wp.arcticportal.org

Tag: Murmansk

  • Murmansk – the gateway to the Arctic

    Murmansk – the gateway to the Arctic

    shipping in arctic waters

    Northern Russia has decided to open a new terminal for cruise liners at the central port of Murmansk.

    The terminal will be located a few minutes’ walk from the railway station, also supposed to be totally renovated before Murmansk celebrates 100-years anniversary in 2016.

    Murmansk will also serve the tourist traffic through the new walkways, new railway station and other facilities with the easy access to the seaside.

    Cruise traffic in the Arctic has been growing rapidly in recent years. Aside from potential dangers associated with cruise activities, tourism in the Arctic brings opportunities for development of Northern remote communities.

    Source: Barents Observer
  • Illegal trade on increase in Russia

    Illegal trade on increase in Russia

    Polar bear with cub

    Illegal trade of polar bears products is on the increase in Russia.

    Last month, WWF Russia presented study showing that illegal trade in polar bear products had been booming. Skins are for sale at 600,000 rubbles, mostly in Moscow, but internet ads also come from Murmansk.

    The environmental group in Moscow has monitored the internet over the last 20 months searching for ads selling or buying polar bear skins. 47 skins for sale have been discovered, some ads offering more than 3 skins, according to the study.

    Soviet Union outlawed polar bear hunting in 1957. Most of the skins where put up for illegal sale in Moscow, but WWF has also found skins for sale in Murmansk, St. Petersburg, Chelyabinsk, Kirov, Izhevsk, Dnepropetrovsk and Irkutsk.

    The study says the average price for a polar bear skin is 600,000 rubbles (€14,940), sharply up compared with black-market prices ten years ago.

    There are between 5,000 and 7,000 polar bears in Russia. Those in the Barents Region are partly migrating between the Norwegian archipelago of Svalbard and the Russian islands of Franz Josef Land and Novaya Zemlya.

    Source

    Barents Observer

  • Nordic days in Murmansk start today!

    Murmansk Nordic Days 2012 banner

    This year´s event with its extensive program will present the modern cultural and daily life in the Nordic countries. The festival will include exhibitions, concerts and short movies presentations. The knowledge exchange will be possible through organized workshops, lectures and discussions. The festival starts today and will last until 26th of April.

    The initiative is jointly organized by the Consulate General of Norway in Murmansk, Murmansk Department of the Finnish Consulate General in St. Petersburg, Consulate General of Sweden in St. Petersburg, the Information Office of the Nordic Council of Ministers in St. Petersburg and the Danish cultural institute in St. Petersburg

    This year´s program includes exhibitions that deal with contemporary issues in the North. The Nordic Council of Ministers will present two events within the frames of their “Knowledge Building and Networking Program for the North – West Russia”.

    Murmansk, being the largest city in the Arctic, located in the north – west Russia, offers many attractions for its visitors such as Northern Navy Museum, Regional History Museum, Shipping History Museum and Arctic Research Institute Exposition. Although Murmansk is a large complex, most sites of interest to visitors are within a fairly compact area in the city center.

    Its international airport provides with daily connections to Tromso, Kirkenes in Norway and Helsinki in Finland. Domestic flights are available on the scheduled basis from Moscow and Saint Petersburg.

    Source: University of the Arctic
  • Murmansk to open Arctic emergency center on NSR

    Murmansk to open Arctic emergency center on NSR

    Arctic Shipping Routes

    The Russian government announced that the emergency and rescue centers are to be open along the Northern Sea Route.

    Russian hopes for the future of NSR bring the country´s investments of more than 20 million Euros into the area. Projects for ten rescue centers, located on Chukotka, Andyr, in Murmansk, Arkhangelsk, Naryan-Mar, Vorkuta, Nadym, Dudinka and Tiksi have already been prepared and construction is planned to be finished before 2015. The first rescue center is to be located in the port of Dudinka and it will start operating from August 2012.

    The center in strategic hub for NSR – Murmansk will be ready before the end of 2013 as confirmed by the Russia’s Deputy Minister of Regional Development Aleksander Viktorov at the “Security and Cooperation in the Arctic: New Frontiers” conference recently held in Murmansk.

    The map presents all current and future shipping routes available in the Arctic for both cargo and passenger operations. Please, be referred to our Interactive Mapping System to access more information about the Arctic shipping routes and sea ports located in Russia.

    Source: Barents Observer
  • Eight days through the Arctic

    Eight days through the Arctic

    STI Heritage tanker

    It took only eight days for the STI Heritage tanker to go from Murmansk in Russia and through the Arctic Ocean via the Northeast Passage.

    This is a new record for speed, bettering the 15 days it took Perservance earlier in the summer. The average speed of Perservance was 7,6 knots but STI Heritage averaged 14 knots.

    Twice as fast means a lot of money has been saved by Novatek which also plans to send the largest tanker through the Northeast Passage later in August.

    The STI Heritage sailed from Murmansk to its destination in Thailand, Map Ta Phut, in just under a month.

    See more about the Northeast Passage here.

    See also:
    Breakthrough of the Russians
    Sea ice levels at an all time low

    Photo: STI Heritage