It consists of two parts, the Rybachy Peninsula itself and the Middle Peninsula. They are connected by an isthmus, the length of which reaches approximately 1 km. These peninsulas are connected to the mainland by another isthmus, which is about 2 km long. The length of the Rybachy Peninsula from Cape Gordeev to Cape Nemetsky is about 60 km, the width at the northwestern end reaches 10 km, and at the southeastern end up to 25 km.

The shores of the peninsula consist of black slate rocks, above which, inside the peninsula, there are low hills and mountains, covered and partly with grass. Along the banks of rivers and in the valleys between the hills there are partly dry areas with good grass. There are also small forests of birch, willow and other shrubs.

There are many lakes in the northern part of the peninsula. Of the latter, the most significant is Bezymyanny Lake, whose length reaches up to 10 kilometers and width up to 1 kilometer. The Mainavolok River, whose length is up to 10 km, flows out of it. Other rivers on the Rybachy Peninsula include the Zubova River (length about 13 km), Olenka (about 12 km), the source of Lake Olenka and other water bodies.

The peninsula has a large number of various bays and bays. Although few of them can serve as reliable shelters for ships. Starting from the southwest there are bays: Malaya Volokovaya, Bolshaya Volokovaya, on the northwestern coast - Vaida Bay. On the northeastern part of the peninsula there are bays: Skarbeeva, Zubova, Mainavolotskaya, on the eastern shore of the bay: Tsyp-Navolok, Korabelnaya, Anikieva and Sergeeva.

On south coast On the Rybachy Peninsula there is the vast Mitavsky Bay with the bays of Eina, Mocha, Motka and the harbor of Novozemelskaya; on the southwestern coast there is Kutovaya Bay. The most famous of the capes are: Cape Gordeev, located on the southeastern tip of the peninsula, capes Sharapov, Bashenka and Sergeev, located on the eastern shore. In the northeastern part of the peninsula there are capes Tsyp-Navolok and Lavysh, Lok, Lazar, Mainavolok, Skorbeev; in the northwestern region - capes Kekur and Nemetsky; on the western part of the peninsula there is Zemlyanoy Cape and some others.

The highest points of the peninsula are located on the capes: Gordeev, Kekur and Gremyashchinskaya pakhta (its height reaches about 1450 m above sea level). Other capes have heights from 900 to 1800 m. The northeastern coast of the peninsula is low. The northwestern coast is elevated and in some places reaches 6000 m. Beyond the Bolshaya Volokovaya Bay, the banks again become sloping. The middle peninsula approaches the fiord with tundra shallows.

The fishing peninsula was formerly inhabited by Lapps (a population of the Finnish tribe). Since 1865, colonies of free migrants began to be established here, mainly Finns and from the western shore of Varangerfjord and Norwegian Finnmarken. These peoples became Russian subjects, but economically they gravitated towards their former homeland. The Fisherman's and Middle Peninsulas constituted the Fisherman's Rural Society. Almost all Lapps migrated from the peninsula to the mainland. Russians (up to 600 people) came here only in the summer, for fishing, in some fishing camps, for example: Vaida-guba, Zubovo and Tsyp-Navolok.

Both the Norwegian and Finnish colonies then settled down well. Many of them prospered thanks to fishing, cattle breeding, trade and other crafts. In total, there were about 9 colonies on the Rybachy Peninsula. They had about 500 inhabitants. On the Rybachy Peninsula in the Vaida Guba colony, considered one of the main places in Murmansk for the abundance of cod fishing, from 400 to 500 thousand kg were caught per year. The colonists had up to 100 fishing vessels, on which they caught up to 1,130 thousand kg of marine fish and up to 80 thousand kg of fish oil. On the same ships they carried out trade with the Norwegian towns of Varangerfjord.

In the second half of the 19th century, the famous thinker Nikolai Fedorovich (he was Tsiolkovsky’s teacher) proposed establishing the capitals of Russia on the territory of the Rybachy Peninsula. After the revolution at the beginning of the 20th century, the territories of the western zone of the Rybachy Peninsula and the Middle Peninsula began to belong. In 1940, after the Soviet-Finnish war, these territories were again returned to our country.

On the territory of the Rybachy Peninsula there are deposits of hydrocarbons, oil and. In the 70s of the last century, searches were carried out here, but as a result of insufficient research, these searches were unsuccessful. In 1994, seismic surveys were made on the peninsula, which revealed oil deposits. Oil deposits are located from the peninsula into the sea. The expanses of Rybachy and Sredny are used for reindeer grazing.

A special feature of the waters washed by the shores of the Rybachy Peninsula is that they do not freeze even in winter. The rise in water here is influenced by the North Cape. Currently, based on the results of the expedition of scientists to the territory of the Rybachy Peninsula, a decision has been made to create protected areas here to preserve the fauna of these places.

we, of course, could not refuse the offer to trample along the northernmost geographical point mainland European territory. and they promised us all kinds of beauties... money in our teeth, a camera around our neck, jump into the car - we're going to the Rybachy Peninsula.

