the ancient Fennoscandian shield. The magma veins are reminiscent of the fact that once active volcanoes existed here. The presence of a large number of boulders is the result of a glacier that worked hard 10-20 thousand years ago, when it covered the entire Kola Peninsula.
Kola soils - podzols, sandy podzols and peat bogs - are notable for their insignificant thickness, in some places only 1-2 centimeters and high acidity. It is difficult to call them generous, rich and fertile. But even on such lands crops are grown, and there is polar agriculture.

Relief
By the nature of the relief, the Kola Peninsula is divided into two parts - the western mainland and the eastern peninsular. The natural boundary between these parts is formed by the valley of the Voronya River, lakes Lovozero and Umbozero and the valley of the Umba River.
The relief of the Kola Peninsula is mountains, depressions, terraces. Khibiny, Lovozero tundra, Monche-tundra and other mountain ranges rise 700-1100 meters above sea level. In the Khibiny there is the highest point of the region - Mount Chasnachorr, whose height is 1191 m. Many plains are occupied by swamps and lakes. In the extreme south of the region is the most significant of them - Kovdozero. There are also relatively flat elevated areas - a plateau. All these forms of relief alternate unexpectedly, whimsically. Therefore, vast areas of the territory of the region are impassable - steep, almost vertical cliffs, gorges, blockages, fast rivers and streams, lakes, rocky ridges. The Kola Peninsula descends to the Barents Sea in steps-terraces. The western part of the region is more mountainous than the eastern part.
In the eastern part of the region, the relief is more uniform - flat, flat or ridged. In the northwestern part, beyond the strip of the Lotto-Tuloma lowlands, low blocky mountains rise. The northern strip of uplands ends on the Kola Peninsula with a flat ridge of Keiv. In the very north of the region, the Murmansk coast is a coastal plateau, decreasing to the east. The edge of the plateau breaks off to the Barents Sea with a steep ledge up to 100-150 m, cut by narrow fiords deeply protruding into the land.

The climate of the Murmansk region
Most of the territory of the Murmansk region is located north of the Arctic Circle, between two seas - the Barents and the White, the influence of which softens and humidifies the climate.
The Murmansk region belongs to the Atlantic-Arctic temperate zone with a predominance of warm air currents from the North Atlantic and cold ones from the Atlantic sector of the Arctic. The proximity of the warm Gulf Stream causes anomalously high winter air temperatures here, and the large temperature differences between the Barents Sea and the mainland in the summer and winter months cause a large temperature variability when changing wind directions.
The average temperature of the coldest January and February does not fall below -13°С in the center of the region, -9°С on the coast of the Barents Sea and -11°С on the coast of the White Sea. The average temperature of the warmest July ranges from +10 to +14°С in the center of the region and from +9 to +11°С on the coasts. In central Russia, from Leningrad to Voronezh, it varies between +16-20°C. Negative temperatures are recorded 200-240 days a year.
The main difference between the Murmansk region and central Russia is the length of the seasons. So, for example, in the area of ​​the Lapland Reserve, the frost-free period lasts, on average, 74 days, and the snow cover lasts 220 days, while in Leningrad it is about 135 days without frost, and 140-145 days with snow. Cool and short summers significantly reduce the consumption of moisture for evaporation, which is why most of the precipitation flows into rivers or lingers on the surface of the earth, swamping it. For this reason, the area is rich in water and there is no problem of watering for animals.
A characteristic feature of the polar latitudes is the continuous light of the sun in summer and its complete absence in the middle of winter. At the latitude of Murmansk, the polar night lasts 44 days, in the Lapland Reserve - 24. The lack of sunlight has a relatively weak effect on the life of animals. On the day of the winter solstice, twilight stretches for several hours, and for most animals this is quite enough. In summer, in Murmansk, the sun does not go under the horizon for 60 days, and in the Lapland Reserve - 44 days. The period of "white nights", including the continuous day, lasts, respectively, 110 days in Murmansk and 100 - in the reserve, while in Leningrad it does not exceed 20 days.

The Kola Peninsula belongs to areas of excessive moisture. Annual rainfall reaches up to 1000 mm in the mountains, 600-700 mm on the Murmansk coast and 500-600 mm in other areas. The greatest amount of precipitation falls in the summer and autumn months, the least - in the spring. Sometimes snowfalls occur in June and August.
In the life of animals, light is not as important as in the life of birds; of all the elements of the climate, snow cover is the most important for them. According to long-term observations of the Lapland Reserve, snow cover is established, on average, on October 27 and lasts until May 19 - the moment half of the surface is freed from snow, so that in the forest the ground is covered with snow continuously for 204 days. The same amount of time and the lakes are ice-bound - from November 8 to June 1.
The thickness of the snow cover does not exceed 70-80 centimeters, only in the hollows and under the cliffs the plaques sometimes reach one and a half to two meters. In the open areas and on the tops of the hills, where the winds blow, one can see bare stones and soil devoid of snow even in winter.

Snow reaches its maximum height usually in the second half of March, then, under the influence of the sun and a slight increase in air temperature, it gives precipitation, a crust forms on its surface - crust, however, mass melting occurs, as a rule, only in the second half of April.
Another feature of the climate of the Kola Peninsula is extremely unstable weather. In winter, thaws are not uncommon, calms can be abruptly replaced by storms, and sharp drops in air temperature are frequent in summer.
There are areas with different microclimates. The western part of the Murmansk region is warmer than the eastern one. The warmest part of the region is the southern coast of the White Sea. In the eastern regions, the climate is more severe, where the greatest number of storm days is observed. In terms of the severity of the wind regime, the eastern part of the Murmansk region is second only to southern Kamchatka.
The average annual temperature in the region is higher than in other regions of Russia located at the same latitudes, so there is almost no permafrost here, and only in the eastern regions are there cores of eternal ice.

The climate of the Kola Peninsula differs from the climate of other northern and polar regions of our country. The North Cape branch of the Gulf Stream, which invades from the northwest, brings heat with it, due to which it is warmer on the northern coast of the peninsula in winter than in the middle zone of the European part of Russia. The weather here is changeable, in any winter months thaws are possible, and frosts in summer.

According to the climatic zoning of B.P. Alisova northern part of the Kola Peninsula belongs to the Atlantic region of the subarctic zone, and the rest of the territory is included in the Atlantic-Arctic region of the temperate zone.

Three climatic zones can be distinguished within the Kola Peninsula: the sea coast, the central regions and the mountainous part.

The climate of the northern sea coast is influenced by the Barents Sea. The average air temperature of the coldest month (February) ranges from -6 ... -12 0 C, the warmest (July) +12 ... +13 0 C. In the central regions of the peninsula, the climate is continental, with relatively warm summers and stable winters. The average temperatures in January are -10…-14 0 С, in July +14…+16 0 С. The lowest temperatures are observed in the upper reaches of the river. Ponoy (up to -50 0 C). In the mountainous region, summers are relatively cold, winters are mild, and there is a lot of precipitation. The average temperature in January is -13 0 C, in July +10 0 C. In clear weather, the daily temperature difference, even on a polar day, can exceed 20 0 C.

The Kola Peninsula belongs to areas with excessive moisture. The annual amount of precipitation in the mountains is 1000 mm or more. On the Murmansk coast - 600-700 mm and in other areas - 500-600 mm. The greatest amount of precipitation falls in the summer and autumn months, and the least - in the spring.

The snow cover lies from 180 to 200 days (in the mountains - up to 220), by the end of winter its thickness reaches 50-70 cm (in the mountains - more than 1 m).

Most of the peninsula lies north of the Arctic Circle, so there are such phenomena as polar day and polar night. The polar day lasts two months in Murmansk, and one in Kandalaksha. The polar night continues on the Rybachy Peninsula for two months, in Murmansk - 36 days, and in Kandalaksha - 8 days.

