One day with Vladimir, 33, a guide who worked in Pyramid settlement (Spitsbergen, the Arctic region) in spring 2013. This settlement is located about 1300 km away from the North Pole. There are only two cities on the whole archipelago but officially nobody lives in Pyramid today.

So welcome to the the very end of the earth!

Pyramid has been a ghost city since 1998. Today it’s popular tourist destination of Norwegians.

Vladimir wakes up at 7-30, his cellphone does not catch a signal here. There are no radio, TV, Internet in the village. However we can try to catch a signal from Norway in the so-called “emotional spot” or “spot of hope”. It is marked by a pole.

Vladimir lives in “Tulip” hotel built in the Soviet times, nine years before the village conservation.

Say hello!

Breakfast combined with work.

It is very cold outside!

8 a.m. The sun has been shining since 4-30. Soon it will start shining 24/7.

Vladimir meets the fox who is waiting for its treatment. It is brave enough to take it right from the hands.

The Arctic fox is having breakfast.

The view of Pyramid mountain (the settlement was named after it). The factory at its foot is still full of equipment. To the left is a house for family couples with children.

Vladimir spends some time in a gym – in that wooden house called here “London” because unmarried men used to live there. The bigger house to the right is called “Paris”, it was inhabited by single women. There is a canteen between the two houses, probably to give a chance the single people meet.

-10? In the sun – maybe. But in fact it’s about -20C. The thermometer is an optimist!

The spacious garage that among other cars has a Toyota aged 22 respectfully called by the Norwegians as “a limousin”.

April 22th, 1961 is the day when the citizen of the USSR, communist Y. A. Gagarin perfomed a flight into space on the ship “Vostok”.

That very gym… Is it worse than running after foxes?

Gloves and hat are necessary, the house is not heated.

It’s time to go back to the hotel.

Who needs the keys from Paris?

Tiny building of the airport.

Back at the hotel “Tulip”.

“Tulip” was built in 1989, closed in 1998.

After having a snack Vladimir has to go to the pole where he can try to catch a mobile signal.

In March 31st, 1998 this final ton of coal from the mine “Pyramid” was given out.

Vladimir needs to insert another SIM card.

The pole is finally found.

The battery runs down before the fingers get frozen, you can never know which one will give up first – your fingers or a battery of your cellphone.

Under the snow cover are ducts with communications.

Vladimir comes to the port to check the houses for tourists. This equipment was used to load coal on ships….

Nearby is the building of the abandoned heating plant. By the way it’s very creepy inside, it seems it was exploded. Even a movie about the war was being shot here once.

Vladimir has 1,5 hours before arrival of the tourists. So he decided to come into some sheds.

What he finds is filmstrips, people used to watch movies in Pyramid.

A couple of aliens?

A toot?

Exploder – “Check the target before exploding!”

Another shed is full of sports boots.

Bamboo poles used to be very popular!

Back in the hotel, the tourists have already come.

The Norwegians are taking pictures.

Beautiful canteen.

It’s hard to believe but it was working 24/7 and all food was free.

Memorable picture at the monument to Lenin.

The northernmost Lenin looks a bit crazy, doesn’t he?

Сultural and sports complex still loos very neat. The Norwegians are shocked. They have not seen the pool yet…

Gym.

The room with musical instruments.

25 m pool.

Lunch with the tourists.

All Scandinavians like borsch, but none of them can pronounce this word properly.

The group of tourists is finally leaving.

Some spare time.

Why are the pockets so heavy? Let’s take everything out.

Vladimir meets a guest – Casper, a Norwegian guide and a good person.

They asked Vladimir to show them the local plant.

Back in the hotel – another group of tourists has arrived.

Almost 4 p.m.

Even girls have carbines and big knives here. This one is a journalist of one Norwegian newspaper.

The main person of Pyramid – Petrovich and a cook Alexandrovna.

Vladimir and Petrovich are going to the port to check the tourists’ houses again.

Who else lives in the settlement. This is Vitaly from Russia. He’s repairing something.

And this is Oleg.

More guests are about to arrive.

Vladimir will go to the hotel by this Yamaha.

Managers of the biggest travel agency on the archipelago. They came to see the hotel and decide if it suits for hosting tourists. They bought three bottles of vodka and a lot of beer and were talking with Vladimir until 11 p.m.

It’s time to sleep, by the way.

-30C.

Seed has come to say goodbye to you!

via odin-moy-den