Strategic map of the area with important notes:) blue dotted line - our approximate route

The weather in the Arctic is all so sudden. and if the never-setting sun accompanied us all the way to Teriberka, this time almost the entire path passed in foggy milk. I almost missed the checkpoint and the barrier :)) - access to the peninsula itself has been open since not very long ago, but the stern guys in uniform are interested in the purpose of the visit)

after the barrier the civilized road ends. the cars are crowded together, the guys are getting their tires off - getting ready for the delights of off-road life :) and then the beauty begins.
the Titovka River and the Melnichny waterfall cascade.

I would have loved to spend more time on the waterfalls, but it was evening, and it was still a long drive to get to our overnight stay.. we limited ourselves to a couple of glances

five minutes of rest before the mountain pass.

the fog is thickening. Musta-Tunturi is a mountain range separating the middle and Rybachy peninsulas from the mainland.

Driving along the pass in the fog is still a pleasure. visibility tends to zero - I’m going somewhere, I don’t know where.

mountain roads can be dangerous, even if they are not high mountains.

rescue operation to retrieve a stuck tractor. they say he has been resting here since the beginning of spring) the operation ended successfully, 2 days later on the way back, we arrived at the very moment when they managed to pull him onto the road.

the fog has cleared, the pass has been passed - we are on the Sredny Peninsula.

in general, Sredny and Rybachy are often called in one word - Rybachy. but in fact there are two peninsulas - one passing through the isthmus into the other. Average in Rybachy.

It was midnight, so we decided to stop here.

After dinner (or whatever the meal after midnight is called?:), we explore the surrounding area. stuck project of a hotel-recreation center (according to the plan, it should already be completed). very nice project, I hope someday it will work. We walked to the houses and looked - if they finish everything, it will turn out great. there is not much on the shores of the Arctic cozy places recreation..

The next day came - there was a big excursion along Sredny, but by evening we should actually get to Rybachy. the path is expected to be difficult)

We're driving along the coast. if you look very carefully you can see Norway :)

somewhere around here :) and then the SMS comes “welcome to Norway”. Very nice, but the connection on the phones was turned off just in case :)

A lonely sail is white in the fog of the blue sea...

subtle natural tint. Once again we were lucky with the weather, there doesn’t seem to be much sun, but it’s not cloudy anymore.

let's go there! I love places where there are not many people, to put it mildly)

our little gang)

They promised to show us “two brothers.” what is it, what does it look like?.. we are driving in the first car: “Guys, at least tell me where to look? What if we miss it?” ...No, they say, don't miss it! you'll see, you'll understand right away!)
and really.. we didn’t miss it and understood :))

“Two Brothers” are multi-meter stone outcrops located on the coast of the Sredny Peninsula. In ancient times, they served as landmarks for fishermen, and the Sami considered the bizarre stone sculptures sacred and performed sacrifices and pagan rituals here.

brother alone.

and another brother.

There is a beautiful Sami legend about noids. it says that these are not brothers, but the groom and his betrothed. Well, it doesn’t matter.. the spectacle is impressive in any case)

view from the observation stone away from the brothers)

encyclopedic reference: the peninsula is a plateau that drops steeply to the sea. The plateau is composed of clayey shales, sandstones and limestones.

a few kilometers from the "Brothers" there is another interesting place - the Coast of Red Stones. or Beach of White Stones (apparently due to the weather this moment, depends:))

stones of amazing alien shapes, sharpened by the sea-ocean.

Yes, indeed, stones are red in the sun.

and without it - white.

taking a selfie is sacred :)

I also watched the surf a little. the most difficult thing is to simultaneously catch the wave and the ray of the sun, which was very timidly peeking out from behind the clouds))

The panorama in a compressed form looks so-so... I recommend watching it live :)))

ideal place for lunch.

I also didn’t know that there were eagles on the Kola)

to be continued...

In the evening we were already in place.

The Rybachy and Sredny peninsulas have been a military specially protected area for decades. Back then, probably no one even dreamed of traveling along them. They knew that there, in the northernmost mainland of Russia, off the coast of the Arctic Ocean, there were peninsulas on which there were military personnel, missile troops and border guards who guarded against European enemies.

The first desire that immediately arose when setting up a tent was to save these flowers and grass. Do not trample them with your feet, much less with wheels.
They already had to be born in these harsh climatic conditions.
3.

4.

In the 90s, Gorbachev made concessions to the civilized worlds and withdrew the military from the peninsula. Since then, Russians have gained another huge territory for travel, recreation and fishing.

5.

The military left, but did not transfer the territory in status. The Rybachy and Sredny peninsulas are suspended in the air without a definite status of belonging. Military settlements were abandoned. Looters stole valuables, and time and north winds picked up this baton.

Everywhere you look, there are remnants of military equipment, garbage from the military and from new travelers. These objects only reek of sadness and disappointment. I didn't want to take pictures.
6.

All along the shores of Rybachy Bay, a wave washed up logs from some kind of structure.
7.

8.

