Prepare the message “Russian names on the world map.” Russian names and notable historical events
Travel plan
Arrival. Sea crossing Longyearbyen - Barentsburg
Arrival in Longyearbyen. The program is focused on arriving from Oslo on a day or evening flight with Norwegian or SAS airlines. Meeting at the airport with a guide holding a sign “Grumant”, transfer to the port of the village. Longyearbyen. Change clothes, select equipment, pack your things and go! A sea passage to Barentsburg awaits us!
22:00 Departure to sea. During the trip, we will mainly travel by sea on open sea boats PplarCircel made in Norway. These are large, eight-meter, highly durable boats, created by Norwegian shipbuilders specifically for sea travel in the Arctic, equipped with powerful Yamaha engines (200 hp), echo sounders, emergency beacons and marine radio communications. This boat is not afraid of even very serious sea conditions. For warmth and safety, you will be dressed in special emergency arctic wetsuits from the Norwegian company Helly Hansen, which will allow you to retain heat and stop the wind and give everyone confidence at sea during sea crossings.
From Longyearbyen to Barentsburg it is about 50 kilometers along Isfjord. Along the way we will see picturesque rocky shores, the village of Grumant, abandoned in the 60s, Colesbay Bay, Cape Heer and end up in Grønfjord, on the eastern shore of which, more than 90 years ago, the village of Barentsburg was founded by Dutch miners. If we are lucky, we will meet one of the marine mammals - dolphins, whales, beluga whales or bearded seals - all of them are frequent visitors to the Grønfjord coast. The journey to Barentsburg will take about 1.5 - 2 hours.
Upon arrival in Barentsburg, we are accommodated in double rooms of the modern and cozy Barentsburg Hotel. A light dinner and snack will be waiting for us right in our hotel room.
Getting to know Barentsburg. Trekking to Bride's Brooks
10:00 Late Breakfast. 11:00 Sightseeing tour of the village and visit to the exhibitions of the Barentsburg Museum and Exhibition Center “ArtArcticGallery”, dedicated to the history of the development of Spitsbergen and the Arctic. In addition to the main archaeological exhibition dedicated to the Pomor fishermen and Russian explorers of the 15th-19th centuries, you will also get acquainted with the unique items from Willem Barents’s winter hut on Novaya Zemlya (1596), as well as rotating exhibitions of artists and other exhibitions united by the theme of the Arctic.
Barentsburg is the Russian “capital” of Spitsbergen. The village was founded in 1921 by the Dutch as a coal mine. Since 1932, it has belonged to the Arktikugol State Trust, which represents the economic interests of Russia in Spitsbergen. Barentsburg today is a modern Arctic village, the basis of which is still the northernmost Russian coal mine, but Arctic tourism is also developing in parallel. Barentsburg combines the modern development of the Arctic with the stories and traditions of the past. The population of the village is about 500 people, including about 70 children.
14:00 Lunch at the hotel restaurant. 15:00 Today we will travel to the waterfalls on Bryda Creek. We go down to the port and cross Grönfjord on the already familiar PolarCirkel boat. The sea crossing will be very short, and the walk to the picturesque waterfalls will take about 4 hours (about 6-8 km). This will be an introductory trekking route that will allow you to understand the features of the terrain, the selection of equipment, and the guides - the level of training of the group.
20:00 Dinner at the restaurant of the “Red Bear” brewery with tasting of the northernmost Russian “live” beer, brewed here, and dishes of traditional Russian northern cuisine. Of course, you will try everyone’s favorite cod, caught by our hands in Grønfjord during the autumn fishing season.
Kayaks on Cape Starostin. Trekking to Cape Festningen. On this day we will offer everyone an excursion to the active mine (for an additional fee)
This excursion is not only interesting, but also unique! This is the only tour of a working coal mine in the world. Preparation of the route and approval by all supervisory authorities of Russia and Norway took us about two years. But it was worth it! During the excursion you will walk through two adits and learn a lot of interesting things about coal mining. “Mine surveyor”, “shale dust”, “lamp”, “roofing”, “pickets”, “airlock”, “slope”, “longwall”, “face”, “rock burst” - all these terms will make sense and insight during a two-hour tour led by professional miners.
09:30 Breakfast. 10:30 We put on our wetsuits again and get ready for our next trip.
Today the path will lie on the opposite side of Grönfjord to Cape Starostin. A short two-kilometer trek across the tundra to Lake Linnea, where two-seater sea kayaks will be waiting for us. Then, everyone, after instructions and a short training session, will be able to take part in a small water route along Lake Linnea lasting from 1.5 to 2.5 hours and length from 4-5 to 10 kilometers.
Those who are not ready to take part in kayaking can take a guided walk in the picturesque surroundings.
15:00 Lunch-picnic in a fishing hut on Cape Starostin.
