Sari's Murmansk Photo Blog
Sari Pöyhönen is a Finnish journalist, media and culture worker living in Murmansk since 2010. She likes to take photos of everyday life and you can follow her photo blog from Murmansk here on BarentsObserver. New images will be added as Sari meets new people and sees seasons change in the world's largest city north of the Arctic Circle through the camera's lens.
Location:
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Victory Day parade 9.5.2013 in the city centre of Murmansk. -
Victory Day parade 9.5.2013. Advertisement says: "Victory seen by childrens´ eyes", a campaign of local news paper. -
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A young woman and a young man sitting at the bus stop at Lenina Street wearing war time uniforms. Victory Day 9.5.2013. -
A child and mother gives a flower to a random passer by veteran of WW II. How happy old woman became! -
How fun! Mothers can do everything: entertain and protect their child, talk in a phone and do it all in stylish high heels. At the same time. -
Lockers in a shop. -
Under melting snow you find interesting things. This I guess is an old record player. -
Home security and beautiful soviet design. -
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The oldest documentary film I have ever seen. Documentary and film festival Northern Character showed an interesting documentary film Georgi Sedov Expedition 1912-1914. It tells about expedition to Arctic and North Pole hundred years ago. They met polar bears there, as you can see in the picture. Silent film show had a great live music by Murmansk Music and Art College and other music students of Murmansk. -
Spring and summer means light! All day and night around. -
Midnight sunlight and moon over Murmansk in late May. -
Hotel Arktika is under reconstruction. -
Russian style textiles. -
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Anticafe Teplo is a new cafe in Murmansk. Sergei makes home work in anticafe, and pays not for the tea he drinks, but for the time he spends in this cafe. He can take his own food and drinks with him. But there is 3 rules: no alcohol, no cigarettes and no messing others to relax in anticafe. -
Katja and Lina were in anticafe Teplo in May for the first time. Receptionist Kostja registrates the guests arrival time to computer and when they leave, they pay for the time they spent in the cafe. Tea, coffee and bisquits, wi-fi, games etc. are for free. -
Aleksandr opened his motocycle season in May. He got tanned in Egypt in holiday, but it would have been possible also in hometown Murmansk. May was hot and sunny in Murmansk! -
Fair "Kola Partneriat" in Murmansk in May 2013. -
Trees getting green. So beautiful! -
Green and yellow takes over grey. -
In May 2013 Murmansk Oblast administration had its 75 year jubileum. Before that Murmansk region was administrated from Leningrad region, and in tsars time from Arhangelsk. Happy birthday Murmansk Oblast! -
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Tanja and Natasha taking a skiing course. In Murmansk slalom is exciting, because the view is a mix of soviet-style town and Northern nature. -
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View to Murmansk Railway -
It is spring! -
Snow of Kirovsk in spring. -
What a clever and colourful passer-by in Kirovsk! She has rubberboots with bright colours and a bag of beautiful flowers to brighten the ugliest season. -
Kristina wants to buy rubberboots. With high heels and nice colours maybe? -
Modern Murmansk. A new information table of bus stop in 5 corners square in city center. And the best information in it: +11 Celsius! Spring! -
Men and machines at work. -
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"Forgive me! Come back!" -
"S Heppy B-Day!" Rusglinsh? Mix of Russian and English languages is seen even on the walls of Murmansk. -
Street art. -
Norwegian girl and Russian boy dancing a Sami dance in the opening ceremony of Nordic Days in Murmansk. -
Norwegian folk singer Sigrid Moldestad sings and plays violin in Filharmony with her orchestra. Concert was organized by General Consulate of Norway in Murmansk. -
People and dolls in Apatity. -
Rainbow over Apatity.
