Barentsburg, Norway

Barentsburg is a Russian mining settlement on the Svalbard archipelago, halfway between mainland Norway and the North Pole. Historically, the town has been home to workers from across the former Soviet Union, particularly Russia and Ukraine.

In this isolated post-Soviet community, the state-owned company Trust Arktikugol has operated the coal mine since 1932. Around 400 people live and work here, many of them miners. The work is physically demanding, and many workers experience loneliness and isolation, living far from their families in mining regions such as Donetsk and Luhansk.

These photographs were taken in the summer of 2013 and the winter of 2014.

Barentsburg is located at 78 degrees north, halfway between mainland Norway and the North Pole.

Ivan, a miner from Donetsk, Ukraine, celebrates his 26th anniversary with his wife Marina. - I came here last summer. At first I was alone and it was not so fun. My life in Barenstburg became much better when Marina moved here, he says.

After eight hours in the dark mine shaft in Barentsburg, the Ukrainan workers Alexander, Gennadiy and Seku are finished at their work place located 500 meters below sea level. The work is very dangerous. Since 1989 forty workers have lost their lives in the coal mine.

Several monuments from the communist era are still preserved in Barentsburg, first and foremost because of the tourists who are attracted by the site's old Soviet charm.

A miner takes a shower after a workout at the sports center, which is widely used by the workers in their spare time.

A worker has bought a pig's head at the local store.

Many miners are alone in Barentsburg and alcohol problems are large. The hospital in the city has a special section for binge drink-workers.

Vova (30) from Donetsk, Ukraine has been working in the coal mine for almost two years. - I long to come home to my wife and my son. He is one year and three months old. I have not seen him since he was a little baby, he says.

There is no road access to the settlement and the residents have virtually no contact with the other settlements in the area.

Misha from Tajikistan in his small apartment in Barentsburg. He is one of many guest workers who participate in the modernization of Barentsburg.

The expensive bar at the hotel in Barentsburg is mainly used by the tourists.

Avo is a guest worker from Armenia. He shares a small  apartment with two other Armenians. - There is no work for us in our home country, he says.

In 1974 this was the northernmost appartment block in the world. Recently, the grim building was modernized. In recent years Barentsburg has gone through major changes.

The Ukrainan miner Maksim visits the sports center in Barentsburg several times a week.

The playground outside the school.

About 50 of Barentsburg 400 residents are children. The village has both a kindergarten and a school.

Barentsburg is a male-dominated city, and this year's beauty pageant jury consisted entirely of significant men in the mining town.

Five married women participated in Miss North Pole, a beauty contest held in conjuction with the international women’s day.

Anna Shevchenko won the first prize in this years pageant contest, Miss North Pole. The first prize was a rice cooker.

Much of Barentsburg is covered with slag from coal production, and the snow is colored dark gray when the wind takes hold of coal dust.