The paper studies sediments from Lake Tikozero that have accumulated successively in the littoral of Lake pre-Imandra, Imandra lagoon, and an open lake isolated from a parental freshwater body. The ‘Apatity’ bog was concurrently formed on the Lake Imandra coast. Lithological, ¹⁴C, pollen and diatom data and findings of previous investigations provide the regional Holocene stratigraphy, which is subdivided into the early (c. 11 550–8200 cal a bp), middle (c. 8200–4000 cal a bp) and late (last 4000 cal a bp) Holocene sub-stages. In the early Holocene, environments became favourable for diatoms after c. 9700 cal a bp. Birch phytocoenoses and pine forests with birch flourished in the area. In the middle Holocene, the west-central Kola Peninsula was covered by a pine-birch forest with alders. Lake Tikozero became shallow and desiccated in a warm and dry climate between c. 6300 and 4000 cal a bp; and a Sphagnum raised bog developed in the adjacent area, provoked by lowering of the water table. Spruce appeared in a pine-birch forest and indicates a colder and wetter climate in the late Holocene. The flooding of Lake Imandra created a number of new small lakes; and fens occurred along the wet shores.