Administrative divisions of Murmansk Oblast
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Murmansk Oblast Murmansk Oblast (russian: Му́рманская о́бласть, p=ˈmurmənskəjə ˈobləsʲtʲ, r=Murmanskaya oblast, ''Murmanskaya oblast''; Kildin Sami: Мурман е̄ммьне, ''Murman jemm'ne'') is a federal subject (an oblast) of ...
is a
federal subject The federal subjects of Russia, also referred to as the subjects of the Russian Federation (russian: субъекты Российской Федерации, subyekty Rossiyskoy Federatsii) or simply as the subjects of the federation (russian ...
of
Russia Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a List of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia, Northern Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the ...
, which is located in the northwestern part of the country, occupying mostly the
Kola Peninsula sjd, Куэлнэгк нёа̄ррк , image_name= Kola peninsula.png , image_caption= Kola Peninsula as a part of Murmansk Oblast , image_size= 300px , image_alt= , map_image= Murmansk in Russia.svg , map_caption = Location of Murmansk Oblas ...
. The oblast itself was established on May 28, 1938, but some kind of administrative organization of the territory existed here since at least the 13th century. As of the 2002 Census,
Russians , native_name_lang = ru , image = , caption = , population = , popplace = 118 million Russians in the Russian Federation (2002 ''Winkler Prins'' estimate) , region1 = , pop1 ...
account for the majority of the oblast's population (85.3%, or 760,862 people), with the indigenous Sami constituting only a 0.20% minority (1,769 people). Since establishing and maintaining the structure of the administrative divisions of the federal subjects is not explicitly specified in the
Constitution of Russia The Constitution of the Russian Federation () was adopted by national referendum on 12 December 1993. Russia's constitution came into force on 25 December 1993, at the moment of its official publication, and abolished the Soviet system of gov ...
as the responsibility of the federal government, this task falls within the scope of the responsibilities of Murmansk Oblast itself.The list of the responsibilities of the federal government of the Russian Federation is specified in Article 71 of the Constitution. Article 72 lists the joint responsibilities of the federal government of the Russian Federation and the governments of the federal subjects. Changes of the administrative-territorial structure of Murmansk Oblast are authorized by the
Murmansk Oblast Duma The Murmansk Oblast Duma (russian: Мурманская областная дума) is the regional legislature of Murmansk Oblast, a federal subject of the Russian Federation. The was on , which elected the seventh convocation. Composition ...
.Law No. 96-01-ZMO The oblast's administrative divisions remained largely unchanged from the structure used during the
Soviet The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, it was nominally a federal union of fifteen nation ...
era, with the notable exception of ''
selsoviet Selsoviet ( be, сельсавет, r=sieĺsaviet, tr. ''sieĺsaviet''; rus, сельсовет, p=ˈsʲelʲsɐˈvʲɛt, r=selsovet; uk, сільрада, silrada) is a shortened name for a rural council and for the area governed by such a cou ...
s''—a low-level administrative unit type abolished after the new law on the administrative-territorial divisions had been adopted in January 1998.


Administrative and municipal divisions


Historical background

The territory on which modern Murmansk Oblast is located has been settled by humans since the 3rd millennium BCE,''Atlas of Murmansk Oblast'', p. V and by the end of the 1st millennium CE, it was settled only by the
Sami people Acronyms * SAMI, ''Synchronized Accessible Media Interchange'', a closed-captioning format developed by Microsoft * Saudi Arabian Military Industries, a government-owned defence company * South African Malaria Initiative, a virtual expertise net ...
