Vidyayevo
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Vidyaevo (Russian: Видя́ево) is a closed settlement in Kolsky District of Murmansk Oblast, Russia. It is mostly known for the naval bases located in the Ara and Ura Bays. The settlement itself is located on the eastern side of the Ura Bay. Population: 6,307 (2002 Census).
In the early 1960s, the area started serving as a base for diesel-powered submarines, and in 1979 nuclear-powered ones as well. Originally, the settlement was named Uritsa (Урица) after the river flowing from Pityevoye Lake through the settlement into the bay and providing drinking water for the settlement. Most likely, the name Uritsa is a Russian diminutive of Ura, which is a native Saami (Lappi) name for the bay and for a larger river Ura also feeding into the Ura Bay several kilometers away from Vidyayevo.
The settlement of Uritsa was renamed Vidyayevo in the early 1970s in honor of the legendary World War II submarine commander Fyodor Vidyayev who perished in the Barents Sea in course of the military mission of the submarine SHCH-402 under his command. In the 1980s, the base at Ara Bay was a relatively large one, serving submarines of all three generations. Remaining submarines in service in Ara Bay today are of the Akula (Shchuka-B), Sierra, and Oscar-II (Antey) class.
Vidyayevo (particularly the Ara Bay) was the home base of the now lost K-141 Kursk (which was an Oscar-II class). Naval radioactive waste storage facilities are located at the Ara Bay as well.
The base at Ura Bay is used for diesel submarines and a few smaller surface vessels. The settlement consists mostly of five-story apartment buildings built on granite rock foundations or on poles driven into permafrost.