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Winter swimming competition in Murmansk. Sportsmen from all over the world came to swim in icy lake. -
There were winter swimmers from Finland, Ireland, USA, UK, China, Chile, South Africa etc. Murmansk has applied to organize winter swimming world championship in 2016. -
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Summer in my mind... even in middle of arctic winter! -
Maslenitsa is a celebration, and Russians eat lots of pancakes (blinis). These little girls came to relax in city center with their family. -
Market in Maslenitsa celebration in Murmansk center. -
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Lots of snow! -
Russias National artists Igor Gavrysh and Valeri Pjasotski in Murmansk Filharmony festival "Musical pampering". -
Russias National artists Igor Gavrysh and Valeri Pjasotski in Murmansk Filharmony festival "Musical pampering". -
Car ready for celebration. Wedding decoration. -
Wedding has one tradition from the west: you lock your love to the bridge. Key finds itself in the bottom of river. These locks are in Murmansk harbour. If you divorce, the betrayer needs to swim and find the key to open the marriage... -
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Lou and Hennie from South Africa came to Murmansk for a winter holiday. In their home country there is no snow even in winter time. "Sometimes in the night it might be -0 or -1 degrees Celsius in winter", Lou says. -
Bye bye Lou and Hennie! Say hello to South Africa, and welcome back to the northern hemisphere of our globe!
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February in Murmansk. -
This is how people spent their Saturday in Murmansk. Skiing on ice of Semenovskoe lake. -
Lake Semenovskoe in Murmansk. -
Sasha from Russia and his friends play football without a jacket in February. -
Ponies at Central Square Pjat Uglov. -
Central Square in February. -
After ski. -
Waste management in Murmansk. -
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In trolleybus. -
Happy face. I asked one friend of mine, how has Murmansk changed in 10 years. My friend said, that he sees more happy and smiling faces now than then.
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Dog playing with a cartoon piece in Kirovsk town slope at Hibiny mountains. -
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"Big Ben" of Kirovsk. -
Snow village in Kirovsk. This year the theme is Olympic games in Sochi 2014. -
Icy ice hockey in Snow village in Kirovsk. -
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Central park in Murmansk. -
This is delicious! "Hren" is a Russian kind of mustard or wasabi. The violet colour comes from beetroot, which makes this Hren softer. -
Chicken farm fence in Apatity. -
Fishermen on the ice of lake Imandra, near town Apatity. -
I love Barents -happening in Murmansk 19th of January at the central stadium. -
Alive butterfly exhibition in Murmansk regional museum in January 2013. -
Mating in alive butterfly exhibition. -
Fun with snow mobile in recreation center near Murmansk. -
Art mobile. -
Childrens art in Handicraft center of Murmansk Art museum. -
Lace art made by Murmansk lace club.
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Statue Aljosha baths in the spring sun. -
Spring in Murmansk. This view I found on the hill in Bolnitshnaja (Hospital) on Sunday 13th of May 2012. It is sad and beautiful in the same time. The garbage lies on the ground, but the sun shine is great. -
Hill of Hospital (Bolnitshnaja) on Sunday 13th of May 2012. Garage area looks like falling apart, but anyway some Dima loves his Lena with romantic heart and smile on the wall. -
Spring is coming to Kola peninsula. Beautiful Tuloma river. -
Steaming soup. Food is one of the best things in Russia. -
Shaslik barbeque for dinner. -
June is time for painting the rocks, too. Some volunteers at work. -
Beer and shashlik tent in corner of Maklakova, Starostina and Karla Marksa streets. -
I met Jevgraf Jakovlev, 84, who served in Northern Fleet of Russia since he was 14. It was World War II and also children helped in the hospital. In 1943 he started the official service and was wounded for the first time the same year. He was wounded many times, but survived the war. Jakovlev has been on pension since 1998. He lost his leg long after the war, in March 2012. Mister Jakovlev has seen a lot, lost a lot. I admire how he continues to smile and laugh. A real hero can do that. -
I found a photo of a dog and some flowers on the wall in center of Murmansk. The flowers and the photo were there, to honour the memory of a dog, which was shot there, on the street. A passer by told me, that he saw the shooting. "Some huligans shot it, because it was a homeless dog. But it was a nice dog. It never bite anybody." -
June is the time to work in your garden. If you don´t have a garden of your own, you can plant beautiful flowers here. Next to the street. It makes us all happy.