.''Administrative-Territorial Divisions of Murmansk Oblast'', p. 16 In the 12th century, Russian
Pomors Pomors or Pomory ( rus, помо́ры, p=pɐˈmorɨ, ''seasiders'') are an ethnographic group descended from Russian settlers, primarily from Veliky Novgorod, living on the White Sea coasts and the territory whose southern border lies on a ...
from the shores of
Onega Bay The Onega Bay (russian: Онежская губа, Онежский залив) is located in the Republic of Karelia and Arkhangelsk Oblast in Northwestern Russia, west of the city of Arkhangelsk. It is the southernmost of four large bays and ...
and in the lower reaches of the
Northern Dvina River The Northern Dvina (russian: Се́верная Двина́, ; kv, Вы́нва / Výnva) is a river in northern Russia flowing through the Vologda Oblast and Arkhangelsk Oblast into the Dvina Bay of the White Sea. Along with the Pechora River ...
started regular hunting and fishing visits to the area and started
barter trade In trade, barter (derived from ''baretor'') is a system of exchange in which participants in a transaction directly exchange goods or services for other goods or services without using a medium of exchange, such as money. Economists distingu ...
with the Sami. They also called the
White Sea The White Sea (russian: Белое море, ''Béloye móre''; Karelian and fi, Vienanmeri, lit. Dvina Sea; yrk, Сэрако ямʼ, ''Serako yam'') is a southern inlet of the Barents Sea located on the northwest coast of Russia. It is su ...
coast of the peninsula Tersky Coast, or Terskaya Land. Pomors were soon followed by the
tribute A tribute (; from Latin ''tributum'', "contribution") is wealth, often in kind, that a party gives to another as a sign of submission, allegiance or respect. Various ancient states exacted tribute from the rulers of land which the state conqu ...
collectors from the
Novgorod Republic The Novgorod Republic was a medieval state that existed from the 12th to 15th centuries, stretching from the Gulf of Finland in the west to the northern Ural Mountains in the east, including the city of Novgorod and the Lake Ladoga regions of m ...
, and the
Kola Peninsula sjd, Куэлнэгк нёа̄ррк , image_name= Kola peninsula.png , image_caption= Kola Peninsula as a part of Murmansk Oblast , image_size= 300px , image_alt= , map_image= Murmansk in Russia.svg , map_caption = Location of Murmansk Oblas ...
gradually became a part of the Novgorodian lands. A 1265 treaty of Yaroslav Yaroslavich with Novgorod mentions
Tre Volost Tre Volost (russian: волость Тре) was a territorial division (a ''volost'') of the Novgorod Republic. It was first mentioned in a 1265 treaty of Yaroslav Yaroslavich with Novgorod, and was later also mentioned in other documents dated ...
, which continued to be mentioned in other documents until as late as 1471. Another known administrative divisions in this area was
Kolo Volost Kolo Volost (russian: волость Коло) was a territorial division (a ''volost'') of the Novgorod Republic. It was first mentioned in the 13th century. The last documentary mention of the volost was in the 15th century. Kolo Volost bord ...
, which bordered Tre approximately along the line between
Kildin Island Kildin (also Kilduin; russian: Кильдин, North Sami: Gieldasuolu) is a small Russian island in the Barents Sea, off the Russian shore and about 120 km from Norway. Administratively, Kildin belongs to the Murmansk Oblast of the Russia ...
and Turiy
Headland A headland, also known as a head, is a coastal landform, a point of land usually high and often with a sheer drop, that extends into a body of water. It is a type of promontory. A headland of considerable size often is called a cape.Whittow, John ...
of the
Turiy Peninsula Turiy Peninsula (russian: Турий полуостров) is peninsula located in Murmansk Oblast, Russia. It is the biggest peninsula on the south of Kola Peninsula. It protrudes into the White Sea The White Sea (russian: Белое мор ...
. Kolo Volost laid to the west of that line, while Tre was situated to the east of it. In the 15th century, Novgorodians started to establish permanent settlements on the Kola Peninsula.''Administrative-Territorial Divisions of Murmansk Oblast'', p. 18 Administratively, this territory was divided into Varzuzhskaya and Umbskaya Volosts, which were governed by a
posadnik Posadnik (Cyrillic: посадник, (literally: по-садник - ''pre-sident'') was the mayor in some East Slavic cities or towns. Most notably, the posadnik (equivalent to a stadtholder, burgomeister, or podestà in the medieval west) was ...
from the area of the
Northern Dvina , image = dvina.jpg , image_size = , image_caption = Northern Dvina starts as the confluence of Yug River (on left) and Sukhona River (on top) near Veliky Ustyug (photo 2001) , source1 = Confluence of ...
