Kola Highlights
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Highlights of Kola Peninsula:
- Stone labyrinths and pagan rock paintings
- Pomory and Saami north folks
- Kandalakshinskoje and Lapplanskoje reservations
- Khibiny mountains
In Detail:
- Stone labyrinths and pagan rock paintings aged more than 2 thousand years
- Living culture of some of the most rare north folks in the world – Pomory and Saami
- Large nature reservations – Kandalakshinskoje and Lapplanskoje, offering the whole range of the northern flora and fauna. Here you can cross three nature zones in 1 day
- Khibiny mountains with a unique collection of rare and valuable stones and minerals
Other info
- Reindeer nation: According to national legends, the routes of Saami or Lapps go down to their Father – sacred Reindeer Myandash, who could turn into man by his own wish and was married with the woman Matryona. Therefore as soon as the warm time of the year comes the Lappish families are moving to undercover forest houses of their grandfathers to return to the harmony and wisdom of nature… The culture and the way of life of the Lapps were so distinctive that the whole area populated by Lapps (currently includes territory of Sweden, Norway, Finland and Russia) began to be referred as Lappland.
- Ancient traces: Petroglyphs, the famous art paintings on the rocks, were discovered on the banks of one of the Peninsula"s longest rivers - Panoy. These paintings are one of the oldest memories of rock art among ancient civilizations. For ages people continued to come to this sacred spot in order to paint more and more pictures. The petroglyphs depict the life and religious symbolism of the region"s inhabitants, however many questions remain unanswered regarding their origin and the people who created them.
- Flora and fauna: The region is home to a wide variety of flora: more than 650 species are found here. Trees include three types of spruce, four types of birch, as well as pine, rowan, and alder. The Kola Peninsula is also rich in fauna. Wildlife includes reindeer and elk, brown bear, wolf, fox, Arctic fox, ermine, and wolverine; birds include wild geese, duck, ptarmigan, hazel-hen, grouse, eider and peregrine falcon. Various representatives of the salmon family can be found in the lakes and rivers.
- Mountain overview: The most interesting mountain ranges rise out in the western and central parts of the Kola Peninsula. The largest of these is the Khibiny Tundra (max 1,200m) and Lovozorevo tundra (max 1,127m).
- Geological heritage: The first discovery of the incalculable underground mineral resources on Kola peninsula was made in the beginning of XVIth century. 110 minerals (18 of which were absolutely unknown before) amazed the members of the XVIIth International Geological Congress members who visited Khibiny in 1937. Nowdays the Kola Branch of the Academy of Sciences is the biggest geological scientific centre beyond the Arctic Circle.
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