Cape Starostin - A very interesting, picturesque and atmospheric place. The cape is named after the legendary Pomor fisherman Ivan Starostin, who spent 39 winters on Spitsbergen, and for the last fifteen years he lived on the archipelago constantly, without returning to the mainland. His main camp was located at the mouth of the Russekeila River, not far from the entrance to Grönfjord. The guides will show you a reconstruction of Starostin’s winter hut and the Pomeranian memorial cross, and will take you to a working fishing hut. Cape Starostin and the surrounding area were also used during the filming of the Norwegian film “Operation Arctic.”
Then, those who wish can take a trekking walk along the coast of Russekeila Bay to Cape Festningen, where there is a lighthouse indicating the entrance to Grönfjord for ships. The length of the path will be about 6 kilometers. The rest can enjoy the beauty of Cape Starostin for some time and also go by boat to Cape Festningen, where the groups will meet.
Return to Barentsburg. 19:00 Dinner at the hotel restaurant.
Sea day.
08:00 Breakfast. 09:00 And on the road again! A fascinating sea route “Barentsburg – Imerbukta – Tryghamna Bay” awaits us. Imerbukta, whose name is rooted in Scandinavian mythology, can rightfully be considered one of the most majestic and secluded places in the archipelago. The most attractive side of the bay is where the Esmark glacier is located, stretching for 15 km. In Tryghamna Bay you will see the remains of Pomeranian settlements from the 18th century, and on Mount Ahlhorn you will see the most picturesque bird colonies. Lunch and snack on the route. Next, we will cross the entrance to Isfjord by boat and head to the skerries of the western coast of Spitsbergen, where you can meet walruses and seals. At Cape Linnaeus, you can photograph a huge whale skull and drink a cup of coffee in the cozy cafe of the small Isfjord Radio Hotel.
18:00 Dinner at the restaurant of the Barentsburg Hotel. We suggest devoting this evening to a visit to a husky farm (for an additional fee).
Friendly and cheerful dogs of different sled breeds - Siberian and Alaskan huskies, Samoyeds, Alaskan Malamutes, Yakut Laikas and Chukchi sled dogs will be happy to get to know you.
We will tell you about what is remarkable about dogs of each breed, what contribution they made to the history of Arctic exploration and what role they play now. Those who wish can take a short walk to Cape Heer, taking their “furry companions” with them. Each participant in the hike is equipped with a special belt, to which 1 or 2 dogs are fastened. And go ahead! The goal of the walk will be the Norwegian ship's cannon, which repelled the Tirpitz attack during the Second World War. The most impatient will be able to use a bicycle or cycle kart accompanied by a guide.
Sea crossing Barentsburg – Colesbay – Grumant – Pyramid
09:30 Breakfast. Collecting and packing things – today we leave Barentsburg.
Our next route is dedicated to the history of the first Russian mine, Grumant, and the village of Colsbey, associated with the name of the Russian polar explorer Vladimir Rusanov. Once again on our sea boats we set off along the coast to the mothballed village of Colesbay.
Transition to Rusanov's house and the no longer used narrow-gauge railway. The walking part of the route will be about 5 km. After finishing the route, we head for Adventfjord and literally in half an hour we will find ourselves back in Longyearbyen, where our journey began.
Longyearbyen (aka Longyearbyen, Longyearbyen) is the administrative center of the archipelago and the capital of the province of Svalbard (the Norwegian name for Spitsbergen). It is the northernmost settlement with a population of more than a thousand people (about 1,800), as well as the northernmost international airport in the world.
A short stop will allow us to rest and warm up a bit, as well as get to know the Norwegian capital of Svalbard a little, before we continue our boat journey to the north of Isfjord to the legendary village of Pyramid.
21:00 – 22:00 Accommodation in comfortable double rooms at the Pyramid Hotel. Dinner at the hotel restaurant, in carefully preserved Soviet-era interiors.
Getting to know the Pyramid. Nordenskiöld Glacier.
Breakfast. Today our path lies to the front of the Nordenskiöld glacier. This is a real glacier photo hunt! If you're lucky, you'll be able to take unique shots of breakaway icebergs and mushroom-shaped ice floes.
Lunch at the hotel restaurant.
A walk around the surrounding area, and then a sightseeing tour of the village, which will allow you to plunge into the atmosphere of the happy “polar explorers” of the 80s who lived at that time in the project of “socialism with a human face” implemented in the Pyramid.
Pyramid is a village named after Mount Pyramid, at the foot of which it was built. Founded in 1910-11. Swedish miners, then in 1927 the rights to the mine were acquired by the Severles Trust, which in 1931 in turn transferred the rights to the Arktikugol Trust. In 1946, systematic development of the coal deposit began. In the 70-80s, an ideal model of socialism was practically built here. Norwegian King Harald V, who visited the Pyramid in 1995, called it “the pearl of the archipelago.” In 1998, the Pyramid was mothballed, but its exemplary infrastructure, created in Soviet times, has survived to this day. In the village, surrounded by mountains and glaciers, there is no Internet, television or telephone service. Therefore, every visit to the Pyramid is time spent alone with the Arctic. The uniqueness of the village is noted by everyone who has spent at least a few hours here. Today, the Pyramid attracts not only tourists, but also artists and cultural figures, journalists, and freeriders from all over the world. Regularly, the village of Pyramid is in the top of various world rankings of the most interesting places and travel on the planet.