. The Novgorod Republic lost control of both of these ''volosts'' to the
Grand Duchy of Moscow The Grand Duchy of Moscow, Muscovite Russia, Muscovite Rus' or Grand Principality of Moscow (russian: Великое княжество Московское, Velikoye knyazhestvo Moskovskoye; also known in English simply as Muscovy from the Lati ...
after the
Battle of Shelon The Battle of Shelon (russian: Шелонская битва) was a decisive battle between the forces of the Grand Duchy of Moscow under Ivan III (r. 1462–1505) and the army of the Novgorod Republic, which took place on the Shelon River on 14 ...
in 1471, and the republic itself ceased to exist in 1478 when Ivan III took the city of Novgorod. All Novgorod territories, including those on the Kola Peninsula, became a part of the Grand Duchy of Moscow. In the second half of the 16th century, King Frederick II of
Denmark–Norway Denmark–Norway (Danish and Norwegian: ) was an early modern multi-national and multi-lingual real unionFeldbæk 1998:11 consisting of the Kingdom of Denmark, the Kingdom of Norway (including the then Norwegian overseas possessions: the Faroe I ...
demanded the
Tsardom of Russia The Tsardom of Russia or Tsardom of Rus' also externally referenced as the Tsardom of Muscovy, was the centralized Russian state from the assumption of the title of Tsar by Ivan IV in 1547 until the foundation of the Russian Empire by Peter I i ...
to cede the peninsula. Russia declined, and in order to organize adequate defenses established the position of a ''
voyevoda Voivode (, also spelled ''voievod'', ''voevod'', ''voivoda'', ''vojvoda'' or ''wojewoda'') is a title denoting a military leader or warlord in Central, Southeastern and Eastern Europe since the Early Middle Ages. It primarily referred to the m ...
'', who sat in
Kola KOLA (99.9 FM) is a commercial radio station licensed to Redlands, California, and broadcasting to the Riverside-San Bernardino-Inland Empire radio market. It is owned by the Anaheim Broadcasting Corporation and it airs a classic hits radio for ...
, which became an administrative center of the region.''Administrative-Territorial Division of Murmansk Oblast'', p. 19 Newly established
Kolsky Uyezd Kolsky Uyezd (russian: Ко́льский уе́зд) was an administrative division (an uyezd) of the Tsardom of Russia and later of the Russian Empire. History 16th–17th centuries Russian expansion to the Kola Peninsula can be traced to th ...
covered most of the territory of the modern oblast, and continued to exist well into the 19th century. In 1854, after having been reduced nearly to ashes as a result of a bombardment by a British ship,''Administrative-Territorial Division of Murmansk Oblast'', p. 22 the town of Kola went into decline. As a result, on , 1858, Tsar Alexander II approved a
State Council State Council may refer to: Government * State Council of the Republic of Korea, the national cabinet of South Korea, headed by the President * State Council of the People's Republic of China, the national cabinet and chief administrative auth ...
opinion "On Changing the Governance in the Town of Kola and in Kolsky Uyezd" that Kolsky Uyezd be abolished and its territory merged into
Kemsky Uyezd Kemsky Uyezd (''Ке́мский уе́зд'') was one of the subdivisions of the Arkhangelsk Governorate of the Russian Empire. It was situated in the western part of the governorate. Its administrative centre was Kem. In terms of present-day adm ...
. However, on , 1883 when Tsar Alexander III approved a new opinion of the State Council, the uyezd was restored, although the territory of the restored uyezd was smaller than its pre-1858 territory. In 1896, Alexandrovsk was founded and grew in size so quickly that it was granted town status in 1899; Kolsky Uyezd was renamed Alexandrovsky on that occasion.''Administrative-Territorial Divisions of Murmansk Oblast'', p. 24 In 1916, Romanov-na-Murmane (modern
Murmansk Murmansk (Russian: ''Мурманск'' lit. "Norwegian coast"; Finnish: ''Murmansk'', sometimes ''Muurmanski'', previously ''Muurmanni''; Norwegian: ''Norskekysten;'' Northern Sámi: ''Murmánska;'' Kildin Sámi: ''Мурман ланнҍ'') i ...
