Liinakhamari

Liinakhamari (Russian: Лиинахамари; Finnish: Liinahamari; Swedish: Linhammar) is an ice-free harbor and a rural locality in Pechengsky District of Murmansk Oblast, Russia. The harbor belonged to Finland from 1920 until 1944 when it was handed over to the Soviet Union.

Liinakhamari Лиинахамари
Posyolok[1]
Coat of arms
Location of Liinakhamari
Liinakhamari Location of Liinakhamari Show map of Russia Liinakhamari Liinakhamari (Murmansk Oblast) Show map of Murmansk Oblast
Coordinates: 69°38′00″N 031°15′00″E
Country	Russia
Federal subject	Murmansk Oblast[1]
Administrative district	Pechengsky District[1]
Population  (2010 Census)[2]
• Total	475
Time zone	UTC+3 (MSK [3])
Postal code(s)[4]	184402
Dialing code(s)	+7 81554[5]
OKTMO ID	47615162111

Harbor of Liinahamari in Petsamo, Finland during the 1930s

Liinakhamari was handed over to Finland after the Treaty of Tartu in 1920. Liinakhamari was Finland's only ocean harbor. The so-called Arctic Ocean Highway from Rovaniemi to Liinakhamari was ready by 1931. The harbor housed a toll, a fish factory, and a hotel. The harbor was extended by the end of the 1930s.

During the Russo-Finnish Winter War, the Soviet Union conquered Liinakhamari, but it was given back to Finland in the Moscow Peace Treaty. During 1940–1941, the peace-time period between the Winter War and the Continuation War, Liinakhamari was Finland's and Sweden's only route past the German and Soviet areas of influence. Ten thousand men were working along the Arctic Sea Road helping thousands of trucks to transport cargo from the northernmost railway station in Rovaniemi to Liinakhamari harbor. The trip was almost 1,100 kilometres (700 mi) north along the narrow gravelled road, in the middle of sparsely inhabited Arctic taiga.

During the Continuation War 1941–1944 Liinakhamari was governed by German forces. The harbor was attacked by Royal Air Force Fairey Albacore and Fairey Swordfish bomber aircraft on 30 July 1941. Fairey Fulmar fighters were covering the bombers. (See Raid on Kirkenes and Petsamo.) The United Kingdom announced the declaration of war between UK and Finland half a year later.

Finnish civilians were evacuated when the Lapland War between Germany and Finland broke out in the autumn of 1944. The harbor was captured from the Germans by Soviet troops on 12 October 1944. Liinakhamari was handed over to the Soviet Union according to agreements of the Moscow armistice.

Liinakhamari is currently a military harbor. During the Cold War, the harbor was a submarine base and at present it houses border patrol boats.