Rybachy, the Fisherman's Peninsula, is the northernmost tip of mainland Russia's western Arctic coast, a block of tundra and sea cliff jutting into the Barents Sea. The name comes from the fishing communities that the Pomors established here in the Middle Ages, in summer camps on the shore, and the peninsula was an important base for cod and halibut fishing for centuries. Until 1940, much of it belonged to Finland, as part of the Petsamo region, and the Soviet Union held it afterwards. During the Second World War, it was the line where the German advance stopped, and the coast bristled with Soviet guns.
The landscape is bare and dramatic. A line of cliffs, hundreds of feet high at Cape Nemetsky, plunges into the sea, with seabird colonies of kittiwakes, guillemots and puffins nesting on the ledges in summer. Behind the coast, the tundra stretches in low rolling folds, with boulders left by glaciers, shallow lakes, and drifts of cloudberry. The geology, a mix of old sandstone and shale, gives the shore a layered look. Sea eagles patrol the cliffs, and the sea beyond is dark blue. On a clear day, with the sun low, the view across the water goes on forever.
Reaching it is a project. The peninsula is in the border zone, and you need a permit from the border authorities to enter, so apply well ahead and have your documents ready. Expect mud, potholes, and sudden fog, and keep your speed down. Wind is a constant companion, and the weather can change in minutes. Summer, late June to August, is the only practical season, with long daylight, and temperatures rarely above fifteen degrees.
Fuel, food and repairs must come from Murmansk or the larger settlements on the mainland, and you should carry spare fuel and a basic repair kit. Mobile coverage is patchy, and help is far away, so travel with a companion if you can and tell someone your plan.
The lighthouse and the old batteries are worth a look, and on a calm evening the sea is a pale gold. It feels like the edge of the world, and in many ways it is.