The museum collection features a blue glass fishing float made in the 1950s. Fishing floats were brought to Murmansk by the residents of the Unezhma village for personal use. They were used to keep the fishing gear afloat. To prevent the floats from breaking when they were lifted onto the ship, they were braided with thick ropes, creating a net that cushioned the blows.

The glass floats are believed to have been invented by the Norwegians around the middle of the 19th century. The invention is attributed to Christopher Faye from Bergen, Norway. According to written sources, Hadeland Glassverk became the first company to produce glass floats based on his suggestion. The earliest documented information about glass floats dates back to 1842 when they appeared in the register of that manufacturer.

Following Norway, many European countries began to produce glass floats for fishing nets. The floats varied in size and ranged from 3–5 to 50–60 centimeters. As the production of glass floats increased, the floats often bore customer’s or manufacturer’s marks.

Three main shapes became popular: the ball, the roller, and the drop. Most floats were made from green or clear glass, as they were often made from recycled glass containers. Red and blue floats were considered the rarest types. The braiding varied in color, rope material, and knots used.

In the Russian Empire, the production of glass floats was also established. Floats made in the USSR had brands featuring a hammer and sickle or imitating a snakeskin texture. Later, glass floats were replaced with plastic ones. However, some souvenir shops still sell traditional glass floats.

Fishing floats have become popular among collectors. Connoisseurs can easily distinguish a newly made souvenir from a real fishing float. A real one always has marks on the surface formed during its usage at sea. Finding a glass float on the shore is very rare. They are often covered in sand, algae, and shells.