How a lost Arctic village became Russia’s most fashionable tourist destination

The Kola Peninsula, a cold deserted tundra - the edge of the world, in a sense. The only thing farther away is the Arctic Ocean. On it is the village of Teriberka, one of the most popular tourist destinations in Russia. Every day, crowds of tourists visit: some want to see abandoned houses where people recently inhabited, others - the Northern Lights or the triumph of wild nature. 

Most of all, people come in summer to witness the main event of the year - the ‘Teriberka Arctic Festival’.

They travel hundreds (and some even thousands) of kilometers to spend a weekend on the shore of the Barents Sea, listen to their favorite musicians and taste the outlandish dishes of the Polar region.

The most reachable Arctic

The view of Teriberka.

Teriberka is the only place on the shore of the Barents Sea in Russia which can be reached by car. It is about 120 kilometers from Murmansk. However, the road was only constructed in 1984 and, before that, it was only possible to get to it by water. 

At the end of the 16th century Pomors, hereditary fishermen who created the civilization of the Russian North gradually began to settle there and, by the 19th century, the settlement had become the largest in the region. 

In Soviet times, there were two collective fishing farms and fish factories, a poultry farm and shipbuilding workshops, while housing was actively built there. Teriberka was once a closed settlement, where one had to get a special pass to gain access. In the 1960s, large-capacity ships appeared in the country, which moved fishing to the vast ocean and away from the shores of Teriberka. Naturally, the village began to decline. Local residents left en masse in search of work. If, in the best years, about 5,000 people lived there, today, there are less than 900 (and according to other data - about 500). 

The abandoned school.

There was no one to maintain the condition of the houses. Typical landscapes of the village are half-destroyed wooden houses, dilapidated from time, and a lonely school with windows smashed out at the foot of some hills. 

When the village was opened to the public in 2009, abandoned relic enthusiasts began to visit to capture the houses where life was still alive. And, in winter, hunters of the Northern Lights took a fancy to these places. The drama ‘Leviathan’ (2014), directed by Andrei Zvyagintsev, which was filmed in these places, also added to the popularity.

‘Leviathan’ installation.

Every year, more and more tourists visit. The local restaurant, the lodging houses, even swings overlooking the sea appeared on the shore - but every decent blogger already has such a photo. 

The main event of the year was the ‘Teriberka Arctic Festival’, which has been held since 2014. This year, it took place on July 15-16 and gathered a record 15,000 guests, which is unimaginable for a small village.

The Arctic to taste 

Arctic fish soup anyone?

Mobile food trucks with incredible Arctic food and drinks are, with no exaggeration, the heart of the festival. There are more than 30 restaurants with northern flavor from around Murmansk Region, as well as the Far East.

All dishes feature only local produce: venison, wild berries and herbs, lots of fish and caviar.

Deerstroganoff - the Arctic version of beefstroganoff.

“Restaurants go out on the streets - that’s our idea,” says Ekaterina Shapovalova of ‘Gastronomic Map of Russia’, which brought all the chefs together in Teriberka. “At each kiosk you can try the dishes that are on the menu, only in street food format.” 

Jagel chips (Jagel is a lichen on which reindeer feed), for instance, have become a signature of Arctic cuisine. They are actually made of jagel and boiled in berry syrup. And then, there are kalitki, fishermen, kulebyaka, rasstegai.... 

But, perhaps the greatest excitement among guests is usually caused by the traditional Pomor dish zaeburikha, a kind of stew with raw fish and thick broth (read more about Arctic food here). 

Race around the Wind Farm 

This year’s ‘Teriberka Festival’ started with a mass jogging trail around the Kola Wind Farm, the largest above the Arctic Circle. It is located on the route to the village. One could choose a distance from three to 50 kilometers. Overall, the “Polar race” brought together 500 runners from 25 regions of Russia. 

Nikolai Sugrobov specially flew in from Moscow, together with his coworkers. “I decided to do 20 kilometers to have time to get to Teriberka to listen to music and have a meal!” 

Although he already has a lot of marathon experience under his belt, this is the first time he will run above the Arctic Circle. “The main thing is that I took two types of mosquito repellent with me, one for my clothes and one for my exposed skin.” 

In the evening, we saw Nikolai on the shore of the Barents Sea. He came in at just over 2 hours and made it to the concert!

Camping on the beach

At the festival, guests not only eat and listen to their favorite artists. They can also rent a kayak, a sapboard, play the board game ‘Catch the Northern Lights’ in the Culture Center, and even get a ‘Polar Explorer’s Passport’ with stamps on crossing the Arctic Circle.

This is how the ‘Polar Explorer’s Passport’ looks like.

‘Catch the Northern Lights’ game.

Many people stay overnight in tents on the shore to have time to walk to the ‘Dragon’s Eggs’ stone beach and the waterfall in the gorge between the red mountains. 

People who remember Teriberka in 2014 say it’s totally different now. It was a secluded place for travelers in-the-know – and few people knew about it! But now, there are more visitors in the abandoned school than in the Tretyakov Gallery; and to take a photo on the swings or by the old ship on the beach, you have to stand in a waiting line. Teriberka itself is now included on most lists of the best places for traveling to in Russia, year after year. 

See you next summer!

The ‘Teriberka Arctic Festival’ was held on July 15-16 as part of Russia’s program while chairing the Arctic Council in 2021-2023. ‘Roscongress Foundation’ was the event operator.