When we stopped in Murmansk at a store to buy gear for sea fishing and picked up groceries along the way, I noticed that the city had not yet had time to repair the city after the German bombings.

The road from Murmansk to the turnoff to the peninsulas took a couple of hours.

From the asphalt road leading to Norway after the checkpoint, after a few hundred meters, we turned right and immediately found ourselves in the USSR in 1943.

Although I was warned, I was still shocked by such hellish roads. It turns out that “German bombers targeted the roads.”

We covered 100 km to our destination in 10 hours. Although our car is a real SUV, we still hit the bottom hundreds of times.

Despite the fact that such hellish roads were not only on our way, but in all directions. Like in that fairy tale: if you go there, you’ll break the tires, if you go here, you’ll leave the car behind.

9.

10.

Only real extreme sports enthusiasts travel along these so-called roads, where there is danger on every meter.
11.

We crossed rivers, small surviving bridges, fords, puddles and mud alternated. Therefore, the peninsulas are held in high esteem among travelers, jeepers, fishermen, quads, and snowmobilers.

12.

Here and there there are broken cars on the road...
13.

Nature, despite its, at first glance, scarcity, did not allow us to take our eyes off itself. It’s a pity that we weren’t able to take much photographs; we stopped a couple of times. There was no time for that.

14.

In a couple of places on our way we came across some stencils that did not deserve respect, saying that this area was like a natural park. This means that somewhere there are offices and employees who receive salaries.
15.

What are they doing, maybe they built a gazebo, but that’s unlikely.
16.

At the next monument.
17.

Thousands of soldiers died on the peninsulas. Many monuments. Some of them are in good condition.
18.

Abandoned monuments abound in peninsulas like this one.

Upon closer inspection, you can see a dozen gravestones overgrown with grass.

But in the cities we pompously celebrate Victory Day and organize an immortal regiment.

19.

In fact, it is not surprising that the monuments are abandoned. If monuments near the hero’s city of Murmansk are being destroyed and there is no one to repair them, then it would not be worth expecting a better attitude towards them in the distance.

20.

21.

There is no one to get permission to fish from. So, catch as much fish, crabs, and shrimp as you can, even in tons.

Perhaps we were in the status of a poacher since we fished without a license.

22.

There was a sea of ​​fish in the sea..))
Various fish in the depths seemed to be waiting for the lure to immediately be attacked and to be hooked.

There were also unfamiliar ones, like this scary-looking fish.
Just in case, we let her go back to sea. Then we found out that you were selling something rare.
23.

We came across these weirdos from the depths of the sea
24.

The fish were caught so well that from the very first day the question arose: “Where should I put it?”

The most cunning fishermen from the team hurriedly went out to sea on the very first day and fished with all their hearts as many as two boxes of different fish. So on the second and third day, fishing was taboo. Don't throw it away?

Then they caught as much as they could eat. And they caught fish selectively that they didn’t eat yesterday.

25.

Fried flounder fish, oh so delicious!
26.

We cooked food on gas. By the way, there are no trees as such on Rybachy. Some small handicrafts, from which there is no way to make a full-fledged fire.

Semeshkin Anatoly Konstantinovich at the workplace.

27.

28.

29.

Keith liked our presence on the shore and every day he approached us a hundred meters and defiantly blew the boiling water away from him through the pipes. Apparently its hull had holes and water was leaking out.
30.

We wanted to catch a whale for dinner. We conferred and consulted and decided not to.
31.

Shish kebab from some large fish and Armenian vodka went well together.
32.

A group of fishermen from Arkhangelsk, with two cars and trailers, specialized in crabs. They had conditions for storing fish. Therefore, they boldly caught both fish and crabs.

Moreover, they knew where and how to place nets and traps.

I even helped them for a minute to release the crab from the net. But he ate as much as he could. Before that, I only knew the taste of crab from those sticks that are sold in stores. Incredibly delicious.

It turns out that there are too many crabs in these parts. They were once brought from Kamchatka to breed, and there were so many of them that either through the bay or across the isthmus they crossed into the waters of Norway.

The paradox is that Norwegians commercially catch crabs and sell them wholesale, including to Russia.

And in Russia, mafioso responsible officials do not even allow amateur fishing. Although unofficially, but quite legally, crabs are sold in Murmansk on every corner wholesale and retail and in any form.

Our team did not know how and did not catch crabs. But we ate when the Arkhangelsk men treated us, and they always treated us.

33.

The crab that I lowered to the ground turned out to be warlike and attacked me and wanted to eat me. But I managed to get out...
34.

It turns out that to keep crabs longer, you need to boil them in sea water.
35.

When, on the way back at the airport, I saw what crabs were being sold for and counted how many rubles I ate for those 10 days, I felt sick. You could buy a used foreign car for that money.
36.

Although the Arkhangelsk people showed us a way to fish for crabs, for us Urals it was not a feasible dream. Bring such things with you, etc..

By the way, sometimes, but very rarely, and only when good people come to Rybachy, then the peninsula becomes warm, so much so that you can sunbathe and dive into the sea. That's what we did.

