Alyosha, a memorial to the many unknown soldiers lost protecting the area during the Second World War. He stands guard high on a hill above Murmansk and the harbor.
On my way out of Russia I had three days – unplanned – to burn in Murmansk. I was exhausted, wound up, and pissed off.
Not exactly tourist conditions.
Luckily, though, I had flown out of camp with several friends, all Murmansk locals. One of them took several hours each day to show me around Murmansk in a way I, as a foreigner, simply could not have seen it.
Historical museums.
Shipping yards.
Docks.
Nuclear icebreakers.
Train stations.
Sushi.
Russian fruit tea.
Monuments.
Wooded parks with packs of wild dogs running about.
Crowded trolley cars.
One of our more interesting excursions involved visiting the office of one of his friends – Kostya. Kostya runs a marine salvage business. Trust me when I say that the half hour I spent in that little office was one of the most fascinating of my life.
There are artifacts galore in the seas surrounding Murmansk.
Despite everything that had happened, I was left with many good memories, and I still get a warm feeling inside when I think of Murmansk.
I can’t wait to get back.
Tags: Ponoi Project
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