Spitsbergen is one of the warmest and most inhabited corners of the Arctic. Thanks to the Gulf Stream, winters on the archipelago are mild, and in summer temperatures can rise to +20°. This allows commercial, industrial and scientific activities to be carried out here, including in permanently inhabited settlements. Now there are three of these on Svalbard: the Norwegian Longyearbyen and Sveagruva and the Russian Barentsburg. There are scientific stations: New Ålesund (Norway) and Hornsund (Poland). There are also the dead Soviet settlements of Colesbay, Grumant and Pyramid.

A few years ago, the Chinese also acquired their own station on Spitsbergen. Any country that signed the Spitsbergen Treaty of 1920 has the right to conduct commercial activities in the archipelago, subject to recognition of Norway's formal sovereignty over the territory.

The basis of the Svalbard economy is coal mining. This process has ceased to be profitable and is supported rather by tradition. Now tourism brings money to the archipelago. Hotels, bars, shops, souvenirs, museums, public spaces, travel companies - the service sector in Svalbard is developing rapidly. There is even a Radisson in Longyearbyen, the administrative center of the territory.

But this is now Longyearbyen - the largest settlement on Spitsbergen, and the Norwegians are the most numerous nation. A quarter of a century ago, everything was different. The majority of the archipelago's population were citizens of the USSR, mainly Ukrainians. Miners came to the Arctic from Donbass, service personnel from Volyn. In two Soviet villages on Svalbard (the whole world knows Spitsbergen by that name) - Barentsburg and Pyramid - a total of about two and a half thousand people lived.

Pyramid

The pyramid is perhaps the only place on earth where communism was actually built. There were practically no commodity-money relations in the village - food and household services were provided free of charge. The salaries of miners and service personnel (they talk about amounts from 700 rubles and above) almost entirely went into savings accounts in a Soviet bank. Over several winters in Spitsbergen, one could earn money not only for a car, but also for a cooperative apartment. Now the salary of most Svalbard employees of Arktikugol ranges between 500 and 1,000 dollars - not much by northern standards.

General view of the village of Pyramid from the mountain of the same name.

In the forties and eighties, at 78 degrees 40 minutes north latitude, a settlement grew for more than a thousand people with residential buildings, dormitories, a hospital, a school and a kindergarten, a swimming pool, a huge cultural and sports complex, a port, a farm and even a hotel built for the development of tourism. As an unusual manifestation of concern for employees, the village management ordered several barges with black soil, which was laid on the permafrost of the Arctic. Not only southern lawn grass sprouted on the imported soil, but also some annual flowers, which the residents of the Pyramid planted near their houses. And now you can see there the outlines of old flower beds, according to the southern tradition, fenced with masonry made of bricks stacked at an angle.

The village leadership ordered several barges with black soil, which was laid on the permafrost of the Arctic. Not only southern lawn grass sprouted on the imported soil, but also some annual flowers.

In 1998, Pyramid turned into a ghost village. The Russian state trust Arktikugol has decided to stop production in Spitsbergen. Only in the second half of the 2000s did Russians return to the archipelago, but full life began to boil only in Barentsburg. The pyramid is still a dead city, although the locals constantly corrected me: they prefer to call the village not abandoned, but mothballed.

There are few locals now - in the summer the population of the Pyramid reaches twenty people, all of them are employees of the Tulip Hotel. Only the hotel, boiler room and garage continue to operate in this either abandoned or mothballed village.

There is no mobile connection or Internet in Pyramid; satellite phones are used here to communicate with the outside world. At the same time, on the way from the port to the hotel, you can come across a wooden pole on which an old telephone set hangs - it marks the place where the signal of the Norwegian cellular operator is received.

Rare people

The most famous resident of the modern Pyramid is Alexander Romanovsky, once a geography teacher from St. Petersburg, who in 2012 responded to a vacancy as a guide in the Pyramid and since then has renewed his contract with Arktikugol every year.

Alexander appears in almost every report about the Pyramid, both Russian and foreign. An extravagant appearance, an uneven beard, a barely noticeable crazy sparkle in his eyes and a gun over his shoulder for protection from polar bears - all this adds to his telegenic image.

Another memorable resident of the Pyramid is Pyotr Petrovich from Volyn. This is the current head of the village (head of the area). He is a jack of all trades: at the same time he drives a tourist bus, manages a waterworks, and acts as a supply manager and guardian angel of a mothballed mine.

On the upper plateau of Mount Pyramid, which gives the name to the mine and the settlement, it is difficult to believe that you are somewhere deep in the Arctic. It is here that the presence of people is felt - because of the rock inscriptions. Mostly these are names and names of cities, almost entirely Ukrainian. Donetsk, Makeevka, Kyiv, Lvov. Minsk, Kalinin, Krasny Luch, Chasov Yar, Novomoskovsk. Dated 1981, 1983, 1988. Over several decades, these inscriptions left with paint have not faded at all, even the stones with the letters: “K”, “O”, “N”, “S”, “T”, “A”, “N”, “T”, “I” ", "N", "O", "B", "K", "A" lie in strict sequence, as they were left by a miner named "M", "O", "S", "K", "B" ", "I", "N" sometime during the Soviet Union. They are not subject to time, winds and temperature changes. The country that gathered all these people in the North faded into oblivion, but the inscriptions remained. In this sense, the name of the mountain begins to sound symbolic: it is really a pyramid - a monument to the deceased empire. In the sands of the Sahara or in the snows of the Arctic - it doesn’t matter.

View from the Pyramid of the Nordenskiöld glacier.

Look, people!

Two people were coming down from the top of the mountain towards us.

Don’t be afraid, I have a gun,” said our instructor Daniil.

A few minutes later people caught up with our group. These were young guys in tracksuits. One of them was holding a mobile phone, from which Russian rap music could be heard.

