"The Square of captains"

The Park of Captains is located on Schmidt Street, opposite the building of the former house of inter-voyage recreation of sailors in Murmansk (now the Murmansk Trawl Fleet Administration).

The central symbol of the square is a monument to "Fishermen and ships of the trawl fleet who died during the Great Patriotic War." Its opening took place in May 1975 — on the 30th anniversary of the Great Victory. The author of the project was the artist and front-line soldier Rem Ivanovich Balzhak.

The monument is a high stele symbolizing a column of water from a bomb explosion. At the bottom, it is encircled by a metal ring (compass coil) with the inscription "Eternal glory to the sailors of the trawl fleet who died defending the Soviet Arctic during the Great Patriotic War." On top of the stele, the Red Banner of the USSR and the naval flag of the USSR are solemnly unfurled. Four times a day you can hear the sound of the sea, the cries of seagulls and the melody of the song "Goodbye Rocky Mountains". 

In 2016, for the 100th anniversary of Murmansk, the reconstruction of the park of captains was carried out. Now the memorial is surrounded by a green area with three alleys for recreation and walks. The basic idea of the monument itself has remained unchanged, but the technical equipment has changed. Now the faces of the stele, thanks to special lighting equipment, shimmer like the waves of the Barents Sea, demonstrating an explosion every five minutes. Along the alleys of the square there are 16 stands with information about ships and honored captains of the fishing fleet.

An attentive eye can detect a curious detail in this square – a miniature figure of a sailor with his back to the bay. This miniature monument is called the "Sea Wolf", and its project belongs to the researcher of the Murmansk Regional Museum of Local Lore Alexei Gulyanin. The monument is also part of the reconstruction of the square, dedicated to the 100th anniversary of the city. 

Photo: MAUK "MGPS"