37.

38.

It was so hot that we only cooled down with watermelons. Like this watermelon eater.

39.

We swam in the northernmost mainland of Russia near the shore of the Arctic Ocean. Since there were no women within a radius of one hundred kilometers, they swam without swimsuits.
40.

The sea water was very clear! All the fish in it off the coast were visible despite the fact that fish and crabs relieve themselves here, not counting the whale.
41.

On Rybachy the weather is extremely changeable. Either, as it should be in the northern part of Russia, it is windy, cold, rain with snow, then sunny with heavy winds and rain.

This is what we experienced ourselves. A strong wind instantly tore down the fishermen's tent, although I don't remember where they came to the peninsula to drink vodka from.

42.

It turned out that the sea here ebbs and flows back every day at the same time, no matter what the weather is like outside.
A wave from the sea instantly flooded the rubber boats. Then a lot of people couldn’t drag them to the shore.
43.

In the photo is the caretaker of the Izhevsk group. The cruelest man. He always looked into the distance and commanded: “Bring a ton of fish here, take a ton of crabs there!..”
44.

For the slightest disobedience, he almost tore my friend to pieces.
Just kidding, staged shots. The kindest man
45.

Some Izhevsk guys collected cloudberries and made jam in the camp. What can you say, well done, they were thoughtful enough to bring sugar and utensils with them.

And the cloudberries were very tasty and sweet with sourness.

46.

47.

I’m amazed how all this junk in the photo fit in one car, as well as four healthy men and another nasty dog. Otherwise, it is expensive for everyone to travel such a distance in their own car. And ruin your car on these roads.

48.

The only houses on the peninsula built over the last 20 years for tourists. The toilet is outside. Wash in the sea.. Conditions are a little better than in a tent.
49.

But in your tent, although it’s a constant mess all the time, it’s cozy and warm...
Because it’s yours!!!
50.

During the war with the Germans, the peninsulas were important for defense for the USSR. Then the defenses of Rybachy and Sredny were built in such a way as to repel attacks from the sea. From the shores, our troops controlled the movements of the German fleet in the Barents Sea and did not allow them to reach Murmansk.

And now various kinds of structures were visible on every meter, if you looked closely.

Unexploded anti-submarine ships bombed on the shores of the Barents Sea.
51.

Classic technical solution.
52.

It is not clear the purpose of this 4-5 cm thick nail driven into the stone. Probably from the time of the Vikings.
53.

54.

It is for this reason that the peninsulas truly became a historical museum area.

On the road to Zubovka, in the most continental northern region of Russia, on the side of the roads our “guide” showed rock paintings from the Stone Age.

It is not clear who painted in these harsh lands in those centuries, Finns, Russians or Norwegians.
55.

The peninsulas were previously inhabited by Vikings (Norwegians), and they left their cultural mark in the form of ruins of trading posts and mounds of graves.

56.

Our military left a fresh and boldly uncultured trace in the form of destroyed structures.

The Norwegians, even further north than the peninsulas, have created paradise living conditions. We became one of the lucky ones in the world.

In the meantime, there are only frightening ruins around on the peninsulas.

57.

But off the coast there are submarines here and there...

59.

I left Rybachy with complete disappointment, but with the intention of returning here again someday.

I would like to return, but not in a jeep with a trailer. Stay in a cozy hotel, catch fish without fear of being poached, eat crabs, travel around the peninsula, go to your room in the evening, look out the window at the cold winds, wrap yourself in a blanket and sleep until dawn.

60.

Should the Vikings or Finns rent out the peninsulas? Should we, in exchange for offset, come for a couple of weeks for free and have a human rest?

There will probably be some inaccuracies in the story, so please correct me.

It is important that if you liked the post, support me with a like and comment.

The Rybachy Peninsula, extending from the Kola Peninsula into the Barents Sea of ​​the Arctic Ocean, is the northernmost land in the European part of Russia. Written references from the mid-16th century say that here, in Kekurskaya Bay, there was one of the three centers of international trade between Russia and Europe.
The peninsula is washed by the Barents Sea and Motovsky Bay. Along the coast of the peninsula, thanks to the warm North Cape Current, the sea does not freeze all year round.

For many centuries in the far north, far beyond the Arctic Circle, Russian Pomors, together with Norwegians, Finns and Sami Lapps, caught and sold fish.

In the 20th century, the Sredny and Rybachy peninsulas connected by an isthmus acquired strategic military significance: holding Rybachy made it possible to control the northern sea route. Here, during the entire Great Patriotic War, Soviet sailors and soldiers did not cede a single meter of land to the enemy, and the Musta-Tunturi ridge, separating the peninsulas from the mainland, is soaked in the blood of heroes.

In our time, after the collapse of the USSR, in the euphoria of trust in former conditional opponents, troops were withdrawn from the peninsulas and military camps were destroyed. There are almost no people on Rybachy now, only a few border guards and employees of two lighthouses and a weather station on Cape Nemetsky remain.

