Being anon-freezing port due to the warmNorth Atlantic Current, Murmansk resembles cities of its size across western Russia, with highway and railway access to the rest ofEurope, and the northernmosttrolleybus system on Earth. Its connectivity contrasts with the isolation of Arctic ports like theSiberianDikson on the shores of theKara Sea, andIqaluit, in theCanadian Arctic. Despite long, snowy winters,Murmansk's climate is moderated by the generally ice-free waters around it.
The name of the city is derived fromMurman, from an old name forNorwegians by Russians; it is likely a borrowing from Old Norsenorðmaðr (possibly related to Old EnglishNorþmann and EnglishNorthman), which gave its name to theMurman Coast and the surrounding region including theKola Peninsula.[14]
Aerial view of Murmansk, 1936War destruction in Murmansk (1942)Central part of Murmansk
Murmansk was the last city founded in theRussian Empire.[15] In 1915,World War I needs led to the construction of the northern part of theKirov Railway: arailroad fromPetrozavodsk to an ice-free location on theMurman Coast in theRussian Arctic, to which Russia's allies shipped military supplies.[2] The terminus became known as the Murman station and soon boasted a port, a naval base, and an adjacent settlement with a population that quickly grew in size and soon surpassed the nearby towns ofAlexandrovsk andKola.[2][16]
On June 29 [O.S. July 12], 1916, RussianTransport MinisterAlexander Trepov petitioned to grant urban status to the railway settlement.[2] On July 6 [O.S. July 19], 1916, the petition was approved and the town was namedRomanov-on-Murman (Рома́нов-на-Му́рмане,Romanov-na-Murmane), after the Imperial Russian dynasty, theRomanovs.[2] On September 21 [O.S. October 4], 1916, the official ceremony was performed,[2] and the date is now considered the official date of the city's foundation. After theFebruary Revolution of March 1917, on April 3 [O.S. April 16], 1917, the town was given its present name.[17]
On 13 February 1926, local self-government was organized in Murmansk for the first time, during aplenary session of the Murmansk CitySoviet, which elected a Presidium.[17] Before this, the city was governed by the authorities ofAlexandrovsky Uyezd and later ofMurmansk Governorate.[17] On 1 August 1927, theAll-Russian Central Executive Committee (VTsIK) issued two resolutions: "On the Establishment of Leningrad Oblast" and "On the Borders and Composition of the Okrugs of Leningrad Oblast", which transformed Murmansk Governorate intoMurmansk Okrug withinLeningrad Oblast and made Murmansk the administrative center of Murmansk Okrug.[17]
In 1934, the Murmansk Okrug Executive Committee developed a redistricting proposal, which included a plan to enlarge the city by merging the surrounding territories in the north, south, and west into Murmansk.[17] This plan was not confirmed by the Leningrad Oblast Executive Committee. In 1935–1937 several rural localities ofKolsky andPolyarny Districts were merged into Murmansk anyway.[17]
According to the Presidium of the 'Leningrad Oblast Executive Committee resolution of 26 February 1935', the administrative center of Polyarny District was moved fromPolyarnoye toSayda-Guba.[20] However, the provisions of the resolution were not fully implemented, and due to military construction in Polyarnoye, the administrative center was instead moved to Murmansk in the beginning of 1935.[20] In addition to being the administrative center of Murmansk Okrug, Murmansk continued to serve as the administrative center of Polyarny District until 11 September 1938.[17] On 10 February 1938, when the VTsIK adopted a Resolution changing the administrative-territorial structure of Murmansk Okrug, the city of Murmansk became a separate administrative division of the okrug, equal in status to that of the districts.[17] This status was retained when Murmansk Okrug was transformed into Murmansk Oblast on 28 May 1938.[17] The Germans were promised the use of the port they calledNorwegenhafen for transportation of goods and raw materials from 1922 to 1941[citation needed].
From March 1941 to 1945, the US government suppliedAllied nations withfood,oil, andmateriel through theLend-Lease policy. Murmansk was a link to the Western world for theSoviet Union.Arctic convoys brought large quantities of goods: primarily military equipment, manufactured goods and raw materials.[21]
Wehrmacht and Finnish forces in Finnish territory launched an offensive against Murmansk as part ofOperation Silver Fox (29 June to 17 November 1941). Fierce Soviet resistance and harsh local weather, with the bad terrain, prevented them from capturing it. TheLuftwaffe bombed Murmansk 792 times during World War II.[22] It suffered extensive destruction, the magnitude of which was rivaled only by the destruction inLeningrad andStalingrad.[23][24]
In 1974, a 35.5-meter (116 ft) tall statueAlyosha, depicting a Soviet World War II soldier, was installed on a 7-meter (23 ft) high foundation.[26] TheHotel Arctic opened in 1984, becoming the tallest building above the Arctic Circle.
