Longyearbyen, Svalbard,

In 2019, as a participant of the Arctic Circle Art and Science Expedition, I was able to sail north out of Longyearbyen, Svalbard for two weeks towards the furthest point North, past the northenmost French-German research station at Ny-Ålesund. During this time we charted and redirected our course based on weather and sea-ice conditions. My single request during our path was a stop in Pyramiden, an abandoned Soviet post in the Arctic. What we found was a mostly abandoned coal mining town - undergoing massive reconstruction. A lonely Russian guide greeted us, armed with in automatic weapon. We toured the town which had been overtaken by foxes, birds, and the occasional polar bear. This was a town of animals, the birds operated what had once been a massive apartment complex. And yet all around us were pallets of construction materials. Pyramiden was preparing for reconstruction. “It will be bigger than Disneyland” the guard laughed. The Transpolar Passage is set to enter full operation as the main Arctic shipping route by 2030.