Dinner at the hotel restaurant.
After all, there is cosmic justice in the world!
After a crushing failure with sea fishing in the area of the Storsesandet Bridge, the Norwegian waters of Svalbard have fully compensated for the previous failure. In 30 minutes of lure fishing off Cape Starostin, we caught six cod fish and, without a doubt, would have caught more if time had allowed. But that’s not even surprising: not a single fish was caught by the mouth! The spinner randomly caught on the back, belly or gills. One can only guess how much there is at the bottom of the fjord!
But before we went fishing, we landed on Cape Festningen near Barentsburg. This is probably the strangest cape I have ever seen - part of it looks like a submarine rising from the bottom. About everything about this under the cut...
By the way, all our movements on the water take place on such a beautiful boat. Very comfortable, reliable and stable:
The same cannot be said about the local fishermen who went out into the middle of the fjord on an inflatable boat. Looks dangerous:
In principle, the cape is visible from Barentsburg. But only up close does all its grandeur and scale reveal itself. Part of the cape is a stone island that looks like a submarine:
Flying a quadcopter over the cape:
There is a small lighthouse at the top. Against its background is the Russian settlement of Spitsbergen:
The top of the cliff resembles the face of a sphinx:
We landed on the shore. Cape Festningen is located on Nordenskiöld Land near the entrance to Isfjord:
The cape “bites” into the shore and the stone slab continues like a wall:
Periodically, breaks appear in it:
A countless horde of seagulls lives on the cape; this is their favorite place:
Festningen in the sun:
Here you can see the full power of nature. It seems that the mountain used to be just a flat slab, which over time “stood on end”:
Cape Starostin. It’s worth saying a few words: the history of this place is connected with the life of one of the most famous Pomors - Ivan Starostin. He wintered on Grumant (as Spitsbergen was called by the Pomors, even before the official discovery of the archipelago by Willem Barents) for 39 winters. At that time, Starostin was almost the only permanent resident of the archipelago. In terms of the number of winterings, Ivan Starostin set a record that none of the people who wintered on Spitsbergen could beat:
There was a planned meeting with a local resident, Grandfather Gena (his house is pictured), but he went fishing somewhere and we did not disembark, but followed his example:
We had two fishing rods and took turns fishing. We fished like this: we lowered the spoon 100 meters, then lifted it and pulled it. Wait – 3 minutes maximum. Then the line tightens and you pick up the catch:
Having caught dinner, we went home happy and satisfied:
Great walk!
Spitsbergen is an archipelago that for most still remains an Unknown Land, Terra Incognita... From time immemorial to this day, Norwegians have called this archipelago Svalbard, which means “cold land” in Norwegian.
The great Dutch navigator Willem Barents, having officially discovered it and put it on the map, named the archipelago Spitsbergen, which means “pointed mountains”. From time immemorial, Russian Pomors called him Grumant.
Let's leave historians with idle debate about who came to this cold land first - the Vikings or the Pomors, because over the past 400 years, the history of the development of the Arctic and Spitsbergen was created by Norwegians, Russians, Swedes, Dutch, English, Italians... Today, polar explorers of more than forty nationalities live hand in hand on Svalbard!
Spitsbergen has a very interesting legal status and a very interesting history. Until 1920, it was “no man's” territory. By international treaties of 1921 and 1925, Svalbard was assigned to the Kingdom of Norway, but the right to carry out economic activities remained with all states that signed the treaty. The Soviet Union and then Russia have a special status on Svalbard.
There are no borders and no military. There are about 4,000 polar bears per 3,000 inhabitants.
Coal is still mined here, just like a hundred years ago. But with each subsequent decade, tourism, scientific and environmental activities are increasingly being developed in order to preserve the Arctic.
Traveling to Spitsbergen is the most unusual thing that can happen to you. Just imagine: Arctic, 78-79 degrees north latitude. It’s hardly closer to the mainland here than to the North Pole... Mountains, the Greenland Sea, glaciers, waterfalls, glacial streams and lakes, endless valleys... Wildlife: reindeer, arctic foxes, seals and bearded seals, beluga whales, and if you’re lucky, whales , and polar bears - you can see them all in their natural habitat.
Arrival at Longyearbyen.
The program is focused on arriving from Oslo on an evening flight with the Norwegian discounter, but you can also arrive on a daytime flight with SAS.
Meeting at the airport with a guide holding a sign “Grumant”, transfer to the port of the village. Longyearbyen. Change clothes, select equipment, pack your things and go! Waiting for us sea passage to Barentsburg!
22:00 Out to sea
During the trip, we will mainly travel by sea on open sea boats “Polarcircul” made in Norway. These are large, eight-meter, highly durable boats, created by Norwegian shipbuilders specifically for sea travel in the Arctic, equipped with powerful Yamaha engines (200 hp), echo sounders, emergency beacons and marine radio communications. This boat is not afraid of even very serious sea conditions.
