Pyramiden, Spitsbergen. Day 37. 4th August 2013.

From Nordenskiöld Glacier, we sailed across the fjord to Pyramiden, an abandoned Russian coal mining town.

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Pyramiden was founded by Sweden in 1910 and sold to the Soviet Union in 1927.  It closed down in 1998 and 1,000 people once lived here.

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There is now a small hotel there and it is possible to stay overnight.  Almost certainly, this is not the hotel.

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However, this is still polar bear country.  Wherever you wander, there must be someone with a rifle and you are not permitted to wander away from the group.

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An interesting array of old industrial artifacts.

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As you can see from the plan, it’s a substantial settlement.

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Instructions by a guide before proceeding.

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The old mine structures are still impressive.

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And when we look back, there is the Nordenskiöld Glacier on the other side of the fjord.

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There must be a story with this building.  On the door it says “ПOCTOPOHH ИM BXOД ЗAПPEЩEH!”, which corresponds in Roman letters to “NOSTORONNEEM VCHOD ZANROSHCHON!”.  What that means I have no idea though it seems ЗAПPEЩEH is ALARM.

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A cache of bricks awaiting new construction.

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Pyramiden was named for the pyramid-shaped hill.  Here, the cloud has just about cleared enough for you to make it out..

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Some refined brickwork here.

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Soviet monumentalist art deco perhaps.

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We’re on a road to nowhere….

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