The first
day on the boat started with sunny and great weather. After boarding 212
passengers from 16 different nations, Fram left Longyearbyen at 1800 hrs. After
getting their new blue jackets handed out, all guests were ready for a great
adventure. And it already started after 10 min when we got our first great
arctic experience; a curious polar bear peaking in windows on two legs and
roaming the area on Reveneset.
After a
delicious dinner we came alongside the pier in Barentsburg at 2100 hrs. Barentsburg
showed its self from its best side with beautiful weather and local guides met
us and took us through Barentsburg history and daily life. This Russian
coal-mining township has been known as the most atmospheric old settlement
north of the Arctic Circle. Recent months the township has gotten a major
face-lift partly because the Russian government wants to increase the tourism. 
Grønfjorden,
where Barentsburg is located, has for centuries been a resting place for
whalers and a camp for hunters. Industrial activity started the first decennium
after 1900, with whale-processing base and coal extraction. After that several
companies and nationalities’ had been extracting coal, the settlement and the
surrounding areas passed on to a Soviet state-owned company in 1932.
The
settlement was largely destroyed during the Second World War, but was rebuilt
again in 1948 and 1962. During the Cold War the settlement was base to
suspicious activity as for example an oversized helicopter base. Before 1990, there was between 1100 and 1450
inhabitants and included kindergarden, school, a large hospital, a library, a
large research centre and a swimming pool. But with the end of the Soviet Union
the settlement endured a hard time in several ways. In 2000 Russia started to
remember its remote outpost on Svalbard again and its strategic value; more
subsides are now given, research is coming back and a new mine is being
established. Today the number of inhabitants is around 470.
After ended
tour we got some time to stroll around before heading for the Cultural house
where the locals, including men from the mine, had set up a very warming and
nice folklore show.
After
waving goodbye to Barentsburg at 2305, we sailed northwards along Prince Karl’s
Forland. Some of the guest went up in the bar to enjoy their first beautiful
evening on Fram, while others said goodnight and headed for a well-deserved
sleep.
