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Where's the party?
The Festival of the North is an annual regional celebration
that takes place in the towns and villages of the Kola Peninsula,
a region of Russia about 130 miles north of the Arctic
Circle. The largest celebrations take place in the city
of Murmansk, the capital of the beautiful but isolated
Murmansk region with it's thousands of lakes and vast Nature
Reserve.
Dates for the diary
The Festival of the North takes place every year at the end
of March or beginning of April, and lasts for ten days.
What's It all about?
During December and January Murmansk experiences a phenomenon
known as a 'Polar night', 2 months of perpetual darkness
when the sun don't shine at all. It's no surprise, then, that
Spring is welcomed with a festival that lasts throughout the
last week of March that is both an expression of the region's
culture and an appreciation of its climate.
The first Festival of the North took place in March 1934.
A whole host of sporting events take place during the week,
including an ice hockey tournament, reindeer racing,
cross country and down hill skiing events and underwater
swimming in the icy waters of Lake Semyonovskaya. Over
the years the event has attracted athletes from all around
the world, and the Russian cross-country skiing team is always
in attendance. It's also the only time when many of the traditional
Saami peoples come to the city to show off their reindeer
and celebrate with singing, dancing, feasting and drinking
a culture which has survived in the harshest conditions for
thousands of years.
Be prepared
Everyone wishing to enter Russia as a tourist or on holiday
must obtain a visa before they go. Independent travellers
should contact the Russian Consulate in their home country,
however if you are going on package tour through a tour operator
such as Gulliver Rus, the operator will co-ordinate
visa applications for the entire group.
Because the festival is well attended by sportsmen, not only
from Russia but also from Europe and Scandinavia, it is advisable
to book a hotel two months in advance.
Even though it’s supposed to be the beginning of Spring,
Murmansk is still extremely cold in March. Bring plenty of
warm garments with you, as local shops don’t have as
much good winter clothing as you might expect. Nonetheless,
rabbit fur insoles for your boots are a good local product,
as are massive mittens which you wear over your gloves.
It is possible to hire skiing equipment quite cheaply in
Murmansk, but make sure you’re fit for the slopes. If
you are considering taking part in the cross-country skiing
event beware that it requires more stamina than the down-hill
version of the sport.
Getting there
There are direct flights to Murmansk from Moscow and
St Petersburg. Alternatively you can travel there by
train, but they are very slow – it takes 27 hours from
St Petersburg. It is also possible to travel via Norway and
Finland, as Murmansk is close to the border.
Where to stay
There are plenty of hotels in Murmansk. Amongst the best
is the Poliarnie Zori, located at Knipovicha 17, Murmansk
183039 Tel: + 7 8152 28 95 00. It is quite expensive but it
offers good food, internet access, money changing facilities
and cheap car rental. The only tourist office in Murmansk
is located here and many of the hotel staff speak English.
Other Expenses
Spectators don’t have to pay to watch the outdoor events,
but participation in the skiing race costs about $10. Russia
can be a surprisingly expensive country but Murmansk is not
too bad. Alcohol and food are very cheap and so is public
transport.
Once you're there
If you are not competing in the cross country marathon the
best place to view it is from the top of the hill after the
first bend. It is an amazing sight as 1200 people ski uphill
towards you.
Local attractions
The Museum of Regional Studies in Murmansk documents
the city’s part in the second world war and also houses
artefacts relating to the history and culture of the native
Saami people. There is also a Fine Arts Museum and a Naval
Museum in town.
At the harbour, you may see one of the Murmansk Shipping
Company’s formidable atomic ice-breakers, as well
as the numerous container ships that dock here.
The Lapland Nature Reserve is not far from Murmansk,
and it is possible to arrange excursions to this vast wilderness,
inhabited by wolves, reindeer and around 180 different species
of birds.
Similar events
The Festival of the North is like a mini Winter Olympics,
the international winter sports event that takes place in
a different location every two years.
Another interesting festival which welcomes the coming of
Spring is the Caribou Carnival in Yellowknife, Canada.
This isn’t a sporting event, but annual affair where
participants can number of whacky competitions, including
computer bashing, tea-boiling, igloo-building and the world's
one and only Ugly Dog And Truck Contest.
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