#barentsburg

DAYTRIP TO BARENTSBURG, SVALBARD

By Ragnhild Utne

Barentsburg is the second largest settlement on Svalbard with almost 500 inhabitants, mainly Russians and Ukrainians. Once was a bustling mining community that was home to over 1000 Soviet citizens, the town has seen a decline over the decades.

Although Svalbard is under Norwegian sovereignty, Russia is granted equal rights to exploit its natural resources. As a result, Barentsburg is the northernmost diplomatic mission of any kind in the world, although it still has a Norwegian mail address and Norwegian phone numbers.

I went to Barentsburg with Svalbard Turn (Svalbard Gymnastics) one Saturday in October to play soccer against the Russians. There aren’t any roads connecting Barentsburg and Longyearbyen, but we meet a few times a year to play sports. It’s a great way to get to meet our neighbours on Svalbard. 

While the other sports were competing and before darkness fell, I went out for a little stroll in the streets to capture the buildings and the spectacular views. Most of their Soviet-era houses are beginning to look a little dilapidated, which was quite fascinating and almost beautiful in their own special way. 

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