{"id":1067,"date":"2001-01-21T10:33:00","date_gmt":"2001-01-21T10:33:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/stormposten.no\/?p=1067"},"modified":"2026-04-02T09:00:28","modified_gmt":"2026-04-02T09:00:28","slug":"my-first-visit-to-russia","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/stormposten.no\/?p=1067","title":{"rendered":"My first visit to Russia"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-7387b849 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"204\" height=\"137\" src=\"https:\/\/stormposten.no\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/image-2.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1070\" style=\"width:42px;height:auto\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">(January 2001) <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">I had just watched the movie \u201cHeftig og begeistret\u201d on TV, but I felt neither hectic nor excited when I passed Storskog, on my way to the first Russian border station in almost 30 minus. It was January 20, 2001, it was my first visit to Russia and even though I was only 2-3 hours drive from home, everything was new\u2026.everything!<br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It was going to be a long journey through a cold landscape. Little did I know then that this would be the beginning of a fantastic journey \u2013 with work, experiences and acquaintances. A \u201cjourney\u201d that would last 20 years\u2026until the conflict between Russia and Ukraine started, and it is impossible to visit again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><br>The means of transport was an old Mitsubishi Pajero, and already upon departure from Kirkenes it complained of its distress \u2013 it was cold. Nevertheless, we made our way together past the Norwegian border station, through the steel gate to Russia and further up along the eastern bank of the Pasvik River, and towards the Russian border station.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><br>Before leaving, I had taken a quick trip through the wardrobes, and rushed with me everything that looked like wool, and it now seemed more and more reasonable. 30 degrees quickly turned into 40.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"469\" height=\"363\" src=\"https:\/\/stormposten.no\/wp-content\/uploads\/2001\/01\/Murmashi.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1096\" style=\"width:603px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/stormposten.no\/wp-content\/uploads\/2001\/01\/Murmashi.jpg 469w, https:\/\/stormposten.no\/wp-content\/uploads\/2001\/01\/Murmashi-300x232.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 469px) 100vw, 469px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Murmashi &#8211; from the air<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><br>After a few kilometers on bad Russian asphalt we came to the Russian border station, and strolled in. Well, this was not like crossing the border at Svinesund on the way to cheap meat, sweets and 90-zones in Sweden. For an inexperienced Norwegian, this was a crash course in Russian bureaucracy. But, by all means\u2026.the Russian border authorities proved to be understanding, and in a mixture of Russian, English and broken Norwegian they explained to me which forms to fill out, what was expected to be on them and where I should hand them in. Attached to an entry form was also an exit form, which was to be handed in when I returned a few days later. And, they could not emphasize enough how important it was that I did not lose it. \u201cYes, because you don\u2019t want to end up as a Russian citizen,\u201d smiled one of the older men in a greenish uniform.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><br>We had been warned in advance that crossing the border could take a long time, but surprisingly enough we were on the road again \u2013 just a couple of hours after we had parked the car and walked from gate to gate with our passports. We had been wished a good trip with a smile.<br>The car coughed reluctantly on, and just before we reached the town of Nikel, about two miles from the border with Norway, we came across the next iron gate. Russia has a border zone that is strictly guarded, and here we are probably watched and counted, so that you don\u2019t stay inside the zone for too long.