The boat is open. For warmth and safety, you will be dressed in special emergency arctic wetsuits from the Norwegian company Helly Hansen, which will allow you to retain heat, stop the wind, and give everyone confidence at sea during sea crossings.
From Longyearbyen to Barentsburg it is about 50 kilometers along Isfjord. Along the way we will see picturesque rocky shores, the village of Grumant, abandoned in the 60s, Colesbay Bay, Cape Heer and end up in Grønfjord, on the eastern shore of which the village of Barentsburg was founded by Dutch miners more than 90 years ago. If we are lucky, we will meet one of the marine mammals - dolphins, whales, beluga whales or bearded seals - all of them are frequent visitors to the Grønfjord coast. The journey to Barentsburg will take about 1.5 - 2 hours.
Upon arrival at Barentsburg, Accommodation in the rooms of the modern and cozy Barentsburg Hotel. A light dinner and snack will be waiting for us right in the hotel rooms.
Getting to know Barentsburg. Trekking to Bride's Brooks
10.00 Late breakfast
11.00 Sightseeing tour of the village and visiting the exhibitions of the ArtArcticGalery Museum and Exhibition Center, dedicated to the history of the development of Spitsbergen and the Arctic. In addition to the main archaeological exhibition dedicated to Pomor fishermen and Russian explorers of the 15th-19th centuries, you will also get acquainted with unique items from Willem Barents’s winter hut on Novaya Zemlya (1596), as well as rotating exhibitions of artists and other exhibitions united by the theme of the Arctic.
Barentsburg– Russian “capital” of Spitsbergen. The village was founded in 1921 by the Dutch as a coal mine. Since 1932, it has belonged to the Arktikugol State Trust, which represents the economic interests of Russia in Spitsbergen. Barentsburg today is a modern Arctic village, the basis of which is still the northernmost Russian coal mine, but Arctic tourism is also developing in parallel. Barentsburg combines the modern development of the Arctic with the stories and traditions of the past. The population of the village is about 500 people, including about 70 children.
14.00 Lunch at the hotel restaurant.
Today we have a journey to waterfalls on Bride's Creek.
We go down to the port and cross Grønfjord on the open PolarCircle boat. The sea crossing will be very short, and the walk to the picturesque waterfalls will take about 4 hours (6-8 km). This will be an introductory trekking route that will allow us to understand the features of the terrain, equipment and preparation of the group.
Dinner at the restaurant of the "Red Bear" brewery with tasting of the world's northernmost "live" beer, brewed here, and dishes of traditional Russian northern cuisine. Of course, you will try everyone’s favorite cod, caught by our hands in Grønfjord during the autumn fishing season.
Kayaks on Cape Starostin. Trekking to Cape Festningen.
On this day we will offer to make excursion to an active mine (additional charge). This excursion is not only interesting, but also unique! This is the only tour of a working coal mine in the world. Preparation of the route and approval by all supervisory authorities of Russia and Norway took about two years. But it was worth it! During the tour you will walk through two adits and learn a lot about coal mining. “Mine surveyor”, “shale dust”, “lamp”, “roofing”, “pickets”, “airlock”, “slope”, “longwall”, “face”, “rock burst” - all these terms will make sense and insight during a two-hour guided tour led by professional miners
09.30 Breakfast at the hotel restaurant.
10.30 We put on our wetsuits again and get ready for our next trip.
Today the path will lie on the opposite side of Grønfjord to Cape Starostin. A short two-kilometer trek across the tundra to Lake Linnea, where doubles will be waiting for us sea kayaks. Then everyone, after briefing and a short training session, will be able to participate in a small water route along Lake Linnea lasting from 1.5 to 2.5 hours and length from 4-5 to 10 kilometers.
Those who are not ready to participate in kayaking can take a guided walk in the picturesque surroundings
Picnic lunch at a fishing hut on Cape Starostin.
Cape Starostin– a very interesting, picturesque and atmospheric place. The cape is named after the legendary Pomor fisherman Ivan Starostin, who spent 39 winters on Spitsbergen, and for the last fifteen years he lived on the archipelago constantly, without returning to the mainland. His main camp was located at the mouth of the Russekeila River, not far from the entrance to Grönfjord. The guides will show you a reconstruction of Starostin’s winter hut and the Pomeranian memorial cross, and will take you to a working fishing hut. Cape Starostin and the surrounding area were also used during the filming of the Norwegian film “Operation Arctic.”
Then those who wish can do trekking walk along the coast of Russekeila Bay to Cape Festningen, on which there is a lighthouse indicating the entrance to Grønfjord for ships. The length of the path will be about 6 kilometers. The rest can enjoy the beauty of Cape Starostin for some time and also go by boat to Cape Festningen, where the groups will meet.
Return to Barentsburg.
19.00 Dinner at the hotel restaurant.
08:00 Breakfast.