) was founded and quickly grew to become the largest city on the peninsula. When the White movement controlled the northwest of Russia in 1918–1920, Alexandrovsky Uyezd was included into Northern Oblast.''Administrative-Territorial Division of Murmansk Oblast'', p. 26 On February 2, 1920,
Murmansk Governorate Murmansk Governorate (russian: Му́рманская губе́рния) was an administrative division (a '' guberniya'') of the early Russian SFSR which existed in 1921–1927.''Administrative-Territorial Division of Murmansk Oblast'', pp.&nbs ...
was established by the Resolution of the Provisional Government of Northern Oblast; it included the territory of Alexandrovsky Uyezd. The uyezd, however, was restored in its 1917 borders after Murmansk Governorate was abolished effective February 21, 1920 when the Soviet power was restored on the Kola Peninsula. In June 1921, Alexandrovsky Uyezd was transformed into
Murmansk Governorate Murmansk Governorate (russian: Му́рманская губе́рния) was an administrative division (a '' guberniya'') of the early Russian SFSR which existed in 1921–1927.''Administrative-Territorial Division of Murmansk Oblast'', pp.&nbs ...
by the Soviet government.''Administrative-Territorial Divisions of Murmansk Oblast'', p. 28 On August 1, 1927, the
All-Russian Central Executive Committee The All-Russian Central Executive Committee ( rus, Всероссийский Центральный Исполнительный Комитет, Vserossiysky Centralny Ispolnitelny Komitet, VTsIK) was the highest legislative, administrative and r ...
(VTsIK) issued two Resolutions: "On the Establishment of Leningrad Oblast" and "On the Borders and Composition of the Okrugs of Leningrad Oblast", according to which Murmansk Governorate was transformed into
Murmansk Okrug Murmansk Okrug (russian: Му́рманский о́круг, ''Murmansky okrug'') was an administrative division (an okrug) of the Russian SFSR, Soviet Union, which existed in 1927–1938. Creation The okrug was established on August 1, 1927, ...
(which was divided into six districts) and included into
Leningrad Oblast Leningrad Oblast ( rus, Ленинградская область, Leningradskaya oblast’, lʲɪnʲɪnˈgratskəjə ˈobləsʲtʲ, , ) is a federal subjects of Russia, federal subject of Russia (an oblast). It was established on 1 August 1927, a ...
.''Administrative-Territorial Divisions of Murmansk Oblast'', p. 34 This arrangement existed until May 28, 1938, when the
okrug An ''okrug, ; russian: о́круг, ókrug; sr, округ, okrug, ; uk, о́круг, о́kruh; be, акруга, akruha; pl, okręg; ab, оқрҿс; mhr, йырвел, '' is a type of administrative division in some Slavic states. The ...
was separated from Leningrad Oblast, merged with
Kandalakshsky District Kandalakshsky District (russian: Кандала́кшский райо́н) is an administrative district (a raion), one of the six in Murmansk Oblast, Russia.Law #96-01-ZMO As a municipal division, it is incorporated as Kandalakshsky Municipal D ...
of the
Karelian ASSR The Karelian Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic ( rus, Каре́льская Автоно́мная Сове́тская Социалисти́ческая Респу́блика, r=Karelskaya Avtonomnaya Sovetskaya Sotsialisticheskaya Respub ...
, and transformed into
Murmansk Oblast Murmansk Oblast (russian: Му́рманская о́бласть, p=ˈmurmənskəjə ˈobləsʲtʲ, r=Murmanskaya oblast, ''Murmanskaya oblast''; Kildin Sami: Мурман е̄ммьне, ''Murman jemm'ne'') is a federal subject (an oblast) of ...
. By the Decree of the
Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the Russian SFSR The Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic was the collective head of state of the Russian SFSR and the permanent body of the Supreme Soviet of the Russian SFSR that was accountable to the Supreme Sovi ...
of September 11, 1938, the administrative center of
Polyarny District Polyarny District (russian: Поля́рный райо́н) was an administrative division (a district) of Murmansk Okrug of Leningrad Oblast of the Russian SFSR, Soviet Union, and later of Murmansk Oblast, which existed in 1927–1960. It was est ...
was moved from Murmansk to
Ura-Guba Ura-Guba (russian: Ура́-Губа́), also known as Ura (),Administrative-Territorial Division of Murmansk Oblast, p. 67 is a rural locality (a '' selo'') in Kolsky District of Murmansk Oblast, Russia, located beyond the Arctic Circle at a ...