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><br>At this gate stood a simple soldier, who came out of a tired guardhouse. When we rolled down the window, he asked to see our passports. He was visibly cold, and asked if we had any cigarettes he could get. We didn\u2019t, but he smiled and politely waved us on, after opening the iron gate in front of the car. I became thoughtful\u2026 That guardhouse had seen better days, and I guessed that it was probably close to 40 degrees below zero inside the walls too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><br>Winter darkness set in before we drove into the town of Nikel, and only the lights from the mine and the occasional house were visible. We continued towards the next towns\u2026Zapolyarny and Pechenga. At the entrance to Pechenga we noticed the monuments. Just a few meters away you could see a sign with a hammer and sickle, a tank with its barrel pointed at the border, a small monastery church and the Hill of Glory. Even more thoughtfully we followed the road further east, towards the military town of Sputnik.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"768\" src=\"https:\/\/stormposten.no\/wp-content\/uploads\/2001\/01\/CIMG1378-1024x768.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1094\" srcset=\"https:\/\/stormposten.no\/wp-content\/uploads\/2001\/01\/CIMG1378-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/stormposten.no\/wp-content\/uploads\/2001\/01\/CIMG1378-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/stormposten.no\/wp-content\/uploads\/2001\/01\/CIMG1378-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/stormposten.no\/wp-content\/uploads\/2001\/01\/CIMG1378-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/stormposten.no\/wp-content\/uploads\/2001\/01\/CIMG1378-2048x1536.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Hill of Glory, Pechenga<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><br>After Sputnik you drive into a mountainous area that the Russians use for military training. Here I have been surprised several times by large tanks thundering across the road, and continuing out over the marshes. At that time, in 2001, Western citizens were only allowed to drive through this area 3-4 days a week. On other days it was reserved for Russians, as a result of the training activity. However, it was not tanks and soldiers that were the challenge today \u2013 it was cold, and now we also encountered wind and snow, which made visibility minimal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><br>You drive for about an hour through military territory, and I saw almost nothing of people, landscape or road, for that matter. Snow and wind were annoyingly present, and made it challenging to steer the Pajero eastwards \u2013 but, somehow, it worked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><br>After about half an hour it was so bad that the car would only just go. And, it was going to get worse \u2013 at one point it chose to let the wind take hold so much that one of the windscreen wipers came loose, disappeared over the roof of the car and into the eternal hunting grounds. It took a few seconds before we realized that this was bad \u2013 really bad. We still had many miles to go, and we could not drive any further without windscreen wipers. Sudden stop \u2013 and then out to search. It was a good distance behind the car, and very happy to have been reunited with this indispensable piece of car accessory, we walked back towards the car. But, it was no longer alone\u2026 You shouldn&#8217;t stand still for so many seconds in a Russian military area before you are surrounded by Russian soldiers \u2013 even in severe weather.<br>After explaining the situation, and getting some help getting a The windshield wipers came on again, and we were politely and correctly waved on.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><br>After an hour in the dark, wind and storm we arrive at Titovka. On the left side of the road you can see light and warmth, and a sign that in clear Norwegian says &laquo;Welcome &#8211; Open 24 hours a day&raquo;. Two barracks had been converted into a caf\u00e9, and there was no telling how much they managed to cram into around ten square metres. Here you could buy everything from pizza, meatballs, beer and wine, postcards, key rings, coffee, cakes and crisps. I&#8217;m sure that if I had asked for tickets to the English cup final at Wembley, the lady would have smiled and turned to look.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><br>It was good to have something warm in my body. I&#8217;m not a coffee drinker myself, so I chose a random Russian tea. Let it be said once and for all: Russians KNOW their tea!! To this day I choose Russian teas, if I can get them. They are so aromatic and &laquo;round&raquo; that neither sugar nor candies are felt necessary. Greenfield &#8211; produced mainly in St. Petersburg is difficult to get hold of in Norway, but fortunately it is imported to Finland, so a quick trip across the border there, then\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><br>Now the temperature had dropped below 40 degrees, and it was a good idea that our old car was idling while we were inside and got something warm in our bodies. Blue smoke behind the car, where it snorted and coughed, clearly dissatisfied down the slopes towards the final destination of the journey.