At the foot of the mountains there is Kirovsk city. The city appeared here in the 30s of the 20th century in connection with the development of mineral deposits in the Khibiny.
Kirovsk is also famous for its Snow Village. It was built in 2008. Every year it is rebuilt, and every year exhibitions and sculptures inside it are made on various topics.
What Activities you will Experience on Khibiny Mountains Tour
- get acquainted with the center of Khibiny mountains, enjoy its severe beauty; see its iceless rivers and wonderful tundra covered with white snow.
- reach the top of the mountain by ski elevator at the ski resort 'Big Wood' and you will have about 30 minutes for taking photos and enjoy the panoramic views.
- visit the Snow Village. It is an awesome structure made of natural materials – only ice and snow. Here, you will see wonderful ice castles, variety of snow figures and secret mazes made of ice.
- enjoy majestic mountain sceneries and visit the Mineralogy Museum which houses a unique collection of minerals from all over the world.
- for optional activities you will be offered a snowmobile ride (better to be booked in advance)
The History of the Place
In 1920, academician Alexander Fersman began conducting systematic expeditions of geological exploration, which resulted in the discovery of large deposits of apatite and other, partly previously unknown minerals. After these discoveries, the rapid growth of the Kola Peninsula industry began.
The Khibiny Massif is of oval shape of about 1,300 square kilometers and occupies the central part of the peninsula at a relative elevation of 900–1000 meters above the surrounding plain.
The mountains are not particularly high; the highest peak is the Yudychvumchorr (from Saami translation “The massif of crying wind”), which stands 1,201 meters.
The mountains form the shape of a horseshoe topped by a high plateau, drained by a series of deep canyons. The peaks are of plateau type, with steep slopes, with glaciers, icefields and snowfields in some places. The overall terrain is alpine tundra.
Khibiny have an Arctic-moderate climate, with an average winter temperature of -5°C. However, the temperature can potentially drop to -30°C during the night. The Gulf Stream, which brings warmer water to the Kolsky Peninsula from the north, moderates the climate, making it slightly warmer than other Arctic regions.
The polar night in the Khibiny lasts 42 days. In the open spaces of the peaks, the wind can blow at a speed of up to 50 m/s. Summer short polar day lasts 50 days.
