The city-hero Murmansk – the administrative centre of the Murmansk Region – is located in the southern part of Kola Bay of Barents Sea, 50 kilometres away from Arctic Ocean. It stretches 20 kilometres from the Rost River in the North to Fadeev Stream in the South. A part of the city stands on the western coast of the gulf. The city’s population counts 317.5 thousand persons as of January, 1st, 2007.

Murmansk is the only large nonfreezing seaport in the European North of Russia and one of the largest Russian ports. It is the all-year-round gate to Arctic regions. Murmansk is the base of the Russian nuclear icebreaking fleet.

Murmansk presents the exotic of polar day (from May, 23rd till July, 21st) as well as depression of polar night (from December, 2nd till January, 11th). Snow remains here for about 200 days a year, with the lowest air temperature of minus 39.40 (as fixed on January, 27th, 1999), and the highest temperature plus 33.10 (July, 9th, 1972).

Murmansk means grey rocks and stones, exuberant flowering of lilacs and mountain ashes in summer, and mushrooms and berries right outside the belt highway.

Murmansk is the only city in the Subarctic that has trolley-bus transportation.

Murmansk Oceanarium is one of the sights of the city.

In Murmansk there is a philharmonic society, Ice Palace, and tens of historical monuments. The city has three professional theatres: Regional Drama Theatre (since 1939), Drama Theatre of Northern Fleet (since1935) and Puppet Theatre (since 1933). There are several museums as well: Museum of Regional Studies, Museum of Northern Fleet, and the Regional Art Museum.