Administrative-Territorial Division of Murmansk Oblast, p. 62 and in December 1938, new
Monchegorsky District Monchegorsky District (russian: Мончего́рский райо́н) was an administrative division (a raion, district) of Murmansk Okrug of Leningrad Oblast, and later of Murmansk Oblast of the Russian SFSR, Soviet Union, which existed in 1938 ...
was formed. In September 1939, the rural locality of Polyarnoye was transformed into a town under oblast jurisdiction and renamed Polyarny and the town
Kandalaksha Kandalaksha (russian: Кандала́кша; fi, Kantalahti, also ''Kandalax'' or ''Candalax'' in the old maps; krl, Kannanlakši; sms, Käddluhtt) is a town in Kandalakshsky District of Murmansk Oblast, Russia, located at the head of Kandala ...
was separated from Kandalakshsky District and elevated to the same status in February 1940. After the
Winter War The Winter War,, sv, Vinterkriget, rus, Зи́мняя война́, r=Zimnyaya voyna. The names Soviet–Finnish War 1939–1940 (russian: link=no, Сове́тско-финская война́ 1939–1940) and Soviet–Finland War 1 ...
of 1939–1940, the western parts of the Rybachy and
Sredny Peninsula Sredny Peninsula (russian: Сре́дний полуо́стров, lit. ''middle peninsula'') is a peninsula at north part of continental European Russia. The peninsula is connected with the continent by a thin isthmus and with Rybachy Peninsula ...
s were ceded by
Finland Finland ( fi, Suomi ; sv, Finland ), officially the Republic of Finland (; ), is a Nordic country in Northern Europe. It shares land borders with Sweden to the northwest, Norway to the north, and Russia to the east, with the Gulf of B ...
to the Soviet Union by the
Moscow Peace Treaty The Moscow Peace Treaty was signed by Finland and the Soviet Union on 12 March 1940, and the ratifications were exchanged on 21 March. It marked the end of the 105-day Winter War, upon which Finland ceded border areas to the Soviet Union. The ...
. By the July 13, 1940 Decision of the Murmansk Oblast Executive Committee, these territories were appended to Polyarny District of Murmansk Oblast. On July 21, 1945, the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the Soviet Union decreed to establish
Pechengsky District Pechengsky District (russian: Пе́ченгский райо́н; fi, Petsamo; no, Peisen; se, Beahcán; sms, Peäccam) is an administrative district (raion), one of the six in Murmansk Oblast, Russia.Law #96-01-ZMO As a municipal division, ...
with the administrative center in
Nikel Nikel (russian: Ни́кель, lit. ''nickel''; fi, Nikkeli; Norwegian: ''Nikkel'') is an urban locality (an urban-type settlement) and the administrative center of Pechengsky District of Murmansk Oblast, Russia, located on the shores of Lake ...
on the territory of Petsamo ceded by Finland to the Soviet Union as part of the
Moscow Armistice The Moscow Armistice was signed between Finland on one side and the Soviet Union and United Kingdom on the other side on 19 September 1944, ending the Continuation War. The Armistice restored the Moscow Peace Treaty of 1940, with a number of mo ...
signed on September 19, 1944 and to include this district as a part of Murmansk Oblast. In 1947, Finland additionally sold the remaining
Jäniskoski The Paatsjoki River hydroelectric power plants are a series of hydroelectric installations on the Paatsjoki River. Description The Paatsjoki River flows from Lake Inari in Finland and for most of its duration, it marks the border between Russia ...
area with its hydroelectric plant, in exchange for Soviet confiscated German investments in Finland. Since then, with the exception of a minor transfer in 1987, the external borders of the oblast remained unchanged. In August 1948, Kandalakshsky District was abolished and its territory administratively subordinated to the town of Kandalaksha. In December 1949, when by the Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the Soviet Union Monchegorsk was elevated in status to that of a town under oblast jurisdiction, with the former Monchegorsky District's territory passing into its subordination. The Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the Soviet Union of March 13, 1951 reinstated Kandalakshsky District in its old borders, and Kandalaksha again became its administrative center. On April 18, 1951, Vayenga was elevated in status to that of a town under oblast jurisdiction and renamed
Severomorsk Severomorsk (russian: Северомо́рск), known as Vayenga () until April 18, 1951, is a closed town in Murmansk Oblast, Russia. Severomorsk is the main administrative base of the Russian Northern Fleet. The town is located on the coast ...