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><br>But, there were still a couple of hours left. We had promised to be at the hotel at seven in the evening, but now that time had already passed by a good margin.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><br>At school we had learned about the battle in the Litza Valley, which was fought during the Second World War between the Germans and the Russians, and the large monuments that had been erected afterwards &#8211; in honor of the fallen. Well, we gave them a damn now, because we were freezing all over our limbs, and we were genuinely worried whether the car would last all the way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" src=\"https:\/\/stormposten.no\/wp-content\/uploads\/2001\/01\/Murmansk-from-the-Lenin-Icebreaker-Photo-Lars-Engerengen_SMALL-1024x576.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1099\" srcset=\"https:\/\/stormposten.no\/wp-content\/uploads\/2001\/01\/Murmansk-from-the-Lenin-Icebreaker-Photo-Lars-Engerengen_SMALL-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/stormposten.no\/wp-content\/uploads\/2001\/01\/Murmansk-from-the-Lenin-Icebreaker-Photo-Lars-Engerengen_SMALL-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/stormposten.no\/wp-content\/uploads\/2001\/01\/Murmansk-from-the-Lenin-Icebreaker-Photo-Lars-Engerengen_SMALL-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/stormposten.no\/wp-content\/uploads\/2001\/01\/Murmansk-from-the-Lenin-Icebreaker-Photo-Lars-Engerengen_SMALL.jpg 1152w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Murmansk<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><br>This was before the bridge over the Kola Fjord was built, so when we saw the lights from Murmansk, and the big monument of Allosha, we knew that we still had a long way to go. We drove on the west bank of the Kola Fjord, and even though the temperature had now dropped to a \u201ccomfortable\u201d 30 degrees below zero, wool was still very much needed. It became difficult to feel our toes and fingers, and as a result of breathing (yes, we actually had to breathe sometimes), ice formed on the inside of the car windows.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><br>At the bay of the Kola Fjord, we could finally turn left, and into the small town of Murmashi. Apart from the fact that Murmansk Airport is on the outskirts of Murmashi, there was little business to be seen in this small town. We therefore saw no reason to stop, and continued undeterred \u2013 now straight north, through the city Kola, before we could finally embark on Prospekt Kolskye and Prospekt Lenina \u2013 the main street through Murmansk city.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><br>A good three hours after our planned arrival, the old Pajero parked outside the Poliarnie Zory Hotel in Knipovicha in Murmansk. We entered the reception and were greeted by a sweet \u2013 yet grumpy \u2013 young lady at the reception. Why were we so late \u2013 we had promised\u2026 Well, she accepted the explanations, and check-in was carried out. I reluctantly gave her my passport with my exit documents, but when she smiled sweetly and promised that I would get them back the next morning, I let myself be persuaded.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><br>Up to the hotel room\u2026.take off my outerwear\u2026and then straight down to the warm bathroom floor\u2026 Slowly but surely, my body temperature rose towards normal levels, and the world became blissful again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><br>That night I slept well. Not even the sound of a Finnish male choir practicing shanties on the floor below made me irritated now \u2013 there was only sleep and anticipation for tomorrow in my head\u2026mostly sleep\u2026.zzz\u2026.z\u2026z\u2026.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"166\" height=\"166\" src=\"https:\/\/stormposten.no\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/image-3.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1073\" style=\"width:42px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/stormposten.no\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/image-3.png 166w, https:\/\/stormposten.no\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/image-3-150x150.png 150w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 166px) 100vw, 166px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Jeg hadde nettopp sett filmen \u00abHeftig og begeistret\u00bb p\u00e5 TV, men jeg f\u00f8lte meg hverken heftig eller begeistret n\u00e5r jeg passerte Storskog, p\u00e5 vei mot f\u00f8rste russiske grensestasjon i n\u00e6rmere 30 minus. Det var 20. januar 2001, det var mitt f\u00f8rste bes\u00f8k i Russland og selv om jeg bare befant meg 2 \u2013 3 timers kj\u00f8ring hjemmefra, s\u00e5 var alt nytt\u2026.alt!