Holiday of the North in Murmansk. History of the holiday of the North

Winter sports in Russia are remarkable for their diversity. Demonstration of such abilities usually takes place in the north of the country, since there is most of the ski runs. Murmansk is the largest city in the world, located beyond the Arctic Circle. It is the capital of such events. There are 296 sports facilities, including sports palaces, stadiums, swimming pools, ski centers, ski centers and so on. Every year it hosts a large number of athletes from all over the country who are going to demonstrate their numerous talents.

What is the main winter event of the country called? And how did it affect the sporting life of Russia? We will discuss further in the article.

Characteristic of the sporting event

The holiday of the North is the main event for winter sports, which takes place in early spring in Murmansk. Why did you choose this period?

It takes a long time to prepare the ski slopes, in a particularly cold time (January-December), this is impossible, since the snow is pouring daily and almost continuously.

Also in winter there is a complete organizational training, for registration in the competition is given for three months, and many people are recruited. There are no restrictions, everyone will be allowed to participate as soon as the registration process passes. The main thing is to have strong health and a spirited mood.

The origins of the event

The first holiday of the North was held on March 30 in 1934. The specificity of this celebration was that only skiers took part in the competitions. At that time the contestants were not enough, but the popularization of the holiday led to a significant increase in the number of those who wished.

The organizers of the event at that time agreed that the sports program should be mixed with military training. Therefore, additional contests for shooting were included in the plan of the celebration.

Even the war could not affect the Russian traditions. The festival of the North continued in the same spirit, the athletes were so enthusiastic that they went to the competitions directly from the front.

Post-war active sports life

After the end of terrible fascist actions in the territory of the Soviet Union, the festival gained double turns. Organizers developed new concepts that could attract more young audience, since at the dawn of sports competitions the age of participants began from thirty years.

In 1961 an additional program was introduced, which opened up new opportunities for schoolchildren and students. Organizers took care of honesty and created a separate category of participants, which was separated from adults, professional athletes. It was a junior group, which was specially trained before the competitions.

1962 was marked by the fact that the list of competitions added hockey with a puck. By that time, the Festival of the North already had a full complex program, in which representatives of any winter sport could take part.

Entering a new level

1971 was no less significant for this celebration. The holiday of the North (photos of the competitive process are in the article) came to the world level and gathered at the events many foreign representatives of winter sports games. They were participants from Bulgaria, Hungary, the United States, Korea and so on.

Also in the same year the first parachutists' competitions were included in the program, and already closer to 1974, biathlon competitions began.

Since 1984, the festivals of the peoples of the north begin with a grand opening ceremony, the idea was borrowed from the Olympic Games. On the opening day, a festive fire is lit, then it is carried throughout the central square of the city.

Modern competitions

Every decade brought its changes in this celebration. If we consider the beginning of the two thousand years, then from this period, extreme sports began to prevail: climbing, kiting and windsurfing. Later, non-ordinary varieties were added: football in the snow, competitions for avid fishermen to drop the fishing rods.

It should be noted that from year to year people themselves offer innovations and add diversity to the holiday of the North. Murmansk constantly receives guests who came to participate in sports competitions. For increased comfort, the event was moved far beyond the city itself, into the forest valley of the Uyuta Valley. It is a powerful sports complex, where all conditions for a sporting event are created.

But still the organizers do not stop at one single place in the region and try to find new alternatives for a big holiday.

Skiing

One of the highlights of this remarkable sporting event is the marathon, which unites several states at once. The name speaks for itself - "Ski Track of Friendship". Competitions of this kind appeared relatively recently, after 1994.

This is a ski race that takes place on the territory of several states - Russia, Norway and Finland. The most important thing is that you do not need to bother with the documents for participation. Even if you are a foreigner, then without any problems you can take part without a passport.

Open the season 2015!

This year was a turning point for the sporting celebration, as it was held in the village of Bolshaya Uki. The holiday of the North was a success, and there were plenty of participants to attend. Despite the fact that the venue for the competitions has changed, enthusiasm has not diminished, and everyone has been eagerly participating in various competitions.

Also, many press conferences took place, at which the organizers answered all the questions of interest.

Participants were active in all spheres of sports, as well as in those non-traditional types that were described earlier.

Interesting Facts

Every year the competition makes the history of the competition and opens up new opportunities for participants. For so many years of the event, there have been many interesting events, information about which is collected in the archive. We present to your attention some interesting facts:

• The famous commentator of the North holiday was Vadim Sinyavsky - a well-known journalist, radio broadcaster, founder of the first Soviet school of sports commenting.

• In 2009, the event was included in the list of winners of the contest "Seven Wonders on the World's Edge" based on the results of the popular vote.

• Also, the sports festival was not without honoring the multiple champions. Among the men stood Sergei Dolidovich, a representative of Belarus (seven wins), of women - Julia Chepalova from Khabarovsk (three wins).

• Thanks to this event, Russia became one of the largest organizations in winter sports: Euroloppet, Russialoppet and the Union of Marathons "Ski Russia".

Discover new talents that can lead you to the top of Olympus, in this will help a wonderful holiday of the North. Ski races in particular will reveal the sporting potential and will show how quickly you can beat a competitor.

Despite the fact that the competition can involve professionals, it is possible that you will overcome all the obstacles and get the main prizes.