Summer comes stormily and quickly, its arrival coincides with the onset of the polar day. At the end of June, flowers bloom, foliage appears on the trees, night frosts stop. In the mountains, spring and summer are delayed for a while. The duration of the summer period is 2.5-3 months: from mid-June to the end of August - the beginning of September.

Autumn comes in late August - early September. Night frosts become more frequent, foliage falls. Snow falls at the end of September, but a stable snow cover does not fall until early November. In September, sometimes in August, you can already see the northern lights.

Rivers freeze in the middle or end of November, lakes - a little earlier. On the rapids, freezing is delayed by 1.5-2 months, and powerful rapids do not freeze all winter. The thickness of ice on rivers and lakes reaches 70-110 cm.

November is a winter month when severe frosts are possible. The day is shortening, the whole of December and the beginning of January the sun is not shown.

In March and April, the weather becomes stable, the snow is covered with a strong crust, the temperature gradually rises. However, frosts down to -30 0 C and below are possible in the evening and at night.

In the mountain valleys of the Kola Peninsula, snow lasts from late October to May. At this time, there is a danger of snow avalanches, which increases with winds, snowstorms, thaws and snowfalls (Rakovskaya-2001).

Geographical position

The Murmansk region occupies the Kola Peninsula and the part of the mainland adjacent to it from the west and southwest. Almost the entire territory is located beyond the Arctic Circle. In the north and northeast it is washed by the Barents Sea, in the east and south by the White Sea. The territory of the Murmansk region is 144.9 thousand km 2.

The Murmansk region borders on two states - Norway and Finland. In the south of the region is the Republic of Karelia. There are five districts in the region: Kovdorsky, Kolsky, Lovozersky, Pechenga, Tersky; six cities with jurisdictional territory: Apatity, Kandalaksha, Kirovsk, Monchegorsk, Olenegorsk, Polyarnye Zori.

On the territory of the region there are seven ZATOs (closed administrative-territorial formation, entry is carried out strictly with passes): the city of Severomorsk, the city of Polyarny, Skalisty (the center is the city of Gadzhiyevo), Zaozersk, Snezhno-gorek, Ostrovnoy, Vidyaevo. You can get acquainted with the closed territories of the region virtually using the resources of the portal www.murman.ru, where in the section "Murmansk region / Cities" there are sites of a number of closed territorial entities - Severomorsk, Gremikha, Iokangi, etc.

Relief

The Murmansk region occupies the northeastern outskirts of the vast Baltic Shield, which is composed of the most ancient crystalline rocks over a billion years old (granites, gneisses, quartzites, crystalline schists).

In the central part of the peninsula there is an array of the Khibiny Mountains - the highest and, perhaps, the most famous and most visited by tourists region of the Kola Peninsula. Steep slopes, huge circuses, snow lying in hollows and cracks all year round, give the low northern mountains a grandiose look. Mountains rise sharply above the surrounding plain, almost without transition. The peculiarity of the mountains is their "table" forms. The slopes are steep, sometimes steep, while the peaks are almost flat.

A beautiful view of the Khibiny opens from the train immediately after the Apatity station, and in clear weather they can be seen for tens of kilometers.

To the west of the Khibiny, towards the state border, there is a chain of low mountains - Chuna-, Monche-, Volchii and Greasy tundras; east of the Khibiny - Lovozero tundra (altitude about 1000 m). This system of hills forms the Central Mountain Region. There are groups of low mountains near Kandalaksha (Kolvitsky tundra, Iolgi-tundra, etc.), in the Pechenga region.

Faults in the earth's crust

On the Kola Peninsula, the role of tectonic movements is great - internal movements of the earth's crust. Not only the relief, the direction of the flow of rivers, but also the outlines of the peninsula as a whole are associated with faults in the earth's crust.

One of the largest faults runs along the northern (Murmansk) coast. The other, parallel to it, corresponds to the depression of the Kandalaksha Bay. The fault zone from the Kola Bay to the Kandalaksha Bay is perfectly visible, with which the valleys of the Kola and Niva rivers are connected. Many other rivers of the Kola Peninsula laid their valleys along the fault lines. On the map you can see how straight the valleys of the rivers Kharlovka, Vostochnaya Litsa, Voronya, the lower reaches of the Nota and Tuloma. On the same line are the upper reaches of the rivers Varzuga and Strelna. Some rivers (Varzuga, Strelna, Iokanga) change the direction of the flow at a right or even an acute angle. Faults are also responsible for this.

However, most of the territory is flat. The peninsula is conditionally divided into western and eastern parts. The border between them passes through the valley of the Voronya River, Lovozero, Umbozero and the valley of the Umba River. The western part of the region is elevated; the main relief here is gently sloping hills and valleys. In the east, plains prevail, in some places the territory is heavily swamped.

To the south of the Central mountainous region, from the border with Finland to the middle reaches of the Umba, a lowland with extensive marshes, numerous lakes and rare hills also extends.

The territory of the Kola Peninsula was repeatedly covered by powerful glaciers moving from Scandinavia. The last glaciation ended in this area only about ten thousand years ago. During their movement, the glaciers smoothed and polished the protruding rocks, giving them soft, rounded outlines, especially from the side facing the moving ice. Such smoothed rocks are called "ram's foreheads". They can be seen almost everywhere.

The glacier created fjords in the northwest of the peninsula. The Kola, Pechenga, Uraguba bays were originally, apparently, just river valleys. During the glaciation, these valleys served as routes for the movement of glaciers. The glaciers expanded, processed the valleys, and after the ice melted, the sea filled them, turning them into fjord bays.

Rivers and lakes

In terms of the number and beauty of rivers and lakes, Murman can easily compete with neighboring Karelia. Thousands of lakes, connected by short channels, are scattered among the hills. The total area of ​​lakes in the Murmansk region reaches 3–5% of the total area.

The basins of the largest lakes, as well as river valleys, are associated with tectonic depressions, faults and cracks. Such lakes have an uneven bottom with great depths, shoals and islands, steep rocky shores of very whimsical outlines. The number of small lakes is huge - there are about a hundred thousand of them in the region. The Murman rivers, flowing in solid crystalline rocks, form countless rifts and rapids, their flow is very fast.

The water in the rivers and lakes of the Kola Peninsula, as in Karelia, is weakly mineralized, that is, it contains very little mineral salts. Away from populated areas, it is quite clean.

Barents Sea

The entire northern coast of the Kola Peninsula (Murmansk coast) is washed by the Barents Sea. Until the middle of the XIX century. it was called Russian, Arctic, Studeny, Murmansk. The name was given in honor of the Dutch navigator, a member of the polar expeditions of the 1590s, who died near Novaya Zemlya (the purpose of the expeditions was to penetrate the northern route to China and Japan). The sea is separated from the Central Arctic Basin by the Novaya Zemlya, Franz Josef Land, and Svalbard archipelagos. From the west, the North Atlantic Current brings a huge amount of warm water almost unhindered. Therefore, although the sea lies entirely in arctic and subarctic latitudes, its southern part, with the exception of narrow bays and bays, never freezes. The boundary of floating ice in winter lies at a distance of 400–500 km from the coast, at 74–75°N. The Barents Sea and coast is one of the most turbulent and weather-changing areas of the Arctic. The paths of warm North Atlantic cyclones pass over the sea, cold Arctic air penetrates here no less often. The sea is rarely calm. Storms greater than magnitude 4 are common here. Twice a day, tidal phenomena can be observed on the coast. In the open sea, the height of the tides is only about 50 cm, but in the bays (Kola, Motovsky, Teriberskaya Bay, etc.), the rise in the water level can reach<\ м. В 1968 г. в губе Кислой была построена опытная электростанция, использующая энергию приливов. Подводный мир Баренцева моря удивительно богат и красив. Сады из гигантских ламинарий, актинии, голотурии, огромные морские звезды, офиуры, морские ежи и множество других животных привлекают любителей арктического дайвинга. В море, недалеко от берега, можно увидеть камчатских крабов. На Баренцево море этот вид крабов был завезен в качестве эксперимента. Камчатские крабы не только отлично прижились, но и стали вытеснять местные виды. Краб может достигать двух метров, а клешни выглядят и вовсе устрашающе. На прибрежных скалах летом в огромных количествах гнездятся морские колониальные птицы – кайры, чайки-моевки, чистики, тупики, бакланы, образуя знаменитые птичьи базары Севера.