Good evening! - they greeted in unison.

We met two Tajiks - their team also lives temporarily in Pyramid, where they are renovating the fourth floor of the hotel. The guys didn’t just descend from the top of the mountain, they ran down it, imposingly, jogging, as if there were no stones under their feet scattering in all directions.

Well, what else can they do here? - Daniil noted, watching their retreating figures. - How to have fun? There is no Internet, no mobile connection. There is nothing - just a mountain!

Barentsburg

Barentsburg is a much more vibrant settlement. Once upon a time one and a half thousand people lived here, now about five hundred. Of these, 80–90% are Ukrainians from Donbass. Only the tricolor above the consulate building speaks of Russia's presence here. This building is the only one in Barentsburg that stands behind a fence.

“I’ve been here for five years now, without going out,” one of the Barentsburg miners tells me. He walks the streets of the village, trying to meet tourists and communicate with new people. - And I’ll spend the same amount of time, I have nowhere to return.

My interlocutor’s hometown is no longer controlled by Ukraine. He has no intention of returning there.

My brother doesn't even want to talk to me. He says I sold myself to the Russians. Where is Russia?

Indeed, in Barentsburg and in general on Spitsbergen-Svalbard the presence of any state is not felt at all. Ukrainians, Russians, Norwegians and others live here in a kind of single community, in which conversations about politics are immediately suppressed.

There are no births or deaths on Svalbard - seriously ill people and women in the last weeks of pregnancy are taken to the mainland. The archipelago does not have cemeteries, but it does have its own breweries: Red Bear in Barentsburg and Svalbard Bryggeri in Longyearbyen. At the same time, alcohol here is cheaper than in mainland Norway - this is due to its tax-free status.

Longyearbyen

Playing alcoquest in Longyearbyen is absolutely pointless. The Drunken Mile in the capital of Svalbard consists of only four drinking establishments. Three of them are located on the same patch, the fourth is a little further away, in the Radisson hotel.

Bars are the only place where you can drink alcohol without restrictions. There is something like a prohibition law in Svalbard. Every resident of the archipelago, both adults and children, has the right to purchase a certain amount of alcoholic beverages per month. In Barentsburg, for example, this is one liter of strong alcohol. The sale of sugar is also limited on Svalbard.

The authorities are restricting access to booze, fearing widespread drunkenness - there really isn't much entertainment on Svalbard. Boredom, harsh weather conditions, a small population and, therefore, a limited social circle - all this contributes to the craving for alcohol.

Nature

Tourists go to Spitsbergen, of course, not for alcohol. The main attraction of the archipelago is nature. It is only at first glance when approaching Longyearbyen airport that everything around is gray and dull. Once you take a closer look, the world around you begins to play with colors and contrasts.

Arctic cotton or cotton grass. People new to Svalbard often confuse this plant with dandelion.

There are few bright flowers on Svalbard, so any such vegetation is perceived as a miracle.

There are few roads on Spitsbergen; car travel between settlements is impossible. The main transport in summer is boats, in winter - snowmobiles.

There are desperate daredevils who decide to undertake multi-day trekking trips. Local regulations require them to carry a gun with them to protect themselves from polar bears. In summer, animals follow the polar cap to the north, but no one can guarantee their complete absence from the inhabited part of Spitsbergen.

This summer, organized tourists met an unarmed traveler from Ukraine far from settlements and upon arrival in Longyearbyen reported this to the authorities. They sent a helicopter and forcibly evacuated the intruder.

Tourism in Spitsbergen, despite the difficult natural and weather conditions, is well developed, which allows everyone to enjoy the exotic, watching the symbols of the archipelago, polar bears, and visiting now abandoned coal mines.

Where is the island of Spitsbergen?

The Spitsbergen archipelago is located 1.5 hours flight from the North Pole, in the Arctic Ocean. The world map shows that the island of Spitsbergen is the northernmost part.

Interesting facts about the island of Spitsbergen

Here are some important data about the archipelago as a whole:

1. General information. Spitsbergen was discovered by the Dutch explorer Willem Barents. This happened in 1596. The area of ​​Spitsbergen is 61 thousand square meters. km, coordinates 78.609928, 15.878962.
2. Special legal status. Not everyone knows who owns the island of Spitsbergen. Meanwhile, since 1920, the archipelago has been part of Norway, but at the same time, having a special status, it is a demilitarized zone.
3. Double title. Spitsbergen is the Russian name for the island, and in Norway the archipelago is called Svalbard, which translates to “cold land”.
4. Cooperation between the two countries on the islands. In addition to Norway, Russia has significant economic activity in Spitsbergen. Its industrial and research centers are located in Barentsburg on the island of Western Spitsbergen, as well as in the mothballed villages of Grumant and Pyramid.

Major islands and cities of Spitsbergen

The archipelago includes 3 large islands (Western Spitsbergen, Northeast Land and Edge) and more than 1000 small islands, including Prince Charles Land, Barents Land, Wilhelm Land, Bely Land and Bear Land. The capital of Spitsbergen is. Of the largest settlements, it is worth noting Barentsburg, and.

Population

The population of Spitsbergen is about 2,600 people, of which 70% are Norwegians, 18.3% are Russians and Ukrainians, 0.4% are Poles. Approximately 2 thousand people live in Longyearbyen. The second most populous town on Svalbard is the mining village of Barentsburg (about 470 people live there permanently). In the Russian village of Pyramid on Spitsbergen, only a few people live in the summer season.

Climate

Spitsbergen has a rather harsh arctic climate, only in the west it is slightly softened by the warm Spitsbergen Current (this is part of the Gulf Stream). In summer, the air temperature on the coast is about +4…+6°C, in the depths of winter it drops to −10…−14°C.

