DiscoverScroll article

Pyramiden (Norwegian: ; Russian: Пирами́да, romanized: Piramída, IPA: ; literally 'The Pyramid') is an abandoned Soviet coal mining settlement on the Norwegian archipelago of Svalbard which has become a tourist destination.

Founded by Sweden in 1910 and sold to the Soviet Union in 1927, Pyramiden was closed in 1998 and has since remained largely abandoned with most of its infrastructure and buildings still in place, the cold climate preserving much of the infrastructure left behind. Since 2007, there have been efforts to make it a tourist attraction; the town's hotel was renovated and reopened in 2013. In the summer, there is a population of six caretakers.

Pyramiden was founded by Sweden in 1910 and sold to the Soviet Union in 1927. The nearest settlements are Svalbard's capital, Longyearbyen, some 50 kilometres (31 mi) to the south, Barentsburg approximately 100 kilometres (62 mi) southwest and the small research community of Ny-Ålesund, 100 kilometres (62 mi) to the west. In Soviet times, the population was mostly Ukrainian, consisting of miners from the Donbas and staff from Volyn. Owned by the state-owned Russian mining company Arktikugol, which also owns the settlement of Barentsburg, Pyramiden had 2,500 inhabitants in the 1950s. Among its amenities were a cultural centre with a theater, a library, art and music studios; a sports complex; and a cantina open 24 hours a day. The northernmost monument to Vladimir Lenin and the northernmost swimming pool were also found here. In 1996, a charter flight for Arktikugol crashed on the approach to Svalbard Airport with the loss of 141 lives. Between 1955 and 1998, as much as nine million tonnes of coal were extracted from the mine. Mining ceased on 31 March 1998 and the settlement closed that same year. The last permanent resident departed on 10 October, leaving Pyramiden as a ghost town. Until 2007, the former settlement remained uninhabited and largely untouched. The buildings' interiors remained largely as they were when the settlement was abandoned. In 2012, Aleksandr Romanovsky became the first person to return to live in Pyramiden. Romanovsky, a musician and tour guide in the settlement, has called himself the "world's most northern head-banger". Romanovsky has lived for years on his own in this abandoned town. On 27 August 2019, the world's northernmost film festival was held in Pyramiden, dedicated to the 100th anniversary of Soviet cinema. In 2022, Russia announced new investment plans to support its presence in Pyramiden and Barentsburg. As of 2026, around 20–30 people, mostly tourism workers, live in the town during summers, while in winter that number shrinks to 1–3 people. There are only two inhabitable buildings: a hotel with a restaurant and a dormitory.

Pyramiden is accessible by boat or snowmobile from Longyearbyen, either as part of a guided tour or independently. There are no restrictions on visiting Pyramiden, but visitors are not allowed to enter any buildings without permission even if they are open. While most buildings are now locked, breaking into the buildings, vandalism and theft of artefacts have become a serious threat to Pyramiden as it contributes to the accelerating deterioration of the buildings. Pyramiden is maintained as a tourist destination by Arctic Travel Company Grumant, a division of Arktikugol. Tours through many buildings are available upon request at the Pyramiden Hotel. Since 2007, Arktikugol has been renovating the hotel and upgrading the infrastructure, including building a new power station with diesel generators, in order to accommodate tourists in the old settlement. As of 2013, the Pyramiden hotel has been reopened and it is possible to stay overnight in Pyramiden. The hotel also houses the Pyramiden Museum as well as a post office and a souvenir shop. There was a small hotel built of old shipping containers near the harbour, but this has closed since the hotel is now renovated and open for guests.

Quick Facts

• As of 2013, the Pyramiden hotel has been reopened and it is possible to stay overnight in Pyramiden.
• Since 2007, there have been efforts to make it a tourist attraction; the town's hotel was renovated and reopened in 2013.
• Pyramiden was founded by Sweden in 1910 and sold to the Soviet Union in 1927.
• Owned by the state-owned Russian mining company Arktikugol, which also owns the settlement of Barentsburg, Pyramiden had 2,500 inhabitants in the 1950s.
• In 2012, Aleksandr Romanovsky became the first person to return to live in Pyramiden.

Source material: Wikipedia - "Pyramiden". Adapted and summarized for DiscoverScroll. Original contributors are credited through the linked Wikipedia article. Read original on Wikipedia. CC BY-SA 4.0. Changes were made from the original.