Surprisingly, in last years Interest in the history of Rybachy is being revived. Young people of the new generation are restoring and erecting monuments to Soviet soldiers.

For me, Rybachy is also a place of strict northern beauty and powerful energy of nature. Seeing the peninsula for the first time in 2015, having endured the cold, winds and rains, I apparently became forever attached to this land, the harsh sea, ancient rocks and gray mosses.
Here you can feel Eternity and only here can anyone feel the full power of nature. Tundra vegetation, a unique landscape, green and white lichens, moss, moss, an abundance of berries and mushrooms, combined with rocks and the sea, create unique landscapes.

Map is clickable +


2. Guba Bolshaya Volokovaya.


3.


4. This road leads to Cape Nemetsky, where the northernmost lighthouse of continental European Russia is located


5. The last remaining bridges.


6. Empty barrels along the road, unique beacons for car travelers.


7. A firing point preserved from WWII.


8. At low tide, the sea recedes and a “highway” road opens to these places. If you don’t know the specifics and try to drive at the beginning of the tide, there is a high probability of “burying yourself in the sand right under the frame.” The tide raises the water level to one meter. According to the lighthouse keepers, several cars are carried out to sea at this site every year.


9. Before reaching the lighthouse there is an unclassified military facility.


10. The northernmost lighthouse of the continental European part of Russia. There is also a weather station here.


11. "The ends of the earth." Beyond that there is only the Arctic Ocean and the North Pole.


12.


13.


14.


15. End of the earth. This is the Russian North!


16.


17.
Last year, a Pomeranian stone well was discovered here, the age of which is estimated to be more than 300 years. There is still good quality drinking water in the well.


18.


19.


20.


21.


22.
Further the route runs to Cape Kekursky, where the area popularly called “Armageddon” is located. (Due to strong storms in the autumn, when the wave height reaches the top of the hills on the coastal strip)


23.
Cape Kekursky.


24.


25.


26.


27.
Coastal strip of Cape Kekursky (Armageddon)


28.


29.
This is how strong winds and storms sharpen and cut granite stones.


30.


31.


32.


33.


34.


35.


36.
This is how storms break rocks into splinters.


37.
The coastal strip of Cape Kekursky is the end of the landmass of the European part of Russia.


38.


39.


40.


41.


42.


43.


44.
And flowers grow on the rocks.


45.


46.
Departure from Cape Nemetsky and Kekursky to the Ozerki base.


47.
Lip Bolshaya Volokovaya.


48.
Base "Ozerki". This is the only place on the Rybachy and Sredny peninsulas where you can dry off and spend the night. Coordinates that may be useful to travelers:

49.
Coastal strip of the Ozerki base


50.


51.


52.

The Sredny Peninsula and the “Two Brothers” rocks, the “Red Stones” valley on the Malaya Volokovskaya Bay, General Panachetov’s battery - in the following material.

Middle Peninsula. To the rocks “Two Brothers” and “Red Stones”. Ponochevny's battery

The original was taken from

Who missed the previous material: “The end of the earth. Cape German and Cape Kekursky. Rybachy Peninsula", you can read link .
Today - the northernmost point of the Sredny Peninsula, Cape Zemlyanoy, where the “Two Brothers” rocks and the shore of red stones are located. The peninsula is washed by the Barents Sea, connecting the mainland and the Rybachy Peninsula. Along the coast of the peninsula, thanks to the warm North Cape Current, the sea does not freeze all year round. Within sight of the Two Brothers rocks are the Ainovsky Islands, part of the Kandalaksha Nature Reserve.

I don’t even want to write about this place, I just have to look at the photos. Insanely beautiful and amazing nature, almost complete absence of tourists. Travelers who find themselves here will find untouched, extraterrestrial landscapes and landscapes.
It should be noted that Natural Park“The Rybachy and Sredniy Peninsula” is a specially protected natural area and is regulated by the law “On Specially Protected Natural Territories.”
Tourists, travelers, as well as tour organizers need to know that the creation tourist routes in specially protected natural areas requires mandatory approval from the Ministry of Natural Resources and Ecology Murmansk region. Lack of approvals leads to a violation of environmental legislation and entails liability established by law.


1.
The road to the “Two Brothers” rocks runs along a picturesque canyon, on the other side of the road is the coast of Bolshaya Volokovaya Bay.


2.
On the canyon there are constructions of firing points and defenses from the Second World War.


3.
Bolshaya Volokovaya Bay and the road to Cape Zemlyanoy.

4.


5.


6.


7.


8.
At the end of the canyon you can see the “Two Brothers”, which are two outcrops, a product of geological weathering.


9.
Coordinates: 69°49"26"N 31°46"1"E


10.