Relief and nature of the Spitsbergen archipelago

The islands have mountainous terrain. The highest among the mountains of Spitsbergen is Newton Peak (1712 m). The shores of the islands are indented, occupying more than 50% of the area of ​​the Spitsbergen archipelago. The most famous of them is on the island of North-East Land, which ranks 2nd in size in Europe and 7th in the world. Ostfonna on Spitsbergen merges with Sørfonna and goes down to the sea, forming icebergs.

Important features of these sites include large deposits of coal and a large number of rocks with fossils of plants and animals. The land of Spitsbergen is considered a seismically active zone; earthquakes up to 6-7 points on the Richter scale are possible here.

Flora and fauna on the islands

The vegetation on the island of Spitsbergen in Norway is predominantly tundra. Here you can see dwarf birches, polar willows, mosses, lichens, mushrooms, etc. The fauna of the mainland of Spitsbergen is represented by such mammals as polar bears, reindeer, arctic foxes; among marine animals, seals, sea hares, whales, walruses, and beluga whales live here. Among the 90 species of birds, 36 constantly nest, but only polar partridges live on the archipelago all year round, the rest fly away to warm countries for the winter.

Entertainment and attractions in Svalbard

On the Svalbard archipelago tourists are offered:

In the summer, excursions in Spitsbergen include fishing, kayaking, cruises, helicopter tours to the North Pole, and trips to protected areas. There are, including the Nordwest Spitsbergen National Park and the Svalbard Nature Reserve, floristic areas and nature reserves.

If you are planning to travel around Spitsbergen on your own, you can also visit:

Accommodation and meals

How to get to Spitsbergen?

There are very few direct flights from Russia to the archipelago, and they are organized mainly for researchers and government employees. Flights to the only one on the entire island of Spitsbergen are organized by Norwegian Airlines and SAS. Norwegian airlines operate flights from Longyearbyen 3 times a week, more often during the season, and SAS aircraft fly between Oslo and Longyearbyen, also at least 3 times a week. Arctic cruises are also organized to Spitsbergen on the ship “Captain Khlebnikov”.

How are they 03/05/18 100 985 33

I moved to Svalbard in January 2015. Before that, I worked as a web designer in Russia for 10 years, but I dreamed of changing my field of activity, and at the same time my place of residence.

Nazilya Zemdikhanova

lives in the Arctic

The decision to move came spontaneously after a tourist trip to the Arctic. I took off without long-term plans. For the first year I worked in the Russian village of Barentsburg - it was easy to find a job there in the tourism sector without any experience. The working and living conditions in Barentsburg did not suit me, so the next year I moved to the neighboring Norwegian city of Longyearbyen, where I got a job at a hotel reception.

Before arriving, the Arctic seemed like a harsh place to me. It seemed like there was complete deprivation and discomfort. But now I think that living here is more pleasant than on the mainland.

History, coal and tourism

Spitsbergen is an archipelago between the North Pole and Europe. In Norway it is called Svalbard.

Until 1920, Spitsbergen was considered a no-man's land. In 1920, Norway received sovereignty over the archipelago, and the USA, Great Britain, France, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands, Sweden and other countries received an equal right to conduct economic activities here and use the natural resources of the islands and territorial waters.

People went to Spitsbergen because of the coal deposits. At the beginning of the 20th century, companies of Norwegian, Russian, Swedish and American origin founded the cities of Longyearbyen, Barentsburg, Pyramiden, Grumant, Sveagruva and Ny-Ålesund. Throughout the 20th century, coal mining was the main driver of the economy here, but at the end of 2016, fuel prices fell and the focus shifted to tourism development.

Tourists travel to Svalbard to see polar bears, the northern lights and the Russian ghost town of Pyramid. There are also snowmobile safaris, dog sledding, wildlife, boat cruises, hiking and ski tours.

Weather

The year is divided into three seasons: polar night, winter and summer. Thanks to the Gulf Stream, the temperature in western Spitsbergen is about 20 °C higher than in other points at the same latitude. In winter it is much warmer here than, for example, in the Urals.

The polar night lasts 4 months - from the end of October to the end of February. My work contract allows me to leave for a long time during the low season, so I take a vacation for 2-3 months during the polar night and go traveling to other countries or home to Russia.

+5 °C

average temperature in Svalbard in summer

At the end of February the sun appears and the winter season begins. It lasts until mid-May. At this time it is frosty but sunny. The temperature drops to −25 °C, and even lower if the wind blows. During this time, I usually wear 1-2 layers of thermal underwear, snowmobile boots, a shapeless down jacket and windproof pants.

What we call summer here lasts from June to August. The sun appears in the sky no more often than in winter, despite the name “polar day”: sometimes fog, sometimes clouds. The wind is cold, so I still wear a hat and windproof jacket every day. In summer, the average temperature in Spitsbergen is +5 °C.

Longyearbyen city

Longyearbyen, where I now live, is the most populated city in the archipelago. 2200 people live here. Planes from SAS and Norwegian airlines fly here every day from Oslo and Tromso, Norway. During the high season, from March to September, up to 5-6 planes arrive per day, including charters from other European countries. A ticket costs 600-3500 CZK (4300-25 300 RUR). There is also a charter from Russia, but it flies once every two months. I always fly through Oslo.

Although the city is Norwegian, the number of foreigners increases every year. It is not customary to use the words “expat” or “emigrant” here, since everyone has the same rights. Statistics say that every year the composition of the population changes by 25%. On average, they live in Longyearbyen for 4-7 years, and then go back to the mainland. Some people come to earn money, others are interested in working experience on the archipelago.

