in the land of the midnight sun
by Helen Tchepournova
Special to The St. Petersburg Times
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Helen Tchepournova / For The St. Petersburg Times
The folk festival at Umba showcases regional costume and choirs and is an excuse for general merry-making.
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St. Petersburg's world-famous "White Nights" may now be over (they last only for a short period a few days each side of the summer solstice), but midnight-sun worshippers will be pleased to know that they can still get a fix - by leaving the city. Heading north into the Arctic Circle is also a low-cost option for adventurous backpackers that thrive on discovering their own terra incognita and eschew the dull comforts of a well-established resort. The Kola Peninsula is a place from which no fertile imagination emerges unscathed. It is a world different from any that most city-dwellers have ever experienced. The peninsula lies completely beyond the Arctic Circle, and Norway and Finland are its closest Western neighbors, roughly 100 kilometers away. It stretches some 400 kilometers out from Murmansk - the region's principal city - between the Barents Sea to the north and the White Sea to the south. The picture of the region painted by the creators of the ancient Finnish epic "Kalevala" is less than encouraging: "The land of eternal cold and darkness, mysterious, snow-clad Lappland." But today's traveler should not be put off. The first impression of the region is of a sparsely populated landscape, covered in thick woodland and abounding in rounded hills, fast-flowing rivers and crystal-clear lakes, that comes alive to greet a lovely short summer season. The area was formed by glaciation during the last Ice Age. The creeping glaciers crushed the old mountains and left behind new ridges, cut out new rivers and lakes and deposited tons of rock. When the glaciers retreated, the area was colonized by fir and pine trees and became a wildlife paradise, numbering wolves, elk, reindeer, walruses, seals and polar bears among its inhabitants. Such was the nature of the area when the first humans reached it, a few hundred years BC. The peninsula's first human inhabitants were the Saami, a tribe of reindeer herders whose origins are as mysterious as the structures they left behind to perplex future generations. These are known in Russian as vavilony - stone labyrinths of presumably great significance - and are an enigma of the regions history. Despite endless academic arguments, however, the truth about the vavilony is no nearer. Kandalaksha, the southernmost town in the Kola Peninsula, is a perfect jumping-off point to venture up the stunningly beautiful White Sea coast. Sprawling across the banks of the Niva River - not to be confused with St. Petersburg's Neva - this sleepy provincial town of 45,000 has grown somewhat since it was established as a Pomory fishing village. The Pomory were, and are, a group of ethnic Russians from Novgorod who, lured by the teeming wildlife, established settlements in the area some eight centuries ago. The name Pomory derives from the Russian pomorye, meaning "by the sea." Kandalaksha's History Museum, although small, is a worthwhile visit for visitors searching for their own possible Pomory ancestry. It houses a fine collection, portraying many aspects of the town's past, from its earliest years through to the present day. The "Streets of the Town" photo exhibition is absolutely terrific. Visitors with a military bent will not leave disappointed either, as the museum also has on display a number of World War II memorabilia - including a life-size model of a partisans' dugout, complete with a wooden plaque proclaiming "Long Live Comrade Stalin." Sadly, this cultural institution is terribly underfunded, so leaving a small donation for the museum's development will be greatly appreciated. Another great place to take in a little history is Umba, a two-hour attractive drive from Kandalaksha. The stretch up and down Mount Krestovaya is the most spectacular part of the route: It works its magic even on Russian drivers, who all seem unusually willing to slow down at the pass, which offers breathtaking, panoramic views over the glittering waters of the Kanda Bay, dotted with a few offshore islands, against the backdrop of the incredibly high, varicolored skies. Set at the heart of the peninsula's most scenic shore-area of Tersky, Umba is a paradise for rafting enthusiasts, anglers - numerous local rivers are claimed to have the best and biggest salmon in the world - and, surprisingly, world-music lovers and anthropologists. Local residents have no hesitation in literally making a song and dance about Pomory folklore. Umba hosts the irregular Northwest Russia and Arctic-Barents Region Folk Festival, depending on the availability of funding. This year's festival was a colorful, noisy spectacle of choirs parading around in traditional Pomory, Saami and Nordic costumes against a rustic, in places crumbling, background. The Pomory Regatta, which is held every year, is another spectacular events, with participants competing in traditional rowing boats. A full-sized model of one of these boats is on display in the village's museum. The museum opened 10 years ago, the result of a labor of love by a small group of enthusiasts. It now boasts a very wide-ranging collection of artifacts, period photographs, and displays ranging from the relics of the pre-Christian era (the Saami pictographs