Polyarnye Zori offers two starting points for planning your trip: a walk through the town and the MiG-19 Monument. A tour itinerary lists 09:00 for a walk through Polyarnye Zori; dates for groups already formed are available on request. The town was built for employees of the Kola Nuclear Power Plant. If you are looking for holiday apartments in Polyarnye Zori, you can plan your visit around your interests: get to know the town on a walk or explore the aviation history of the monument.
A Walk and Aviation History
The MiG-19 Monument was erected in Afrikanda in 1978 in memory of military and post-war aviation history. In 2002, following the disbandment of the air regiment and the closure of the airfield, it was moved to Polyarnye Zori to preserve it as a symbol of northern aviation. After renovation, plaques bearing the names of 28 airmen were installed beside the monument in 2004. They commemorate pilots who fought in the north as Heroes of the Soviet Union during the Finnish War and the Great Patriotic War.
More Things to Explore in the Wider Destination of Murmansk Oblast
In Umba, in the wider destination of Murmansk Oblast, the guided hiking trail runs 5.5 kilometres along the river to the sea. Seven information boards cover the history of the settlement, as well as the Pomors, their livelihoods and everyday life; the trail also offers insight into northern wooden architecture. The guided tour must be booked at least two days in advance. Confirm current arrangements with the organizer.
Also in Umba, in the wider destination of Murmansk Oblast, the exhibition at the Museum of the History, Culture and Everyday Life of the Tersky Pomors focuses on livelihoods from the 18th to the early 20th century. These include fishing, hunting marine mammals, shipbuilding and pearl fishing. Other exhibition topics include carpentry and joinery, wood processing, shoemaking, and women's crafts and needlework. The Amethyst Museum in Umba covers the deposit at Cape Korabl, natural and artificial varieties of quartz, and amethysts from deposits across Russia and the world. Check current opening arrangements before visiting.
The Kanozero Petroglyphs Museum Reserve is also among the attractions in the wider destination of Murmansk Oblast: it offers a trip to Kanozero, where an island rock art complex is located and recognized as a cultural heritage site of federal significance. A water route along the Umba passes through Kanozero to the petroglyph complex. Check current dates and conditions for the excursion.
Teriberka Nature Park, in the wider destination of Murmansk Oblast, is focused on natural features: the park protects nesting sites of rare bird species, Red Data Book plants and natural monuments such as the Teriberka cliffs. Protected birds include kittiwakes and rare cormorants. Batereysky Waterfall is also part of this natural landscape: water from Lake Maloye Batareyskoye plunges over steep rocks and flows into the Barents Sea as a waterfall.
Discover more destinations: Zelenoborsky, Zapolyarny, Verkhnetulomsky, Lovozero, Kovdor, Pushnoy, Murmansk, Monchegorsk
Back to the wider travel overview: Murmansk Oblast.