And on the road again! Exciting things await us sea route Barentsburg - Imerbukta - Tryghamna Bay".
Imerbuktu, whose name is rooted in Scandinavian mythology, can rightfully be considered one of the most majestic and secluded places in the archipelago. The most attractive side of the bay is where the Esmark glacier is located, stretching for 15 km. IN Tryghamna bay you will see the remains of Pomeranian settlements from the 18th century, and on Mount Alhorn you will see the most picturesque bird colonies.
Lunch and snack on the route.
Next, we will cross the entrance to Isfjord by boat and head to the skerries of the western coast of Spitsbergen, where you can meet walruses and seals. At Cape Linnaeus, you can photograph a huge whale skull and drink a cup of coffee in the cozy cafe of the small Isfjord Radio Hotel.
18.00 Dinner at the restaurant of the Barentsburg Hotel
We propose to dedicate this evening visiting a husky farm(additional charge). Friendly and cheerful dogs of the Siberian Husky, Samoyed, Alaskan Malamute, Yakut Laika and Chukchi Sled Dog breed will be happy to get to know you. We will talk about what is remarkable about dogs of each breed, what contribution they made to the history of Arctic exploration and what role they play now.
Russian names on the world map are milestones on the difficult path of Russian discoverers - explorers and sailors. Boats, schooners, and ships of brave Russian sailors crossed the Arctic Ocean, the Great or Pacific Ocean, and then the Atlantic. Russian people climbed the mountain ranges of the Pamirs and Altai, and were the first to draw maps of the coast of North America. Their path was not always marked by Russian names, since the first explorers sought to preserve local names if they already existed. Some Russian names are buried in a series of renamings, usually made by subsequent explorers of new lands who came from other countries. Even a quick glance at the world map, at the dotted line of Russian words, will allow you to imagine a historical map of heroic journeys, discoveries, settlements, and subsequently, sorrowful migrations in search of a better life.
The ancient Slavs of Kievan Rus paved the famous path “from the Varangians to the Greeks” - from the Baltic Sea to the Black Sea. Afanasy Nikitin walked “across three seas.” The name of the legendary Sadko, who sailed on boats to distant countries, has also been preserved in people's memory. The descendants of the Novgorodians - the Russian Pomors - already knew the northern seas - the White and Barents Seas - in the 15th century. And on the map of the North we find names - Cape Starostin, Cape Dezhnev, Bering Strait, Cape Chelyuskin, Laptev Sea.
Ivan Starostin lived sedentarily on Grumant (this is the old name of the island of Spitsbergen), his ancestors knew this island since 1426. Brave Pomors swam for walrus tusks and lard; by the 16th century, about 3,200 miles of the polar regions were described in sailing directions. This history of the discovery and development of the northern seas is behind the name Starostin, but the name itself, like the Russian flag, stands on the map.
Cape Dezhnev. This name recently appeared on world maps. On June 26, 1648, S.I. Dezhnev together with F.A. Popov with 90 Cossacks left the mouth of the Kolyma on seven kochas. Semyon Dezhnev sets off across the Arctic Ocean and in September rounds Cape Bolshoi Kamenny Nos, as Dezhnev himself called it. Thus a discovery was made: Asia and America are separated by a strait. This was a great geographical discovery, but Dezhnev himself did not know this, and his report on the voyage lay in the Yakut archive for almost a hundred years. In 1664 Dezhnev visited Moscow. The royal decree is known: “For her, Senkina, service and for the mine of a fish tooth, for a bone and for wounds, make atamans.” And one more important piece of evidence. The world map (atlas), compiled in 1784 in Nuremberg, marks the “Dezhnev Strait”. And yet Dezhnev’s discovery remained in the shadows. Peter I, to establish the truth, sends an experienced sailor Vitus Boring. And in 1728 the strait was named after Bering. And only in 1898, on the initiative of the Russian Geographical Society, Dezhnev was also honored. Cape Bolshoi Kamenny Nos was renamed Cape Dezhnev. Nowadays, at the extreme northeastern point of our country, the Russian name stands like a flag - Dezhnev.
Pronchishcheva Shore, Pronchishchevoy Bay, Cape Chelyuskin - these names not only mark geographical points, but can also be a symbol of fidelity, friendship and love. On the ship “Yakut”, brave sailors made their way through the ice and reached the maximum northern latitude at that time (1736) (77?29?, taking into account imperfect instruments, perhaps 77?55?). At the end of the difficult journey back, Vasily Pronchishchev died, and a few days later his accompanying wife, Maria Pronchishcheva, also died. The expedition was led by Lieutenant Semyon Chelyuskin. Such names on the map of Taimyr as the Pronchishchevo Bank and Pronchishchevo Bay should evoke deep reverence and gratitude. Through their efforts, the map of the Arctic Ocean coast that we see today acquired its general appearance, and which has become the property of all mankind.
The memory of the heroes of the Arctic is imprinted in the names of the Laptev brothers - the Dmitry Laptev Strait, the Khariton Laptev Shore (the work is to plot and label these geographical objects on the contour map).
polar Star
winter tour to the Arctic on Spitsbergen
The duration of the program is 5 days.