City districts were established in Murmansk for the first time by the Decree of thePresidium of the Supreme Soviet of the Russian SFSR of 20 April 1939; at the time, three city districts (Kirovsky, Leninsky, and Mikoyanovsky) were created.[17] They were abolished on 2 June 1948.[17] The same city districts were created for the second time on 23 June 1951.[17]
Mikoyanovsky City District was renamed Oktyabrsky on 30 October 1957, but on 30 September 1958, all three city districts were again abolished.[17] On 10 June 1967, two city districts were created (Leninsky and Oktyabrsky); Pervomaysky City District was split from Oktyabrsky on 21 February 1975.[17] In the Charter of the Hero City of Murmansk, adopted on 17 December 1995, the districts started to be referred to as administrative okrugs.
Murmansk experiences asubarctic climate (KöppenDfc), with long and cold (though average byarctic standards) winters and short, cool summers. In the city, freezing temperatures are routinely experienced from October to May. Average temperatures exceed 0 degrees Celsius only from May through October. The average low during the coldest part of the year in Murmansk is approximately −14 °C (7 °F). However, temperatures routinely plunge below −20 °C (−4 °F) during the winter.
Murmansk's brief summer is mild, with average highs in July exceeding +17 °C (63 °F). The city is slightly wetter during the summer than the winter and receives an annual average of just under 500 mm (20 in) ofprecipitation.
The "midnight sun" is above the horizon from 22 May to 23 July (63 days), and the period with continuous darkness is somewhat shorter — thepolar night lasts from 2 December to 10 January (40 days).
Extreme temperatures range from −39.4 °C (−38.9 °F) on 6 January 1985, and 27 January 1999, up to 32.9 °C (91.2 °F) on 9 July 1972; the record cold daily maximum is −36.1 °C (−33.0 °F), set on 6 January 1985, while, conversely, the record warm daily minimum is 21.3 °C (70.3 °F) last set on 9 July 1972.[29]
Murmansk has been affected byglobal warming in recent decades,similar to other Arctic locations. For example, December 2007 had an average high of 0.8 °C (33.4 °F), while a 2.3 °C (36.1 °F) average high was measured for March 2007.[30][31] Summer has also been affected, with a 19.1 °C (66.4 °F) average high for June 2013, and a 24.3 °C (75.7 °F) average high during July 2018.[32][33]
Climate data for Murmansk (1991–2020, extremes 1918–present)
The population of the city, according to the 2010 Census, was 307,257, of these, 141,130 men (45.9%) and 166,127 women (54.1%),[38][39] down from 468,039 recorded in the 1989 Census. Since the collapse of the Soviet Union, the city has been consistently losing population, as the extensive military facilities the city is built around have declined. EthnicRussians make up the majority of the population, butUkrainian andBelarusian minorities also live in the city.
In November 2010, direct mayoral elections were abolished; they were reinstituted in January 2014, with the most recent elections for mayor and city council taking place in September 2014.[41]
Murmansk has two main museums: Murmansk Oblast Museum and Murmansk Oblast Art Museum; there are also several small museums. There are three professional theaters, libraries, and anaquarium in Murmansk.Murmansk is the venue of the decommissionedLenin which is now a museum ship.Alyosha Monument, Murmansk or Defenders of the Soviet Arctic during the Great Patriotic War monument is also located in Murmansk. The main square of Murmansk isFive Corners, Murmansk.
There are three professional theaters in Murmansk. The oldest is the Murmansk Puppetry, which opened in 1933. The largest in the city was the Murmansk Regional Drama Theater, which opened in 1939. The Drama Theater of the Northern Fleet was opened in 1946.[42]
The city's association football teams areFC Sever Murmansk, which played in the Russian Second Division until 2014 when it folded due to financial difficulties, andFC Murmansk, a football team founded in 2022.