Polar bears are found on the ice of the northern regions. Ringed seals and bearded seals live near the coast and the ice edge. In the past, many species of whales were common, but their numbers have fallen sharply due to active fishing. Some species, such as the bowhead whale, are under international protection.

Climate

The climate of the Murmansk region is unique and different from the climate of other polar regions of Russia. Despite the northern position, the climate is quite mild. Perhaps its most typical feature is abrupt changes and great instability of the weather associated with frequent changes in air masses.

The climate of the region is formed mainly under the influence of the warm and humid air of the Atlantic, which invades from the west, and the arctic air, which comes from the north. The air coming from the North Atlantic brings with it humid and warm weather in winter, humid and cool weather in summer. Arctic air - cold, transparent and dry - brings a cold snap, but warms up quite quickly in summer.

The influence of the surrounding seas is strong in both winter and summer. In winter, the seas have a warming effect (especially the non-freezing Barents Sea), in summer they have a cooling effect. So, on the Murmansk coast, temperatures in winter are higher than, for example, in Vologda, located 700 km to the south. But this does not mean that the climate here is comfortable. With strong winds and high humidity, even relatively small frosts are hard to endure. Winter, the longest season, lasts more than six months, approximately from October to April.

The first signs of spring appear long before the snow melts. At the beginning of spring, all the heat received from the sun is spent on warming the air and snow, and only then does rapid snowmelt begin. Finally, the snow melts only in May. On the coast of the Barents and White Seas, spring begins later.

Since the end of May, the sun no longer hides behind the horizon. Plants rush to take advantage of round-the-clock lighting and bloom quickly. There is still snow in the tundra, and the branches of dwarf birch and willow sticking out of the snow are already covered with fresh greenery and throw out catkins.

Summer (a period with temperatures above 10 °C), like spring, comes in different parts of the region at different times, depending on the remoteness of the sea. Summer lasts for approximately two to two and a half months, from mid-June to mid-(end) August. Only July is free from frosts, but not every year. The length of the day is very long, but the sun does not rise high above the horizon. The midnight sun at the latitude of Murmansk rises only 0.5°. During the day, the highest altitude of the sun is about 44 °. Summer temperatures are low: 8 °C on the Murmansk coast, 13 °C in the interior of the peninsula, but on some days they can rise to 30 °C.

Arctic

The Arctic is the northern polar region of the globe. The name is associated with the constellation Ursa Major (Greek Arktos), under which this area lies. The border of the Arctic used to be drawn along the Arctic Circle. but at present, the border is considered to be the border of summer temperatures of 10 ° C for the warmest month - July. This boundary approximately coincides with the beginning of the tundra zone. In some places it passes north of the Arctic Circle, in some places - south of it. Thus, the Arctic Ocean, its marginal seas with all the islands (the Canadian Arctic Archipelago, Greenland, Svalbard, Franz Josef Land, Novaya Zemlya, Severnaya Zemlya, Novosibirsk Islands, Wrangel Island, etc.) are within the Arctic. . northern coast of Europe. Asia and America, as well as the northern parts of the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans.

auroras

In winter, the sky in the polar regions is often illuminated with green, yellowish, sometimes red light. These are the aurora borealis, in the north they are called "flashlights". The zone of particularly active auroras runs in the Northern Hemisphere along the northern coast of Norway, north of Murmansk, through Novaya Zemlya, Taimyr, Wrangel Island, across Northern Alaska, Canada and the southern tip of Greenland. The width of this zone is several hundred kilometers. This geographical distribution of auroras is associated with the Earth's magnetic field. Auroras are the electric glow of the upper atmosphere at an altitude of 80 to 1000 km. The glow occurs under the influence of electrons and protons emitted by the Sun ("solar wind"). Electrons play the main role in auroras. Getting into the Earth's magnetic field, electrons begin to move around the magnetic force lines. Closer to the poles, where the lines of force thicken, the electrons are "reflected" by the magnetic field back. Along the same power lines, they return to the upper atmosphere and begin to descend to the earth's surface in the other hemisphere. Approaching the Earth near the poles, electrons collide with molecules and atoms of atmospheric gases - nitrogen and oxygen - and give them their energy. This happens at about 100 km altitude. These gases create visible radiation - the aurora (similar to the glow of gas discharge lamps). Nitrogen molecules highlight the blue and violet lines of the spectrum, oxygen atoms - the green and red lines. In fact, each ray of the aurora is a luminous trail left by an avalanche of electrons, a kind of photograph of the Earth's magnetic field. Auroras occur at any time of the year, but, like stars, they are only visible in dark skies. During periods of increased solar activity, the auroras are significantly enhanced, then they can be observed in the middle latitudes.

The most beautiful time on Murman is autumn, especially September. After the first strong frosts, many plants acquire a bright color, creating pictures of absolutely fantastic beauty not only in the tundra, but also in the forests. So, birch leaves acquire a bright golden color, willow leaves become red. In the ground cover, the variety of colors is even greater. Blueberry leaves turn orange, lingonberry leaves remain green, lichens acquire a soft greenish tint. Blueberries and cloudberries give burgundy and brown coloring to wet areas, Swedish turf gives red and yellow. In autumn, temperatures drop very quickly, and often in late October the ground is already covered with snow.

Labyrinth "Babylon"

living world

The territory of the Murmansk region is located in two geographical zones - taiga and tundra, between which forest-tundra stretches in a narrow strip.

The forest zone occupies a little less than 80% of the area of ​​the peninsula. The forests here are sparse, light, the height of the trees does not exceed 10–12 m. Pine, spruce and birch grow. Spruce is concentrated mainly in the east and north, pine - in the west and south. Spruce and pine forests in their pure form are rare, usually there is an admixture of birch.

The most widespread on the Kola Peninsula are the so-called lichen pine forests, or white mosses. They grow on dry and poor soils (sands, stony placers). Lichen carpet covers from 50 to 90% of the soil surface. Heather, lingonberry, crowberry (veronica) grow from shrubs.

On richer, moderately moist soils, green moss pine forests grow, with a ground cover of green mosses. There is also a well-developed layer of blueberries, blueberries, crowberries, lingonberries. Often there are sphagnum pine forests. They occupy places with excessive moisture: in depressions, along the outskirts of swamps. In the ground cover - sphagnum mosses, cloudberries, wild rosemary, blueberries.

Spruce forests prefer medium moisture conditions and relatively rich soils. The most common spruce forests are green-mopsho-dwarf shrubs. Shrubs are dominated by crowberry, bilberry, blueberry.

Pure birch forests occupy significant areas in burnt areas and clearings; they also grow near rivers and streams.

Forest-tundra birch sparse forests are located in a narrow (from 20 to 100 km) strip between the tundra zone and sparse forests. The height of the birches here is 1.5–5 m, their trunks are twisted, intricately curved; they look like the trunks of fruit trees.

The tundra zone occupies about 20% of the region's territory. The tundra is also common in the forest zone along the sea coasts in a strip from several hundred meters to 20–30 km. In the coastal tundra, the crowberry usually dominates. In areas where snow protects plants in winter (in depressions, cracks, etc.), dwarf birch, crowberry, blueberry, and bearberry grow. In windy areas, where the snow lies in a very thin layer, lichens predominate; shrubs here are less developed and strongly pressed to the soil surface.

