Панорамы Мурманска : фотоальбом : к 95-летию города-героя Мурманска / [авт. текста Мария Кириллова, Елена Михеева ; вступ. ст. А. А. Киселева ; фот. и дизайн Михаила Славина]. - Мурманск : M-ARTS, 2011. - 179 с. : цв. ил., фот.

Location and climate T h e H e ro -C ity o f M u rm a n sk is lo ca ted on th e sh o re s o f th e Ko la Bay, ju s t 3 0 0 km no rth o f th e A rc tic C ircle . It is a lso th e la rg e st indu strial c it y in th e Po lar Reg ion . M u rm a n sk now sta n d s o n w h a t u sed to b e th e b o ttom sea. T h e la n d sc a p e o rig in a te d th r o u g h the m e ltin g o f an a n c ie n t glacier. A s a result to th e re treating sea, th e earth fo rm e d in to an am ph ithe a tre w ith th re e te rra ces u po n w h ic h th e c it y w a s built. F o r a lo n g tim e th is te rrito ry w a s co n sid e re d un su itab le fo r residen ce. S n o w co ve rs the land fo r a b o u t 2 0 0 d a y s o u t o f a year. T h e M u rm a n sk w ea the r is a ffe cte d by tw o fa cto rs: co ld w in d from th e N o rth Po le an d th e w a rm flow o f th e G u lf Stream . D u e to th e latter th e M u rm a n sk w in te r is qu ite m ild , w h ic h su rp rise s the c ity 's g u e sts. T h e m o st d istin c tive fea tu re o f th e lo ca l clim a te is th e in sta b ility in th e w e a th e r a n d fre q u e n t c h a n g e s in th e air mass d ire ctio n s. M e teo ro lo g ists, w h e n d e s c rib in g th e M u rm a n sk climate, o ften say th a t it's qu ite co ld , c h a n g e a b le an d thalassic. W in ter lasts from O c to b e r to A p ril. D u rin g th is tim e a tm o s p h e ric p re ssu re can c h a n g e several tim e s a day, th e m o istu re is h igh . S tro n g sn ow sto rm s h a p p e n p ra ctica lly e v e ry year. T h e s n ow fa lls are u su a lly h e a v y a n d th e y m e lt a t th e e n d o f A p ril o r th e b e g in n in g o f May. Summ e rs, gen e ra lly, are co ld an d rainy an d sta rt late, som e tim e s e ven in th e b e g in n in g o f Ju n e th e tree s still d o n 't have leave s g row in g o n th em yet. T h e sum m e r co u ld a b ru p tly c h a n g e . A su n n y d a y m ay e n d w ith a snow fa ll. D e sp ite th e sh o rt tim in g an d fo r th e m o st part co ld an d g lo o m y w eathe r, M u rm a n sk d o e s have summ er. Leaves c om e o u t on th e tre e s (rowan an d b ird cherry), flow e rs start to grow , an d b y a u tum n th e fru its ripen. A ll a lo n g p ro s p e c t L e n in lila cs an d h e d g e ro se an d o n th e sh ru b b e ry d e co ra tive flow e rs are plan ted. Tw o o f th e m o st u n iq u e sp e cia ltie s o f M u rm a n s k 'g e o g ra p h ic a l po sition is th e Po lar N ig h ts a n d the Po lar Days. T h e Po lar N igh ts b e g in o n th e 2nd o f D e cem b e r an d con tinue to the m id d le o f Ja nu a ry. D u rin g th is tim e th e sun d o e sn 't rise a b o ve th e ho rizon . In the d a rkn e ss o f n ig h t one m ig h t fin d th e m o st e xqu isite natural p h e n om e n o n su ch a s th e N o rth e rn Ligh ts. T o the no rth o f Russia it's know n as "Spo lo kh i". T h e N o rthe rn L ig h t s can a p p e a r at a n y tim e a ye a r b u t th e y c a n e s p e c ia lly b e se e n d u rin g the Po lar N igh ts. W h en th e sun rises ab o ve th e ho rizon fo r a sh o rt period, M u rm an sk re sid en ts ce leb ra te the h o lid a y "W e lcom e Sun sh in e !" a few w e e k s later th e re 's a n o th e r sim ilar h o lid a y "Farewell, Winter". O n th e 29 th o f O c to b e r 2 0 0 8 M u rm an sk re sid en ts be cam e w itn e sse s to a rare a n d u nu su a l p h e n om e n o n , in th e s k y a b o v e the c ity a ra in b ow (or pearly) c lo u d a p p e a red . T h is p h e n om e n o n w as se e n be fo re o n the Ko la Pen in su la in 2004 . T h is u nu su a l co lou r g am m a m ixe d w ith in th e c lo u d s d e co ra ted th e s k y fo r se ve ra l hours. In co n tra st to th e N o rthe rn L ig h ts th e ra in b ow clo u d w a s n o t m ade th ro u g h s e lf illum in a tio n b u t b y th e Sun . Seve ra l fa c to rs a re n ee de d fo r th is to happ en : th e ae rial tem p e ra tu re o f th e c lo u d m u s t b e 80 d e g re e s Ce lsius; sp e cia l d e fle c tin g o f th e sun 's rays p a in tin g a rainbow o n th e c lo u d s a n d a d e fin ite fix e d ch em ica l m ix tu re in the air. T h e Po lar D ays c o n tin u e from th e 22nd o f M a y to the 22nd o f Ju ly . In th is tim e o f the ye a r th e su n d o e sn 't s e t b e low th e horizon . It's d ifficu lt to d e s c rib e th e Po la r D ays to som e o n e w h o hasn 't b een to M u rm a n sk in th e summ er. M an y c o n s id e r th em to like th e W h ite N igh ts o f St. P e te rsbu rg , b u t th is o p in io n is how e ve r false! Im a g in e b e in g in a n e m p ty c ity illum in a ted w ith th e p in k co lo u r o f th e u n s e ttin g sun at 2 or 3 o 'c lo c k in th e m o rn in g . T h is s ig h t is ju s t fantastic! 12 13