11.
From a scientific point of view, “Two Brothers” were formed thanks to wind and rain, frost and sun, which destroyed rocks, and the stones took on special shapes, sometimes similar to humans or animals. Which, by the way, is true and does not in any way contradict the Sami culture. In the report on the expedition “Mystical North”, one way or another connected with the seids and the Sami, the Sami are children of nature. These people do not seek to invade other people's possessions, do not seek to destroy what nature has created, or, on the contrary, erect monuments on their own for the purpose of further worship. No, for them what is given from above is much more valuable. Something that was created either by nature or by forces, in their opinion, more developed than them. Therefore, there is nothing surprising in the fact that the Sami worship a seemingly ordinary stone. It is much more interesting why this particular stone, and also more interesting than the legend explaining such worship.

So, the “Two Brothers” are considered sacred stones among the Sami. They were deified and worshiped. To appease the spirits, deer carcasses and fish were brought to them, and shamanic rituals were performed here.


12.
Literally about one kilometer from the “Two Brothers” rocks, there is a place called “Coast of Red Stones”.
These are bizarre rocks, huge boulders, eaten away by winds and erosion. Those who have been to the eastern outskirts of the Alushta amphitheater “Demerdzhi” in Crimea, where the famous Valley of Ghosts is located, have the opportunity to imagine what miracles nature works. These fantastic figures, with their shapes reminiscent of the mysterious figures of people, animals, mysterious creatures and objects change their shape depending on the time of day and lighting. Very unusual shape The stones are simply amazing.

These photographs require no further comment. They give rise to your imagination.


13.


14.


15.


16.


17.


18.


19.


20.


21.


22.


23.


24.


25.


26.


27.


28.


29.


30.


31.


32.


33.


34.


35.


36.


37.

I am sure that all of you, or almost all of you, have heard about this place at least once, but perhaps did not attach any importance to it. Remember the line from the song “Rybachy has melted into the distant fog...”? So this is what they say about it - about Rybachy, a peninsula covered with eternal glory, located in the very north of the European part of Russia

I have been to the Kola Peninsula many times. But all these trips took place in autumn, winter or spring. It was impossible to go there in the summer. But I wanted to. And not just in the summer, but always on a polar day, when the sun does not go below the horizon. And now the trip planned several months ago seems to be taking shape - and trusted friends are ready to keep company, and there is a suitable car, and the boss doesn’t mind. Let's go! Our goal is the Rybachy Peninsula.

The Rybachy Peninsula is the northernmost part of European Russia. This border area, therefore, to visit it, you need to apply for passes at the Murmansk border detachment or at the FSB Directorate for the Murmansk Region - the procedure is simple, but can take up to a month of waiting.

TITOVKA
We left Murmansk only in the late afternoon - purchasing food, fuel, packing luggage and canisters took almost half a day. We flew about a hundred kilometers on the asphalt and after the border control post, crossed the Titovka River over the bridge, turned right off the highway - the journey began! There are four of us - Murmansk residents Vladimir Kondratyev, Alexander and Evgeny Zarodov (father and son), as well as the author of these notes. Transport units - a UAZ prepared for the trophy on “collective farm” bridges and a 500 cc Polaris ATV.

We are moving along Titovka. The history of the name of this river and the bay of the same name in Motovsky Bay dates back to the 16th century, however, then it was called Kitovka due to the massive strandings of whales on land. In ancient times, Sredny and Rybachy were islands and there was a “whale passage” between them and the mainland. Over time, the land rose, but the age-old instincts of the animals remained.

The exact purpose of these seid stones in Sami culture is still not clear. Either they served as landmarks in the desert tundra, or were used as religious attributes

Soon we stopped on the shore for a parking lot. We had a snack, admired the completely shameless ducks stealing our bread, and moved on - there was no point in wasting precious time on sleep. It's light, polar day!

PASS
The only road from the mainland to Rybachy was built by the monks of the Pechenga monastery for their horse carts. Then, after Soviet sappers, in 1940, the first tank passed through it. During the war it was occupied by the Germans - there are still fortifications and barbed wire all around. And left and right under the slopes lie the remains of equipment, serving as a sobering factor for any driver. The road is tricky - it twists and turns, then rises and then descends from hill to hill. I can imagine how difficult it is here in winter when there is ice or a snowstorm. It’s probably not for nothing that since the war, the stream has been called Drunken before the ascent - here it was supposed to drink a glass for good luck, and on the descent Sober - in order to drink cold water and rest, wiping the sweat from your forehead... All around you are the amazingly beautiful northern landscapes with saucer lakes looking into the sky between the hills covered with soft moss and reflected in the water in some unrealistically green color. True, as soon as we descended from the pass, we found ourselves under low, dense clouds and light, sluggish rain, which subsequently accompanied us throughout the trip.

HISTORY LESSONS
We go around Motovsky Bay. To the east goes the legendary Musta-Tunturi - a four-kilometer ridge, the only section where German troops were unable to cross our land border. From June 29, 1941 until the end of the war, the front line here remained unchanged! But the names of all the dead defenders of Musta-Tunturi are still unknown. Every year, searchers raise and rebury their remains. But to the right of the road is the camp of one of these teams. Despite the early morning, the guards on duty are on their feet, and the water in the boiler is gurgling on the fire. They invite you to sit down, treat you to tea, and show you what they found yesterday - a military-style flask with the soldier’s name scrawled on it. We meet the group leaders - Alexander and Ksenia. They are from Nikel and have been working with schoolchildren here for several years now. The city administration supports - provides tents and equipment. Yes, such history lessons will be remembered by the children for the rest of their lives!