2200

man lives in Longyearbyen

The infrastructure allows families with children of any age to live comfortably. Longyearbyen has two grocery stores, a shopping center, a hospital, a kindergarten, a school, a community center, a sports complex, a cinema, restaurants, bars, and hotels. There is even a university center. Everywhere can be reached on foot.

Polar bears and weapons

Svalbard is unique in that people live next to polar bears. On the one hand, this is a risk for both people and bears. On the other hand, this allows the authorities to limit the independent activity of tourists on the island and earn money on organized tours.

I only saw bears here with binoculars, but when I go for a walk outside the city, I always take a gun with me or friends with guns.

Last season, bears roamed right around Longyearbyen. News about this was published on the governor’s website. The drone of a helicopter was constantly heard - this is how bears are driven away from the city. If the animal is not frightened by the pursuit of the helicopter or is aggressive, it is temporarily tranquilized and taken far north so that it does not find its way back.

I believe that there is no point in being afraid of bears and staying in the city. With friends we go on snowmobile tours, go to the mountains, and ski. Bears are not limited in their movement, so it is impossible to predict their location. According to safety regulations, I am required to carry a large-caliber weapon and (or) a signal pistol. This is the only reliable way to escape when meeting a bear.

Buying or renting weapons in Svalbard is easy. You need a certificate of no criminal record, translated into English or Norwegian and certified by the governor of Longyearbyen. Confirmation will be sent directly to the store. If you have never held a weapon in your hands, the sales consultant will tell you how to load and unload the gun, and how to shoot. Renting a Mauser 30-06 costs 190 CZK (1400 RUR) per day.

1400 R

Mauser rental costs 30−06 per day

I don't have a personal weapon. When I work as a guide and lead a tour, I take a weapon at work. You do not need a certificate for this. The rest of the time I go to the mountains or ride snowmobiles with friends who have weapons. If I go alone, I take the weapon from my partner.

RUB 144,600

The fine for killing a polar bear can be as high as

Polar bears are listed in the Red Book, and every case of attack or killing is thoroughly investigated. Self-defense is not a sufficient reason to kill an animal. If the investigation shows that a person did not take sufficient measures to avoid an encounter with a bear, and as a result killed it, then a fine will be issued. The fine is up to 20,000 CZK (144,600 RUR).

Visa and registration

Residents of countries that have signed the Spitsbergen Treaty - and there are more than 50 of them - have the right to stay and work in the archipelago without a visa. Russia is one of them. But this is only on paper. In reality, you will most likely have to fly to Longyearbyen via Oslo or Tromso, which means you will also need a Schengen visa with a reserve of days to leave. Direct charter from Moscow flies once every 2 months. But even in this case, a Schengen visa is required: you need to prove that in a critical situation you will be able to fly on any flight, and not just a direct charter in two months.

The first time I received a one-year Schengen visa was when I worked in Barentsburg. The employer company handled the registration, I just got insurance for a year and sent my passport to Moscow. I went to get the next visa myself at the office of the governor of Spitsbergen. It was necessary to submit registration, work contract, bank statement and standard documents for a Schengen visa. I took a photo, submitted documents and fingerprints in 10 minutes. Two weeks later, a one-year visa was issued. Visa fee - 35 €. The payment was debited directly from the bank account.

Registration with the tax office is required if you want to get a job, open a bank account, or register a car or snowmobile. Foreign residents are assigned a D-number - this is similar to the Norwegian identification number, but with restrictions. The D-number is associated with a bank, insurance, medical card and other social services.

It is important that registration in Svalbard does not give the right to reside in mainland Norway, regardless of the number of years lived in the archipelago. The rules apply to both Norwegian spouses and common children.

Money and banks

The local currency is Norwegian krone. In February 2018, 1 Norwegian krone = 7.23 R. In the summer, euros and dollars appear in unofficial circulation on Svalbard - along with passengers on cruise ships. There are no currency exchange offices, but bank cards are accepted everywhere. I once saw tourists sitting with a bag of dollars and could not pay for a hotel room.

When I got a job, I received a card from the only local bank - Sparebank. The staff is friendly and ready to help resolve any issue. True, they refused to give me a credit card, since I am not a Norwegian citizen. The bank has two mobile applications: online banking and one-time password generator. I use both of them all the time to pay bills, make transfers and buy goods online. Annual maintenance costs 250 CZK (1800 RUR).

1800 R

per year it costs to service the card at the local Sparebank

The commission for transferring money to a Russian bank is 50 CZK (360 R), for withdrawing cash from a third-party ATM - 30 CZK (220 R) + 0.5% of the withdrawal amount.

Work and salary

There is no centralized search for jobs in Svalbard. They look for vacancies either on company websites, or come at the invitation of acquaintances and friends from the island. Specialties requiring Norwegian education are not available to foreigners.

Longyearbyen has high competition in the tourism and restaurant and hotel business. This is due to less stringent educational requirements: English and similar experience are enough to come to work here. Guides value knowledge of additional languages, such as French or German.

900 R

per hour - minimum wage in Longyearbyen

Work is regulated by contract. The type of contract must be specified - it can be permanent or seasonal. The contract also always indicates the hourly salary, the percentage of employment from a full working week, bonuses for overtime, weekends and holidays.

Minimum payment - 125 CZK (900 R) per hour. Full work week - 37.5 hours per week. Without taxes, the minimum wage for a full working month is CZK 18,750 (RUR 135,600).

Permanent contract - unlimited. He is subject to the law regarding the payment of compensation in the event of forced dismissal or illness. Five weeks a year - paid vacation. Overtime hours, holidays and weekends are paid additionally, it can be either 20 or 100% of the hourly wage.

The seasonal contract sets the terms and percentage of occupancy. A person with an 80% contract is not allowed to work beyond the established hours. For both types of contracts, the thirteenth salary is provided.

