Pyramiden, the Soviet Town Left Frozen in Time
On an Arctic island, a Soviet mining town was abandoned almost overnight. The books are still on the shelves, and the world's northernmost statue of Lenin still looks out over the fjord.
What was reported
Pyramiden was a coal-mining town built by the Soviet Union on the Norwegian archipelago of Svalbard, named after the pyramid-shaped mountain above it. At its peak, about 1,000 people lived there, with a cultural centre, a swimming pool, a library and a concert hall.
In 1998, the mine closed and the last residents left in a hurry. Much was left behind: furniture, pianos, books and plants in the greenhouse. Today the town stands almost empty, with polar bears sometimes wandering its streets, and a bust of Lenin still overlooking the main square.
Explanations offered
Pyramiden was abandoned for economic reasons, after the mine stopped making money. The dry, cold Arctic air has preserved the buildings. A small hotel has reopened for tourists, and a few caretakers live there in summer.
- When
- Abandoned in 1998
- Where
- Pyramiden, Svalbard, Norway
- Witnesses
- Visitors to Svalbard
- Status
- A real place
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