discovered in the region by archeologists, for example) to authentic reproductions of a seashore fishing lodge and a log cabin interiors. The museum also houses a great deal of other exciting Pomory-related material: traditional costumes; household articles and utensils (look out for the lovely, ornate distaffs); craft-workers' tools; fishing and pearl-fishing equipment; dolls dressed in traditional wedding clothing; and - a young visitor's delight - rye-dough animal-shaped cookies. The latter are for sale, and come in traditional shapes, such as reindeer. Finally, the photo exhibition is an absolute winner, with pictures of fantastic scenery, local people and wooden churches. The zeal that went into the creation of the museum was evident in Marina, the museum "host" when I visited. Marina was an enthusiastic guide, who went out of her way to show all and sundry about the museum and wound up inviting me to her house for lunch. One of the region's wooden churches can be found in the tiny coastal village of Kovda. The St. Nicholas Church (St. Nicholas is the patron saint of seafarers) is a distinctive landmark of the village, and a must-see for any aspiring architects. Perched on a hilltop, it overlooks what is left of what was once a lively, thriving fishing village. The church combines a hexagonal bell-tower crowned with a pyramidal steeple with an archetypal example of a hip-roofed church. Unfortunately, the building has been somewhat neglected, and is now in need of massive restoration. Work was begun on the bell-tower a few years ago, but has since come to an indefinite halt. For outdoor types, the Kandalaksha nature reserve and sea-bird sanctuary is the place to go. It is made up of some 470 islands in the White Sea, and is home to more than 250 species of birds and animals, many of which are endangered. Sea-birds to be found there include Eider ducks, gulls, murres, kittiwakes, razorbills and black guillemots, whose numbers are boosted in summer by tens of thousands of migrants returning from warmer climes. (One of the reserve's arrivals set a world record by traveling 14,000 kilometers all the way from Australia.) With its 70th anniversary just around the corner, the reserve is maintaining a high profile until Sept. 1. Visits to the islands - an opportunity not to be missed - should be arranged through the reserve's administration (calling in on the off-chance is not recommended). The visitor center, however, is open year-round. It may not be extremely impressive, but the true-to-life dioramas showing the marine life of the White Sea are worth seeing. Kandalaksha also offers a few options for fans of watersports. Although these are limited, they do seem to indicate that the local tourism industry is slowly starting to pick up. A much-needed shot in the arm is likely to come in September, when the Salla-Alakurtti border checkpoint is opened, establishing a direct connection to Finland, which will make life much easier for anyone wanting to come to the area from there. For now, there is Gandvik, a local diving center. Gandvik is run by serious, dedicated professionals, who teach local teenagers basic boating and diving techniques and try to enhance general eco-awareness. The center does not receive any outside funding, and so runs a boat, the Nautilus, and offers activities such as water-skiing, dolphin-watching, fishing (which includes a trip to the banya afterwards), rowing and simple pleasure trips. In its previous life, the Nautilus served as a lifeboat, but has been converted into an all-weather, 20-person-capacity pleasure boat with some on-board catering. The opportunity to shear through Kandalaksha Bay's sparkling waves, breathing in the fresh, salty air and marveling at the scenery, is not to be missed, and a visit to one of the islands to see one of the mysterious vavilony is a highlight of any trip. While trekking the White Sea coast may lack a little in the comfort department, it really can be the trip of a lifetime. A few minor inconveniences are nothing compared to the grandest gestures of nature and the thrills of launching into the unknown, after all. How to get there. Trains for Murmansk leave from Moskovsky Vokzal daily at 5:50 p.m. and 12:30 a.m., and take 24 hours to get to Kandalaksha. Round-trip tickets cost from $25 (platskart) to $45 (kupe). Where to stay. The Belomorye Hotel at 31 Pervomaiskaya Ul. in Kandalaksha may look drab outside and is not fancy inside, but it is centrally located and decent. Basic singles/doubles/ triples with en-suite facilities go for $10, and a two-room suite with telephone, TV and refrigerator costs about $25. Groups of five or more should ask for the $17 deal. Tel.: +81533-931-00 Another option in Kandalaksha, although not for the spoiled, is the Spolokhy Hotel, at 130 Naberezhnaya Ul. It offers a lovely river view, and is good value for money at $7/16/19/25 for a single/semi-lux/lux/apartment. Alternatively, a bed in a double/triple costs $4/$3. Where to eat. The choice of eating establishments is rather limited in Kandalaksha. For a no-frills basic lunch/dinner, try the Belomorye's cafe or, on the same street, the Kanda restaurant (54 Pervomaiskaya Ul.) It has a small deli and bakery, in the side entrance, for self-catering. The Severnoye Syanya ("Northern Lights) stolovaya, at 44 Pervomaiskaya Ul., is a Soviet-era relic and worth checking out just for fun - although it is not recommended for those with dodgy stomachs.
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