Murmansk is one of the largest cities in Russia north of the Arctic Circle. The city’s history started during World War I, when the need for supplies during the war led to the construction of a railway between Petrozavodsk and the Arctic coast. The terminus of the line was called Murman, and soon after, a port, a naval station and a town grew rapidly.

With its founding in 1916, Murmansk was the last city to be established in the Russian Empire. Initially, the town was called Romanov-na-Marmune, but it was changed to Murmansk after the revolution in February 1917. The new town was expanded, and in the 1930s several surrounding towns were merged with Murmansk.

During World War II, Murmansk again became an important port for supplies, but it suffered great damage during German attacks in 1941. In 1985, Murmansk was named a Soviet hero city for the defense against the German attacks, and the city, as a base for the Russian Northern Fleet, is still an important strategic military location.

There are several sights and museums in Murmansk. The central square of the town is called Ploshad Pyat Uglov (Площадь Пять Углов), where the large Hotel Azimut Arktika (гостиница Арктика) is the dominant building. The main street Prospect Lenina (Проспект Ленина) also starts from the square, from where you can walk to the beautifully landscaped Central Park (Центральный парк).

Along Prospect Lenina you can see the Lenin Monument (Памятник В.И. Ленину), which was unveiled in 1957. However, the city’s best-known monument is Alyosha (Алёша), a memorial dedicated to the defenders of the Soviet Arctic during World War II. The monument represents a soldier, and it consists of a 7-meter-high foundation and a 35-meter-high statue. The monument was opened in 1974, and here the eternal flame burns for the unknown soldier.

There are interesting museums in Murmansk, such as the icebreaker Lenin (Ленин), which was commissioned in 1957 as the world’s first nuclear-powered surface ship. Lenin was in service until 1989 and then became a museum ship. You can also visit the Murmansk Regional Museum (Мурманский краеведческий музей), where you can learn more about the city and the region, and the Murmansk Oblast Art Museum (Мурманский областной художественный музей).