. On April 26, 1951, by the Decision of Murmansk Oblast Executive Committee, several inhabited localities of Polyarny District were passed into its jurisdiction. Kirovsk was elevated in status to that of a town under oblast jurisdiction on May 6, 1954 by the Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the Soviet Union; at the same time Kirovsky District was abolished, and its territory was subordinated to Kirovsk. Polyarny, on the other hand, was demoted to a town under district jurisdiction and subordinated to Polyarny District by the June 14, 1956 Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the RSFSR. By the Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the Russian SFSR of March 19, 1959, the Councils of Deputies of Kandalaksha and of Kandalakshsky District were merged into one Kandalaksha Town Council of Deputies. While the district was nominally retained as a separate administrative division, all its subdivisions were administratively subordinated to the town's Council of Deputies. The Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the RSFSR of July 9, 1960 abolished Polyarny District, the territory of which was divided between Kolsky, Pechengsky, and
Teribersky District Teribersky District (russian: Териберский район), also known as Severomorsky District () was an administrative division (a raion, district) of Murmansk Okrug of Leningrad Oblast of the Russian SFSR, Soviet Union, and later of Murmans ...
s, with the town of Polyarny being administratively subordinated to the town of Severomorsk.Decree #741/18 At the same time, the territory of Teribersky District was also merged with the territory of Severomorsk, to which the district's subdivisions were subordinated. Teribersky District was nominally retained as an administrative division and renamed Severomorsky.
Saamsky District Saamsky District (russian: Саамский район) was an administrative division (a district) of Murmansk Okrug of Leningrad Oblast, and later of Murmansk Oblast, of the Russian SFSR, Soviet Union, which existed in 1927–1963. It was establ ...
was abolished by the Decision of the Murmansk Oblast Executive Committee of January 26, 1963. The district's selsoviets were transferred to
Lovozersky District Lovozersky District (russian: Лово́зерский райо́н) is an administrative district (raion), one of the six in Murmansk Oblast, Russia.Law #96-01-ZMO Municipally, it is incorporated as Lovozersky Municipal District.Law #574-02-ZMO ...
, while
Gremikha Ostrovnoy (russian: Островно́й), previously known as Murmansk-140 (), is a closed town in Murmansk Oblast, Russia. As of the 2010 Census, its population was 2,171; down from 5,032 recorded in the 2002 Census. History The first naval ...
, the administrative center of the former district, was subordinated to Severomorsk. On December 26, 1962, when the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the RSFSR decreed to re-organize the Soviets of People's Deputies and the executive committees of the krais, oblasts, and districts into the industrial and agricultural soviets, Murmansk Oblast was not affected and kept one unified Oblast Soviet and the executive committee. Nevertheless, on February 1, 1963, the Decree by the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the RSFSR established the new structure of the districts of Murmansk Oblast, which no longer included Kandalakshsky and Severomorsky Districts and classified the remaining districts as rural. Subordination of Olenegorsk to Monchegorsk and of Polyarny to Severomorsk remained unchanged. The classification of the districts as rural only lasted for less than two years. The November 21, 1964 Decree by the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the RSFSR restored the unified Soviets of People's Deputies and the executive committees of the krais and oblasts where the division into the urban and rural districts was introduced in 1962, and the districts of Murmansk Oblast were re-categorized as regular districts again by the January 12, 1965 Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the RSFSR Decree. On January 6, 1966, the Murmansk Oblast Executive Committee petitioned to transform the work settlement of Molodyozhny in jurisdiction of Kirovsk into a town under oblast jurisdiction called Khibinogorsk and on subordinating a part of the territory under Kirovsk's jurisdiction to it. The petition was reviewed by the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the RSFSR, which, however, decreed on July 7, 1966 to merge the work settlements of Molodyozhny and
Apatity Apatity ( rus, Апатиты, p=əpɐˈtʲitɨ, lit. apatites) is a town in Murmansk Oblast, Russia, located along the Murman Railway, west of Kirovsk and south of Murmansk, the administrative center of the oblast. The town is named after one ...
