Umba () is an
urban locality (an
urban-type settlement
Urban-type settlement, abbreviated: ; , abbreviated: ; ; ; ; . is an official designation for lesser urbanized settlements, used in several Central and Eastern Europe, Central and Eastern European countries. The term was primarily used in the So ...
) in
Tersky District of
Murmansk Oblast
Murmansk Oblast is a federal subjects of Russia, federal subject (an oblast) of Russia, located in the northwestern part of the country, with a total land area of . Its only internal border is the Republic of Karelia to the south, and it is bor ...
,
Russia
Russia, or the Russian Federation, is a country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia. It is the list of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the world, and extends across Time in Russia, eleven time zones, sharing Borders ...
, located on the
Kola Peninsula
The Kola Peninsula (; ) is a peninsula in the extreme northwest of Russia, and one of the largest peninsulas of Europe. Constituting the bulk of the territory of Murmansk Oblast, it lies almost completely inside the Arctic Circle and is border ...
at the point where the
Umba River flows into the
Kandalaksha Gulf
The Kandalaksha Gulf (, , ) is located in the Republic of Karelia, and Murmansk Oblast in northwestern Russia. Forming the north-western corner of the White Sea, it is one of four large bays and gulfs of this sea, the others being the Onega Bay ( ...
. Population:
History
First mentioned in 1466, Umba, along with
Varzuga, is the first documented permanent Russian settlement on the Kola Peninsula.
[''Administrative-Territorial Divisions of Murmansk Oblast'', p. 18] From the second half of the 15th century it served as the seat of
Umbskaya Volost.
Politics and society
Umba has been characterized by several sources as a quiet district managed by traditional Communists.
Transportation &Foreigner travel
There is a bus from to Umba from Kandalaksha, going twice a day. The airport from Umba serves parts of the south edge of the Peninsula inaccessible by auto. Priority in buying tickets is given to locals, and reserving them was not possible at least as of September 2013; this mode of transportation cannot be considered reliable. A helicopter can be hired for around $3000 per hour (based in September 2013 information).
Some of the coastline near Umba is off limits to foreigners. Local police should be consulted for details. Visitors may stay in Umba itself or travel along the road that goes along the sea from Kandalaksha to Varzuga.
Culture, events, tourist information, travel services
(taken fro
www.kandalaksha.su
* Tourist Information Center, ul. Dzherzhinskogo 40, (881559) 51744.
* Folklore Festival three times a year
* Pomor Rawing Regatta, yearly
* Pomor Kuzulya (bread figurine) Festival at Kuzreka
* Sports Fishing Contest “Fish Face”
* Library of Pomor History and Culture, ul. Dzerzhinskogo 40, tel. 8 (81559) 51373.
* Museum of History, Culture, and Industry of Tersky Pomors, ul. Dzherzhinskogo 78, tel. 8 (81559) 51532, open Tue. to Sat. 9am to 5pm, closed Sunday and Monday.
* Kanozero Rock Carvings Museum, ul. Dzerzhinskogo 40, tel. 8 81559 50657, 8 911 312 9557, open Mon. to Thur. 8am to 5pm, closed for lunch noon to 1pm, Friday 8am to 12noon, closed Saturday and Sunday.
* “Tonya Tetrina” fishing station. A history and ethnography complex. 27 km east from Umba (towards Varzuga). Tel. 8 911 343 5140.
* Umba Students Science Society.
* Amethyst Shore. Souvenirs, workshops. Ul. Gornaya 60, tel. 8 921 151 3991, 8 921 667 5920.
* Stuffed Fish Studio 8 921 152 1996
* Department of Preservation and Development of Pomor Traditions and Trades, ul. Belomorskaya 1a, tel. 8 815 59 52385. Open Tue. to Sat. 10am to 6pm (closed for lunch 2pm to 3pm), closed Sun. and Mon.
* Suvoy Tour Agency, the village of Kuzreka, tel. 8 81559 51135, 8 911 319 8973
See also
*
Pomors
References
Sources
*
External links
A compilation of Umba information
{{Use mdy dates, date=August 2012
Urban-type settlements in Murmansk Oblast
Populated places established in the 1460s
Populated coastal places in Russia