Murmansk

Murmansk is a port city and the administrative center of Murmansk Oblast in the far northwest part of Russia. It is the world's largest city north of the Arctic Circle and sits on both slopes and banks of Kola Bay, with its bulk on the east bank of the inlet. The bay is a modest fjord and an estuarine inlet of the Barents Sea.

The city is a major port of the Arctic Ocean and is about 100 kilometres (62 mi) from the border with Norway, 180 kilometres (110 mi) from the border with Finland, and 1,930 kilometres (1,200 mi) from Moscow. Being a non-freezing port due to the warm North Atlantic Current, Murmansk resembles cities of its size across western Russia, with highway and railway access to the rest of Europe, and the northernmost trolleybus system on Earth.

Murmansk grew substantially throughout the twentieth century, particularly after World War II during the Cold War arms race. Murmansk's population has been in decline since the end of the Cold War, from 468,039 (1989 Soviet census) to 270,384 (2021 Census).

Etymology

The name "Murmansk" comes from the word "Murman," an old Russian term for people from Norway. This name is likely borrowed from an old Norse word, and it was used for the area known as the Murman Coast and the nearby Kola Peninsula.

History

Murmansk was the last city founded in the Russian Empire. In 1915, because of World War I, they built part of the Kirov Railway, a railroad from Petrozavodsk to a spot on the Murman Coast in the Russian Arctic. Russia’s allies used this spot to send military supplies. This place grew quickly from a small station into a busy port and town, soon becoming bigger than nearby towns like Alexandrovsk and Kola.

In 1916, leaders asked to make this settlement an official town, and it was named Romanov-on-Murman after the royal family. In 1917, after big changes in Russia, the town was renamed Murmansk. During World War I and the Russian Civil War, the town was controlled by different groups, including British and other outside forces.

Murmansk became an important place during World War II. The port was used to send supplies to help the Soviet Union from its allies. German and Finnish forces tried to capture Murmansk but failed because of strong Soviet defense and tough weather. The city was bombed many times but kept standing. In 1985, Murmansk was honored as a Hero City for its brave resistance.

In later years, Murmansk grew and became a key spot for Russian naval activities. A tall statue called Alyosha was put up in 1974 to honor soldiers from World War II. A big hotel named the Hotel Arctic opened in 1984. In 2015, the nearby area of Roslyakovo was added to Murmansk.

Administrative and municipal status

Within the framework of administrative divisions, Murmansk is incorporated as the City of Murmansk—an administrative unit with the status equal to that of the districts. As a municipal division, the City of Murmansk is incorporated as Murmansk Urban Okrug.

City divisions

As of 2012, the city is divided into three administrative okrugs:

• Leninsky (Ленинский (Lenin))
• Oktyabrsky (Октябрьский (October))
• Pervomaysky (Первомайский (First May))

City districts were established in Murmansk for the first time by the Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the Russian SFSR of 20 April 1939. Later, they were abolished and re-established several times over the years. Today, these areas are known as administrative okrugs. The main square of the city is Five Corners, Murmansk.

Geography

Climate

Murmansk has a cold climate with long, freezing winters and short, cool summers. From October to May, temperatures often drop below freezing. The coldest part of winter can reach about −14 °C, though it can feel even colder. Summers are mild, with temperatures in July averaging around 17 °C.

The city experiences the midnight sun from late May to mid-July, when the sun never sets. In winter, there is a period of polar night when the sun does not rise at all. Murmansk has noticed warmer temperatures in recent years, like many places in the Arctic.

Demographics

The city of Murmansk had a population of 307,257 people in 2010, with 141,130 men and 166,127 women. This number is much lower than the 468,039 people who lived there in 1989, after the collapse of the Soviet Union. Many people left because the city had large military bases that were no longer needed.

Most people in Murmansk are Russians, but there are also smaller groups of Ukrainians, Belarusians, Tatars, and Azerbaijanis, along with other groups.

Politics

In November 2010, the city stopped having direct mayoral elections. They brought them back in January 2014, but a new law changed how mayors are chosen. Now, mayors are selected by a group of representatives called the Council of Deputies.

As of November 2025, the mayor of Murmansk is Ivan Lebedev. He became mayor after the Council picked him from two candidates in July 2025, when the former mayor, Yuri Serdechkin, left his position. Ivan Lebedev served as the temporary leader of the city from July until he was officially chosen as mayor.