The total length of the route is 500 km over 4 walking days.
Group tours from February to May according to schedule
A trip to Spitsbergen is an unusual adventure for a resident of a metropolis: the Arctic, 78-79 degrees north latitude. A few steps to the North Pole...
Mountains, Greenland Sea, glaciers, waterfalls, glacial streams and lakes, endless valleys... Wildlife: reindeer, arctic foxes, seals and bearded seals, beluga whales, and if you're lucky, whales and polar bears - in their natural habitat.
You will discover the legends of Cape Starostin, the Grumant mine, the village of Pyramid, Cape Finneset, the Nordenskiöld glacier, and Cape Heer. You will hear stories about polar explorers and scientists - Barents, Starostin, Rusanov, Nobile, Nansen and Nordenskiöld, with whose names Spitsbergen is associated.
The island of Western Spitsbergen and the Isfjord region, where the trip takes place, are an Arctic oasis: in February - March - minus 19? C, in April - minus 13? C. The polar night disappears by mid-February, and from April there is already a polar day.
Spitsbergen is an archipelago that for most still remains an Unknown Land, a land of Terra Incognita. From time immemorial to this day, Norwegians have called this archipelago Svalbard, which means “cold land” in Norwegian. The great Dutch navigator Willem Barents, having officially discovered it and put it on the map, named the archipelago Spitsbergen, which means “pointed mountains”. From time immemorial, Russian Pomors called him Grumant.
It is unknown who came to this cold land first - the Vikings or the Pomors. Over the past 400 years, the history of the development of the Arctic and Spitsbergen has been created by Norwegians, Russians, Swedes, Dutch, English, Italians... Today, polar explorers of more than forty nationalities live hand in hand on Svalbard!
Spitsbergen has a very interesting legal status and a very interesting history: Until 1920, it was “no man’s” territory. By international treaties of 1921 and 1925, Svalbard was assigned to the Kingdom of Norway, but the right to carry out economic activities remained with all states that signed the treaty. The Soviet Union, and then Russia, has a special status on Spitsbergen, where there are no borders and no military. There are about 4,000 polar bears per 3,000 inhabitants. And they still mine coal, just like a hundred years ago.
Day 1.
Arrival in Longyearbyen. Transfer. Dinner. Briefing on the program, safety briefing, selection of equipment and packing of things for transportation to Barentsburg. Departure by snowmobile along the route Longyearbyen - Colesbay - Cape Heer - Barentsburg (50 - 60 kilometers, travel time with stops - 3 hours). Arrival in Barentsburg, accommodation at the Barentsburg Hotel. Sightseeing tour of Barentsburg with a visit to the Pomor local history museum, a souvenir shop and one of the northernmost post offices in the world, from where you can send a postcard to friends and family on the mainland. Dinner at the hotel restaurant.
Longyearbyen- the largest settlement, the administrative center of the province of Svalbard and the Norwegian capital of the Spitsbergen archipelago on the shores of the Adventfjord, as well as the northernmost settlement in the world with a population of over a thousand people. Longyearbyen-Svalbard Airport is the world's northernmost airport with regular flights. The city is home to Svalbard International University. In the village, under the auspices of the UN, an underground Global Seed Vault was built in the event of a global catastrophe.
Kolsby is an abandoned ghost village at the mouth of a small river in the Kolesdalen valley on Spitsbergen. Now Arktikugol plans to resume coal mining in the Colesbay area. The exploration carried out discovered promising seams, and the trust may be building new mines. Bird colonies are scattered on the surrounding rocks. In the village of Colsbey there is a house-memorial of Rusanov's expedition, in excellent condition and completely suitable for living in the winter. Vladimir Aleksandrovich Rusanov (1875 -1913) - Russian Arctic explorer. An icebreaker and streets in different Russian cities are named after Rusanov. He is the prototype of Captain Tatarinov from the book “Two Captains” by Veniamin Kaverin. 
Cape Heer famous for its large walrus rookery. The place is also known as a monument to the history of the Second World War on Svalbard: There is a memorial to the courage of Norwegian soldiers; and there is a ship's cannon, which took part in the defense of Spitsbergen, and in 1943 was used in an unequal duel with the Tirpitz, the legendary Lincoln of Nazi Germany.
Barentsburg- the second largest settlement in Spitsbergen with a population of just under half a million inhabitants, which received its name in honor of the Dutch navigator Willem Barents, who visited Spitsbergen in 1596-1597. Located on the territory of Norway, Barentsburg also has a consulate of the Russian Federation.
The Barentsburg mine operates the world's northernmost railway with a small section on the surface; there is also a hotel, a museum and a shop for tourists.
There is an Orthodox Church in Barentsburg. There is a Museum of Pomeranian culture, flora and fauna of the Arctic. There is a sports complex, including a swimming pool with heated sea water and several gyms.
