Ever heard about a Russian ghost town in Norway built by the Soviet Union, where carrying a firearm is required by law and where you can live in a hotel that once was robbed – by a polar bear? Welcome to Pyramiden!
Pyramiden is a Russian ghost town on Svalbard, a Norwegian group of islands located 78º north. The town is named after the mountain behind it, again named after the shape it has, a pyramid. Pyramiden is Norwegian and means The Pyramid in English. Yes, people in Svalbard are not very creative when it comes to naming. At Pyramiden, it looks like someone hit the pause button in the early 90’s and never pushed play again; today there are only 8 inhabitants here. In winter time it is possible to get here by snowmobile, but in September the ground is barren and the boats are the only means of transportation. Pyramiden has to be visited with a guide, because the polar bear danger is far more real here than in the nearby city of Longyearbyen. Even though the probability of seeing a polar bear is minimal, all groups going here must have an armed person with them, as a polar bear could actually come walking around a corner at any time.
At the dock there is a rusty old machine, three chairs turned upside down and a plethora of mining related equipment. Cyrillic letters and Russian symbols are displayed everywhere; we are surprised that no James Bond movies have made filmed here.
We have to take a short bus ride from the dock to the center of the “city”. There are surprisingly many buildings here, but they all share the same traits: old and worn down. There cannot be many places matching the description of a ghost town better than Pyramiden. As we leave the bus we happen to be standing in the northern edge of the group. At this time we are the northernmost people in on of the northernmost places in the world. According to Wikipedia, Pyramiden is the second northernmost city in the world, meaning that there are roughly 500 people north of us (Santa Claus included), and 7,4 billion south of us!
As a coal mining city the Soviet Union provided surprisingly nice facilities at Pyramiden. A community centre was built for social and cultural activities. The building houses a gymnasium, a dancing rooms, multiple music rooms, a library and a combined theatre and cinema. The last room houses the northernmost grand piano in the world, still playable, though very out of tune. When you are this far north, very much becomes the northernmost in the world. For example the northernmost Lenin statue in the world is placed here.
Unlike common belief, Pyramiden was not abandoned over night. After the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991 it was decided that Pyramiden was to be abandoned, but this happened over time, and the last inhabitants did not leave until 1998. A few years later two Russians were sent to Pyramiden to keep an eye on it; today there are 8 inhabitants here. The guide turns around and proudly expresses: “The population is on the rise!“
Today’s 8 inhabitants work on maintaining the town. By maintenance they probably mean ensuring that buildings don’t fall down, because it doesn’t look like anything has been changed here since the town was abandoned, apart from some dust finding it’s place onto any surface. Even the plants and flowers are still sitting in the windows, although quite dry after more than 20 years without water. The drums are still in the music room, fully playable. The film rolls are still lying on the floor and the projectors are still pointing towards the front of the theatre.
In addition to the maintenance, the 8 inhabitants have the somewhat strange task of running a hotel in a ghost town closer to the North Pole than the Polar Circle. Unlike the other buildings, this one is properly maintained and warm. The style is still influenced by 60-90’s Soviet style, and the emergency exit sign reads both “Exit” and “выход“. If you wish to stay here, they offer up to 23 rooms. This is one of the few, if not the only Russian hotel that you can visit visa free (given that you are allowed to enter Norway), even though St. Petersburg also has quite simple visa regulations. In 2014 there was a break in at the hotel, but thief was not your average guy. It was a polar bear, breaking into the bar… (Norwegian article about it here).
After looking at the hotel we are taken back to the dock by a Russian bus driver. I want to stop and take a picture of a sign we are passing by, but I am told that it would only be possible to explain to the driver if I speak Russian; the driver is not speaking a single word Norwegian, nor English. We really get the feeling that we are in Russia.
Back at the dock we embark the boat and sail south towards Longyearbyen again. The ghost town fades out in the horizon and the silence returns to the town with 8 inhabitants.
Practical
How to get there:
Flights leave almost daily from mainland Norway to Longyearbyen with Norwegian and SAS. We will shortly come with a guide on how to fly to Svalbard with SAS for a very low cost. From Longyearbyen it is possible to travel by snowmobile in winter and boat the rest of the year. We took a guided boat tour and sailed for roughly 3 hours to get there. The price is ridiculously high, but worth it for a “once in a lifetime” experience.
What to see:
As a part of a guided tour you go through parts of the town as well as time to freely walk inside two buildings: The community centre and the canteen. Ultimately you will see the hotel and have the possibility to purchase Russian liquor in the bar and some souvenirs. Be aware that they only accept (Norwegian) cash here.
How much:
The guided boat ride costs 1850 Norwegian kroner per person, or roughly 200 euros. This includes pickup at the hotel, lunch aboard the ship and the guided tour at Pyramiden.
When and where:
The boat leave from Longyearbyen more or less daily during summer. Tulpan Hotel is open from March 10th and closes on October 23rd. These dates may vary depending on weather conditions.