Museums and monuments

Murmansk has two main museums: Murmansk Oblast Museum and Murmansk Oblast Art Museum, along with several smaller museums. The city also has three professional theaters, libraries, and an aquarium. One special attraction is the decommissioned Lenin, which has been turned into a museum ship. The large Alyosha Monument, honoring those who defended the Soviet Arctic during a big war, stands high above the city.

Culture

Murmansk has three professional theaters. The oldest is the Murmansk Puppetry, which opened in 1933. The largest is the Murmansk Regional Drama Theater, which opened in 1939. Another theater, the Drama Theater of the Northern Fleet, opened in 1946.

The unofficial anthem of Murmansk is "My Beloved Arctic". Since 2012, it has been played at the train station to welcome arriving trains. Since 2007, it is also played every hour in Murmansk’s main square.

Sports

Murmansk has exciting sports teams and events! There is a football team called FC Sever Murmansk, which played until 2014, and a newer team called FC Murmansk started in 2022.

The city also has a bandy team named Murman. They play in a big stadium called Stadium Stroitel, which can hold 5,000 fans. Murmansk hosts special sports events like the North Festival Polar Olympiad, which has been held every year since 1934. Countries like Norway, Finland, and Sweden also join in these fun competitions.

Religion

To celebrate the 85th anniversary of the city's founding, a beautiful white church called the Church of the Saviour on the Waters was built. It looks like famous old buildings from White Monuments of Vladimir and Suzdal and stands by the water for the sailors of Murmansk.

Murmansk has many religious groups, with the biggest one being the Russian Orthodox Church. The city is an important place for this church, with several Orthodox churches, including St. Nicholas Cathedral.

Economy

Media

Murmansk has an evening newspaper called Vecherniy Murmansk, which has been published since 1991.

Transportation

The Port of Murmansk is important because it stays ice-free all year thanks to the warm North Atlantic Current. It is a key place for fishing and shipping. The port is also where Sevmorput, which looks after the Northern Sea Route, has its headquarters. In 2018, the Russian government gave the main job for the Northern Sea Route to Rosatom. This company looks after Russia’s nuclear-powered icebreaker ships from Murmansk through its Atomflot part.

Murmansk connects to St. Petersburg by the Kirov Railway and to the rest of Russia by the M18 Kola Motorway. Murmansk Airport offers flights to Moscow and St. Petersburg.

Local travel is done by buses and electric trolleybuses.

Arctic Bridge

Murmansk is planned to be the Russian end of the Arctic Bridge. This is a sea route that will connect it to the Canadian port of Churchill in Manitoba. Even though this route has not been fully tested for regular shipping yet, Russia is very interested in it. The Arctic Bridge could become an important trade path between North America, Europe and Asia.

Education

Murmansk has many places for learning, including Murmansk State Technical University and Murmansk Arctic State University. There are also special schools for arts, as well as many primary and secondary schools. Cadets can study to become officers of the Russian Navy at a branch of the Naval Academy here.

Twin towns – sister cities

See also: List of twin towns and sister cities in Russia

Murmansk has friendly connections with several cities around the world, called "twin towns" or "sister cities." These include:

• Luleå, Sweden (since 1972, but paused because of events in 2022)
• Vadsø, Norway (since 1973)
• Jacksonville, United States (since 1975)
• Groningen, Netherlands (since 1989)
• Alanya, Turkey (since 2014)
• Minsk, Belarus (since 2014)
• Harbin, China (since 2016)

Notable people

Murmansk has been home to many talented people from different fields. Some famous individuals include Nikita Alexeev, an ice hockey player, and Vitaliy Nikolayevich Bubentsov, a well-known Russian artist. Aleksey Goman is a popular pop singer, while Kate Grigorieva and Irina Kovalenko have both been successful models. Valentina Gunina is a chess grandmaster, and Halyna Hutchins was a respected cinematographer and journalist. Other notable people from Murmansk include ice hockey players Vladimir Konstantinov, Alexei Semenov, Konstantin Volkov, and Sergey Subbotin, who also served as the city's mayor. The list also includes athletes like Larisa Kruglova, a sprinter, Irina Malgina, a biathlete, and Elizaveta Nazarenkova, a rhythmic gymnast from Uzbekistan. Sergey Kuryokhin was an actor and musician, Yevgeny Nikitin an opera singer, Zlata Ognevich a singer from Ukraine, and Sergey Rozhkov a biathlete. Vitaly Zdorovetskiy is known as a YouTube personality and prankster, and Yana Kunitskaya is a UFC bantamweight fighter.