Cultural life of the City. Theatres. Museums. In the city there are two regional museums: the Murmansk regional Museum of local lore, founded in 1926, and the Murmansk regional art Museum, opened in 1989 in one of the oldest stone buildings of Murmansk.

Three professional theaters are in action in Murmansk. The regional Puppet show theater opened in 1933 is the oldest one. Murmansk regional drama theater founded in 1939 became the largest one. In 1946, the Northern Fleet drama theater founded in 1936 was moved to Murmansk from Polyarny.

In spite of its young age, there are a lot of places of interest in Murmansk. In 3 districts of the city there are over 30 monuments and memorial boards. 2 memorial complexes are the most outstanding: a statue to Soviet Zapolyarye (area to the north of the Arctic Circle) defenders (Murmansk Alyosha) and to sailors perished after the war. Murmansk Alyosha is one of the largest statues in Russia.

Recently built bridges across Kola Bay and the Church Spas-on-water are specific signs of the city.

The Murmansk philharmonic hall is the house for the Murmansk Philharmonic Orchestra which was founded in 1999. The young British conductor Damian Iorio was the chief conductor for 6 years. The philharmonic orchestra regularly gives concerts with participation of soloists of the Russian and world scene in Murmansk region, St. Petersburg and Scandinavia, and also carries out concert statements of masterpieces of the world opera.

In Murmansk 38 libraries, from them three regional are: Murmansk regional scientific library, Murmansk regional library for children and young people -- the largest specialized library behind the Polar circle for children and youth and Murmansk regional special library for blind; and the central city library having an extensive network from 16 branches. On the basis of city library the municipal program for creation of libraries of new type -- the information intelligence centers which provide free Internet access, access to legal and other socially significant information is realized.

Thanks to Murmansk writers in the capital of the polar region on may 24, 1986, has been revived holiday the Day of Slavic culture and literature, which later became the state. After that Bulgaria as a sign of gratitude of the Murmansk and the Murmansk gave the city the monument to Cyril and Methodius. An exact copy of the monument, which is located at the national library of Bulgaria, situated at the Murmansk regional library.

Sport. In Murmansk 296 sports constructions, including 2 sports palaces, 2 large stadiums, 4 swimming pools, 6 skiing lodges, 3 ski centers, 1 track and field athletics arena and 93 sports halls are located. In the city more than 50 sports are presented. The most known sports clubs -- a soccer team of the city of Murmansk "North" and team of super league on bandy "Murman". Annually since March, 1934 in sport center "Valley of the Cosiness" the large sporting event -- the North Holiday is held.

Since 2005, every summer, near Kolsky Bridge the annual festival of sport "Murmansk mile" which became to one of business cards of Murmansk is held. Every year the geography of participants spreads, and their quantity continued grows. For example, in 2011 the number of participants made about 7,5 thousand people. The complex of actions includes a sailing regatta, cycling, five-a-side on sand, beach volleyball, a skateboarding, a paintball, a heat through Kola Bay and many other things. The main event of a sports festival is track and field athletics run on the bridge on a distance of 1611 meters which distance gave the name to a festival. Besides professional athletes everyone that does action by the most mass take part in running. In 2012 winners of running received in an award cars (UAZ the Patriot in man's category and Daewoo Matiz in female).

Cathedrals and Churches. Monasteries. The famous Cathedral of Murmansk - St. Nicholas Cathedral.

The sacred and Nikolsky cathedral is in the city of Murmansk. Treats the Murmansk diocese and is its main temple. The ensemble includes some constructions. It consists of St. Nicholas Cathedral, Trifon Pechengsky's temple, a chapel of an icon of the Mother of God "Sporitelnitsa of bread", several buildings of administrative appointment, several residential buildings, economic constructions and the territory. It is the whole complex which was built during the period from 1986 to 1989. Temples of this complex were the first large-scale temples which were built in Russia since revolution of 1917.

Appearance and gaucherie of silhouettes reflects typical lines of the constructions inherent in that time. Walls are put up from a silicate brick.

The history of St. Nicholas Cathedral is closely connected with history of Murmansk. Date of the basis of a cathedral is the official opening day of the city. However the cathedral wasn't constructed. Instead the temple in honor of the same sacred was built. It was gift of the empress Aleksandra Feodorovna. When the Soviet power came to the Kola Peninsula, in 1924 the temple was closed. In church equipped a gym and the hostel for seasonal workers.

The period when the city remained without uniform temple lasted before the termination of the Great Patriotic War. After the end of war, in 1945, the Murmansk community of Orthodox Christians directed the address to the bishop Arkhangelsky and Holmogorsky Leonti (Smirnov) with a request to send the priest to Murmansk. The request was granted. In March, 1946 the bishop directed the priest Vladimir Zhokhov with the spouse. Its service in Murmansk proceeded only one year. During this period in the small wooden house which was on Kotovskogo Street (today - Green), the temple in honor of Saint Nicholas The Wonderworker was arranged. On December 19, 1946 the temple in honor of Saint Nicholas The Wonderworker was consecrated by the bishop Leonti. The service crowned Religious procession. To the middle of the 1980th years it was nearly the only temple of the city of Murmansk.

In Murmansk built and other temples, such as: Cathedral of the Transfiguration Murmansk (Spaso-Preobrazhensky Cathedral of the sea); Church of the presentation in the temple of the blessed virgin Mary Murmansk; All Saints Church in Murmansk; The Church of the icon of the Mother of God "life-giving spring"; The temple of St. Panteleimon the Healer Murmansk; The temple of the PDP. Tryphon of Pechenga Murmansk; The Temple Of The PDP. Theodora of Constantinople in Kola-Murmashi; The Church of St. vol. Vladimir Murmansk; The temple of the PDP. Trifon Pechengskiy; The temple of the Savior Murmansk (Savioron-Waters).

The role of the city in Russia. Murmansk oblast is located in the North-West of the European part of Russia and is one of the strategic areas of the country in the North-Western Federal district. In the region based Northern Navy, ensuring the defense capability of the country on the Northern borders. Murmansk is the largest nonfreezing port of Russia located beyond the Arctic circle. It is the base for secure transportation of goods to the far North, Arctic and far abroad. Exploitation of the unique capabilities of nuclearpowered icebreakers enabled to provide in the Arctic year-round navigation. Border location, considerable export opportunities and available transport communications create good conditions for expansion of cooperation with foreign countries. The region is an active member of the international Barents Euro-Arctic cooperation.

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