The City of Kandalaksha, Murmansk oblast, and its vicinity. Getting there, where to stay, what to do. The ultimate source of Kandalaksha and area info in English.
The 18th Pomor Rowing Regatta is scheduled for June 20, starts at 12 noon, in the Malaya Pir-Guba bay in Umba. Anyone in possession (own or rented) wooden boat is welcomed.
What mades this hotel stand out is the location: easy access to the city (5 min. by car) while is is “almost” in the wilderness. It is on the road from Kandalaksha to Umba, 2km from Kandalaksha. A good option for those who want to walk in the hills while having easy access to the city.
According to the official site of the Ter regional administration with the center in Umba, the village itself is off limit to foreigners. If you have to travel there you need to submit an application (forms available at the Migration Services, Umba Department of the Internal Affairs, ul. Dzherzhinskogo 65, tel. (81559) 5-15-79) at least 45 days before your trip, to the Federal Security Services (183752 Murmansk, ul. Lenina 64, tel. (8152) 45-40-76, murmansk@fsb.ru). The latter is supposed to send you your permits no later than 5 days before your trip.
The above info has not been confirmed via live humans, so take it with some healthy skepticism. We should be meeting people from Umba who are in the know at the Rock Flower event in Apatity on Feb. 11 and will ask for details.
One every three years event. Draws folk artists from Russia and Scandinavian countries. Established since 1979, with the “international” status acquiried in 1996. Crafts city, where masters skillful in wood carving, weaving, toy-making etc. is an established fixture of the event organized by the culture and arts committee of the Murmansk region, Ter district administration, physical culture, sports, and tourism center, and the Murmansk region palace of culture and folk art.
Permits can be obtained in Murmanks. I believe you can stay in Umba up to 24 hours without a permit, or need to stay away from 1km strip along the sea.
I’ll be checking and double checking the details if there is an interest in it on the part of the travelling public.
Thanks Vasya Lozhkin for once again providing a fitting illustration for my concept
Prison visits are among my services. I wish I could put a smiley here but it is getting serious. And I can’t even say “fucking serious” because “fuck” in mass media has been outlawed, and a pathetic little website like mine falls under the definitions.
Industry consists of fishing (poaching), berry and mushroom collection (but processing facilities are most conspicuously missing – a note for those looking for a business opportunity), and subsistence farming under conditions fundamentally unsuitable for growing things.
Active attempts to develop tourism are being made over the last couple of years.
I’m afraid I’m one of these hopefuls too, and I’m always eager to eek a few kopecks off you. I cater to private travellers or very small groups, travellers who are here or a reason, offer fixer type support etc. See Hire me or Categories > Services.