28 new ships by 2022:
28 (and counting) new expedition ships capable of sailing Arctic waters are coming to the market over the next four years.
Dmitry Kobylkin has made the Yamal-Nenets Autononous Okrug an economic powerhouse in the Russian North. Now, he will head the country’s Ministry of Natural Resources.
After a 4,000 km voyage from St. Petersburg, the floating nuclear power plant is moored on the banks of the Kola Bay.
Eyes on Barents
The overall volume of tax revenues in the Russian Arctic region in the first 3 months of the year decreased by 17 percent compared with last year.
Eyes on Barents
The Arctic railroad has become a hot topic both in Finnish Sápmi – the Land of the Finnish Sámi – and elsewhere in Finland. Local people in the region of Inari see that the rail line will involve both threats and opportunities.
Civil society and Media
Russian state media regulator Roskomnadzor threatens the world’s leading technology and social media services.
Communication and technology regulator Roskomnadzor has started to block access to Telegram for about ten million Russians.
Barents Media Freedom 2017
"Working as a journalist in the borderland to Russia has always been refreshingly thrilling. But never easy. And over the last years, it has become outright difficult." This report from the Barents Observer gives a picture of ruling media trends and developments in the Barents Region.
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Victoria Island and its nature is up for better protection.
It will open new export routes for natural resources from the Ural region and be key part of Russia’s future Arctic infrastructure.
The base, which previously housed 12 submarines from the powerful Pacific Fleet, will soon become terminal for Novatek’s Arctic LNG.
This shows that Finnmark wants to be governed by people from the region, says County Council leader Ragnhild Vassvik.
Partners
Siste/ mest lest
22.05
Arctic
President Putin presents his policy priorities for the next 6 years.
Longread: The return to nuclear-power
The floating nuclear power plant «Akademik Lomonosov» now under tow towards Murmansk marks the start of a comprehensive utilization of nuclear energy in the Russian Arctic. New submarines, surface warships, icebreakers, seabed- and onshore mini-reactors as well as nuclear-powered military weapons are all queuing up in record speed. The Barents Observer gives you the overview.
Russia’s Northern Fleet sends an ecological clean-up team to Kotelny island to collect and crush oil drums dumped during the last Cold War.
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Cross-border cooperation is important, but only with «constructively tuned» representatives of the West, the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs makes clear.
A black info-box headlined “Nextjet files for bankruptcy” covers the booking-page of the Swedish airline that for the last few years has operated the route from Oulu via Luleå to Tromsø.
Oil major drops «oil» from its name, argues responsibility, better balance to effectively fight climate change. Greenwashing says Greenpeace.
Trade and Industry Minister Torbjørn Røe Isaksen says Norway’s one-to-one relation with Russia is good. In June, he welcomes Minister Sergey Donskoy to Oslo.
Eyes on Barents
Loss of language, structural discrimination and shame are common experiences for the Sámi, the Roma and the deaf.
President Putin presents his policy priorities for the next 6 years.
A total of 38,000 tons will this summer be shipped to the Northern Fleet’s remote outposts.
Now: Concentration of plastics are comparable or even higher in the Arctic than in more industrialized and urban areas, a new report concludes.
PHOTOS
With view to Teriberka. Photo: Atle Staalesen
Teriberka municipal administration building. Photo: Atle Staalesen
Kiting in Teriberka. Photo: Atle Staalesen
Snowmobile town Teriberka. Photo: Atle Staalesen
Walking in Teriberka. Photo: Atle Staalesen
Heading out for cross-country skiing. Photo: Atle Staalesen
Welcome to Teriberka. Photo: Atle Staalesen
Views to Teriberka. Photo: Atle Staalesen
Local life in Teriberka. Photo: Atle Staalesen
Speeding with home-made snowmobile. Photo: Atle Staalesen
Walking with the dog. Photo: Atle Staalesen
Military parade in Murmansk. Photo: Atle Staalesen
Military parade in Murmansk. Photo: Atle Staalesen
Military parade in Murmansk. Photo: Atle Staalesen
Military parade in Murmansk. Photo: Atle Staalesen
Military parade in Murmansk. Photo: Atle Staalesen
Military parade in Murmansk. Photo: Atle Staalesen
Military parade in Murmansk. Photo: Atle Staalesen
Military parade in Murmansk. Photo: Atle Staalesen
Military parade in Murmansk. Photo: Atle Staalesen
Military parade in Murmansk. Photo: Atle Staalesen
Northern Fleet Head Commander Nikolay Yevmenov. Photo: Atle Staalesen
Military parade in Murmansk. Photo: Atle Staalesen
Military parade in Murmansk. Photo: Atle Staalesen
Military parade in Murmansk. Photo: Atle Staalesen
Photo: Atle Staalesen
Photo: Atle Staalesen
Photo: Atle Staalesen
Photo: Atle Staalesen
Photo: Atle Staalesen
Photo: Atle Staalesen
Photo: Atle Staalesen
Photo: Atle Staalesen
Photo: Atle Staalesen
Photo: Atle Staalesen
Regional authorities in Finnmark call on locals to go to the polls in what they hope will be a decisive vote against the national government’s merger of the country’s two northernmost regions.