Plants in the tundra: the struggle for survival

The peculiar appearance of tundra vegetation is due to harsh climatic conditions. The growth and survival of plants in the North are hindered by strong winds, high humidity, low air and soil temperatures, excess ultraviolet radiation, and a short growing season. Living organisms of the polar regions in the process of evolution have adapted to these conditions.

Most tundra plants are perennials, and as you move north, the number of annual species decreases. For a short growing season, an annual plant may not have time to complete its development cycle. In the Far North, even perennials do not always have time to bear fruit, which often ripen only the next year after flowering. There are many evergreens in the tundra. Such plants can use sunlight as soon as they are free from under the snow, without wasting time and energy on the formation of new foliage. Many plants in the tundra grow in tufts (pillows) or spread along the ground, which enables them to better use the warmth of the soil in summer and the protection of snow cover in winter. Strong winter winds have a detrimental effect on plants, in which dry and hard snow flying over the surface destroys branches, peeling off the bark, dries and breaks them off. As a result, shrubs appear to be trimmed at the level of the snow cover.

The Kola Peninsula (Murman, Kola, Ter') is a peninsula in the north-west of the European part of Russia, in the Murmansk region. It is washed by the Barents and White seas.
The name comes from the common Finno-Ugric word KOL - fish, as fish are called by the Mari, Finns, Karelians, etc.
The area is about 100 thousand km².
In the western part are located (height up to 1200 m) and Lovozero tundra (height up to 1120 m). In the north - tundra vegetation, south of the forest-tundra and taiga.

view of the Kola Peninsula (in the distance) from Kishkin Island

The Kola Peninsula occupies a little less than 70% of the area of ​​the Murmansk region. The western border of the Kola Peninsula is defined by the meridional depression, which runs from the Kola Bay along the Kola River, Lake Imandra, the Niva River to the Kandalaksha Bay.

Until the beginning of the 20th century, only the northern coast of the peninsula was called Murman - from the Holy Nose to the Norwegian border, but later this concept expanded, and now it means the entire Kola Peninsula. The southern coast of the peninsula is historically divided into the Tersky and Kandalaksha coasts.

Geographical position
The Kola Peninsula is located in the far north of Russia. Almost the entire territory is located beyond the Arctic Circle.
In the north it is washed by the waters of the Barents Sea, in the south and east by the waters of the White Sea. The western boundary of the Kola Peninsula is the meridional depression, which runs from the Kola Bay along the valley of the Kola River, Lake Imandra and the Niva River to the Kandalaksha Bay. The area is about 100 thousand km².

Climate
The climate of the peninsula is varied. In the northwest, warmed by the warm North Atlantic Current, it is subarctic marine. Towards the center, east and southwest of the peninsula, continentality increases - here the climate is moderately cold. Average January-February temperatures range from minus 8 °C in the northwest of the peninsula to minus 14 °C in the center; July, respectively, from 8 °C to 14 °C. Snow falls in October and completely disappears only by mid-late May (in mountainous areas in early-mid June). Frosts and snowfall are possible in summer. Strong winds (up to 45-55 m/s) are frequent on the coast, and lingering blizzards in winter.

Hydrology
Many rivers flow through the Kola Peninsula: Ponoi (the longest river on the peninsula), Tuloma (the most full-flowing river of the peninsula), Varzuga, Kola, Yokanga, Teriberka, Voronya, Umba, etc.

There are a large number of lakes, the largest -
Imandra, Umbozero, Lovozero.

white nights on the White Sea Kola Peninsula

Geological structure
In the western part of the Kola Peninsula, which has a dissected relief, the territory reaches its highest heights. There are separate mountain ranges with flat tops, separated by depressions: Monchetundra, Khibiny and Lovozero tundra. Their heights reach 900-1000 m. The eastern half of the Kola Peninsula is characterized by a calmer undulating relief with prevailing heights of 150-250 m. Among the undulating plain rises the Keiva ridge (397 m), consisting of separate chains stretched from northwest to southeast along the central part of the peninsula.
The Kola Peninsula occupies the eastern part of the Baltic crystalline shield, in the geological structure of which thick strata of the Archean and Proterozoic take part. The Archaean is represented by highly metamorphosed and intensely dislocated gneisses and granites, in places cut through by pegmatite bodies. Proterozoic deposits are more diverse in composition—quartzites, crystalline schists, sandstones, marbles, and partly gneisses interbedded with greenstone rocks.

Minerals
In terms of the variety of mineral species, the Kola Peninsula has no analogues in the world. About 1000 minerals have been discovered on its territory - almost 1/3 of all known on Earth. About 150 minerals are found nowhere else. Deposits of apatite-nepheline ores (Khibiny), iron, nickel, platinum metals, rare earth metals, lithium, titanium, beryllium, building and jewelry and ornamental stones (amazonite, amethyst, chrysolite, garnet, jasper, iolite, etc.), ceramic pegmatites , micas (muscovite, phlogopite and vermiculite are the world's largest reserves).
In 1970, the Kola super-deep well was laid here. In 1994, its depth was a record 12,262 meters.

waterfall flowing into the Barents Sea

Relief and nature
The relief of the Kola Peninsula consists of depressions, terraces, mountains, and plateaus. The mountain ranges of the peninsula rise above sea level by more than 800 meters. The plains of the Kola Peninsula are occupied by swamps and numerous lakes. The peninsula is washed by the White and Barents Seas. The reservoirs of the peninsula and the seas washing it are rich in various fish.
The reservoirs are rich in fish: salmon and char, whitefish, trout, grayling, pike, etc. In the seas washing the peninsula, cod, flounder, halibut, capelin, herring, crab, and sea kale abound.

on the Kola Peninsula. The geological age is about 350 million years. The peaks are plateau-like, the slopes are steep with individual snowfields. At the same time, not a single glacier was found in the Khibiny. The highest point is Mount Yudychvumchorr (1200.6 m above sea level). In the center are the Kukisvumchorr and Chasnachorr plateaus.
At the foot are the cities of Apatity and Kirovsk. At the foot of Mount Vudyavrchorr is the Polar Alpine Botanical Garden-Institute.

Kola Peninsula on the border with Norway

LOVOZERA TUNDRA
The Lovozero tundra is a mountain range on the Kola Peninsula in the Murmansk region of Russia.
Located between Lovozero and Umbozero. The peaks are flat, rocky, up to 1120 meters high on Mount Angvundaschorr. There is no forest vegetation on the peaks. The slopes are steep, covered in the lower part with coniferous forests. Composed of nepheline syenites.
In the region of the mountain range there is the Lovozero deposit of rare earth metals, which has large reserves of tantalum, niobium, cesium, cerium and other metals, as well as zirconium raw materials (eudialyte). Numerous rare, sometimes unique, collection minerals have been discovered within the massif.
In the center of the massif is Seidozero, which, together with the adjacent gorges and mountain slopes, forms the Seidyavvr (Seydyavr) nature reserve. Not on the territory of the reserve are Raslak cirques - two geological formations, which are round bowls of glacial origin several kilometers in diameter with walls up to 250 meters high.
The mountain range of the Lovozero tundra has long been considered the "place of power" of the ancient Sami (Lapps). The ancient Saami seids found in these places have a high cultural and ethnographic value. Due to their unusual appearance, the circuses of Raslak have also been the subject of Sami legends and legends since ancient times, among them is the legend that these are the remains of temples built many centuries ago by giants. A new phase of legends began in the second half of the 20th century, when, in the wake of the ufology craze, it was believed that these circuses could be landing sites for alien spaceships.

