I travel
Teriberka. The severe charm of the North
The Russian North has been considered one of the most popular tourist destinations for several years now. Every year, tens of thousands of travelers come here to see the ice-free ocean surrounded by snow-capped shores, try whaling, explore the wild tundra and take pictures of the northern lights. Maria Malkhanova visited Teriberka, a small village on the of the Barents Sea shore, and told us about her acquaintance with the beauty of this harsh land.
Maria Malkhanova,
Sales Directorate Assistant
Off-road trip from Murmansk to Teriberka
Teriberka gained wide fame and popularity among tourists after the"Leviathan" movie by Andrey Zvyagintsev. And so after observing photo of Teriberka on the Pinterest website I've got passionate about an idea to visit it.
We left Murmansk to reach Teriberka early on a September morning. Judging by the map, the journey would not have been long, excepting one slight problem. The asphalt road to Teriberka is still under construction, and we drove the remaining 30 km to the village off-road at a speed of 20 km/h. But we were lucky to see the beauty of the real northern tundra in a complete way.
Sales Directorate Assistant
Off-road trip from Murmansk to Teriberka
Teriberka gained wide fame and popularity among tourists after the"Leviathan" movie by Andrey Zvyagintsev. And so after observing photo of Teriberka on the Pinterest website I've got passionate about an idea to visit it.
We left Murmansk to reach Teriberka early on a September morning. Judging by the map, the journey would not have been long, excepting one slight problem. The asphalt road to Teriberka is still under construction, and we drove the remaining 30 km to the village off-road at a speed of 20 km/h. But we were lucky to see the beauty of the real northern tundra in a complete way.
Whaling
As soon as we arrived at the destination, we immediately went to hunt whales. From June to September you can often see whales near Teriberka, but unfortunately we never met them. Nevertheless, the boat trip was pleasant, although the weather was cool – the air temperature at the moment was only +7 °C.
Back on shore, we walked along the beach and the ship graveyard, with the hulls of old fishing boats inside. There, on the beach, you can find the most famous art object of Teriberka - a huge whale skeleton from the "Leviathan" movie (about 28 m). But it's a dummy, of course. And the real whale skeleton, which was washed ashore near the village in 2019, is located just next to our hotel.
Crossfit-tour
The most interesting sights of the village - Batareisky waterfall, bird colony, "Dragon's Eggs" beach - are located in the Teriberka nature park, but at a considerable distance from each other. It took a lot of effort to overcome the puddles, slippery rocks and steep slopes on the route. For me, it was real CrossFit. But the view that eventually opened up to our view on the Batareisky Waterfall was worth all this effort for sure.
Our tour ended at the shore of the Barents Sea, on the beach "Dragon's Eggs", which got its name due to the unusual shape of the boulders, which really look like dragon eggs. The most joyful moment of the tour was a tea-break on the Barents Sea shore on this beach among the rocks. Our whole group was extremely tired after the tour and took a stand among the round boulders. Some shared their impressions of what they saw, while others, like us, we quietly sitting among the rocks, watching the sunset over the horizon. At such moments you truly feel as a part of nature.
As soon as we arrived at the destination, we immediately went to hunt whales. From June to September you can often see whales near Teriberka, but unfortunately we never met them. Nevertheless, the boat trip was pleasant, although the weather was cool – the air temperature at the moment was only +7 °C.
Back on shore, we walked along the beach and the ship graveyard, with the hulls of old fishing boats inside. There, on the beach, you can find the most famous art object of Teriberka - a huge whale skeleton from the "Leviathan" movie (about 28 m). But it's a dummy, of course. And the real whale skeleton, which was washed ashore near the village in 2019, is located just next to our hotel.
Crossfit-tour
The most interesting sights of the village - Batareisky waterfall, bird colony, "Dragon's Eggs" beach - are located in the Teriberka nature park, but at a considerable distance from each other. It took a lot of effort to overcome the puddles, slippery rocks and steep slopes on the route. For me, it was real CrossFit. But the view that eventually opened up to our view on the Batareisky Waterfall was worth all this effort for sure.
Our tour ended at the shore of the Barents Sea, on the beach "Dragon's Eggs", which got its name due to the unusual shape of the boulders, which really look like dragon eggs. The most joyful moment of the tour was a tea-break on the Barents Sea shore on this beach among the rocks. Our whole group was extremely tired after the tour and took a stand among the round boulders. Some shared their impressions of what they saw, while others, like us, we quietly sitting among the rocks, watching the sunset over the horizon. At such moments you truly feel as a part of nature.
Atmosphere of the Russian North
The whole group returned back to Murmansk, but my husband and I decided to stay in Teriberka and explore it on our own.
We visited an abandoned local school, which is also considered an unofficial landmark of Teriberka. Visited a small farm with huskies and reindeer. You can feed the deer with lichen, pet them, and take some photos.
By the way, lichen grows there everywhere, right under your feet! The locals even prepare lichen chips from it. Not for deer, but for people. And at the last night before leaving Teriberka we caught something incredible – the northern lights! Even though it was slight, the show was literally breathtaking.
The whole group returned back to Murmansk, but my husband and I decided to stay in Teriberka and explore it on our own.
We visited an abandoned local school, which is also considered an unofficial landmark of Teriberka. Visited a small farm with huskies and reindeer. You can feed the deer with lichen, pet them, and take some photos.
By the way, lichen grows there everywhere, right under your feet! The locals even prepare lichen chips from it. Not for deer, but for people. And at the last night before leaving Teriberka we caught something incredible – the northern lights! Even though it was slight, the show was literally breathtaking.
Interesting Facts
1
In the name of the village the stress should be placed on the letter “i” – Teriberka.
2
In 2015, Teriberka was included in the top 20 best places for travel according to the National Geographic magazine.
3
Teriberka actually consists of two settlements on different banks of the river with the same name: old Teriberka and the village of Lodeynoye (new Teriberka).
4
Teriberka is the only settlement in our country where the Arctic Ocean never freezes.
5
There is a ten-kilometer road from Teriberka towards the bay directio to an oil refinery which stayed unbuilt. The road ends at a steep cliff, and this place is called "the end of all roads".
6
Since 2015, the village has hosted the Arctic festival "Teriberka" in July, where musicians from all over the country perform, local cuisine is prepared, and craft workshops are held.
© Beko 2023