into a town under oblast jurisdiction, which would retain the name Apatity. Consequently, the Murmansk Oblast Executive Committee subordinated a part of the territory in Kirovsk's jurisdiction to the new town by the decision of October 13, 1966. On November 29, 1979, the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the RSFSR decreed to establish
Kovdorsky District Kovdorsky District (russian: Ковдо́рский райо́н) is an administrative district (raion), one of the six in Murmansk Oblast, Russia.Law #96-01-ZMO It is located to the west of the Kola Peninsula. The area of the district is .Departm ...
on the parts of the territories previously in jurisdiction of Apatity. Olenegorsk was elevated in status to that of a town under oblast jurisdiction by the August 10, Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the RSFSR Decree, and several inhabited localities previously subordinated to Monchegorsk were transferred to Olenegorsk by the August 26, 1981 Decision of the Murmansk Oblast Executive Committee. Next was the town of Polyarny, which was granted the same status by the June 17, 1983 Decree, and to which several inhabited localities previously subordinated to Severomorsk were transferred by the August 10, 1983 Decision of the Murmansk Oblast Executive Committee. On November 17, 1987, the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the RSFSR decreed to transfer the settlement of the railway station of Poyakonda from Tedinsky Selsoviet of
Loukhsky District Loukhsky District (russian: Ло́ухский райо́н; krl, Louhen piiri) is an administrative district (raion), one of the fifteen in the Republic of Karelia, Russia.Constitution of the Republic of Karelia It is located in the north of th ...
of the
Karelian ASSR The Karelian Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic ( rus, Каре́льская Автоно́мная Сове́тская Социалисти́ческая Респу́блика, r=Karelskaya Avtonomnaya Sovetskaya Sotsialisticheskaya Respub ...
to Murmansk Oblast. By the Decision of the Murmansk Oblast Executive Committee of January 20, 1988, the settlement was merged with the inhabited locality of
Poyakonda Poyakonda (russian: Поя́конда) is the rural locality (an inhabited locality) in Kandalakshsky District of Murmansk Oblast, Russia, located beyond the Arctic Circle at a height of above sea level. On November 17, 1987, the Presidium ...
on the territory in jurisdiction of the town of Kandalaksha. The transfer marked the only time the external borders of the oblast changed between 1947 and present. By the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the Russian SFSR Decree of April 22, 1991, the work settlement of
Polyarnye Zori Polyarnye Zori (russian: Поля́рные Зо́ри, lit. ) is a types of inhabited localities in Russia, town in Murmansk Oblast, Russia, located on the Niva River, Lake Imandra, and Lake Pinozero, south of Murmansk. The nearest settlements ...
in jurisdiction of the town of Apatity was elevated in status to that of a town under oblast jurisdiction. A part of the territory in jurisdiction of Apatity was also transferred to Polyarnye Zori by the Decision of the Presidium of the Murmansk Oblast Soviet of People's Deputies of May 16, 1991. The administrative-territorial structure of the oblast remained unchanged until January 1998, when a new law on the administrative-territorial division was adopted. The new law no longer included selsoviets as a lower-level administrative division, but it recognized closed administrative-territorial formations as a new type of an administrative-territorial unit, the status of which was equal to that of the districts and the cities/towns with jurisdictional territories.


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* * * * {{Use mdy dates, date=September 2013 Murmansk Oblast
Murmansk Oblast Murmansk Oblast (russian: Му́рманская о́бласть, p=ˈmurmənskəjə ˈobləsʲtʲ, r=Murmanskaya oblast, ''Murmanskaya oblast''; Kildin Sami: Мурман е̄ммьне, ''Murman jemm'ne'') is a federal subject (an oblast) of ...