Blogs from Murmansk, Kola Peninsula, Northwest, Russia, Europe

It really is too Russian to be true. Tanks and military enforcement everywhere. Not long after I came out of the 20 kilometer so-called control zone after crossing the Norwegian border 15 kilometers outside Kirkenes. In this control zone there is absolutely nothing and it is prohibited to go there without a visa to one of the countries in mention. Nothing really happened before 40 kilometers after, when suddenly a medium-sized city of concrete apartments erected from nowhere. Until then it was only the road and bushes. Zapalyani was the name and besides the soviet residential areas there was two 24-hours supermarkets. I tried both as it was getting chilly outside. In the second one I got one of the lady cashiers to heat up some water for me, so I could get a cup of ... read more

Communist Symbols I have a soft spot for communist symbols, communist statues, Lenin statues etc. I don't like what they stand for, but I like the way they look. One reason for that is probably that you can take excellent photos of them, and I like to take photos. In the years prior to the fall of the Soviet Union people in the communist world were to be constantly reminded of how great a system communism is and so on. Therefore every town had a Lenin statue, there were always a few streets in each town named after Lenin and Karl Marx, statues of war heroes dotted the cities and on city walls you could find plaques conmemorating communist leaders or a visit by Lenin or something. The symbol of hammer and sickle was to be ... read more

I've made it - into Russia at long last! Sorry for the lack of updates over the past week or so - it's been really hectic here what with travelling and also a lack of internet cafes. Anyway, I'm typing this from a place in Moscow, just off of Red Square. A few of us got up early this morning to queue to see Lenin in his mausoleum and wow, what an occasion! As you can imagine, the tomb itself is very austere with soldiers around making sure you keep in line and keep on walking around the glass cabinet containing his body. The place itself is very dimly lit and cold (especially as it's about 30C outside at the mo). It's just off of Red Square with the huge walls of the Kremlin providing the ... read more