But there are other contract options. My contracts both at the hotel and as a guide are seasonal, but not limited in percentage. If I work more than 37.5 hours a week, overtime is not paid at a rate, but is recorded as a separate month. I will receive payment when I am on vacation. This is a trick that some employers use. But even in this case, I receive bonuses for evening and night hours, Sundays and holidays in accordance with the laws.

RUB 136,600

minimum salary for a full working month before taxes

Approximate salaries are:

• cook, bartender, hotel employee - 150-180 CZK per hour (1080-1300 R);
• guide, tour guide - 180-300 CZK per hour (1300-2170 R);
• officials and civil servants - 300-430 crowns per hour (2170-3100 R);
• teachers, doctors - 270-310 crowns per hour (1950-2240 R);
• civil engineer, system administrator, police officer - 300-340 CZK per hour (2170-2450 R).

Taxes

To get a job, you need to register with the tax office and receive a Norwegian identification number. When living for more than 12 months in Svalbard, a resident is required to pay a flat tax rate of 16.2%. Of this, 8% is income tax and 8.2% is insurance.

The insurance is valid from the first working day and continues for another 30 days after the last. It gives the right to sickness benefit, sick child benefit and in case of pregnancy and childbirth. Non-working spouses have the right to receive medical services through the insurance system while they live in Svalbard.

25%

VAT rate in Norway, but for residents of Svalbard it is canceled

In Norway, VAT is 25%; in Svalbard there is no VAT. I order electronics, clothes and sports equipment from Norwegian online stores. When paying, tax is usually deducted immediately. Sometimes you need to issue a tax refund after receiving a parcel, but I have never used this method.

Housing

Housing in Longyearbyen is the first thing you need to take care of if you decide to move. Tourism is developing here, the number of jobs is growing, the pace of construction of new housing does not keep pace with tourism. This led to a housing crisis. Finding at least some apartment in Longyearbyen is already a success.

47,000 R

My partner and I pay rent per month

Apartments here range from one-room studios to two-story apartments with two or three bedrooms. The cost of renting a one-room apartment starts from 6,500 CZK (47,000 RUR). A two- or three-room apartment costs 10-15 thousand crowns per month (72-108 thousand rubles). An employer will help you find an apartment, but you can search on your own. Housing for rent in the Ros & Info Longyearbyen Facebook group.

To confirm solvency, it is enough to show the landlord a work contract.

I found housing through friends. We live together with a young man in a two-room apartment and pay 6,500 crowns (47,000 R) per month. Our house is located in the industrial area of ​​Longyearbyen, so our window overlooks the mountains, the fjord and the landfill. We are in no hurry to move to the city center, since we keep a dog outside and can have a barbecue near the house. In the city, dogs are not allowed on the street.

Of the utility bills, we only pay for electricity, since we live in a house without central heating. The building does not retain heat; it is blown away by the winds. During the day the apartment manages to cool down to +8 °C. In the evenings we turn on electric radiators. With such electricity consumption, the bill for a quarter in winter is 3500-4000 CZK (25-29 thousand rubles). In summer, the apartment is warm without additional heating, so the bill is half as much.

Part of the city's housing is owned by the Longyearbyen Community Council. These apartments are not rented out; they remain idle for months, but they have a practical purpose: people are temporarily resettled here from potentially dangerous areas if there is an avalanche or mudflow. This happens 2-3 times a year.

This is such a small apartment rent on Facebook for 7500 CZK per month

Transport

The length of asphalt roads in the city and its surroundings is 40 km. As of 2017, there are 1,340 registered vehicles in Longyearbyen for 2,200 people, including workers and service vehicles.

There is a Toyota car dealership in the city, and there is also a car service center there. Repairing or maintaining a car is expensive. Sometimes it's easier to sell. For example, changing shoes to winter tires costs 2,000 CZK (14,500 RUR). For visitors there is a car rental service. A day on a Kia Sportage will cost 890 CZK (6400 RUR), on a Toyota Hilux - 1050 CZK (7600 RUR). I don't have my own car.

The second most popular vehicle is a snowmobile. According to statistics, there are 2,100 snowmobiles in the city. A used snowmobile can be bought for 5,000 CZK (36,200 RUR), or for 80,000 CZK (578,400 RUR). The price depends on the model, condition and year of manufacture. I bought my snowmobile for 13,000 crowns (94,000 RUR). During the season from February to mid-May, my mileage does not exceed 2000 km.

94,000 R

my snowmobile was worth it

With a consumption of 20 liters per 100 km and a gasoline cost of 9.02 crowns per liter, fuel costs me 3,600 crowns per year (26,000 R). For insurance I pay 160 CZK per month (1160 RUR).

The only public transport in Longyearbyen is the bus. He is tied to the flight schedule: first he transports tourists to hotels, and then collects them. There are no other routes. For a trip lasting 5-15 minutes, an adult ticket will cost 75 CZK (540 RUR). For the same route, a taxi will charge 150 CZK (1080 RUR).

Unnecessary things

The territory of Spitsbergen is a permafrost zone, you cannot bury garbage here. Therefore, recycling is a separate issue. Covered containers are provided for household waste, and bulky waste - snowmobiles, cars, household appliances, furniture, etc. - is stored at a local landfill. It costs some money. All waste is then transported to Norway for disposal.

There are two other ways to get rid of things - through Facebook and freemarket, this is something like a flea market. Freemarket is a good way to get a starter kit for your home in Svalbard. Here dishes, books, shoes, clothes, and interior items are transferred from one owner to another. Once every two weeks I look at the free market in search of flower pots, kitchen utensils and books. At the end of the tourist season, down jackets, sleeping bags, and snowmobile boots appear on the free market, and hotels hand out beds, tables and chairs.

First of all, this is all about caring for the environment. Things find a new owner instead of ending up in a landfill.

