Titovka is barely a place at all on the map, just a bridge over a fast, rocky river on the road between Murmansk and the Norwegian border, a few buildings and a roadside stop. But anyone heading for the Sredny and Rybachy peninsulas knows the name, because this is where the rough track north leaves the paved road. From here on, the riding changes completely: the tarmac gives way to gravel, rock and mud, the landscape opens into bare tundra, and the north coast of the Kola Peninsula starts to feel very close.
The ground around Titovka is soaked in history. During the Second World War, the front line between Soviet and German forces settled along the Litsa and Titovka rivers for three years, from 1941 to 1944, and the fighting in this barren, frozen landscape was brutal. The hills are still scattered with old trenches, bunkers, rusting metal and memorials, and on the way north you will see many of them. It is not a place for carelessness: unexploded ordnance has been found here for decades, so keep to tracks and paths.
The road from Murmansk to Titovka is paved, with long straights and sweeping bends across a rolling landscape of low hills, lakes and dwarf birch, and the views open wide in every direction. Beyond, the track north to Sredny is unpaved, rough and in places deeply rutted, with water crossings after rain. It is best tackled on a light adventure bike with good tyres and some experience off road. Weather changes fast this far north; even in July, a sunny morning can turn to cold rain and fog within an hour.
Practical matters need real planning. The nearest town on the map, Zaozyorsk, is a closed naval town and not open to casual visitors, so fill up in Murmansk or Zapolyarny and carry extra fuel if you plan to explore the peninsulas. The peninsulas lie in a border zone, so check the current permit rules before you go. Bring warm, waterproof clothing, food and water, and treat the roadside stop at Titovka as a last outpost of comfort before the tundra takes over.