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Det skulle bli en lang reise gjennom et kaldt landskap. Lite visste jeg da at dette skulle bli begynnelsen p\u00e5 en fantastisk reise \u2013 med jobb, opplevelser og bekjentskaper. En \u00abreise\u00bb som skulle vare i 20 \u00e5r\u2026inntil konflikten med Ukraina.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"521\" height=\"447\" src=\"https:\/\/stormposten.no\/wp-content\/uploads\/2001\/01\/Nikel.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1095\" style=\"width:600px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/stormposten.no\/wp-content\/uploads\/2001\/01\/Nikel.jpg 521w, https:\/\/stormposten.no\/wp-content\/uploads\/2001\/01\/Nikel-300x257.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 521px) 100vw, 521px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Gruvebyen Nikel, foto tatt fra en Dornier 228 h\u00f8yt over bakken<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Transportmidlet var en gammel Mitsubishi Pajero, og allerede ved avreise fra Kirkenes klaget den sin n\u00f8d \u2013 den hadde det kaldt. Allikevel tok vi oss sammen forbi den norske grensestasjonen, gjennom st\u00e5lporten til Russland og videre opp langs Pasvikelvas \u00f8stlige bredd, og mot den russiske grensestasjonen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">F\u00f8r avreise hadde jeg tatt en snartur gjennom klesskapene, og rasket med meg alt som s\u00e5 ut som ull, og det virket n\u00e5 mer og mer fornuftig. 30 grader ble fort til 40.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Etter noen kilometer p\u00e5 d\u00e5rlig russisk asfalt kom vi til den russiske grensestasjonen, og ruslet inn. Vel, dette var ikke som \u00e5 passere grensen ved Svinesund p\u00e5 vei mot billig kj\u00f8tt, godterier og 90-soner i Sverige. For en uerfaren nordmann var dette et crashkurs i russisk byr\u00e5krati. Men, for all del\u2026.de russiske grensemyndighetene viste seg forst\u00e5elsesfulle, og p\u00e5 en blanding av russisk, engelsk og gebrokkent norsk fikk de forklart meg hvilke skjema som skulle fylles ut, hva det var forventet at det skulle st\u00e5 p\u00e5 demm og hvor jeg skulle levere dem. Ved et innreiseskjema var det ogs\u00e5 heftet et utreiseskjema, som skulle leveres n\u00e5r jeg skulle returnere noen dager senere. Og, de kunne ikke understreke godt nok hvor viktig det var at jeg ikke mistet det. <em>\u00abJa, for du vil vel ikke ende opp som russisk statsborger<\/em>\u00bb, flirte en av de eldre i gr\u00f8nnaktig uniform.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Vi var blitt advart p\u00e5 forh\u00e5nd om at grensepassering kunne ta lang tid, men overraskende nok var vi p\u00e5 veien igjen \u2013 bare et par timer etter at vi hadde parkert bilen og g\u00e5tt fra luke til luke med passet. Smilende var vi blitt \u00f8nsket god tur videre.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Bilen hostet seg motvillig videre, og rett f\u00f8r vi kom til byen Nikel, ca. to mil fra grensa til Norge, s\u00e5 m\u00f8tte vi p\u00e5 neste jernport. Russland har en grensesone som er strengt bevoktet, og her er vi nok passet p\u00e5 og tellet, slik at man ikke blir v\u00e6rende inne i sonen for lenge.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Ved denne porten sto det en enkel soldat, som kom ut fra en sliten vaktbu. Da vi rullet ned vinduet, ba han om \u00e5 f\u00e5 se passet. Han var synlig kald, og spurte om vi hadde sigaretter han kunne f\u00e5. Det hadde vi jo ikke, men han smilte og vinket oss h\u00f8flig videre, etter \u00e5 ha \u00e5pnet jernporten foran bilen. Jeg ble tankefull\u2026 Den vaktbua hadde sett sine bedre dager, og jeg gjettet at det nok var n\u00e6rmere 40 kuldegrader ogs\u00e5 innenfor veggene.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"346\" height=\"365\" src=\"https:\/\/stormposten.no\/wp-content\/uploads\/2001\/01\/Backyard_MMK.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1097\" style=\"width:596px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/stormposten.no\/wp-content\/uploads\/2001\/01\/Backyard_MMK.jpg 346w, https:\/\/stormposten.no\/wp-content\/uploads\/2001\/01\/Backyard_MMK-284x300.jpg 284w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 346px) 100vw, 346px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Hotellbakg\u00e5rd p\u00e5 Russlandia Poliarnie Zori Hotel i Knipovicha<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Vinterm\u00f8rket slo inn f\u00f8r vi kj\u00f8rte inn i Nikel by, og bare lysene fra gruva og ett og annet hus var synlig. Vi fortsatte mot de neste byene\u2026Zapolyarny og Pechenga. Ved innfarten til Pechenga la vi merke til monumentene. P\u00e5 bare noen f\u00e5 meters avstand kunne man se et skilt med hammer og sigd, en tanks med kanonl\u00f8pet rettet mot grensen, en liten klosterkirke og en stor statue p\u00e5 &laquo;Hill of Glory&raquo;. Ytterligere tankefull fulgte vi veien videre \u00f8stover, og mot den milit\u00e6re byen Sputnik.