Barentsburg - The northernmost inhabited island of the world

Barentsburg, the second-largest settlement on Svalbard, a Norwegian peninsula between mainland Norway and the North Pole is geographical obscurity on the map of Europe, an outlier in its topography. Therefore, despite hosting a Norwegian postcode, the population of the island is primarily made up of ethnic Russians & Ukrainians.

One can find remnants of Soviet footprints scattered across the island, one in the form of an imposing bust of Lenin in the centre of the town, overlooking the frigid waters of the Grønfjord. Others in the form of colourful murals, slogans, and images of communism all over the city walls. The influence also finds visibility into the local cuisine of the island, delights like Shchi (a popular Russian soup) and buckwheat are regulars of an ordinary Russian meal.

The 78°04′ North sign on the red post box, occasionally getting camouflaged by the falling snow, shone brilliantly against the white and black landscape of the island. The powdery ice on the roofs of the colourful red and green houses mirrored the blues and violets of the approaching twilight with enthusiastic fervour. In the distance the black waves of the ocean flirted endlessly with the white shoreline, noiselessly parading around the nature of the ethnically contrasting panorama. On the left, there was smoke from the last operational coal mine fading into the Polar horizon, presenting a disputed view with the melting glacier in the background.

It was a Tuesday in early March. It was snowing intermittently. The silence disturbed by the revved-up engines of the passing snowmobiles. A cacophony of voices echoing in the distance, probably of the seventy-odd children attending the local school. Otherwise, it was all quiet for miles.

After snowmobiling through the wild for four hours, we were finally standing midway between Scandinavia and the North Pole on the island also lovingly called the Little Russia of Norway. We start trudging towards the frozen coastline, through the docks. A long flight of stairs takes us down to the beach which unlike the tropical ones, makes for an extraordinary and unreal spectacle. The snow and the sea in their constant embrace of each other; an elsewhere unseen picture of unwavering loyalty and intimate commitment, one can hardly ignore the rarity and euphoria of the perspective that lay beyond.

The gong from the Russian Orthodox Church, the northernmost of the world, sounded loud. Its deafening roar sounded like one of pure solitude, like the call of the north wailing out to all those who had dared to dream, the oh-so-beautiful arctic dream. It was a priceless moment, calm and tranquil at the same time intense and thrilling – a moment beautiful enough to be captured on camera.

As dusk fell, the guide called out to us. The fear of polar bears is real in and around the industrial establishment. Together we scramble back to our hotel. Peaceful and silent all around; the only melody to our ears was the sound of snow crunching beneath our boots and the waves hitting violently on the shores.

And, thus, between the past of the Soviet Era, the present of being a Norwegian misfit, and the perils of an unknown future, Barentsburg stands arrogantly tall.

If you wish to plan a trip to Barentsburg, look up options on the website: Grumant Arctic Travel Company (goarctica). Shop for souvenirs in the form of arctic postcards, stamps, pieces of coal from the mine and locally handcrafted dolls.

You can opt to stay at the Barentsburg Hotel and Pomor Hostel, which are the two best options on the island. Enjoy a tall glass of beer at the Red Bear Pub & Brewery, one of the northernmost pubs of the world that serve beer made from the local glacier water.

This article is written by Shreya Ganguly. Find her on Instagram and Facebook

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