Kola Bay, city of Murmansk

KOLA BAY
The Kola Bay is a narrow bay-fjord of the Barents Sea on the Murmansk coast of the Kola Peninsula.
Length - 57 km, width - up to 7 km, depth at the entrance - 200-300 meters. The water area of ​​the Kola Bay, in accordance with the features of the geomorphological structure, is divided into three parts (tribes): northern, middle, and southern. The first leg stretched from the mouth to Shurupov Island and Srednaya Bay, the second leg stretched from Srednyaya Bay to Capes Mishukov and Pinagoria (the narrowest point of the lip is located at Cape Velikiy), the third leg goes south for 9 miles and has a width of 400 to 800 sazhens (the narrowest place in this knee is at Abram-Pakhta).

The western coast is rocky steep, the eastern one is relatively gentle. The two largest rivers of the Kola Peninsula flow into the apex of the bay: the Tuloma and the Kola. The tides are semi-diurnal, up to 4 meters high. On the eastern shore of the bay there are ice-free ports of Murmansk and Severomorsk, on the western coast - the port of Polyarny. In 2005, a road bridge was opened across the bay.

KANDALAKSHSKAYA GAY
Kandalaksha Bay (Kandalaksky Bay, Karelian Kandalakši, Kandalahti - literally "the bay of the Kanda River") is one of the four largest bays of the White Sea, along with the Dvina Bay, Onega Bay and the Mezen Bay. Located in the Murmansk region and the Republic of Karelia in the northwest of Russia. Washes the southern coast of the Kola Peninsula.
There are hundreds of small skerry-type islands in the bay. The depth at the western tip reaches 300 m, the inner part is shallow. A place of mass nesting of the common eider of the White Sea population, other waterfowl and coastal birds, molting of drakes of diving ducks and mergansers and stopping of migratory birds. The Kandalaksha nature reserve is located in the water area of ​​the bay.
The city of Kandalaksha is located at the northwestern end of the bay on the shore of the Lupchi Bay.
The largest islands of the bay are Ryashkov, Oleniy, Volei, Veliky, Sidorov, Keret and Pezhostrov.

Lake Pai-Kunyavr Kola Peninsula

TOURIST OBJECTS OF THE KOLA PENINSULA
BOLSHAYA AND KOLVITSA, rivers in the Murmansk region. The large river (about 100 km long) flows out of B. Saigozero and flows into Lake Kolvitskoe. (area 121 sq. km), from which the Kolvitsa originates (length 12 km), which flows into the Kandalaksha Hall. Bely m. Wed. water consumption in Kolvitsa in summer is 25-40 m3/s. Along the banks of the rivers there are pine and mixed forests. At the mouth of the Kolvitsa - the village. Kolvitsa.
Both rivers are available for rafting from the middle of June to the end of August from the source of the Bolshaya to the mouth of the Kolvitsa. The length of the rafting section (including according to B. Saygozer) is approx. 127 km, rafting duration 8-10 days. It is possible to extend the route along the Kandalaksha Bay to the town of Kandalaksha (30 km). In the riverbed Large - stretch, rapids dl. 1-1.5 km (difficult to overcome by wiring in dry years), shallow rapids (below Lake Verkhnee). On the lake Kolvitskoye has many small rocky islands. In the channel of Kolvitsa - rapids, two waterfalls high. 3 and 6 m. Rafting on kayaks, along the river. Big - 2 COP, along the river. Kolvitsa - 4 KS.

"VIRMA", tour. hotel (IV) in the Murmansk region, in the village. Lovozero. Created in 1987. Building for 75 people (rooms for 4 people); tour. office, rental. Serving tourists water, hiking and skiing routes; excursions to the museum of Sami life, to reindeer breeders. x-va. (p. 201)

"WOLF TUNDRA", shelter of TG "Khibiny" in the Murmansk region. (Kirovskiy district). Located in the foothills of the Khibiny. Building for 60 seats. Accommodation of tourists walking and skiing routes. (p. 212)

Lake Imandra Kola Peninsula

IMANDRA, a lake on the Kola Peninsula, in the Murmansk region. Pl. 876 sq. km. Depth up to 67 m. East. the shore is slightly dissected, the western one has many bays (lips). St. 140 islands. It consists of 3 parts: northern - large I., central - Iokostravskaya I., western - Babinskaya I. It flows into approx. 20 tributaries; river flows out. Niva. With the creation in 1936 on the river. Niva HPP-1 lake turned into a reservoir. To the north - west. coast - the city of Monchegorsk, from which tourists make foot and water (on rowing boats - boats and whaleboats) trips along I. and its banks. (p. 261)

"KINERIM", shelter of TG "Tuloma" in the Murmansk region, 32 km from the village. Tuloma. House for 30 people, kitchen. Accommodation of tourists of the ski route. (p. 291)

KIROVSK (until 1934 Khibinogorsk, renamed in honor of S.M. Kirov), a city (since 1931) in the Murmansk region, in the spurs of the Khibiny, on Lake. B. Woodyavr; railroad Art. 43.5 thousand inhabitants The history of K. is associated with the name of Acad. A.E. Fersman, under the leadership and with the participation of whom in the 1920s. in Khibiny, apatite-nepheline deposits were discovered. In modern K .: extraction and enrichment of apatite-nepheline ores (PA "Apatit"). House-Museum of Kirov (in the house where in 1929, under his leadership, a plan was developed for the development of the apatite deposit). Mineralogical and petrographic museum. The world's northernmost polar-alpine botanist. garden (on Mount Vudyavrchorr). TG "Khibiny", tour. club. K. is the starting and ending point of many others. hiking and skiing routes in the Khibiny and Lovozero Tundras. (p. 294)

"LAPLAND", tour. hotel (II) in the Murmansk region, in the city of Monchegorsk. Created in 1972. 9-storey building for 333 people (rooms for 2 and 3 people); tour. office, rental. Servicing tourists of linear and radial routes; hiking in the Khibiny, water - on the lake. Imandra, skiing (lifts available); city ​​tours, to Kirovsk. Shelter "Khibiny tundra". (p. 322)

LOVOZERO, a lake on the Kola Peninsula, in the Murmansk region. Located east of the Lovozero Tundra mountain range. Pl. St. 200 sq. km, length 45 km, max. lat. 9 km, deep. up to 35 m. The coastline is heavily indented; OK. 140 wooded islands. Fall rr. Sergevan, Kurga, Afanasia, Tsaga, Sarah. River flows out. Voronya, flowing into the Barents m.; With the construction of the Serebryanskaya hydroelectric power station on it in 1970, L. was turned into a reservoir. Connected river. Seydiok with Seydozer, having preim. rocky shores. On L. - s. Lovozero.
The most favorable time for water T. kayaking is from mid-June to the end of August. The most popular routes: 1) up the river. Kurga (40 km) to Efimozero, further along the river. Lenyavr (15 km) to the system of Lenyavr lakes, from where it is dragged (9-12 km) to the Porosozer or Kelmozer system: then you can raft along the rapids river. Iokanga (200 km), which flows into the Barents Sea (14-16 days, 4 KS).

2) Up the river. Athanasius (40 km), then dragged dl. 6 km to the river. Koyniyok and rafting along it and the river. Ponoi (200 km), flowing into the Barents Cape. The last 100 km of Ponoi are rapids (18-20 days, 3 CS). 3) Up the river. Tsaga (45 km), then dragging dl. 4 km to the river. Pan and rafting along it and the river. Varzuga (180 km), which flows into the Beloye m. (14-16 days, 2 KS). For the tourist are interesting: waterfall vys. 10 m on the river. Arenga, the right tributary of the river. Varzuga; with. Varzuga, founded in the 12th century. 4) Up the river. Sara (20 km) to Saranchozero, from where they dragged dl. 4 km to Punchozero, from which a winding and rocky river flows. Puncha (12 km), flowing into Umbozero. In the riverbed Sarah has some difficult climbing rapids (5-7 days, 2 CS).

