At the arrival in Murmansk city the first notice was the evening sun reflections from build-ings located over the city centre. Seeing those housing blocks that occupy the hills of Murmansk from a distance intrigued some questions about who lives there there and how.

“The fools on the hill live there”Igor Shaytanov

MURMANSK: FOOLS ON THE HILL

Murmansk beiing a relatively young city in Russia, established in 1916, it´s based around several hills and a harbour. There´s a lack of access between city centre to the harbour

The buildings in the city centre, that lays the flatter surface between the hills, are often painted with various colors, designed with strong forms and decorations. The develope-ment of the city can been seen clearly from what period it was constructed.

To orientate in Leninsky district is rather difficult. House numbers are often irregular besides that the blocks are almost identical, monochrome.

GETTING AROUND THE NEIGHBOURHOOD

Outside the blocks the surface is heavily occupied with private cars.

On a vacant space between the blocks and the parking lots we stumble across a market.It’s a different markets with fruit, vegetables, beverages and cigratettes runned by Ukrain-ians and Lithuainans that setup temporally.

FOREIGN OUTDOOR MARKETS

With some of the blocks markets or bars have been established on the ground floor of the buildings. Eather a facility has been built and added to the building. Or the existing ground floor has been rearranged for a market space.

ADDITIONAL PROGRAM TO THE BLOCKS

Outside the blocks you can find containers with used materials. Furnitures, parket, toys and birdcages are left outside open for next person to take.

USED OBJECTS

We were invited to an apartment where two 26 year old female lives. These apartment are capable of house a 6 person family. The current resident had people coming and going, staying there for a period of time.

USERS

In these prefabricated housing, the heating system in the apartments are installed in the walls. According to the residents the aparment is still poorly isolated and can be very cold at wintertime.

CONDITIONS

The resident uses the space creatively to make a new setting in her space. In one room is a workshop for hands and craft when in another room a three dimensional collage on the can create a different experience of the room.