The document describes housing and daily life in the city of Murmansk, Russia. It notes that some housing blocks are built on hills overlooking the city center, intriguing questions about who lives there. Murmansk was established in 1916 as a city centered around its harbor. The buildings in the city center are painted in bright colors and their design reflects the time period they were built. Getting around the neighborhoods can be difficult since house numbers are irregular and blocks look nearly identical. Markets run by Ukrainians and Lithuanians pop up between the housing blocks, and some blocks have incorporated ground-floor markets or bars. Furniture and other used items are left outside for others to take. The document also describes an apartment visit where the resident cre

1. MURMANSK: FOOLS ON THE HILL
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

2. 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

3. 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.

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

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

6. FOREIGN OUTDOOR MARKETS
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.

7. ADDITIONAL PROGRAM TO THE BLOCKS
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.

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

9. USERS
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.

10. CONDITIONS
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.

11. 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.