Photo and Video

Photos

Barentsburg panorama. Photo: Thomas Nilsen
Barentsburg with the Grønfjord glacier. Photo: Thomas Nilsen
The new restaurant Krasniy Medved (Red bear). Photo: Thomas Nilsen
With Lenin in front, the stele honouring communism was erected in 1974 to mark Svalbard's first multi-storey residential building. The text reads "Our goal is communism". The slogan in the mountain reads Mir i Mir - (Peace and Earth). Photo: Thomas Nilsen
A growing number of tourists are visiting Barentsburg. Photo: Thomas Nilsen
Souvenir shop in Barentsburg. Photo: Thomas Nilsen
Nordenskiöld glacier. Photo: Thomas Nilsen
Norwegian post service in Barentsburg. Photo: Thomas Nilsen
Arctic foxes. Photo: Thomas Nilsen
The coal plant in Barentsburg consumes about 30,000 tons of coal annually. Photo: Thomas Nilsen
Ivan Velichenko shows a bottle of the town's own vodka named Barentsburg. Photo: Thomas Nilsen
Nordre Isfjorden National Park. Photo: Thomas Nilsen
The new hotel in Barentsburg has room for 90 guests. Photo: Thomas Nilsen
Lunchtime for this polar bear cub. Photo: Thomas Nilsen
Old Finnish houses in Barentsburg. Nordre Isfjorden National Park in the background. Photo: Thomas Nilsen
A polar bear and a reindeer are on display in a corner at the library in Barentsburg. Photo: Thomas Nilsen
The polar bear in the library wears helmet. Photo: Thomas Nilsen
Upgrades of the infrastructure in Barentsburg. Photo: Thomas Nilsen
Coal mine facilities. Photo: Thomas Nilsen
GoArctica's boat is painted in Ukrainian colours. About 60% of the people living in Barentsburg are Ukrainians. Photo: Thomas Nilsen
GoArctic's boat "Barentsburg" has both Norwegian and Russian flag in the mast. Photo: Thomas Nilsen
Russia has a rather large Consulate General in Barentsburg. Photo: Thomas Nilsen
Waste sorting. Photo: Thomas Nilsen
Samovar (tea boiler). Photo: Thomas Nilsen
Arcticugol Spitsbergen is the state-owned company in charge of all activities in Barentsburg. Photo: Thomas Nilsen
Rail tracks into the coal mine in Barentsburg. Photo: Thomas Nilsen
Coal miner. Photo: Thomas Nilsen
Coal mine. Photo: Thomas Nilsen
Going deep-down. Mining operation today happens at 1,200 meters deep. Workers need about an hour to get down. Photo: Thomas Nilsen
Back up after a long nights work in the mine. Photo: Thomas Nilsen
All coal mining happens underground. Photo: Thomas Nislen
Coal harbour from where ships bring the coal to England. Photo: Thomas Nilsen
Maybe not the highlight of a guided tour in Arctic Barentsburg. The mine's waste dump. Photo: Thomas Nilsen
The cultural palace has seats for 450 people. That is about everyone who lives in Barentsburg. Photo: Thomas Nilsen
Kola Science Centre has a research station in Barentsburg. Photo: Thomas Nilsen
Both Barentsburg and Pyramiden have their own vodka brands. Photo: Thomas Nilsen
Nordenskiöld glacier. Photo: Thomas Nilsen
The three-mast sailing ship Antigua at the Nordenskiöld glacier, Svalbard. Photo: Thomas Nilsen

Barentsburg: Russia's Arctic tourist resort

Norwegian Sea King rescue helicopter exercising evacuation of people found at sea to a Coast Guard vessel. Photo: Thomas Nilsen
"OV Bøkfjord" - Operated by Norwegian Coastal Administration - participates in collecting oil spill at sea. Photo: Thomas Nilsen
Bent-Ove Jamtli is Director of the Joint Rescue Coordination Centre of North Norway. Photo: Thomas Nilsen
Coordinating radio traffic on the bridge of "KV Barentshav" during exercise Barents 2018. Photo: Thomas Nilsen
The Russian navy vessel "Elbrus" exercising oil spill cleanup with lense and skimmer. Photo: Thomas Nilsen
Key players in exercise Barents 2018, Norwegians and Russians. Photo: Thomas Nilsen
Norwegian offshore and tug vessel "Far Sabre" with oil spill lense. Photo: Thomas Nilsen
Jan Pedersen is Senior Advisor with the Norwegian Coastal Administration's Centre for Emergency Preparedness. Photo: Thomas Nilsen
Fast-roping to the deck of the Norwegian Coast Guard ship "KV Barentshav" from a Russian Mi-8 helicopter operating for the rescue service based in Murmansk. Photo: Thomas Nilsen
Norwegian Coast Guard vessel "Farm" sailing in pair with a FSB Coast Guard vessel. Photo: Thomas Nilsen
Two of the "missing people" in the exercise were found on board this lift raft. Photo: Thomas Nilsen
In search for the "missing life raft" - Norwegian and Russian military and civilian ships and helicopters participated. Photo: Thomas Nilsen
Fast-roping evacuation from a SAR-vessel to the helicopter. Photo: Thomas Nilsen
Preparing for fast-roping from a rescue helicopter. Photo: Thomas Nilsen
Lifting people to helicopter for evacuation is part of the exercise. Photo: Thomas Nilsen
A few of the "survivors" are safely on board a Coast Guard vessel. Photo: Thomas Nilsen
Smile for cooperation: Captain on bridge Frode Urke (left) and Head of the Northern Fleet's exercise unit Aleksandr Ulyanov (in the middle). Photo: Thomas Nilsen
Speedy working boat shuttles people in between the Norwegian and Russian participating ships. Photo: Thomas Nilsen
The Russian Northern Fleet's new logistics support ship "Elbrus" and the civilian offfshore- and tug vessel "Umka" (in the horizon). Photo: Thomas Nilsen
Norwegian Coast Guard vessel "Farm" with oil spill lense. Photo: Thomas Nilsen
Igor Makeev is Captain Coordinator with Murmansk Sea Rescue Centre. Photo: Thomas Nilsen
Coast Guard officer on watch. Photo: Thomas Nilsen
From the bridge of "KV Barentshav" team coordinators watching oil-spill cleanup practicing by the Norwegian vessel "Far Sabre" towing a lense in the sea. Photo: Thomas Nilsen
This special equipped aircraft can both search for people at sea and possible oil-spill. Photo: Thomas Nilsen
This special equipped aircraft can both search for people at sea and possible oil-spill. Photo: Thomas Nilsen
Norwegian Coast Guard vessel "KV Farm" and a Russian FSB Coast Guard vessel. Photo: Thomas Nilsen
Chief on "KV Barentshav" Frode Urke (left), Coordinator Captain for Murmansk Sea Rescue Centre Igor Makeev and Head of Northern Fleet exercise unit Aleksandr Ulyanov (right). Photo: Thomas Nilsen
Exercise coordination room onboard Coast Guard vessel "KV Barentshav". Photo: Thomas Nilsen