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Etter Sputnik kj\u00f8rer man inn i et fjellomr\u00e5de som russerne bruker til milit\u00e6r \u00f8ving. Her har jeg flere ganger blitt overrasket av store tanks som dundrer tvers over veien, og fortsetter ut over myrene. P\u00e5 den tiden, alts\u00e5 i 2001, s\u00e5 fikk vestlige borgere kun kj\u00f8re gjennom dette omr\u00e5det 3 \u2013 4 dager i uken. \u00d8vrige dager var det forbeholdt russere, som f\u00f8lge av \u00f8vingsaktiviteten. Men, det var ikke tanks og soldater som var utfordringen i dag \u2013 det var kulde, og n\u00e5 m\u00f8tte vi ogs\u00e5 p\u00e5 vind og sn\u00f8, som gjorde sikten minimal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Man kj\u00f8rer rundt en time gjennom milit\u00e6rt omr\u00e5de, og jeg s\u00e5 nesten ingenting av folk, landskap eller veg, for den saks skyld. Sn\u00f8 og vind var plagsomt tilstede, og gjorde det utfordrende \u00e5 styre Pajeroen \u00f8stover \u2013 men, det gikk p\u00e5 et vis.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Etter en dr\u00f8y halvtime var det s\u00e5 ille, at bilen bare s\u00e5 vidt ville dra. Og, det skulle bli verre \u2013 den valgte p\u00e5 et tidspunkt \u00e5 la vinden ta s\u00e5 tak at den ene vindusviskeren l\u00f8snet, forsvant over taket p\u00e5 bilen og inn mot de evige jaktmarker. Det gikk noen sekunder f\u00f8r det gikk opp for oss at dette var ille \u2013 riktig ille. Vi hadde enda mange mil igjen, og vi kunne ikke kj\u00f8re videre uten vindusvisker. Br\u00e5stopp \u2013 og deretter ut \u00e5 lete. Et godt stykke bak bilen l\u00e5 den, og sv\u00e6rt lykkelige over \u00e5 ha blitt gjenforent med dette uunv\u00e6rlige stykket med biltilbeh\u00f8r, gikk vi tilbake mot bilen. Men, den var n\u00e5 ikke lenger alene\u2026 Man skal ikke st\u00e5 stille s\u00e5 mange sekunder i russisk milit\u00e6rt omr\u00e5de, f\u00f8r man blir omringet av russiske soldater \u2013 selv i heftig v\u00e6r.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Etter \u00e5 ha forklart situasjonen, og f\u00e5tt litt hjelp med \u00e5 f\u00e5 festet vindusviskeren igjen, ble vi h\u00f8flig og korrekt vinket videre.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Etter en time i m\u00f8rke, vind og uv\u00e6r kommer vi fram til Titovka. P\u00e5 venstre side av veien oppfatter man lys og varme, og et skilt som p\u00e5 klart norsk \u00f8nsker \u00abVelkommen &#8211; \u00c5pen 24 timer i d\u00f8gnet\u00bb. To brakker var omgjort til kaf\u00e9, og det var ikke m\u00e5te p\u00e5 hvor mye de klarte \u00e5 f\u00e5 inn p\u00e5 rundt ti kvadratmeter. Her kunne man kj\u00f8pe alt fra pizza, kj\u00f8ttboller, \u00f8l og vin, postkort, n\u00f8kkelringer, kaffe, kaker og potetgull. Jeg er sikker p\u00e5 at om jeg hadde spurt om billetter til den engelske cupfinalen p\u00e5 Wembley, s\u00e5 hadde damen smilt, og snudd seg for \u00e5 lete..<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"533\" height=\"470\" src=\"https:\/\/stormposten.no\/wp-content\/uploads\/2001\/01\/Allosha.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1098\" style=\"width:601px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/stormposten.no\/wp-content\/uploads\/2001\/01\/Allosha.jpg 533w, https:\/\/stormposten.no\/wp-content\/uploads\/2001\/01\/Allosha-300x265.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 533px) 100vw, 533px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Allosha &#8211; med blikket vendt mot Litzadalen<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Det var godt med noe varmt i kroppen. Selv er jeg ingen kaffedrikker, s\u00e5 jeg valgte en tilfeldig russisk t\u00e9. La det v\u00e6re sagt en gang for alle: russerne KAN t\u00e9!! Til den dag i dag velger jeg russiske t\u00e9sorter, hvis jeg f\u00e5r tak i det. De er s\u00e5 aromatiske og \u00abrunde\u00bb, at det ikke f\u00f8les n\u00f8dvendig med hverken sukker eller suketter. Greenfield \u2013 produsert hovedsakelig i St. Petersburg er vanskelig \u00e5 f\u00e5 tak i i Norge, men heldigvis importeres det til Finland, s\u00e5 en kjapp tur over grensa dit, s\u00e5\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">N\u00e5 var temperaturen falt under 40 grader, og det var lurt at den gamle bilen v\u00e5r gikk p\u00e5 tomgang mens vi var inne og fikk noe varmt i kroppen. Bl\u00e5 r\u00f8yk bak bilen, der den harket og hostet, tydelig misforn\u00f8yd nedover bakkene mot reisens endem\u00e5l.