Pyramiden
Pyramiden (Danish, Norwegian and Swedish meaning "the pyramid", Russian: Пирамида, piramida) is an abandoned Russian settlement and coal mining community on the archipelago of Svalbard, Norway. It was founded by Sweden in 1910 and sold to the Soviet Union in 1927. It lies at the foot of the Billefjorden on the island of Spitsbergen and is named for the pyramid-shaped mountain adjacent to the town.
The settlement once had a population of over 1,000 inhabitants,[1] but was abandoned on 10 January 1998 by its owner, the state-owned Russian company Arktikugol Trust. It is now a ghost town. Within the buildings, things remain largely as they were when the settlement was abandoned in a hurry.
There are no restrictions on visiting Pyramiden, but visitors may not enter any buildings without permission, even if the doors are open, due to the health and safety hazards involved. While most buildings are now locked, breaking into the buildings, vandalism and theft have become a serious threat to Pyramiden.[2]
The nearest settlements are Svalbard's capital, Longyearbyen, some 50 km to the south, Barentsburg approximately 100 km south-west and the small research community of Ny-Ålesund, 100 km to the west. Pyramiden is accessible by boat or snowmobile, and guided tours are available in Russian, Norwegian, and English.
A book has been written about Pyramiden by Norwegian author Kjartan Fløgstad.[3] A recent episode of the History Channel programme "Life After People" featured Pyramiden. It predicted that due to the low rate of decay in a frigid climate, the abandoned town's major buildings would be visible 500 years from now.
The world's northernmost grand piano is located at Pyramiden; a "Red October" (Красный октябрь)[4] grand piano is located in the auditorium of the cultural centre.
Pyramiden is currently being re-developed by the Russians to accommodate tourists. 5-6 people are currently stationed there to upgrade the facilities, including the Pyramiden hotel. At the moment there is a small hotel made of old shipping containers that can accommodate a small number of visitors.[5]
[edit] Bibliography
- Andreassen, Elin, Hein B. Bjerck, and Bjørnar Olsen. Persistent Memories: Pyramiden - A Soviet Mining Town in the High Arctic. (2010) Tapir Academic Press.
- Umbreit, Andreas. Spitsbergen, Svalbard, Franz Josef Land, & Jan Meyen. (2009) Bradt Travel Guides.
[edit] References
- ^ BBC News | Pulling out of Pyramiden
- ^ Umbreit, 2009. Page 182.
- ^ Fløgstad i Pyramiden : Dagsavisen
- ^ "Red October" (Krasny Octyabr)
- ^ Pyramiden - Settlement, Accommodation, Travel. Terrapolaris. Retrieved on 2011-09-14.
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