STRICTLY NORTH
We pass Bolshoye Ozerko - a former garrison of anti-aircraft gunners, almost a city. In 1959, an air defense regiment with a missile system was transferred here from Tallinn, the same one from which a U-2 spy plane was shot down near Sverdlovsk a year later. And in the fall of 1994, the last residents left the village.

The vector of our further route points strictly north along Bolshaya Volokovaya Bay. We drive along the coast, breathing in the real Arctic wind at stops. Even inclement weather does not spoil the joyful mood in anticipation of meeting the peak point of the hike. And that's it, we've arrived! Vaydagaba, Cape German - further only the Arctic Ocean and the North Pole! Historians believe that people have lived here since the Stone Age. In the 16th century, merchant ships moored on Vaida (translated from Finnish as “to change”) and trade was carried out. German is usually interpreted as “foreign”. It seems that in this small piece everything is mixed up: the ruins of an ancient pier and a monument to the defenders of the Fatherland, a Sami well and a completely modern weather station, stones with mysterious signs and... a payphone operating autonomously on solar batteries.

DESERT SHORE
We fill a bottle with water from an ancient well and head to Cape Skorbeevsky. Another legacy of the Cold War, another abandoned garrison. An eerie sight...

We spend the night near the waterfall on Zubovka. I can’t even believe that these lands were previously so populated that to a Dutch traveler skirting Rybachy by sea in 1594, it seemed like one big city - there were so many buildings on the shore.

SECRET PLANS
It's time to reveal a little secret here. In addition to the usual desire to visit Rybachy, I had one more goal. Now that the “classification of secrecy has been removed” and the system for issuing passes to the border zone has been worked out, there is a real pilgrimage here in the summer. Jeepers, motorcyclists, cyclists, pedestrians... But almost everyone travels along the same route in the central and northwestern parts of the peninsula. There are even companies specializing in off-road tourism, taking clients to pre-determined points, almost like the Golden Ring, only with planned adventures in the form of fords and destroyed bridges. But nowhere did I find any mention of their visiting the eastern part of Rybachy. Even in Google Earth this area is hidden for some reason by a veil of “unreadability”. So let it be “our little edge of the Earth”!

Roads in the tundra are unpredictable. It's unlikely vehicle will ever drive - his destiny is to become the prey of “metal hunters”

VRM
Having left Zubovskaya Bay, we head east, towards Tsyp-Navolok, along the rocky seashore. After a couple of kilometers we see smooth sandy surfaces and the remains of many fortifications - during the war there was a reserve airfield here. And soon we find ourselves at the VRM. This abbreviation is deciphered as “Let’s drink, guys, “Moskovskaya””, and as “Fiefdom of fishermen-meteorologists”, and as “Here are the ruins of the lighthouse”. The latest version is now the most correct - since 1953 there has been a fan radio beacon (BRM) here. Warships and cargo ships were guided by the signals they sent. A kind of analogue of a modern GPS system. In 1979, the outdated lighthouse design was replaced by a new one, but soon no one needed it. From the former genius of human thought, in addition to the ruins of a two-story building, auxiliary and outbuildings, what remains are several 75-meter towers, located for almost five kilometers along the sea.

CHICK-PILLOWLOCK
We entered Tsyp-Navolok after midnight. As expected at this time of day, normal people were already asleep. We stopped in the center of the village near the lighthouse and looked around. No one. Only a couple of dogs run around the car and beg, barking softly. We notice that in a house nearby the door opens and the figure of a young guy in a shirt and camouflage pants appears on the threshold. The building is located behind a low fence and a gate with a star. Let's go and say hello. It is difficult to talk, because the cold, almost icy wind almost knocks you off your feet. Visiting guests are rare here, so the conversation is quite formal: “Who are they, where are they from, why, passes to closed area There is?" We are at a military facility where civilians are not supposed to be. Zhenya jokingly asks if there is a store or stall in the village, which immediately defuses the tense situation - we are invited into the house to drink tea. I have never eaten such delicious bread that the sailors bake in Tsyp-Navolok! Better than any croissant! Andrey is a contract midshipman and has been serving here for several years. He grumbles that they don’t pay enough, but he has no plans to leave yet: “I feel at home here, and who will teach these young people? It all depends on the midshipmen.” Although he himself is at most 27 years old, no more. And the philosopher: “What is there to do here in winter besides work? I’m writing poetry out of boredom - last year I filled up my entire notebook!” And after tea he gives us real apartments for the night with six soldiers’ beds standing almost side by side and a stove.