Russian scientists live and work in the village of Barentsburg: geophysicists, geologists, archaeologists, biologists, glaciologists, geographers. The meteorological station of Roshydromet and the station for recording cosmic rays (the northernmost in the world) are constantly operating. The long-term isolation of Barentsburg both from the Norwegian part of the island and from mainland Russia has led to the fact that in Barentsburg the atmosphere of socialist realism has remained practically intact.
In 1931, by decree of the Council of People's Commissars of the USSR, Arktikugol appeared, which still produces coal today. The first director of Arktikugol was Mikhail Plisetsky, the father of the world famous ballerina Maya Plisetskaya. In this northern town, the future great ballerina of the world made her first steps. And although the Norwegians (Vikings) consider this land theirs, ancient Russian history argues with them. Even before the discovery of these lands, mountains and fjords by Barents in 1596, long before the famous navigator, Arkhangelsk residents went here on Kochs.
Day 2
Breakfast. Departure along the circular route Barentsburg - Grönfjord - Isfjord radio - Cape Starostin - Lake Linnea - Lake Congress - Barentsburg. Picturesque northern landscapes and varied terrain along the coastal strip of the Greenland Sea await the experienced traveler. The journey is about 120 kilometers, the total time on the route is up to 10 hours with a stop for lunch at Isfjord radio. Return to the Barentsburg hotel around 19:00. Dinner at the restaurant of the northernmost brewery in the world, “Red Bear”, with tasting of 3 varieties of “live” northern beer and Russian northern cuisine!
Grønfjord. In total, on the territory of the Spitsbergen archipelago, which the Norwegians call Svalbard, there are 43 fjords, of which 32 cut the coast of the largest island called Spitsbergen. Barentsburg is the Russian “capital” of Spitsbergen, located on the banks of the Grönfjord, next to a coal mine, which is now being transformed from a mining village into the tourist center of Spitsbergen. The fjords of the archipelago differ from those on the mainland: giant glaciers, a complete absence of forests and sparse tundra vegetation create a harsh and laconic northern landscape.
Lake Linnea - features clean fresh water, which is home to Arctic char - the most popular fish in Svalbard. Walruses like to rest on the rocks in clear and sunny weather. .jpg)
Lake Congress- a unique karst lake with sulfur-hydrogen springs.
Isfjord radio- the second longest fjord of Spitsbergen with a length of 107 kilometers. The “ice” fjord received its name due to the glacial rock of the coast. In 1929, a radio station was opened near this fjord, providing communications throughout Spitsbergen until the end of the 20th century. Now on the shore of the fjord there is a cozy camp site, near which you can sometimes see walruses and polar bears.
Cape Starostin is located on the shore of Istfjord Radio. The history of this place is connected with the life of one of the most famous Pomors - Ivan Starostin, who wintered on Grumant (as the Pomors called Spitsbergen, even before the official opening of the archipelago by Willem Barents) for 39 winters. At that time, Starostin was the only permanent resident of the archipelago, since fishermen came here only for a short summer season. In terms of the number of winterings, Ivan Starostin set a record that none of the people who wintered on Spitsbergen could beat.
In 1955 and 1960 On Cape Starostin, an archaeological expedition excavated a large housing and utility complex, which included a living room, a bathhouse, a forge, and various outbuildings. There is a Pomeranian hut, a Norwegian hunting lodge with the inscription “Russekeila” and a small exhibition dedicated to Starostin. A memorial cross has been erected.
Day 3.
Breakfast. Packing and departure with things along the route: Barentsburg - Cape Finnesset - Grönfjord - Longyearbyen - Adventdallen - Tempelfjord - Tunabryn glacier - Nordenskiöld glacier - Petunia Bay - Pyramid. The length of the route is 170-180 kilometers, travel time is up to 10 hours. Lunch on the way. In the vicinity of the village of Pyramid, there is a high probability of seeing arctic foxes, reindeer, seals, bearded seals and, if you're lucky, a polar bear.
Attention! If the trip takes place at the end of March or April, then in Tempelfjord there is no opportunity to stop at the schooner Northern Lights frozen in the ice. Arrival in the village of Pyramid, accommodation at the Tulip Hotel and dinner at the hotel restaurant. 
Cape Finneseth- flat and low, is a Norwegian possession. This is a historical place where already in 1905 there was a whaling station where fat was rendered from whales caught in the surrounding waters. This fat has long been used for lamps. Today, spermaceti (fat in the head cavity) is obtained from sperm whales, which is excellent for making ointments, cosmetics, candles and soap.
