The town is a photographer’s dream where the eye is continually caught by the spirit of communist ideology, ‘red star’ architecture and the abundance of discarded industrial artifacts that show signs of endless toil.  Inside the buildings is like stepping into a walk-in refrigerator where much is preserved as it was by the arctic chill. Pyramiden was purchased by the Soviet Union from Sweden in 1927 and reached its peak in the 1970s and 80s with thriving coal mining community of about 1000 people. However, life at Pyramiden was hard and by the end of the last century all residents had left – they simply could no longer afford to stay there.  Poignantly, a BBC correspondent who was reporting the evacuation in 1998, commented on the landscape overlooking Pyramiden as “… a livid and incongruous ulcer from the Industrial Revolution staining the high Arctic.”  It is a perfect description when viewing Pyramiden for the first time.

At the harbor you are greeted by various office buildings, power plant and the rustic remains of heavy machinery, a crane and a huge tower for loading coal onto the ships long gone.  To wander further an armed guide is obligatory for protection in case of stray polar bears. Nearby, is a huge lifting gantry that could easily be mistaken for a character from the “Transformer” film series? On the way to the main town, various houses, storage sheds, workshops and saw mill can be found.

Exploring Pyramiden is a unique and mesmerizing experience of the ‘soviet culture’ where everything is the World’s northern most like the school, swimming pool, ballet and music room, monument of Lenin to the grand piano in the auditorium of the cultural centre where a ghostly figure (namely Eugene Filatov from Maneken) was caught playing on stage for a ‘one night only’ performance – the atmosphere was excitably chilling and haunting as of echoes from the past!

Black-legged Kittiwakes live here in ramshackle buildings and will nest anywhere well above ground where it is safe from predators such as the Arctic fox. Pyramiden is a safe haven compared to scrambling steep cliffs to capture the kittiwakes to study their movements and breeding habits. One such finding is that these Kittiwakes do like to mate ‘assortatively’ according to age.  It is the older and more experienced breeders who establish pair bonds early and secure the best nesting sites in town – on the roomy window sills of the miner’s large residential blocks.  Unfortunately for the young first-breeding birds that tend to arrive late are usually forced to nest in less desirable places away from the main colony such as the top lamp posts or on the support bar of a children’s playground swing!

A short hike out of town will take you to the “Bottle House” constructed of vodka bottles that were no doubt collected from the many parties held in town and a wonderful place to spend a thoughtful time together – as experienced by Nata Filatova (from Onura) and husband Eugene.

Pyramiden is a relic of town frozen in time, where a visit to the derelict mechanical workshop or mine gallery, are stark reminders of how life at the ‘coal face’ must have been immensely harsh and tough – particularly during the very long and cold Winters when it is dark all day for about 4 months.