VISITING MIKHALYCH
The usual drizzle is falling from the sky, and sleeping under a warm roof, and not in a wet tent, is the height of bliss. Therefore, the morning begins closer to lunch and... with another check - the midshipman looked in and said that we should show up at the outpost with documents. Border guards in these parts have all the functions of the authorities - from the primary functions of border protection to the police and “fish control”. While we were washing and getting ready, the head of the garrison himself visited us. The serious, mustachioed officer meticulously studied the papers, but after looking “ business card" - a magazine with material about our March trip to Cape Svyatoy Nos, his eyes became kinder and the tips of his mustache crawled up - everything is fine, his own! It's time to sit down at the table together, because besides getting to know each other, there is one more reason - perhaps the most important in this situation - today is Navy Day! After a small buffet table, Andrei Mikhailovich proudly showed off his farm. Behind the shabby facade of an outwardly unprepossessing barracks, it turns out that there is a completely modern building with all the amenities and a European-quality renovation. There is a sauna and a la swimming pool outside. It’s hard to imagine how difficult it was to build all this and transport it along the “roads” on which the military “Ural” “takes off” three wheels per trip, and in winter the same VRM masts serve as reference points. But nevertheless, people live and work. On the territory of the village there is a weather station founded in 1921, a working lighthouse, from which we had an amazing view of the stormy Barents Sea, Anikievsky Island (oh, if the weather were better!) and the deserted shores for many, many kilometers around. But even at the beginning of the last century, there was a fishing trading post of the Savin brothers, the largest fish buyers on Murman, there were houses of colonists, a church and even a Red Cross hospital.

STONE CHRONICLE
Weather conditions did not allow us to get to Anikievsky Island. Here is what is written about it in the “Guide to the Russian North,” published in 1898: “When the ship stops in Tsyp-Navolok, it is interesting to visit the nearby island of Anikeev, one of the slabs of which represents the stone chronicle of Murman. It is all carefully and beautifully covered... with carved names of Danish, German and Dutch skippers who came to Murman for fish in the 16th, 17th and 18th centuries. The inscriptions are especially beautiful: Berent Gundersen 1595, 1596, 1597, 1610, 1611, 1615 blef jeg frataget skif (“the ship was taken from me”). Below, under the inscription, there is a picture of a warrior...” And even further: “The Russian inscription carved in curly writing is beautiful and interesting: In the summer of 7158 (according to the new chronology this is 1650 - Ed.) Grishka Dudin grieved.” And the expedition of M. Oresheta in 1995 discovered an even earlier Pomeranian autograph: “Standing Shurechanin Vasily Malashov 1630.”

ON THE WAY BACK
Almost a day spent in Tsyp-Navolok flew by unnoticed. In two days we definitely had to return to Murmansk. We say goodbye to our hospitable hosts and, as usual on the night, we start. Although what kind of night it is, more like light twilight.

If you look at the map, several roads lead to Ozerk - the key “crossroads” of Rybachy. We choose the shortest, but, as it turns out later, the heaviest - “Zubovsky Tract”. He goes through the mountains among tundra swamps flooded by days of rain. Puddles, often as deep as the hood of a lifted UAZ on 35 wheels, come across every 50-100 meters. And stones, stones, stones! The speed of movement is about 3-5 km/h. Driving on a quad is sometimes even easier, since you can go around obstacles along the edge, but the wind and rain make it a very difficult walk.

STONE GIANTS
After 12 hours of non-stop travel, the loop along Rybachy closed, and we descended to Sredniy. Now the direction of movement is counterclockwise. From Cape Zemlyanoy we drive along the western coast along a long 30-meter cliff made of the thinnest slate plates, through which many small springs break through. The famous “Two Brothers” are gigantic remnants. There is some kind of mysticism here - it is not without reason that the Sami from ancient times considered Mount Pummanki the habitat of sorcerers (noids). According to legend, two of them - the brothers Noid-Ukko and Noid-Akka - were punished for their atrocities and turned into these stone sculptures.

38 STARS
A little further on the high bank we come across a practically untouched coastal battery from the 1950s (judging by the nameplate on the gun, manufactured in 1946). Multi-level travel system, lubricated mechanisms. During the war, the 221st battery was based here, which destroyed a German minesweeper on June 22, 1941, thereby opening the combat account of the USSR Navy. The barrel of one of her guns with 38 stars (according to the number of enemy ships sunk) now lies in a ship cemetery about four kilometers from this place.

GLORY TO THE HEROES!
We will spend the last night of this trip at the exit from Sredny, on the river bank under the Musta-Tunturi ridge. Sanya Zarodov tells how, while still a schoolboy, he participated in the installation of the first obelisk on it. I carried sand upstairs in my backpack for the foundation of the monument. Suddenly, our camp is illuminated by the sun peeking out from the clouds - in a week we have already lost the habit of it. We look at the brightened mountains and somehow automatically begin to discuss the route of our next trip to the North. Harsh beauty, the pull of the North, the edge of the Earth - seemingly banal phrases, but... oddly enough, very honest and appropriate here.

“Two brothers”, whom the Sami worshiped and feared, considering them petrified evil sorcerers. Nowadays a geocaching cache is hidden at the base of the northern outcrop