Napoleon pie of the border

TIA zone Borderzone Checkpoints Towns and places Roads Railroads

Those, who visited Russian before, noticed that borderguards check documents three times. The first time happens at the border and custom station itself. Second time near Nikel and third time far away after passing Pechenga but before Litsa Valley - in Titovka.

Why it goes this way? We'll try to open some "secrets" of the borderguarding system in Russia, inherited from the Soviet times, but still persisting.

So, if you understand the meaning of border control on Russian side of Storskog, then what is about checkpoint in some of 20 kilometers after? The matter is that Russian border has special strip between official borderline and border fence - that barbed wire fence alive for signalization and adjacent fallow sand road for footsteps detection. Intention for space between the fence and official borderline - to give borderguards enough time to catch trespasser. This zone is called TIA after "technical installations area" or in Russian - ITS. At each entrance to TIA - usually it is a road - should exist a checkpoint.

Passing TIA checkpoint you are not out of any special territories yet. Usually after TIA follows so called "border zone" - the kind of buffer area with function to prevent free access to the border fence and thus giving an opportunity for malefactor to prepare himself better for trespassing. This zone starts immediately from the left edge of the road Kirkenes-Pechenga after you pass Nikel.

In theory at each entrance to the borderzone should exist a checkpoint, like in case of TIA. But in practice that checkpoints are located in the different places. While borderzone ends in Pechenga the checkpoint Titovka is set 40 kilometers eastward! One could bet that even not all of borderguards could give an answer why does this checkpoint wait for you on the river of Titovka, but not on the bridge over the river of Pechenga.

We can find two explanations for this fact. First - Titovka checkpoint exists since Soviet times and has well developed infrastructure - borderguards picket, one more barbed wire fence etc. It will require big amount of money to move this checkpoint to the actual side of the borderzone. Second - Titovka allows to control cargos not only from Zapolyarnyy, Luostari and Pechenga but also from Rybachyy peninsula and coastline - important fact from the departmental (FSB) point of view.

There also is another option how to get to Murmansk crossing border at Storskog - you can drive your car through Prirechnyy. Borderzone checkpoint on this road is situated near Waterfall, 12 km southwards of Nikel.

What are the consequences for traveller that this two zones present on the border? Except showing documents on each checkpoint, it implies additional procedures for someone wishing to stay inside one of the zones. To stay there you will have to get FSB permission. Usually permission is granted after invitation of some person or organization resided in the borderzone or in TIA zone. Good news are that since November 2008 Nikel and Zapolyarnyy are out of borderzone and have a free access now. To visit Nikel or Zapolyarnyy you would need only passport, visum and migratory card like when you visit Murmansk or other general Russian place.

Places that require FSB permission for staying: Liinahamari, Salmijarvi, Gulfstream (inside borderzone), Rajakoski, Borisoglebsk, sights in Pasvik reservation (inside TIA).

Except areas, related to the border there are other areas with limited access around military camps in the Pechenga river valley, and the industrial area near Zapolyarnyy (industrial buildings, part of railroad station, waste banks)