In Tartu, Estonia in June this year?
If so, join Alina Bykova at the fourth annual Tartu Conference on Russian and East European Studies and listen to her presentation on The Changing Nature of Russia’s Arctic Presence: A Case Study of Pyramiden.
This paper will focus on the abandoned Russian settlement of Pyramiden on the Norwegian Arctic archipelago of Svalbard as a prism with which to examine Russian Arctic policy in the region. When the Soviet Union fell apart, Russia’s highly populated northern regions faced destitution and deindustrialization. The situation began to turn around at the start of the new millennium under President Vladimir Putin, who pushed for a resurgence of the Russian Northern identity. The renewed turn to the North is also seen as a revival of Russian greatness and patriotism, and a reassertion of Russian role in the international theatre, especially at a time when Arctic resources, politics, delimitations, and environmental concerns are entering the central stage of foreign affairs. Therefore, the Russian settlements on Svalbard, inherited from the Soviet Union, can be examined in the framework of power politics. The settlements are presented as a colony, something that only great powers can invest in and maintain, and serve to project Russian Arctic might outside of the mainland. As with its communist predecessor, the settlements serve as a chance for Russia to represent itself to the West and in the West. My research seeks to answer the following questions: How has the Russian Arctic narrative changed in the Post-Soviet period, how is it tied to Russia’s Arctic policy, and how does this manifest itself on Svalbard and affect Norwegian sovereignty on the island?
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