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Stray dogs waiting the cars go by. Then the gang of dogs can go over the street. -
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Icy road in yard. Roads in Murmansk have lots of holes. -
Kids having fun on nice winter day. -
Hotel Arktika has a new white coat -
X-mas tree is ready and New Year mood is coming to town. -
Children and Youth Library of Murmansk region celebrates Finlands independence day on 6th of December. Children dancing Finnish Letka-Jenkka. -
Maybe the most colourful window of Murmansk. Great window for New Year! -
Polar night is not so dark anyway. The sky is beautiful and colourful during the Polar dawn. But only for an hour or couple, when sunlight is seen on the sky. -
Pink sky over Murmansk in December. -
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New Year tree in Apatity. -
School boy Stepan and New Year tree in class 2B of School number 10 in Apatity. -
Class 2B from School number 10 in Apatity celebrating the New Year with some parents and teacher Natalia Ivanovna. -
School boys from class 2B of School number 10 in Apatity. -
School girls performing a turtle fairytale. -
Class 2b from School number 10 in Apatity going to meet Father Frost at recreation centre at lake Imandra. -
School girl sings for Father Frost and Snow girl. -
Class 2B with teacher Natalia Ivanovna. -
Artist Aleksandr Feofilaktov busy in his work room. -
Artist Aleksandr Feofilaktov having a tea brake. He paints a portret and it is coming up soon... -
Artist Aleksandr Feofilaktov painting a portret for German businessman Ulrich Kreuzenbeck. -
Artist Aleksandr Feofilaktov likes to paint female figures.
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Lots of snow already in October. Fresh fish sold in kiosk. -
"Do you want to take a picture of Russian snow-how and technology for winter season?", he asked when he saw me with my camera. -
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Santa Claus from Rovaniemi visited Murmansk Finnish film festival in October. Boris Kochekov, a brilliant interpreter and his daughter Sonja (9 years) wanted to take a picture with Santa. Sonja is studying Finnish and could speak with Santa in original language. "Hei Joulupukki!" -
Finnish blues came to visit Murmansk, and Olli Ontronen & Mighty Shitty and Jo´Buddy had concerts in Ledokol and in College of Music Art. Suomi-Blues v Murmanske, horosho! www.olliontronen.com -
Finnish drummer Olli Estola (from Oulu) gives an autograph to a girl in Murmansk College of Music Art after the blues concert. -
Finnish gitarist Tuomas Laajoki (from Kemi) forgot to take his warm hat to Aljosha. So I borrowed him my scarf. He looks like a oil sheik with a turban. Running with bass gitarist Rauli Suuronen (from Oulu) warms the blues guys up! -
Author Jelena Leonova from Gadzhievo published her stories in book "Fourteen touches" in November in Murmansk. She is a daughter, wife and a mother-in-law of a navy seaman, there fore she takes the stories from real life. Her new book and also earlier poetry tell about life in Russian military town. -
My mother came to visit me from Finland. She had her birthday in Murmansk with me. We celebrated with tasty Russian bakery. I could not choose a cake, so I bought plenty of many kinds of cakes! -
Shopping center Volna is under reconstruction almost two years now. It looks new now. -
X-mas tree, or actually New Years tree coming up in November. So is hotel Arktika. They promise hotel to be ready in December 2013. -
Jury at work. Documentary and tv-programme festival Northern Character in November 2012 in Murmansk. Jury makes decision about some nominations in contest. Jury chairman in this nomination is director Bernt Viklund from Sweden and jury member director Sergei Bondarev from Russia. -
Sergei Bondarev, cameraman and student. Bondarev gave a lecture in Northern Character -festival about making a good report. -
President of Northern Character -festival Svetlana Soldatova offers bread and salt to the guests. Director Antti Seppänen from Finland is in Murmansk for the first time. -
Childrens´ and youth musical and theatre center offered a performance "Sun Dance" in the closing ceremony of Northern Character -festival. -
Two bright lights in the sky: the Moon and the Jupiter. November 2012. -
Artists chatting. Ceramic artist Inga Gruzdeva and actor Aleksei Makarov in annual art exhibition Zapoljare. Local artists show their works. Colorful painting of a woman riding a fish is from hands of Anatoli Sergienko from Severomorsk. -
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On the road of Murmansk. -
City gardeners make yards beautiful. -
Old cinema and statue of young bolshevik in Hospitals hill. -
People picking berries. -
Colourful carpets having some fresh air -
Laundry day at Hospital hill in September. -
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Meat and fish sold in this shop. -
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Horse in one of recreation centers near Murmansk. -
Beautiful September colours in Kildinstroy village. -
Memorial for soviet solders in Kildinstroy village. -
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This lady saw me on Prospekt Lenina taking pictures of this cute dog. The puppy seems to be a stray dog. The lady said to me: "Take it home!" I answered: "Oh, I wish I could, but I can´t." -
Advertisement on Knipovitsha street. -
Memorial for female soldiers of Soviet Union in WWII and two ladies walking the dog in Abram Mys. First snow in October 2012. -
Darkness and polar nigth is coming. Somebody loves a girl and asks her to forgive. Street next to your girlfriends appartment is one forum to do so. -
Darkness in October. Hotel Arktika, Russian and Murmansk flags and homes. -
Lots of snow in October. One day in October there was 104 car accidents in Murmansk because of snow and bad weather conditions. And because everyone did not change winter wheels. I see car accident or two every day, but 104 is a record!