Barents Sea

MURMANSK (until 1917 Romanov-on-Murman), a city, the center of the Murmansk region, an ice-free port on the Kola Bay. Barents m.; railroad Art. 468 thousand inhabitants Main in 1916 in connection with the construction of the Murmansk railway. and the creation of a port. In 1918-20 it was occupied by the troops of the Entente and the White Guards. Since 1921 the center of the Murmansk province, since 1927 - the Murmansk district of the Leningrad region, since 1938 the region. Centre. During the Great Fatherland. During the war, the port of Murmansk played an important role in supplying the country and the army. In modern M .: fish and fish processing, ship repair, building materials industry. The base of the trawl herring and receiving-transp. fleets. M. - the starting point of the North. sea way. 2 universities. 3 theatres. Local History. and Voen.-mor. museum of Sev. Fleet. Monuments: to the victims of the intervention of 1918-20, to the defenders of the Arctic (1974); Hero of the Owls Union A.F. Bredov; in honor of the 6th Guards Battery, soldiers-builders, Severomorians, port workers, etc.

"ROSSOMAHA", shelter of TG "Tuloma" in the Murmansk region, 14 km from the shelter "Viim" and 29 km from the village. Tuloma. House for 30 people. Accommodation of tourists of the ski route. (p. 417)

"TULOMA", tour. base (III, IV) in the Murmansk region, in the village. Verkhnetulomsky, 80 km from Murmansk (bus service). Created in 1973. Building and cottages for 106 people (rooms for 2-5 people); tour. office, rental. Servicing tourists on local routes; water, ski trips; excursions to the Verkhnetulomskaya hydroelectric power station and natural history. Shelters "Viim", "Kinerim", "Shelter 350", "Wolverine". (p. 475)

Kolvitskaya Bay Kola Peninsula

UMBA, a river in the Murmansk region Length 123 km, avg. water discharge at the mouth is 78.2 cubic meters per second (twice as much in July). It flows out of the Umbozero, flows through the Cabbage Lakes, Kanozero, flows into the Beloye m. Along the banks of the U. and Umbozero there are coniferous and mixed forests; in the bottom flow - population. points Pogost, Umba, Lesnoy.
Available for rafting from the middle of June to the end of August from the source to the village. Graveyard. The length of the rafting section is approx. 108 km, rafting duration 57 days. There are many rapids in the channel, the most difficult are "Padun" and "Kanozersky" (carry-over). Rafting on kayaks (3 COP). Of interest is the water route along the banks of the Umbozero (length 50 km, maximum width 13 km) with radial exits to the Khibiny and Lovozero Tundras; to sowing parts of Umbozero fall from st. Kuna along channels and lakes with partial portages. Possible portage dl. 7 km from the upper river. Kitsa, which flows into the south. part of Umbozero, up to the river. Pan and further rafting along it and the river. Varzuga.

"69th PARALLEL" tour. hotel (II) in Murmansk. Created in 1973. 5-storey building for 246 people (rooms for 2 and 3 people); tour. office, chairlift. Servicing tourists of linear and radial routes and foreigners. tourists; Hiking, ski trips, skiing, city tours, to Kola, Monchegorsk. Shelter "Zapolyarny". (p. 524)

HYPERBOREA - a legendary area, an ideal country in its structure, located, according to Greek myths, in the far north, "beyond Boreas". Hyperborea was especially loved by Apollo, where he often went in a chariot drawn by swans. The inhabitants of the country - the Hyperboreans, as well as the Ethiopians, feaks, lotophages, were among the peoples close to the gods and loved by them. Usually Hyperborea is associated with the northern country - Russia, and Hyperborea - with the Slavs and Russians. Although the description of a society that is ideal in all respects allows us to say that, perhaps, in the legends about Hyperborea, we are talking about some now unknown country or even about a forgotten area or mainland, which makes these legends related to the stories about Belovodye and Arctida (see.) .
Due to the uncertainty of the "status" of Hyperborea, it is very difficult to talk about its even approximate location. Various researchers are engaged in theoretical research in this area, and searches on the spot are mainly carried out by the Hyperborea expedition led by V.N. Demin, who is assisted by various groups, including those belonging to the Kosmopoisk association.

Rybachy Peninsula

NORTH LABYRINTHS (Babylons) - ancient artificial structures made of stones laid out in the form of concentric spiral paths along the shores of the Barents, White and Baltic Seas. Their total number in Russia reaches about 500 pieces, their diameter is from 5 to 30 m. The locals call labyrinths "Babylons". Labyrinths are located, as a rule, on islands, peninsulas or in the mouths of rivers, they are found singly or in groups (as on the Solovetsky Islands). Sometimes heaps of stones or walls of boulders are located next to the labyrinths.
At some labyrinths, sites of an ancient person were found, dated to the end of the first millennium BC. Labyrinths were built, apparently, not only by the Sami, but also by some earlier tribal groups (as in the area of ​​​​the village of Keret on the Krasnaya Luda peninsula).
Who and why built the labyrinths is unknown. The Saami believed that the labyrinths were built in honor of seids - deities, associating them with idols, attributing their construction to historical or mythical figures (giants or dwarfs).
Neither Russian nor Norwegian scientists, who are also studying their own labyrinths, have not come to a consensus on the purpose of the labyrinths. Several hypotheses have been put forward:
1) "A place of entertainment and cult round dances." It is really convenient to walk along the stone walls, but it is not clear how the long round dance should move when the first one in the line reaches the center of the spiral, i.e. to a dead end.
2) "Magic calendar or computer". Moving, according to special rules, along the walls of the labyrinth, the shaman allegedly could predict the exact number of days in the current year, the date of the onset of spring, eclipse, etc. One way or another, but the knowledge of some knowledge encrypted in the stone could not only contribute to the work of the shaman, but also give him even greater authority in the eyes of ignorant spectators.
3) "Protective networks". They were intended to confuse the souls of the dead so that they could not return to the living.
4) "Magic fishing nets". Comparing the designs of the labyrinths with the fishing structures of the “venter” or “hidden” type, which were used in the middle of the 20th century, some scientists suggested that the labyrinths served for magical rites to provide marine fisheries.
5) "Traps for fish". It has been suggested that at low tides, bottom fish did not have time to find a way out of the labyrinths and remained lying on stony soil - to the delight of local fishermen. Since the labyrinths are connected not just with the sea coast, but with the places richest in fish, the version about the commercial and fishing nature of the labyrinths sounds the most convincing. There is also a counter-argument - some of the labyrinths are built too far from the water and are not flooded during high tides.
Which of the versions is true - there are still disputes among local historians and historians about this. By analogy with the ancient labyrinths, similar structures are sometimes built in our time (one of the remake labyrinths is on Arkaim, the second is on the Medveditskaya ridge). One way or another, but for tourists traveling to the northern Russian regions, labyrinths are one of their favorite places.

lake in the Kunijoka river valley

ICE NORTHERN DAM

MEGALITHES are presumably religious structures made of huge unprocessed or semi-processed stone blocks, installed and built in a special order and geographically located mainly in the Caucasus and Western Europe, as well as in the Mediterranean. They are divided into dolmens, cromlechs and menhirs (see "Mengirs"). The mystery of the origin of megaliths has long been of concern to mankind.

LAKE SVETLOE (Kola) - a body of water in the center of the Kola Peninsula, according to local residents, the alleged residence of snowmen. There are not so many real facts "for". Among the latest cases is the real find of Pavel Yuryevich TIKHONKIKH, who at the end of June 1999, during an independent raid in the mountains of the center of the Kola Peninsula, 10-15 km east of Lake Svetloe, picked up gray hair from a tree, presumably belonging to Bigfoot. The hair was submitted for examination.

