February 6 marks the anniversary of the first congress of the Sami people, which was held on 6 February 1917 in Trondheim. It addressed issues of cooperation of Sami from different countries.
The Sami are an indigenous people of Northern Europe. The Sami population inhabits large northern parts of Norway, Sweden, Finland, and of the Murmansk Oblast, Russia, most of the Kola Peninsula in particular.
In Russia, there are about two thousand Sami people, and the absolute majority of them live in the Murmansk region. The village of Lovozero, located in the Murmansk region, is the "Sami capital” Of Russia. Various Sami holidays and festivals, including international ones, are held here. It is also where the Sami National Cultural Center is located.
Lovozero is not only the center of the cultural life of the Sami in Russia, it is also the geographical center of the Murmansk region, its very heart. The exact location of the center of the region was specified by specialists of the Murmansk Regional Branch of the Russian Geographical Society in 2018. Its coordinates are 68º 00’ 15” N and 35º 00’ 35” E. In August 2019, the sign "Geographical center of the Murmansk region" appeared in the village of Lovozero thanks to the efforts of the MRB RGS.
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A few months ago, the location of the sign appeared on Yandex.Maps making it easier for tourists and locals to find it.
The Murmansk Regional Branch of the Russian Geographical Society sincerely congratulates the indigenous population of the region on the holiday! Sami legends, songs, crafts, a unique way of life are a real treasure for both Murmansk region and the entire Russia!