Medicine

Longyearbyen Hospital has a limited staff of doctors: a physiotherapist, a surgeon, a dentist, an obstetrician, a pediatrician and two nurses. According to the experience of friends, doctors try not to overprescribe medications; they advise drinking more water and resting. I had to be in the hospital twice. The consultation cost 152 crowns (1100 RUR).

Medicines in a pharmacy are sold according to a doctor's prescription through a special centralized medical system. You can buy paracetamol without a prescription (43 CZK - 311 RUR), ibuprofen (54 CZK - 390 RUR) and Otrivin nasal spray (64 CZK - 463 RUR). When I go to Russia, I buy all kinds of tablets - for coughs, allergies, pain.

311 R

worth a pack of paracetamol

If someone's health really requires urgent attention from a specialist, the patient is booked on the next flight to Tromsø Hospital. Tickets, hospital stay and sick leave are covered by health insurance. If the patient is in serious condition, he is evacuated by helicopter from Tromsø.

I don’t trust the local hospital and try to resolve all health issues on the mainland.

Children and education

There are both babies and teenagers in Longyearbyen, but you cannot give birth here due to possible complications. It is customary to leave for Tromso 1-2 weeks before the due date or give birth in your own country. If you go to give birth in Norway, this will not give any additional rights to either the child or the parents.

By law, 49 to 59 weeks of maternity leave are paid if the work experience is 6 out of the last 10 months. The payment is equal to the average salary for the last year. The child's father is required to take 10 weeks of maternity leave to care for the newborn.

There are two kindergartens in the city; children from one to five years old go there. The cost of a place is 2,500 CZK (18,000 R) per month. If a child aged 1 to 2 years does not attend kindergarten, parents receive a cash benefit.

18,000 R

Kindergarten costs a month for a child

School starts at age 6. Surprisingly, the concept of “staying a second year” does not exist in Norway. All students are automatically promoted to the next grade.

For children in the city, events are held in the cultural center, there are sports sections and a youth center.

Language

The official language is Norwegian, but knowing English is enough to feel comfortable. English is spoken at the governor's office, at the post office, and in the store. I usually speak English at work, Norwegian when dealing with mail and phone calls.

When I first arrived on the island, my level of English was only sufficient for limited communication in the hotel. That's why I started learning Norwegian. The structure of the language is similar to English. I still have difficulty with pronunciation, understanding everyday speech and dialects, but I can read modern literature and news without difficulty.

I don’t feel a lack of communication in Russian: Russian-speaking people work here in shops, hotels, and restaurants. Some marry Norwegian citizens, others come to earn money, and others have become attached to the local way of life.

Products and food

All food is brought to the island. Perishable milk and chilled meat are delivered by plane, the rest by bulk carrier. The assortment of the grocery store satisfies a multinational contingent: there are products from Europe, Asia, and even Mexico. There are fresh fruits and vegetables on the shelves all year round. Bread and cakes are baked in a local bakery. There is also a Thai grocery store, but I rarely go there.

Prices are high even by local standards:

• bread - 37 crowns (270 R);
• sterilized milk - 18 CZK (130 R);
• eggs, 18 pieces - 50 crowns (360 R);
• apples, 1 kg - 48 CZK (340 RUR).

About 5,000 CZK (RUR 36,200) is spent on food for two people per month.

If you're too lazy to cook, Longyearbyen has 11 establishments, including budget eateries and luxury restaurants. There are no places where only city residents go: first of all, all establishments are designed for tourists.

The first course in a restaurant costs 100-200 CZK (720-1470 RUR), the main course costs 200-400 CZK (1470-2900 RUR). Dessert will cost another 70-150 crowns (510-1080 R). A cup of cappuccino costs 35-50 CZK (250-360 R).

2150 R

worth the seal steak

On Spitsbergen, I tried whale, seal and deer meat for the first time. In the hotel restaurant where I work, deer steak is the most expensive dish on the menu: 445 CZK (3200 RUR). A seal steak costs 295 CZK (2150 RUR), a whale steak costs 265 CZK (1900 RUR). Of course, there is also fish: a trout dish - 325 CZK (2350 R), a cod dish - 345 CZK (2500 R). Frozen meat and fish are also delivered by bulk carrier from the mainland.

Beef sandwich at a local restaurant, 219 CZK (1600 RUR)

Alcohol

Alcohol in Svalbard is sold according to quotas. This is how it happened historically: during the coal industry, these measures were introduced to prevent miners from drinking themselves to death in the polar night. Just like a century ago, city residents must present an alcohol card to buy alcohol.

Per month you can buy with the card:

1. Up to 2 liters of strong alcohol or 4 liters of fortified wine.
2. Up to 0.5 liters of fortified wine.
3. 24 cans of beer.
4. Wine in reasonable quantities.

The alcohol department is a duty-free shop. There is also a monthly quota for the purchase of alcohol for tourists. To buy a bottle of wine, tourists need to show a plane ticket.

Alcohol prices are as follows:

• can of beer - 8-15 crowns (60-110 R);
• vodka “Russian Standard” 0.5 l - 85 CZK (615 R);
• wine - from 70 CZK (505 R).

A certain percentage of alcohol sales goes to the city. This money is distributed in the form of grants for socially significant and entertainment projects. For example, in 2017, 2.7 million crowns (19.5 million rubles) received from the sale of alcohol went to sporting events, school and kindergarten educational projects, the needs of the Red Cross, and so on. Information on profits and distribution of money is publicly available.

Crime

In Longyearbyen you stop fearing for your life and property. There are no homeless people or beggars in the city; all residents mostly work and have enough money to live. Cars and houses are all left open. I only lock the house and take the car keys if I'm leaving for the mainland.