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Book store in Zapoljarny. -
Summer in the North. Rain. -
Summer in the North. Rain. This car has a rain coat... ;) -
City center in Murmansk. People, horses and dogs going across the main street Prospekt Lenina. I have seen even a camel in the city center couple of years ago. But it have moved to southern Russia from Murmansk. -
Love on the wall of Zapoljarny! -
Sunny day in Zapoljarny in August. Central square. -
People in the center of Zapoljarny. -
"17th of August 1977 is the date, when the first ship ever went to North Pole. It was nuclear icebreaker Arktika. The famous scientist of Arctic, Ivan Papanin, could not take part to this trip, because he was too old. He was 83 years old then. Papanin has a square and a street in Murmansk. In 2012 it has been 35 years since the first trip took place. Every year nuclear icebreakers take tourists to North Pole." -
Hotel Arktika is under reconstruction. It has been closed since 2007. -
Someone left his old shoes here, on the garbage can. Someone else can take them. Recycling! -
A new orthodox church will be beautiful in Petshenga. And it already is, but not ready yet. -
A new church and monastery coming up in Petshenga. It will be beautiful. -
Husky puppy at the new church in Petshenga area. Oh, those eyes! -
This is a sweet ohrana-security of the new monastery in Petshenga. And wants tourists to cuddle! -
Russian-Norwegian school girls and boys got their diplomas on 12th of June and they went for summer holiday. The world is wide open for them! -
Rainy summer day in Murmansk. -
Greenpeace wants to save the Arctic. Greenpeace ship Arctic Sunrise and its crew had a happening and a lottery in Park Inn. Polar bear gave the prizes. I did not win anything. -
French yacht Coriolis 14 from Bordeaux came to Murmansk in July on its way to North Pole. I met Expedition Coriolis crew members Pierre and Jean-Emmanuel in Murmansk port. They have ambitious trip to go to both Poles of the world. I wish all the crew good luck and nice journey! -
Coriolis 14 (the blue one with 2 masts, in the middle of other ships) at the port of Murmansk in August. Next destination before the Bering bay will be Svalbard. The yacht seems so small if you compare to the big trip they have in front of them!
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I was walking down the street to see the Victory Day parade near Aktika hotel. I saw this baby crying in her mothers arms. Mother tried to comfort her. I saw the baby had the Saint George ribbon tied to her pacifier. The ribbons I saw everywhere: on peoples clothes (mostly in chest), in cars, bags, and now even on babys pacifier! I asked the mother: May I take a picture of you and your baby?" Immediately the baby calmed down, stopped crying and started staring at me and the camera. I took few pictures and showed to them. Mother was smiling. Thank you! Have a nice Victory Day! S Prazdnikom! -
This lady saw me at Lenina Street taking pictures of the Victory Day parade. She came to me: "Would you take a picture of me with my beautiful flowers?" "Yes, why not", I answered. She took a pose and lifted her hand like a 1950´s actress or ballerina. Then she asked me: "Can you send the photo to me to my address Ulitsa Festivalnaja? Can you? Please?" How could I say no to this cheerful lady? Of course I answered yes. And she said: "Will you really send me the photo? You wouldn´t trick an old baabushka, would you?" No, I would not. She gave me a kiss on the cheek with her toothless mouth and kind lips. No, I did not trick her. I sent the prints of photos to Festivalnaja Ulitsa. I hope the letter will make her happy. -
Jevgenia has Stalin earrings. -
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Two boys going to the city center carrying a self-made poster: "Thank you, grandfather, for the victory!" -
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Huge bee on the wall at Lenina Street is enjoying the sun.
