Alyosha Monument in Murmansk

The Murmansk Alyosha, officially the memorial "To the Defenders of the Soviet Arctic during the Great Patriotic War", is the main monument to the defenders of Murmansk. It stands on top of Zeleny Mys (Green Cape), a 173-metre hill in Murmansk, not far from Okhotnichy Lane. It is one of the tallest monuments in Russia, and the ground at its foot is one of the best viewpoints in the Murmansk region, overlooking the whole city, the port and the Kola Bay.

History

The monument honours the soldiers, sailors, airmen and partisans who defended the Arctic in 1941–1944. The foundation stone was laid on 17 October 1969, and construction began in May 1974. It was unveiled on 19 October 1974, for the 30th anniversary of the defeat of the German forces in the Arctic, and the cruiser Murmansk fired a thirty-gun salute in its honour.

The memorial was designed by the architect I. A. Pokrovsky and the sculptor I. D. Brodsky. The head and upper part of the figure were made in Moscow, the lower part was cast in Murmansk. On 9 May 1975 the remains of an Unknown Soldier were reburied at the foot of the monument and the Eternal Flame was lit.

The complex grew later. In 2004 an alley of memorial plaques of the Hero Cities was opened, with capsules of earth; among them is sea water from the place where the patrol ship Tuman sank and earth from the Valley of Glory. In 2008 a memorial sign "To the Workers of Wartime Murmansk" was added nearby.

What to see

The centrepiece is the hollow figure of a soldier. The figure is 35.5 metres tall, about 42 metres with its seven-metre pedestal, and weighs more than 5,000 tonnes. Among Russian monuments only The Motherland Calls in Volgograd is taller. The soldier faces west, towards the Valley of Glory, where the hardest battles for Murmansk were fought.

Next to the figure stands a three-sided pyramid with a lowered banner, a sign of mourning for the fallen. At its foot are the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and the Eternal Flame. A granite stele lists the armies, the Northern Fleet, the air force, border guards and partisan units that defended the Arctic. Two wartime anti-aircraft guns stand on the summit, where batteries protecting the city were placed during the war.

Viewpoint over the port

From Zeleny Mys there is a panorama of Murmansk: the city blocks, the port and the Kola Bay are all laid out below. In winter the northern lights can be seen from the summit.

Getting there and practical notes

The monument can be seen from almost anywhere in the city. The nearest public transport stop is on Askoldovtsev Street, about a 10-minute walk to the summit.

Since 29 May 2026 the memorial grounds have been closed for reconstruction, according to local media until autumn 2028. The project includes a museum, a recreation area and a concert venue. During the works a particle of the Eternal Flame was moved to the Valley of Glory. Check whether the monument is open before you go.