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Men, det var enn\u00e5 et par timer igjen. Vi hadde lovt \u00e5 v\u00e6re p\u00e5 hotellet i sjutiden p\u00e5 kvelden, men n\u00e5 var den tiden allerede passert med god margin.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">P\u00e5 skolen hadde vi l\u00e6rt om slaget i Litzadalen, som ble utkjempet under andre verdenskrig mellom tyskerne og russerne, og de store monumentene som var reist i ettertid \u2013 til heder og \u00e6re for de falne. Vel, de ga vi blankt faen i n\u00e5, for vi var i ferd med \u00e5 fryse av oss alt av lemmer, og vi var oppriktig bekymret for om bilen ville holde helt fram.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Dette var f\u00f8r det ble bygget bru over Kolafjorden, s\u00e5 n\u00e5r vi fikk se lysene fra Murmansk, og det store monumentet Allosha, s\u00e5 visste vi at det fremdeles var lenge igjen. Vi kj\u00f8rte p\u00e5 vestbredden av Kolafjorden, og selv om temperaturen n\u00e5 var sunket ned til \u00abbehagelige\u00bb 30 kuldegrader, s\u00e5 var ull fremdeles h\u00f8yst n\u00f8dvendig. Det ble vanskelig \u00e5 kjenne t\u00e6r og fingre, og som f\u00f8lge av pusting (ja, vi m\u00e5tte jo faktisk puste av og til), s\u00e5 la det seg is p\u00e5 innsiden av vinduene i bilen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Ved bukta i Kolafjorden kunne vi endelig svinge mot venstre, og inn i den lille byen Murmashi. Bortsett fra at Murmansk lufthavn ligger i utkanten av Murmashi, s\u00e5 var det lite n\u00e6ringsliv \u00e5 spore i denne lille byen. Vi s\u00e5 derfor ingen grunn til \u00e5 stoppe, og fortsatte ufortr\u00f8dent videre \u2013 n\u00e5 rett nordover, gjennom Kola By, f\u00f8r vi endelig kunne ta fatt p\u00e5 Prospekt Kolskye og Prospekt Lenina \u2013 hovedgaten gjennom Murmansk by.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Godt og vel tre timer etter planlagt ankomst, parkerte den gamle Pajeroen utenfor Poliarnie Zory Hotel i Knipovicha i Murmansk. Inn i resepsjonen og ble m\u00f8tt av en s\u00f8t \u2013 men likevel sur \u2013 ung dame i resepsjonen. Hvorfor var vi s\u00e5 sene \u2013 vi hadde jo lovet\u2026 Vel, hun godtok forklaringene, og innsjekking ble utf\u00f8rt. Litt motvillig ga jeg fra meg passet med utreisedokumentene til henne, men n\u00e5r hun smilte s\u00f8tt og lovte at jeg skulle f\u00e5 de tilbake morgenen etter, s\u00e5 lot jeg meg overtale.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Opp p\u00e5 hotellrommet\u2026.av med ytterkl\u00e6rne\u2026og deretter rett ned p\u00e5 det varme baderomsgulvet\u2026 Sakte, men sikkert steg kroppstemperaturen opp mot normalt niv\u00e5, og verden ble igjen salig.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Denne natten sov jeg godt. Ikke engang lyden fra et finsk mannskor som \u00f8vde p\u00e5 shantyer i etasjen under fikk meg til \u00e5 bli irritert n\u00e5 \u2013 det var kun s\u00f8vn og forventning mot morgendagen som sto i hodet\u2026mest s\u00f8vn\u2026.zzz\u2026.z\u2026z\u2026.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>(January 2001) I had just watched the movie \u201cHeftig og begeistret\u201d on TV, but I felt neither hectic<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1088,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[16],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1067","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-travel-experiences-2"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/stormposten.no\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1067","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/stormposten.no\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/stormposten.no\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stormposten.no\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stormposten.no\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1067"}],"version-history":[{"count":9,"href":"https:\/\/stormposten.no\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1067\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1100,"href":"https:\/\/stormposten.no\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1067\/revisions\/1100"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stormposten.no\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/1088"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/stormposten.no\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1067"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stormposten.no\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1067"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/stormposten.no\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1067"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}