Varzuga river

KOLDUN ISLAND (Magic Island) is a small mysterious island on Lovozero on the Kola Peninsula, where a number of mysterious phenomena take place. The island has the shape of a crescent, and the coast in this sickle is covered with amazingly clean and high-quality sand. On the Sorcerer, a Bigfoot was observed several times, a poltergeist was "registered" in one hut, other inexplicable events are observed. The island probably also contains an anomalous zone.
One of the eyewitnesses who encountered the inexplicable on the island was the doctor V. Strukov, who, after graduating from the academy in 1975, ended up serving in the air unit in Severomorsk. In the winter of 1976/77, he went fishing with friends and colleagues. This is how he describes the story that happened: “I had to witness very strange, almost tragic events on Lovozero, on the sacred island of Koldun. It was necessary to swim about 40 kilometers to the island. We went on 4 boats, but one motor immediately broke down, and a specialist mechanic for some reason I could not fix the breakdown. We replaced the motor with a new one, but after 5-10 kilometers another one breaks down ... I had to return. They say - take a local Lapp and his motor with you. We take a very drunk Lapp and his ancient motor. Since I performed the duties of a doctor, then I sat next to our guide and very often at his request (when the engine began to stall) poured him pure alcohol. For this he told me the legend about this island and lake. According to him, the island serves as a haven for all local residents and saves from starvation: huge pine trees grow there, a lot of mushrooms, berries and fish (there is even trout).You won’t die of hunger and cold here - but you can’t take anything with you from there ...
We caught red fish there - brown trout, trout, whitefish, gathered mushrooms and berries and dined together. It was a pleasant, clear, warm evening. We got together on the way back. This is where it all started. A real hurricane has risen, not a single sight is visible. One motor stalled. They began to sink, the wave was already covering the board. They moved from a stalled boat, it turned out to be an overload - even worse. I have already decided that no one will survive. And then our Lapp ordered to throw everything caught and collected overboard. We carried out the order, but the hurricane was getting stronger. We tried to bail out water with an empty container, but it was practically useless: the wave was too high. There was no point in rowing either - nothing could be seen two meters away ... Then the Lapp says that not everything, they say, was thrown away - look. One colonel found in his pocket a pebble the size of a pigeon's egg, transparent, beautiful, even - he picked it up on the shore, put it in his pocket and forgot it. Immediately, this pebble was thrown overboard. We all expected a miracle from this stone - and literally in 10-15 seconds everything calmed down, absolute calm set in, the sky shone, and we sat wet to the skin in half-flooded boats and were afraid to look into each other's eyes "... [" Science and religion ", 1998, No. 8, p. 39].
How to get to Koldun:
by train (direction "Moscow - Murmansk") to Olenegorsk; further by bus and by motorboat along Lovozero. Only with a local guide and an escort from Kosmopoisk! There is a map of the area in Cosmopoisk.

PETROGLYPHS (from the Greek petros - "stone", glyphe - "carving", "Drawing on a stone") - rock carvings, most often - images of animals, birds, fish, boats, people carved on a vertical or horizontal surface of coastal rocks smoothed by a glacier , fantastic and incomprehensible signs. Behind every drawing or behind every detail of a drawing lies a deep meaning, these symbols, before appearing on the rocks, should have appeared in the minds of people.
The figures on the surface of the rock are carved in different ways: some are deep (to a depth of 2-3 mm) and roughly, their edges are uneven, with numerous notches. Others are carved with strong but less frequent blows, so that areas with an untouched surface remain. In some of the deep drawings, the entire surface of the silhouette is carefully smoothed. Images are most often static, but in some cases there are attempts to convey movement. The sizes are most often 20-50 cm, but sometimes up to 3 m.
The drawings are located in very beautiful places and, as it were, on the border of three worlds: water, air and earth. Drawing drawings and communicating with them was an integral part of some important religious rites and ceremonies. Probably, rock carvings are a kind of iconostasis, in which the understanding of the world by primitive people is captured in mythological form. It is possible that magical actions, spells and sacrifices were performed on the rock carvings or next to them.

waterfall on the Arenga river

NORTHERN DISSOLVE - a hypothetical supergiant meteorite crater. Exploring the shapes and sizes of two opposite geological formations on the globe (the Arctic Ocean and Antarctica), scientists found that their contours are almost identical, and it was assumed that the Arctic Ocean is a giant meteorite crater. Perhaps the asteroid, crashing into the North Pole, and pushed through the earth's crust.

SEID - ritual man-made tours-idols, made of stones or less often - of wood. The cult of seids was common to all Lapland, one of the main features of the Lappish religion. Seid (seide, seyte, saivo) in Sami means a sacred stone. The Lopar word "seid" means "deity"; so they called natural "things" that became the object of worship, they say that seids by their nature, so to speak, are evil, so they need to be appeased. According to some beliefs of the Saami, the souls of the dead moved into man-made seids, and these souls do not like it when someone disturbs their peace.
The seids are set on gentle rocky slopes, from which the sea and places of fishing and hunting are clearly visible. Seid could be a natural boulder or rock, or an artificial structure of several stones.

LEGENDS AND LEGENDS OF THE KOLA PENINSULA
251. Anika
In the Kola Bay, about fifty versts from Kola, there is a tiny island of Anikiev. Between them and mother salma, not too big. Tutotki is now a camp for people, nicknamed Ship's Lip.
Once upon a time there lived and was a hero Anika. This Anika had a boat, and on the ship Anika rode around the sea-okiyanu. Who knows - why he went there for the sake of it: go not for a good deed. In the winters, Anika went away somewhere, and in the summers he came to this island ... But he happens to be here, and he lived here. It would be something if Anika didn’t offend good people - otherwise, no: as spring falls and crafts begin, Anika is already right here on the island walking on it and waiting for the industrialists. You see, it was established with him that every industrial ship, if it goes from the sea with a load home or somewhere to the camp, it would turn to the island and give part of the fishing to Anika the bogatyr - so, “live well”, no worries, nothing. The Orthodox have been dishonored, but why are you going to do something with a villain? Don’t give back kindly, he’ll take it by force, and if anything, he won’t leave him alive. For a long time this custom was carried on and there was no trial or reprisal against Anika.
Once, at the usual time, the industrialists went to the tees to fish. In the hustle and bustle, they did not even notice how a young boy approached them. Well, he came up and bowed respectfully to the feeder and his comrades, bowed and then said:
- Take me, comrades, with you to fish, I, - he says, - will be your bait if you like.
The feeder looked at the guy, he sees that the guy is unfamiliar, then he says that they have bait, and a rower, and an angler for their tees, that it’s not worth taking an extra person, it’s crowded, you see, you’ll be. But the guy did not lag behind and ended up with the feeder.
- Well, if you are hungry, - says the feeder, - let's sit down, yes, blessing, and let's go.
Here comes the trio. God gave such a craft, which has not happened for a long time. We loaded a full tee with fish and drove back. They go, - and Anikiev Island is not enough. According to custom, it was necessary to stick to him to allocate a share to the hero Anika. Arriving at the island, the industrialists unloaded the fish ashore and began to make it, that is, cut off heads, gut, and so on. They entrusted this occupation to the taken guy. The case boiled in his hands to the surprise of all his comrades. Having dressed up with the fish, the guy took off his váchego and asked the oarsman to rinse them in the water. He soon returned and handed over the váchegi; but the lad, looking at them, told the rower that he did not squeeze the water out of them, and immediately, having said this, he twisted the waggons in his hands so that they burst. His comrades gasped in amazement at the sight of such a terrible force and thought to themselves that this was not for nothing, that their bait was not an ordinary person.
At that moment, the hero Anika appeared on the shore.
- Hey you, - he yelled, - give it here, what do you have there! ..
- Eco guy, you see what you want! cried a young comrade of industrialists, turning to Anika. - Not attacked such; leave well, or else ...
- And what? ha ha ha! Anika chuckled. - You're such a joker. However, I see you don't know me. Go away yourself, otherwise I'll thrash you so hard that you won't even pick up the bones.
But the young man, as if not hearing Anika's threats, approached him.
“Hey, brother,” the hero shouted, “yes, I see you are fierce: didn’t you plan to fight with me.
At that moment, the young guy attacked the hero. Clutching hand and hand, intertwining their legs, the two opponents began a strange struggle, rolling like a wheel, getting up on their heads and back on their feet. They disappeared from the eyes of the astonished industrialists, who were waiting for a denouement. Soon a mysterious young man came to them: calmness and importance were expressed on his face.
- Thank God! - he said, turn to the industrialists. - Now your villain no longer exists; from now on, no one will dare to appropriate your crafts. God with you! Sorry.
Having said this, the young man disappeared. Now they show a bunch of stones on the island - this is the grave of a terrible hero.

