Our last excursion on our expedition to Svalbard was to the abandoned Russian Coal mine town of Pyramiden. When it was abandoned in 1998 everything was left as it was as though people had been intending to return but that never happened.
To explore Pyramiden is to step back in time. Russian culture politics and architecture, still permeate the town with the block style housing, to the bust of Lenin. The town was established in 1936 when Russia established the rights to mine the mountains for coal. After the second world war the Soviets allocated more money to the town and constructed dozens more buildings.
At its peak in the 1980's over 1,000 people inhabited the town. Residents were assigned to different residential halls.
The coal mines were never very profitable and when the Soviet Union collapsed in 1996 the subsidies that helped support the town started to thin which caused shortages, low salaries and poor living standards. As well as the budgeting woes in 1996 tragedy struck when a plane returning to Pyramiden with 141 residents and workers on board, crashed with all onboard dying. This caused even further depression amongst the company and workforce
Finally just before the ice arrived the final residents and workers departed and the town was abandoned.
These long concrete casings carried the oil and water pipes to the buildings as pipes could not be buried underground because of the permafrost.
There are 10 semi permanent Resident workers still living in the town to act as caretakers and guides for the few tourists who visit in the summer.
Bricks still sitting in the open that were probably intended for building or completing a job.
One of the residential blocks.
The Cultural Palace and Recreation Centre which also contained a movie theatre where plays and concerts could be performed, a gymnasium, Library, and Basketball court. There was also a swimming pool in a separate location.
One of the two arctic reindeer that were grazing in the area.
The building on the right was the Hospital.
The Cultural Palace with the statue of Lenin in the front.
The towns official emblem on Main St.
The Camps former canteen where all residents ate for free. Even the plants from 20 years ago are still sitting in their containers.
A Russian mosaic picture at the entrance to the camps communal dining hall, depicting the view outside to keep the towns residents from becoming morbid during the winter months.
The stairway to the dining hall.
The kitchens where all the paint was peeling from the ceiling and walls. Probably full of lead.
It had obviously been attractive during its time as there were quite a few structures covered in mosaic tiles.
The arctic birds had moved in to nest on the window ledges some time ago as the excrement had had really built up over the years. The odour was terrible.
We were amused by the antiquated phone that hung on the wall of the current staff canteen where we were treated to Russian coffee and cakes at the end of our tour. It was a very interesting place to visit although very eerie and I was pleased to leave. It would have been a very hard life living up there in isolation and the work in the mines difficult and punishing.
And so we left Svalbard that evening after an amazing expedition. One last Photo of a polar bear. Gorgeous creatures.
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