10 must-see places in the Russian Arctic (PHOTOS)

1. The Putorana Plateau, Krasnoyarsk Krai

This is a vast mountain range with fantastic landscapes. Just imagine: numerous flat-topped hills cut through by waterfalls and deep canyons. It’s where Lake Vivi, the geographical center of Russia, is located. You can reach the plateau either by helicopter from Norilsk or by boat across Lake Lama.

2. Dudinka, Krasnoyarsk Krai

In this small town, 90 km from Norilsk, is home to Russia's northernmost international seaport, a crucial hub on the Northern Sea Route. In Dudinka, it's worth visiting the local history museum, one of the most impressive in the Arctic. It’s where the mammoth ‘Zhenya’, who is about 45,000 years old, “lives”!

3. Vorkuta, Komi Republic

This is a legendary miners' city on the 67th parallel. Time seems to have frozen there: You can see the luxurious columns of the Palace of Culture, the Mining College and the monumental Palace of Pioneers. Around Vorkuta, you can drive along a "ring" of coal mines and workers' settlements, many of which are now deserted.

4. Murmansk, Murmansk Region

This is the world's largest Arctic city (with 260,000 inhabitants). In Murmansk, you can go inside the nuclear icebreaker ‘Lenin’ and also climb to the memorial to the defenders of the Soviet Arctic during the Great Patriotic War. The observation deck offers panoramic views of Kola Bay.

5. Teriberka, Murmansk Region

This is an ancient fishing village on the shores of the Barents Sea, located on the 69th parallel. In winter, you can see the Northern Lights and, in summer, you can immerse yourself in the history of the Russian Arctic, see whales and touch the Barents Sea.

6. Kirovsk & the Khibiny Mountains, Murmansk Region

This is the most accessible mountain range above the Arctic Circle. You can see the Arctic from above in a cable car. This area is also home to the world's northernmost botanical garden.

7. Cape Dezhnev, Chukotka Autonomous Okrug

This is the easternmost continental point of Eurasia and literally the edge of the Earth. A lighthouse-monument to the Cossack Semyon Dezhnev, whose expedition was the first to reach the edge of the continent in 1648, is located there.

8. The 180th Meridian, Chukotka Autonomous Okrug

Although the official International Date Line is conveniently shifted to the maritime border between Russia and the U.S., geographically, it lies about 60 km from the village of Egvekinot. The concrete monument ‘Symbol of the Sun’ at the intersection of the Arctic Circle and the 180th meridian is a copy of the sun, reduced 400 million times. "Today" is located on a hill behind the monument, while "yesterday" is in front of it.

9. Salekhard, Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug

This is the only city in the world located directly on the Arctic Circle. There, you can visit the ‘ethnopark’ in Gornoknyazevsk, see a sculpture of the mammoth Mitya and get acquainted with the culture of northern nomads. In spring, the large-scale Reindeer Herder's Day celebration takes place.

10. The "Russian Arctic" National Park

This Arctic national park is located on the archipelagos of Novaya Zemlya and Franz Josef Land in the Arctic Ocean. Glaciers, stone spheres on Champ Island, bird colonies, walruses herds and polar bears. It's difficult to reach, but the memories will stay with you forever.

Please note: To visit some polar territories, foreigners (and in some cases, Russians, as well) will need to obtain a special permit. You can do this on the ‘Gosuslugi’ website and via the local Border Directorates of the FSB.