The city is one of only three places with representation in the female league, through the teamArktika.[46] Proximity to pole and its side effects,Polar Night, has brought sport festivals such asNorth Festival Polar Olympiad [ru] andSun Festival [ru]. The former has been awarded every year since the inaugural tournament in 1934.[47] Norway, Finland, Sweden, Ukraine, Belarus and the Baltic countries take part in the North Festival Polar Olympiad.[48]
To commemorate the 85th anniversary of the city's foundation, the snow-white Church of the Saviour on the Waters was modeled after theWhite Monuments of Vladimir and Suzdal and built on the shore for the sailors of Murmansk.[49]
Fifteen religious associations have been registered in Murmansk.[50] The largest is the Russian Orthodox Church. Murmansk is the center of its Murmansk and Monchegorsk diocese, as well as the Murmansk Metropolis. The city has about a dozen Orthodox churches. The department of the head of the diocese and the metropolis of Metropolitan Simon is located in St. Nicholas Cathedral.[51][52]
The Port is also the headquarters ofSevmorput (Northern Sea Route) and the administration of Russian Arctic maritime transport. In 2018, the Russian government transferred the main responsibility for the Northern Sea Route toRosatom which through its ROSATOMFLOT subsidiary manages the Russian nuclear powered icebreaker fleet based in Murmansk.[54][55]
Murmansk is set to be the Russian terminus of theArctic Bridge, a sea route linking it to theCanadian port ofChurchill,Manitoba. Even though the passage has not been fully tested for commercial shipping yet, Russian interest in this project (along with theNorthwest Passage) is substantial, as the bridge will serve as a major trade route betweenNorth America,Europe andAsia.[56]
Murmansk is home toMurmansk State Technical University, theMurmansk Arctic State University (formerly Murmansk State Pedagogical University), the Murmansk Institute of Humanities and theMurmansk College of Arts[57] (the only art school of theKola Peninsula, formerly the 'Murmansk Music School'). The city has 86 primary schools and 56 secondary schools, two boarding schools, and three reform schools. There is also a branch of the Naval Academy in Murmansk, where cadets study, to become officers of theRussian Navy.
Мурманская областная Дума. Закон №96-01-ЗМО от 6 января 1998 г. «Об административно-территориальном устройстве Мурманской области», в ред. Закона №1953-01-ЗМО от 24 декабря 2015 г. «О внесении изменений в Закон Мурманской области "Об административно-территориальном устройстве Мурманской области"». Опубликован: "Мурманский Вестник", №10, стр. 3, 16 января 1998 г. (Murmansk Oblast Duma. Law #96-01-ZMO of January 6, 1998On the Administrative-Territorial Structure of Murmansk Oblast, as amended by the Law #1953-01-ZMO of December 24, 2015On Amending the Law of Murmansk Oblast "On the Administrative-Territorial Structure of Murmansk Oblast". ).
Мурманская областная Дума. Закон №531-01-ЗМО от 2 декабря 2004 г. «О статусе муниципального образования город Мурманск». Вступил в силу 1 января 2005 г. Опубликован: "Мурманский Вестник", №234, стр. 3, 7 декабря 2004 г. (Murmansk Oblast Duma. Law #531-01-ZMO of December 2, 2004On the Status of the Municipal Formation of the City of Murmansk. Effective as of January 1, 2005.).
Совет депутатов города Мурманска. Решение №20-235 от 10 марта 2006 г. «Устав муниципального образования город Мурманск», в ред. Решения №15-202 от 4 февраля 2010 г «О внесении изменений в Устав муниципального образования город Мурманск, утверждённый Решением Совета Депутатов города Мурманска от 10.03.2006 (с изменениями и дополнениями от 31.05.2006 №23-263, от 05.10.2006 №24-298), с последующими изменениями, внесёнными Решениями Совета депутатов города Мурманска от 13.11.2007 №43-529, от 03.04.2008 №48-588 и от 03.06.2009 №5-57». Вступил в силу в соответствии со статьёй 81. Опубликован: "Вечерний Мурманск", спецвыпуск, стр. 1–12, 10 ноября 2006 г. (Council of Deputies of the City of Murmansk. Decision #20-235 of March 10, 2006Charter of the Municipal Formation of the City of Murmansk, as amended by the Decision #15-202 of February 4, 2010On Amending the Charter of the Municipal Formation of the City of Murmansk, Adopted by the Decision of the Council of Deputies of the City of Murmansk of March 10, 2006 (with the Amendments and Supplements #23-263 of May 31, 2006, #24-298 of October 5, 2006), with Subsequent Amendments, Introduced by the Decisions of the Council of Deputies of the City of Murmansk #43-529 of November 13, 2007, #48-588 of April 3, 2008, and #5-57 of June 3, 2009. Effective as of the day determined by the provisions of Article 81.).
Архивный отдел Администрации Мурманской области. Государственный Архив Мурманской области. (1995).Административно-территориальное деление Мурманской области (1920–1993 гг.). Справочник. Мурманск: Мурманское издательско-полиграфическое предприятие "Север".
Мурманская областная Дума. Закон №1812-01-ЗМО от 19 декабря 2014 г. «Об упразднеии населённого пункта Мурманской области и о внесении изменений в отдельные законодательные акты Мурманской области». Вступил в силу 1 января 2015 г. Опубликован: "Мурманский Вестник", No.246–247, с. 56, 25 декабря 2014 г. (Murmansk Oblast Duma. Law #1812-01-ZMO of 19 December 2014On Abolishing an Inhabited Locality in Murmansk Oblast and on Amending Various Legislative Acts of Murmansk Oblast. Effective as of 1 January 2015.).
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