When you see people nearby with firearms in their hands, you are still confident in their adequacy. If someone does something, he will not run away from the island - this knowledge acts as a limiter.

RUR 253,000

The fine for drunk driving can be as high. But mostly tourists are fined, not local residents

Crime statistics in Longyearbyen include thefts and car thefts. They are usually committed by drunk tourists.

For drunk driving, a fine of 12-35 thousand crowns (87-253 thousand rubles) and deprivation of a driver’s license. The blood alcohol limit is 0.02 ppm. You can't pay a policeman off with a bribe. Authorities are also conducting raids in search of drugs. The fine for drug seizure is 4000-9000 CZK (28,900-65,000 RUR). Possible deportation.

Leisure

The answer to the question of how to spend your leisure time depends on the weather. In clear weather, you can ride snowmobiles or dog sleds. Around the city, mountains and valleys are a paradise for lovers of alpine or cross-country skiing. In summer you can go hiking, boating, and kayaking.

In the polar night and bad weather I go to the gym. There is a 25-meter swimming pool and a gym, a climbing wall and a hall for team games. Local residents themselves initiate and conduct yoga, kickboxing, and table tennis classes. For an annual gym membership I pay 1950 CZK (14,100 RUR).

Norwegians are a nation of skiers. Skiing is very popular in Svalbard. A special machine lays a ski track through the city for personal training. In April, a ski marathon takes place, both amateurs and Olympians take part - about 900 people in total. In the summer there are races: marathon, trail competitions.

The Polar Jazz and Dark Season Blues music festivals add variety to cultural life. A ticket for 4 days of the jazz festival costs 1800 CZK (13,000 RUR).

Eventually

For some, Svalbard is an isolating experience, subject to harsh climate, polar night and high costs. For me, this is a calm, confident life in an eco-friendly environment with the opportunity to engage in any activity right outside the door. The cold and lack of trees do not bother me. When I want a change of scenery, I buy a plane ticket and fly to warm countries or to visit my family in Russia.

With all the expenses here, I manage to save 20-40% of my salary and not live on the “paycheck to paycheck” principle. I don’t plan to leave yet: I’m interested in watching how the Arctic develops and witnessing global warming.

Text: Nazilya Zemdikhanova

The thing I've been most successful in my life at is the "What if...?" game. I love to spontaneously buy a ticket and go in an unexpected direction. How events will unfold, what ideas life will throw at me, what people I will encounter and what will follow after all this is like watching a TV series with my own participation.

For the last five years I have worked as a freelance web designer. This allowed me to manage my own time independently, gave me freedom of movement and a good salary. I am fundamentally against staying in my comfort zone for a long time. But that time everything happened against my will: a car taken on credit, an accident, insurance compensation for an oncoming car. To solve the problem, I took on an endless queue of projects, and all my time was consumed by work.

Then the idea of ​​northern therapy came to my mind - I adore winter, snow, frost. I was looking at a map of Russia, looking for the most remote settlements, and by chance I learned about the village of Barentsburg on the Spitsbergen archipelago. But less than a week after buying the ticket, the enthusiasm faded and the prospect of staying at home at the computer began to seem not so bad - it was much more comfortable than going on a long journey. There were minimal expectations for the upcoming trip. However, just a few hours after the plane landed on the archipelago, I decided to stay and live here. I've been asked why more than once, and I sincerely shrugged. Mountains, snow, ocean - yes, but what is more important is that I finally felt like I was where I needed to be, as if I had arrived home after a long trip.

I immediately liked the regularity of Arctic life. There are wooden houses around, occasionally snowmobiles pass by, people walking with dogs or on skis. I walked from morning to evening, just breathed clean air and observed the local way of life. I spent two of my three weeks in Svalbard in the Russian village of Barentsburg. Already fully confident that I was planning to settle on the archipelago, I came to the Grumant Arctic Tourism Center and asked for a job. I was offered to become a guide and part-time designer. So the opportunity to live in the Arctic began to turn into reality. It was autumn 2014.

Barentsburg

The contract with Arktikugol, and with it a new life, began in January 2015. The polar night on the archipelago lasts until the end of February, so when my other employees and I flew up to Spitsbergen, only the lights of the runway were visible from the plane in the pitch darkness. We were met at the airport by a Mi-8 service helicopter. At that time, this was the only way to get to Barentsburg.

About four hundred people live and work in the village, all of them, without exception, for the state trust. In winter, you can get from the airport to the village by snowmobile, in summer - by boat. Many workers come for a couple of years at a time, so they don’t have snowmobiles or boats. It is almost impossible for an ordinary worker to get out of the village on his own, and it is not recommended, since there is always a chance of meeting a bear. In recent years, coal mining has not been able to provide people with a decent life, so Barentsburg has high hopes for tourism, because many are interested in the Arctic and Russian culture.

I stayed in a hostel with other guys. I had more than enough living space, but there was little personal space: we all shared one, albeit large, room. In the hostel, I constantly had the feeling of a communal apartment: either someone was organizing night gatherings, or there were people I didn’t know well in the room. Unfortunately, we were never able to get along: conflicts constantly arose over everyday issues, and we did not get along with someone in character.

I deliberately chose a reality without friends and usual entertainment: no sincere conversations over a mug of coffee, going to exhibitions and movies, no opportunity to pick up and go somewhere for a couple of days simply because I want to. In difficult moments, I looked at the northern lights, rejoiced at the screaming arctic foxes outside the window and fed timid short-legged deer. I gave up what was previously so important to me to maintain my morale, for the sake of the cold winds and a new life. This was my personal challenge.