At the beginning of the 20th century, Spitsbergen was called “terra nulius” (no man’s land), and numerous companies from different countries carried out mining explorations on the archipelago. It was then that the first radio station appeared on Spitsbergen, built in 1911 at Cape Finneseth near Barentsburg. The radio station participated in organizing communications for polar expeditions, including the search for the Nobile expedition on the airship “Italy” to the North Pole. In 1995, the Bank of Russia, in the series of commemorative coins “Exploration of the Russian Arctic”, issued a coin “Rescue of the Expedition of U. Nobile” in denomination of 100 rubles. It is interesting that in 1912, Fridtjof Nansen visited this historical radio station twice and separated from the expedition of Vladimir Rusanov for just a day. With his access to Taimyr, Rusanov proved the possibility of bypassing Novaya Zemlya from the north, and paid for his search with the death of the expedition. On a passing ship from Cape Finneset, Rusanov sent home three people from his expedition, among whom was the future director of the Arctic Institute, Rudolf Lazarevich Samoilovich. Thanks to him, Russia managed to defend the rights to coal mining on the archipelago. Not far from Finneset there are enclosures with sled dogs for environmentally friendly
ways to get around in Spitsbergen.
Tempelfjord crashes into the coast of the island of Western Spitsbergen between Bünsow Land and Sabin Land. The name of the fjord comes from Mount Templet (from temple - “temple”). The schooner “Norderlicht” (translated as “northern lights”) was built in 1910 at one of the German shipyards in the city of Flensburg. The sailing ship's attractive red hull and illuminated masts served as a floating lighthouse. In winter, the schooner is captured by the Tempelfjord ice and turns into an exotic hotel. At the end of May, the fjord sets the historical sailing ship free, and with the help of an icebreaker, the schooner reaches clean water, setting sail across the Arctic.
Nordenskiöld Glacier and the bay are named after Adolf Erik Nordenskiöld, a Swedish geologist, explorer and navigator who was the first to navigate the Northern Sea Route from the Atlantic to the Pacific Ocean back in 1878-1879.
Huge blocks of the glacier, hanging over the water, break off from time to time with a resounding roar and begin their journey in the form of icebergs. 
Pyramid is a Russian mining village on the island of Western Spitsbergen, located at the foot of a 900-meter pyramidal mountain, next to Petunia Bay and the majestic Nordenskiöld glacier. The village of Pyramid is located about 120 km from Barentsburg and about 60 km from Longyearbyen. It is surrounded by spiky mountains with numerous valleys, passes and gorges. Mothballed since 1998, and previously there was the world's northernmost coal mine. In the village in winter they can
polar bears come in.
Day 4.
Breakfast, packing and departure along the route Pyramid - Tempelfjord - Longyearbyen. At the beginning of the journey you will meet Arctic animals. The length of the route is 120 km, the journey takes about 6-8 hours. Arrival in Longyearbyen and accommodation at the Russian House hostel. Dinner at the tavern “At the very edge of the world.” 
Day 5.
Breakfast, walk around Longyearbyen. If desired, visit one of the museums (for an additional fee) and buy souvenirs in souvenir shops. Around 12 noon departure to Longyearbyen airport. Flight to Oslo.
Longyearbyen was founded a century ago by American entrepreneur John Munro Longyearbyen, who founded a coal mine. Today in the unusual city there are: the Svalbard Local History Museum, the Polar Aviation Museum, and an exhibition gallery. For those who decide to stay in the polar city for another day, there is the opportunity to book a dog sled safari or visit the Longyearbyn ice cave.
Hotels along the route:
First two nights- at the Barentsburg Hotel. It's a four-story brick building with half the rooms facing the mountains and the other half overlooking Grønfjord.
Each room has a separate bathroom (toilet and bath), plasma TV and mini-fridge. The hotel has rooms for drying clothes and shoes. On the ground floor there is a bar, a post office restaurant and a souvenir shop.
Third night- in the “Tulip” hotel in the village of Pyramid, opened in the building of the former hotel of the Pyramid mine, and preserving the atmosphere of a bygone era. Double rooms are combined into blocks, each of which has a large entrance hall, two double rooms and a toilet with a sink. Showers are only on the first floor of the building.
Fourth night- in triple rooms of the hostel "Russian House" The rooms have bunk beds, in the building there is a spacious dining room with a kitchen. The building has two showers and three toilets. From the panoramic windows there is a view of Longyearbyen Cave.
Attention! The program requires the ability to drive a snowmobile. This trip is for those who have already participated in snowmobile tours or have experience operating equipment.
tour cost
85,000 rub.
The cost of air tickets is from 40,000 rubles.
Included in the price:
- Accommodation in specified hotels along the route - three meals a day in hotels, cafes and on the route;
- Excursions according to the program;
- Transfers airport – Longyearbyen – airport;
- Snowmobile rental (Ski-doo and Yamaha), fuel, 2 people per snowmobile;
- Rental of snowmobile equipment (overalls, boots, helmet, balaclava, gloves);
- Accompaniment by a guide;
- An insurance policy that covers the costs of rescue and evacuation in the event of an emergency.
Optionally, additional payment for:
- Single accommodation in Barentsburg and Pyramid - 11,600 rubles per person
- Double accommodation in Longyearbyen - 4800 rub. per room
- Single occupancy on a snowmobile - 30,000 rubles per person
- Medical insurance policy.
Attention! The tour price does NOT include payment for transit nights in hotels in Oslo or Tromsø.
