Awesome post! I'd only recently learned of Svalbard. But I'm surprised you didn't mention that they have the world's largest seed vault. I watched a documentary about it many years ago actually. It's all built/carved into a mountain. Also, Svalbard doesn't ask for a visa or a work permit, so you could really go live there for as long as you want, if my understanding is correct.
Also a rare occasion when a territory is co-governed by two countries, Norway and Russia, even though recent tensions lead to Norway extending its grip. Known as the land of Grumant, it was discovered and used seasonally by fishermen and hunters from Russian Pomorye in ancient times. That's why although Spitsbergen Treaty recognizes Norway's nominal sovereignty over the archipelago, it's a visa-free zone and both nations have rights to exploit its resources.
Yeah, basically is a unique region that would've been contested and won by one side or the other, but Arctic is too vast and empty for this. As far as I remember the story, fishers and hunters of Russian Pomorye (i.e. Arkhangelsk region) used Grumant as seasonal staging ground. They were also the ones to discover and map it in ancient times, but for their side, so their claim might be even older. Still, most time of the year it's barren and Russia wasn't really interested in another European conflict over something so distant (while still considering it its own), so eventually Spitsbergen Treaty settled things down.
The most interesting part is that Russians kept the right to maintain settlements there, I remember that they had a coal mine, and Barentsburg was largely a Russian town.
Since then Russian presence declined after USSR collapsed, I heard that they closed most settlements down, then had a quarrel over fishing rights (Norway claimed that the Treaty concerns only waters in immediate vicinity, Russians insisted that everything must be split, including far zone), then over oil reserves on the shelf, that was when I took interest in the region. Medvedev was in charge and he agreed to give Norway a cut. Then after Ukraine happened Norway tried to tighten the visiting and resupply regime for remaining Russian assets, whatever they are nowadays. I imagine that they're largely derelict.
Still, it's wise to remember that Russians do keep claim to the land and if Norway succeeds one day in choking them out of there completely, who knows if whey will take it personally and decide to turn their full attention there instead. You know what I mean.
Absolutely beautiful post! There is a YouTuber named Cecilia Blomdahl who may interest you - she lives on Svalbard and shares what daily life is like there today. What a fascinating place it must be to live and conduct research there. Personally, I do better with extreme heat than extreme cold, so it's hard to wrap my head around their winters. But I would love to visit one day.
Though I’ve never been so far north, I’ve spent time in the North Cascades in winter to experience a small taste of frozen wilderness, so this essay was a graphic reminder of the harshness and beauty. It reminded me also of “North to the Night” by Alvah Simon, recounting his deliberate overwintering in the Arctic in his yacht. Not quite Shackleton’s Endurance epic but gripping all the same. Thanks for showing us these icy islands!
I was first enchanted by Svalbard when I read Philip Pullman's Northern Lights at the age of around ten, although I didn't know it was a real place back then, so when I learned that it was it was like a fantasy region from my memory suddenly emerging into the real world. It still holds some of that enchantment of the unreal for me. But I'm sure being there would feel very real - apparently it's required that you carry a gun with you at all times on Svalbard because of the threat of polar bears.
One could probably also add a TV section... The TV series Fortitude is (presumably, if not explicitly) set in Svalbard, and I think they did a little bit of the filming in Svalbard...
That painting by Board is gorgeous, really capturing something of the unearthly beauty of the remote North.
On avoiding scurvy in the north, the traditional Inuit food of muktuk (whale skin), often eaten raw, is also rich Vitamin C. In general, Vitamin C is destroyed by cooking, so raw foods provide more of it.
Being from Montana, I found the words and pictures like home and yet isolated.
The starkness is frightening and beautiful at the same time.
Awesome post! I'd only recently learned of Svalbard. But I'm surprised you didn't mention that they have the world's largest seed vault. I watched a documentary about it many years ago actually. It's all built/carved into a mountain. Also, Svalbard doesn't ask for a visa or a work permit, so you could really go live there for as long as you want, if my understanding is correct.
There is a stark beauty to that part of the world. Can’t say I’d want to park myself there, but it would be a life-changing experience, I’ll bet.
I'm now determined to visit the Arctic. Crazy pictures.
Also a rare occasion when a territory is co-governed by two countries, Norway and Russia, even though recent tensions lead to Norway extending its grip. Known as the land of Grumant, it was discovered and used seasonally by fishermen and hunters from Russian Pomorye in ancient times. That's why although Spitsbergen Treaty recognizes Norway's nominal sovereignty over the archipelago, it's a visa-free zone and both nations have rights to exploit its resources.
I did not know that! Thought I was all Norway
Yeah, basically is a unique region that would've been contested and won by one side or the other, but Arctic is too vast and empty for this. As far as I remember the story, fishers and hunters of Russian Pomorye (i.e. Arkhangelsk region) used Grumant as seasonal staging ground. They were also the ones to discover and map it in ancient times, but for their side, so their claim might be even older. Still, most time of the year it's barren and Russia wasn't really interested in another European conflict over something so distant (while still considering it its own), so eventually Spitsbergen Treaty settled things down.
The most interesting part is that Russians kept the right to maintain settlements there, I remember that they had a coal mine, and Barentsburg was largely a Russian town.
Since then Russian presence declined after USSR collapsed, I heard that they closed most settlements down, then had a quarrel over fishing rights (Norway claimed that the Treaty concerns only waters in immediate vicinity, Russians insisted that everything must be split, including far zone), then over oil reserves on the shelf, that was when I took interest in the region. Medvedev was in charge and he agreed to give Norway a cut. Then after Ukraine happened Norway tried to tighten the visiting and resupply regime for remaining Russian assets, whatever they are nowadays. I imagine that they're largely derelict.
Still, it's wise to remember that Russians do keep claim to the land and if Norway succeeds one day in choking them out of there completely, who knows if whey will take it personally and decide to turn their full attention there instead. You know what I mean.
Absolutely beautiful post! There is a YouTuber named Cecilia Blomdahl who may interest you - she lives on Svalbard and shares what daily life is like there today. What a fascinating place it must be to live and conduct research there. Personally, I do better with extreme heat than extreme cold, so it's hard to wrap my head around their winters. But I would love to visit one day.
Though I’ve never been so far north, I’ve spent time in the North Cascades in winter to experience a small taste of frozen wilderness, so this essay was a graphic reminder of the harshness and beauty. It reminded me also of “North to the Night” by Alvah Simon, recounting his deliberate overwintering in the Arctic in his yacht. Not quite Shackleton’s Endurance epic but gripping all the same. Thanks for showing us these icy islands!
I was first enchanted by Svalbard when I read Philip Pullman's Northern Lights at the age of around ten, although I didn't know it was a real place back then, so when I learned that it was it was like a fantasy region from my memory suddenly emerging into the real world. It still holds some of that enchantment of the unreal for me. But I'm sure being there would feel very real - apparently it's required that you carry a gun with you at all times on Svalbard because of the threat of polar bears.
That Biard painting contains all the desolation in the world. It's harrowing.
One of those remote places where an introvert would feel at peace. Beautiful and austere. Alone but not lonely.
One could probably also add a TV section... The TV series Fortitude is (presumably, if not explicitly) set in Svalbard, and I think they did a little bit of the filming in Svalbard...
That painting by Board is gorgeous, really capturing something of the unearthly beauty of the remote North.
On avoiding scurvy in the north, the traditional Inuit food of muktuk (whale skin), often eaten raw, is also rich Vitamin C. In general, Vitamin C is destroyed by cooking, so raw foods provide more of it.
*Biard - autocorrect is getting bossy.