In difficult moments, I looked at the northern lights, rejoiced at the screaming Arctic foxes outside the window and fed timid short-legged deer

In February, the first tourists appeared - they came in organized groups from Longyearbyen, Norway on snowmobiles. My task was to give them a tour of the village and briefly tell them its history. At that time, I barely had enough English and I didn’t have even a dozen public appearances. But the desire to tell excursions in an interesting way pushed me to develop further; In addition, in my free time I started studying Norwegian.

One day I went to Longyearbyen for work. Driving a snowmobile for the first time turned out to be quite difficult: I had to constantly concentrate on the road, cope with the cold, which still made its way through a ton of clothing, and get used to the incessant noise of the engine. In neighboring Longyearbyen, compared to Barentsburg, the activity was off the charts: there were a lot of people, snowmobiles, and dogs. The day then turned out to be wonderful, and it was as if for a moment I had returned to the world of something new and exciting.

Another big event took place in March - a solar eclipse. Due to the influx of tourists, we worked a lot, sometimes for several weeks without days off. True, the irregular schedule did not affect the salary, and this increased the tension between management and subordinates. At first you are glad that, in principle, you are on Spitsbergen, but then you realize that there are difficulties here and there is nowhere to go - the only thing left to do is return home. But the hardest thing was to cope with the lack of communication. I’m not the most open person and able to entertain myself, but it was still felt: I missed my friends and acquaintances. I promised myself: everything will be over soon, you just need to be patient a little, be strong, no matter how hard it is.

In mid-May, the winter season ended and we began preparations for the summer. Even then there were problems with food in Barentsburg. Vegetables, fruits and dairy products were brought once a month by ship or plane. People stood in line for several hours to have time to buy at least something fresh. Many were sold out in a couple of days. Expired products were also used, and at the same prices. In order to somehow save money and not spend everything on expensive products, I switched to cereals and canned food, supplementing them with bread, butter and condensed milk. The local canteen helped diversify the diet: soups, salads, chops, cutlets and compote at reasonable prices. True, even there the menu was repeated day after day.

By the end of the season, relations with management had completely broken down, and I had to think about changes. I left Barentsburg a month and a half before the end of the contract and decided never to return there. But I didn’t want to leave the archipelago itself. There is something magical about Svalbard that attracts you.

Longyearbyen

While the polar night was in Spitsbergen, I was on the mainland and was thinking about how I could stay in the Norwegian village of Longyearbyen: life there seemed promising and more diverse compared to Barentsburg. The Schengen visa, which expired in January, decided a lot. You don’t need a visa on the archipelago itself, but to transit through Oslo you can’t do without it. I doubted it for a long time, but in the end I packed my things and decided to go. The risk paid off. I was incredibly lucky, and a job was found the next day: one of the hotels urgently needed a person at the reception, and I already had experience working in a hotel, I knew English and a little Norwegian, so they hired me.

Longyearbyen is a multinational city: about two and a half thousand people from more than forty countries live here. The goal of many of them is not Arctic romance, but the opportunity to make money. In many ways, the conditions here are similar to those on the mainland: there is a large supermarket, post office, hospital, school, kindergarten, restaurants, bars, hotels and even a university.

There is always a risk of encountering a polar bear, so carrying a weapon is not only allowed, but recommended; carbines and pistols can even be bought through a Facebook group

The first thing that catches your eye in the city is the abundance of snowmobiles. They are located everywhere: in organized parking lots, near private houses, in fields, in valleys. You immediately feel like a free person when you get such opportunities for movement. The second thing that attracts attention is that ordinary people carry large-caliber firearms with them. Since there is always a risk of meeting a polar bear outside the city, carrying a weapon is not only allowed, but also recommended. Surprisingly, carbines and pistols can be bought both in the store and through a Facebook group. Despite this, the crime rate in the city is close to zero.

I started working at the hotel when other staff were still on vacation. In addition to working with reservations and checking in guests, I had some other responsibilities: breakfast, cleaning, 24-hour telephone, mail and financial reports. In a short period of time, I figured out in detail how the hotel worked, and I seemed to be doing a pretty good job.

The most wonderful time in the city is April. The valleys are turning into snowmobile highways, people are preparing for a ski marathon, and many wealthy travelers are coming to Longyearbyen for an expedition to the North Pole. I threw myself into work: there weren’t enough employees and the working day stretched for eleven hours. This time all overtime was paid additionally.

I met several Russian-speaking guys, and we spent time together whenever possible. In winter, they could take a snowmobile and go to the other side of the fjord to drink tea and cookies. I loved to go skiing or climb one of the many mountains to watch the sunset - it's easy to be closer to nature when it starts right on your doorstep. On a polar day it was especially nice to have a barbecue near the house or on the shore of the fjord. Summer on Svalbard is quite cool, you almost always wear a jacket and a hat, but you can wear sunglasses even at night.

But despite significant changes in the second year of life on Spitsbergen, after several months the feeling of dissatisfaction returned. The days turned into a simple work-home routine. It seemed that nothing had fundamentally changed in two years, that I still couldn’t manage my time as I wanted. The quality of life became much better, but I didn’t notice it: I focused on what wasn’t done and didn’t take into account the small steps forward. I again convinced myself that I just needed to be patient a little, work some more, as if this were some kind of race, and the desired prize was ahead. I’m ashamed to admit that all this happened to me in such an incredible place as Spitsbergen, where a person, it would seem, should feel happy and free.

What's next

Vacation helped me shake myself up and look around again. I began to rejoice at every improvement, every new step. Now the mountains and the bay are visible from my house. In spring and autumn, I never tire of being amazed by the beauty and variety of sunrises, and in the summer, when the belugas swim, I meditatively watch them through the window. I appreciate the ability to jump on skis or get on a snowmobile at almost any time and within a few minutes find myself in an endless valley. I'm still impressed by the northern lights, the huge bright blue glaciers and the marshmallow-like snow-capped mountains.