253. "Master" camp
There was one like that on Murman, he came on his own line, and until he was hunted, he did not allow anyone to hunt. So it was a long time, until one baiter came to the fishery. And said:
- I won't give him a single fish!
The owner of his ship and the rest of the fishermen said:
- What you! He will kill us all.
“He won’t kill anyone, and I won’t give a single fish.
When he came, the baiter refused to give the fish. The one on him - the baiter returned him, overcame him so much that he asked:
Let me go alive, I'll never come again.
And so it was. Who was the baiter and where - is unknown. The same baiter that the owner had, he gave him the váchegi to pinch. The baiter asked:
- How to pinch, dry or wet?
The owner said drier. He tore the mittens in two and handed them over. The owner was on him, and he only slammed him on the head with a cookie, and he sat down. Since then, I didn’t force him to squeeze out any mittens, nothing.

settlement Kovda, White Sea

255. Foreign giant
A giant came to Pechenga from some countries, took away the first catch from the industrialists. And when he loads the ship with fish, his eyes are saturated with wealth, then he allows them to trade. And who, if he does not give a catch, then killed.
Once a small man came, he began to ask the workers to come to court:
- I don't need a salary, but only to feed.
I went around many ships, but no one wanted to take that vagrant person. Finally, they took one ship, and he turned out to be very understanding: no matter what work they show, you don’t need to show it another time.
Here the industrialists began to wait for the giant, they are afraid to catch one fish before him. So he came, and this man says to his master:
Let me fight him!
Everyone was horrified, but he told the giant not to wait for the fish this year, and invited him to fight. He lifted the giant and threw him on a stone, that he did not move his foot or hand anymore.
- That's all your monster!
Then he told his master that his whole family would live not in wealth, but in satiety, wished all the industrialists to live happily, went down from the ship and went to the Pechenga Bay.

Kolvitsky lake, midnight, white nights

271. Sunken bells of Kokkov monastery
There was a rich monastery (Kokkov Monastery. - N.K.). The brethren counted more than three hundred people. Wealth - knows how much. The monks did not know how to count them. What are these utensils, what is gold, semi-precious stone, and you can’t count them! .. Cattle, land - well, like none of Solovki ...
There was this, there was a monastery - and suddenly there was a rumor that the Swede was going to her. The monks have now driven their cattle into the mountains, buried all their treasures, thrown the bells into the river and covered them with stones. And until now, at the bottom of the Niva River, in Kuyka, one can see the ears of a large bell ... Then they began to pray to God. Wait, wait ... The enemy comes - the liturgy was going on in the monastery. The Swede didn't get it. He killed all the monks. The priest comes out with gifts - his horn, the deacon too. Only they forgot to strangle one elder, so the Lord gave him such strength that after that he alone buried all three hundred monks and himself numbered on the covered grave. The Swedes burned the monastery and went home ...
And it still seems to be different. On winter nights, you can hear exactly singing, such a consonant, but ancient. The old people say that there were different visions here, but the time is not like that now, the righteous are not ...
Because, you see, you have coffee on the table; and something is shown to drink coffee ... There is one book, it describes very well about coffee, what a sin it is and what harm it is to the soul ... Well, there is also about tobacco ... Do you tail in the bath ? Do you tail with a broom? Oh, boy, don’t tail and go ahead, because fornication means a great sin before God - you please the flesh! Why not wash yourself, and the Mother of God washed herself out, there is this in the book ... it's not a sin, it's appropriate.

Lake Umbozero

296. British attacks on Pomeranian villages and the Solovetsky Monastery
Here - well, let it be a little over a hundred years old - an Englishwoman came in, began to ruin the local coast. I came here, and they ran all over the village, and they left for ten kilometers, they left for Prilutsk Ruchey. Fyokla's father was just born, they went there to be baptized and left.
Well, the Englishwoman came, and everyone who had any kind of flintlock gun got it, and the peasants went to the shore. And they lined up, and they went in a boat from the steamer, and the peasants shot at them several times, otherwise they didn’t shoot: they didn’t kill so much as robbed, where the cow, what else. Well, the boat went, ours fired, they bowed their heads, lowered their oars and went back to the ship; they ruined so much here!
And they came further, to Strelna - a small village, but like fog, it seems to them that it is a big city - they began to shoot and shoot. And there everyone ran away into the forests - well, an Englishwoman came in, shivered, and so they all ran away. And they fired and fired. As the fog rolled in, they see - a small village. The Englishwoman says (and as if the woman was there, not the man): "Damn you, the town, burned all the powder!"
Well, then they went to Umba, there they began at the mouth. Formerly, steamboats also entered the mouth of the Umba. It burned there; men also gathered, who has a gun ...
Then she went to the Solovetsky Monastery. On the eve of Kazanskaya came and began to shoot.
(I myself was in the monastery, I was fired three times - so the cores there are the size of a human head; so the fences are there, and the cores are collected in heaps. And as far as the core fell, there is a black spot on the walls).
Well, how much she fired and fired, she could not break anything. And so many seagulls flew in, like a cloud; and this ship is ..... and completely, and they left the monastery.
And so they began to believe in these seagulls in the monastery, and they did not allow any of the pilgrims to offend the seagulls.
And she, an Englishwoman, began to pay tribute every year, until these times began, until this coup; every year she carried Dutch coal on the steamer.
Somewhere, they said, she took some bulls and cows, but it was there, further, but here she could not do anything.

303. Rapid on the river Kovda and the Swedes
Long time ago<...>some people made their way along the Kovda River to plunder from Finland, must be Swedes<...>. These people had already come close to the village, but a man was found who saved his village from the looting that was coming to him.
To get to the village, the Swedes had to go down the threshold, and this man undertook to be their guide. Enemy children<...>they got into a boat and quickly rushed down the river, when suddenly, completely unexpectedly for them, they were left to their own devices a few fathoms from the threshold. The resourceful guide left them at the most critical moment, quickly jumping out of the boat onto the coastal rock, when it was rounding the above-mentioned arcuate shore. The enemies had not yet had time to recover from amazement and horror, as they were carried away to the threshold, where their inevitable death awaited.
<...>on the shore, immediately beyond the threshold, forty mittens were thrown ...

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SOURCE OF MATERIAL AND PHOTO:
Team Nomads
http://skazmurman.narod.ru/
Vasilyeva N. This is a circus! // Evening Murmansk: newspaper. - Murmansk, 2011. - No. October 21, 2011.
Pekov IV Lovozersky massif: history of research, pegmatites, minerals. - M., 2001. - S. 32.
http://www.lovozero.ru/
Mysteries of the Kola Peninsula
http://www.russiadiscovery.ru/
Wikipedia site
http://100chudes.rf/
http://www.photosight.ru/