The petroglyphs of Kanozera are an ancient riddle of the Kola.

What is known to date? More than 1,500 images have been found, they are located on the islands of Lake Kanozera, dating from 4-2 thousand BC.
A curious mystery that scientists are still trying to decipher is that Kanozero was not a place of permanent settlement of ancient people. Their stay here was temporary - no parking lots, remnants of buildings, burials were found. Perhaps Kanozero was a meeting place for various nomadic tribes and these meetings were not of a militant, peaceful nature. Ritual ceremonies were performed here or people gathered to exchange information.

The storyline of the Kanozero petroglyphs is very diverse: images of animals, hunting scenes, boats, footprints, obscure symbols, anthropomorphic images, love compositions and ritual scenes. Two themes are clearly traced: hunting magic and fertility magic. Myths, legends and legends of ancient man are imprinted on the rocks of Kanozera, a complex picture of his world is displayed. 

A museum was created to protect, popularize the petroglyphs of the Kola Peninsula and work with visitors.

In Umba (south of the Kola Peninsula, Tersky district) there is an exhibition hall of the museum, where photocopies of hard-to-reach petroglyphs are presented. There is a cordon at the Canozera itself, where the task of the staff is to protect the museum complex from unauthorized visits and conduct excursions for organized tourist groups.

In 2014, the museum, in collaboration with partners, carried out a grandiose project – the main group of petroglyphs (more than 600 images) is covered with a protective dome, which protects them from destruction and makes them accessible to visitors all year round.. The museum organizes sightseeing trips to the rock art complex from the village of Umba. The trip itself is an interesting adventure! Several types of transport are involved - boats, all-terrain vehicles in summer; snowmobiles in winter. These excursions allow you to get acquainted with the primitive history of the Kola Peninsula. You can find out about the possibility and book a tour using the specified contacts in the museum.

Also, trips to Kanozero are organized by tour operators of the region. 

The starting point for visiting the petroglyph museum and for a trip to the complex itself on the Kanozera Islands will be the village of Umba (the district center of the Tersky district of the Murmansk region).

Distance by highway: Murmansk - Umba 350 km; St. Petersburg - Umba 1200 km; Moscow - Umba 1800 km.Another way to get to the south of the Kola Peninsula is by rail to Kandalaksha station.

Trains run daily from the railway stations of Murmansk, Moscow and St. Petersburg in this direction. You can view the schedule and choose a convenient flight on the Russian Railways website
Trains depart and arrive:
- railway station in Murmansk, Komintrena str., 14
- Leningradsky Railway Station in Moscow, Komsomolskaya Square, 3 (Komsomolskaya metro station)
- Ladozhsky railway station in St. Petersburg, Zanevsky Prospekt, 73 (Ladozhsky railway station metro station)

Regular buses run daily from Kandalaksha (station square) to Umba (the square near the House of Culture). The distance is 110 km, the journey takes 2 hours. The schedule of regular buses Kandalaksha - Umba - Kandalaksha is here

The exhibition hall of the museum-reserve "Petroglyphs of Kanozera", which is located in Umba, can be visited at any time convenient for you during the working hours of the museum. In order to get detailed information about ancient rock carvings, we recommend that you do this with an excursion, which you can order on the spot.

But the complex of petroglyphs itself is located in a remote place on the islands of the forest lake Kanozera.  In winter you can't do without a snowmobile, in summer without a boat. Independent visit to the complex is difficult and we recommend contacting professionals who organize the transfer competently and safely.

With the construction of a protective dome over the main group of petroglyphs (more than 600 images) in 2014, a visit to the complex and acquaintance with the fine art of the ancients is possible almost year-round. The most favorable time to travel there can be considered June - September and February - April. The least favorable time is May and the dark autumn-winter months from October to January.