Friday, 25 February
Municipal authorities had to remove ahead of schedule ice sculptures of "Northern fantasy" festival on Vorovskogo Street. A week after they had been accomplished, the figures started being destructed, "thanks" to the citizens of Murmansk who perched on sculptures’ bases to make photos on the background of the figures. First suffered ice cats – some of them were beheaded. After that strangers got rid of the main characters: sportsman, woman, standing near the sea and the girl on the globe. Then vandals beheaded Saami woman, sitting by the child’s cradle. A little bit later a bird of luck flew away, with the help of Murmansk citizens, of course. As the festival site became full of ice ruins, the organizers decided to remove the remains of the figures.
Illegal turnover of drug trade remains to be serious problem in the Murmansk Region. According to the official information more than 2500 people are on the books at narcological health center. These are people who take drugs or toxic substances. But the real number of such people outnumbers in several times. On the 24th of February the heads of anti – drug department held press conference, devoted to this problem. Members of operation group didn’t conceal the facts and didn’t try to frighten journalists. The situation with drug spreading on the territory of the Murmansk Region is complicated indeed. The most affected places are Murmansk, Apatiti, Monchegorsk and Kandalaksha. Beside the so-called traditional drugs, like marihuana, synthetic drugs are oftener and oftener brought to the region, for instance, heroin. What really worries militiamen is the process of rejuvenation of drug addiction. These substances can easily be bought at schools. But the paradox is that sometimes school authorities are not interested in control of drug addiction. Within last year drug fighters from Murmansk have stopped functioning of 5 secret laboratories, where narcotic substances were synthesized. 157 people were detained and called to the account. But in spite of all these measures the spreading of drugs in the region continues. And it is impossible to defeat this evil without combined efforts of all interested sides.
Consul – general of Great Britain visited Murmansk. This is not the first visit of the diplomat, as he has to solve different questions, concerning coming celebration of Victory day. In the morning on the 24th of February he visited Northern Navy museum. Excursion lasted for more than an hour. The honored guest was shown the exposition, devoted to friendship relations between Russian and British Navy. The part of the exposition about famous pilot of the Second World War Boris Safonov drew George Edgar’s attention. In the middle of the day diplomats had meetings with the Governor of the region and the Mayor of the City. Particular questions, concerning the program of Victory Day celebrations were discussed. More than 300 members of military ship escorts will come to Murmansk from England. Also military ship of British Navy is expected to come to Murmansk port. According to unofficial information Duke of York is to participate in festive events.
The participants of polar historic – memorial expedition to Bennett Island – Oleg Volinkin and Alexander Levanov visited Murmansk association of Arctic researches. They are from Ivanovo and for their lifetime they traveled a lot. In 2003 they organized expedition to the Arctic, following the route of Eduard Toll and his companions who died. The guests told our researches not only about their trip, in the course of which they managed to find materials about Toll’s expedition. On Bennett Island they put 5-meter wood cross. Arctic explorers also told about the expedition that they are going to organize in 3 months. To the Arctic again. Although such trips are very risky, but the explorers confessed, that they are in a better conditions, that the former Arctic explorers.
