A bear – and a huge one – is said to have been noticed in the outskirts of Polarniye Zori, 20km north from Kandalaksha. It seems to have been attracted to the town by garbage and caused quite a panic in the community, judging from social networks.
Yesterday, for no particular reason other than its curious name, we headed to a place called Africanda, about 10 miles north from Polarnye Zori. The story says that the name originated as a joke, when railroad station builders encountered a particularly hot, Africa-like, summer day. The village offers among the most spectacular local ruins. The town core however appears relatively civilized, full of small two-story houses surrounded by pine trees. Here are a few photos to convey to you the sense of the place:
| Location | Roubles/m2 | In $US at the current exchange rate of 62 roubles per $1US |
| Murmansk | 37202 | Just over $500/m2 |
| Kola | 37052 | just over $500/m2 |
| Apatity | 21700 | $350/m2 |
| Kirovsk | 21715 | $350/m2 |
| Monchegorsk | 15000 | just under $250/m2 |
| Olenegorsk | 17100 | just under $400/m2 |
| Severomorsk | 35500 | slightly over $500/m2 |
| Revda | 10609 | $160/m2 |
| Polarnye Zori | 30000 | under $500/m2 |
| Molochny | 35750 | over $500/m2 |
| Pushnoy | 7895 | slightly over $100/m2 |
| Murmashi | 31025 | $500/m2 |
Source: www.b-port.com
The Regional Youth Subculture Festival will be held at Polarnye Zori on May 21, at the Main City Square (ulitsa Sivko), starting at 1pm.
Skateboarders, BMX bikers, graffiti artists, breakdancers and other fun types will be presenting their skills.
Festival’s VK page: vk.com/xday_pz
Location: Motorcycle race track “behind the canal”, Polarnye Zori.
Date: March 19 2016.
Time: 12 noon.
Dedicated to “The day troops were pulled out of Afghanistan”, which explains the Kalashnikov machine gun on the poster.
One of WW2 artifacts between Kandalaksha and Polarnye Zori is the WW2 air strip used from 1942 to 1944 as a base for 22 lend-leased P-40 Kittyhauk airplanes.
The air strips appear to be accessible by car during summer months as there are potato plots of Polarnye Zori residents nearby.
Disclaimer: the information below has been pulled from a variety of sources but not verified.
(1) A billboard by the train station:
That’s the first city north from Kandalaksha, ~20km north towards Murmansk. Went there just because it was a sunny March day.
A town with a definite “built in the early 1970s” feel, with its apparent raison d’etre being to house the Kola Nuclear Station workers.
Population, ~15 th., is less than half the size of Kandalaksha.
Of travel practicalities, a hotel’s billboard was noticed. (Click to enlarge.)
More hotels in Polarnie Zori >>
A fighter jet is installed in the main square.
The town is clean and appears to be well-maintained. Unlike Kandalaksha, it has a well-supplied bookstore.
A watercolour painting by Anna Mikhailova. See kola.gallery.
Kola Nuclear Electric Station has announced plans to set up a deer park in Polarnye Zori, the town next door from Kandalaksha towards Murmansk. The park is to have 6-8 animals and be equipped with guest houses. If all goes well the park will welcome its first guests in spring of 2015.