About 70% of the Russian students leave Murmansk for Norway after a year at the gymnasium class. This weekend, the school celebrates 10-years anniversary.
Large area of the Barents Sea north of the Kola Peninsula closed off for shipping.
Russia’s Northern Fleet sends an ecological clean-up team to Kotelny island to collect and crush oil drums dumped during the last Cold War.
The Finnish regions of Lapland (north) is likely to see flooding in the coming weeks, as warm temperatures set spring thaws in motion. The Finnish Environment Institute’s leading hydrologist Bertel Vehviläinen says that current data point to the worst flooding in 20 years.
Five NATO countries participate with both navy vessels and surveillance aircrafts.
Snow-going vehicle Chaborz M-3 is made in the Chechen Republic on request of chieftain Ramzan Kadyrov.
Eyes on Barents
A local reflection from Blogger51 on the floating nuclear power plant which will be charged with nuclear fuel in the City of Murmansk.
Prices start at 7,675 rubels, less than 1,000 kroner, for a one-way ticket.
Strongly criticized by environmental groups, Ministry of Petroleum and Energy announces 56 new blocks in the Barents Sea.
Hundreds of soldiers put on their finest garment and dozens of pieces of advanced military hardware are ready to roll down the city main street.
We must build a free and just society, Vladimir Putin underlined in today’s inauguration speech. But the young protesters who this weekend rallied in the streets of Murmansk and other Russian cities do not believe him.
Longread: The return to nuclear-power
The floating nuclear power plant «Akademik Lomonosov» now under tow towards Murmansk marks the start of a comprehensive utilization of nuclear energy in the Russian Arctic. New submarines, surface warships, icebreakers, seabed- and onshore mini-reactors as well as nuclear-powered military weapons are all queuing up in record speed. The Barents Observer gives you the overview.
The Norwegian government planned to abandon the Air Force base in Andøya. But Nato might want it otherwise.
Lowest April traffic from Kola Peninsula to Norway since before the Crimea crisis.
Eye On The Arctic
Defence Ministers from Finland, Sweden and the United States are scheduled to meet in Washington to discuss military cooperation between the three countries and the overall security policy situation, according to a press release from Finland’s defence ministry issued on Monday evening.
Airport operator Finavia is launching a major investment programme in northern Finland. It aims to raise the number of passengers using airports in Lapland and nearby Kuusamo to two million annually by 2030. That’s up from the 1.3 million people who passed through the region’s airports.
Lukoil drills dry and Rosneft decides to postpone further developments in the area.
Barents Must-Reads
Longread
It will be built by Italians and produce enough electricity for a quarter of the Murmansk population. But the Russian Arctic region might not really need it.
Olenya Bay on the coast of the Barents Sea is home to a fleet of nuclear powered spy submarines and surface vessels which NATO now says are dramatically stepping up activities around undersea data cables in the North Atlantic.
Longread
These people do not make it to the cocktail receptions of regional officials, neither into the meeting agenda of government ministers or priority points of Barents action programs. Civil society is in danger of being sidelined in regional cross-border cooperation.
How green are the batteries?
Nornickel eyes sharp increase in demand for nickel and copper as tens of millions of electric cars hit the roads over the next few years.
Russia rearms strategic forces:
The reverse gear seems to hang up for continuing disarmament of nuclear weapons in the Arctic. Barents Observer has made a comprehensive review of satellite images from naval base-level storage facilities that confirms heavy construction works.