In an era of national governments, it is hard to imagine a place where people can live completely freely, without the burdens of visas and state regulations. Even without passports!
But there are exceptions, and one of them is the Svalbard archipelago , also known as Spitsbergen. In order to settle here, representatives of a number of countries, including Russians and Ukrainians, simply need to reach the shore.
So say the law
The archipelago was discovered in the 12th century and has repeatedly welcomed sailors from different countries. At first, they came to hunt, then they found large deposits of coal here, which were easily mined, which increased the value of the islands. And at the beginning of the last century, tourism also picked up.
Of course, the free development of resources could not do without conflicts. But the annexation never happened, and the lack of a legal government created uncertainty in the question: under whose laws the islands live? Initially, the problem was resolved at Versailles in 1920, and in 1925 the Svalbard Treaty – or the Spitsbergen Treaty , as it is called in our country – came into force. The islands were ceded to Norway, but citizens of the countries participating in the agreement, including Russians, received the right of free entry and settlement on the islands of the archipelago. Among them were citizens of the USSR, as well as the largest union republic – Ukraine.
There are no military facilities on the island, and its residents cannot serve in the military of any country in the world, including Norway.
Svalbard: nature and climate
The climate of the islands is harsh and even cruel. Here, 60% are glaciers, 30% are bare rocks, and only the remaining 10% has vegetation. And it is very diverse – over 170 species, in addition to mushrooms and lichens.
Among the animals there are polar bears, various birds, etc., northern inhabitants, whales and even deer.
The weather, of course, is not the best and often whispers “shots fired”, but it is milder than in the Russian or Finnish north, which the islands owe to the “participation” of the Gulf Stream.
Svalbard: population and settlements
According to various estimates, there are between 2,600 and 3,000 people living here, with exact figures available as of 2016 at 2,664. In total, 40 ethnic groups are represented here, the largest of which are Russians, Norwegians, other Scandinavians, as well as Chinese, Persians, Austrians, and natives of Germany and Thailand.
The Moscow-like city of Longyearbyen is an outpost of a multinational world, with Norwegians in the minority. It is home to the northernmost airfield, connecting the islands to the continent year-round.
Initially, everything here was tied to coal mining, but now mining is a thing of the past, it has given way to scientific activity and the recreational sphere. The University of Svalbard is engaged in research in various fields, mostly related to the north. Studying here is inexpensive (only 70 euros per semester), excursions and practical classes in nature have to be paid separately. The only drawback is the lack of its own academic council, as well as the impossibility of defending dissertations and awarding degrees.
Instead, there is a cinema, a picture and art gallery, a library complex, and a stadium! There are several pubs and a food court, as well as a liquor store (although there was a period when the islands were under prohibition).
If the Norwegians don’t mine coal, then in the second largest city, Barentsburg, populated by Russians and Ukrainians who work for our coal company “Arctic Coal”, industrial technology is carried out only like this. The town was founded in Soviet times and is supplied from Russia, so there are interruptions with products. No restaurants have been brought in, but there is a tavern, a museum of the history of the Pomors, as well as several scientific objects.
Between the largest cities, 55 kilometers of rocky road, hockey and football competitions are regularly held with Norwegian colleagues from the company “Sture Norske”. All other settlements are located around the national Arctic research stations, their population is extremely small, growing during research missions. The largest are Nybyen, Horesund and Ny Ålesund.
The main means of transportation on the island is the snowmobile: for 2,500 people there are over 4,000 of them.
Health and safety
When a person works for a Norwegian company or is a subject of the King of Norway, he is protected by national health insurance legislation. For small deductions from his salary, he can use the services of doctors for free. Otherwise, he will have to pay out of his own pocket, although most often this issue is resolved at the national level and people are not left without medical care (although Ukrainians regularly have problems with this part).
Svalbard has special and unusual safety rules. For example, all islanders who have reached the age of eighteen are trained to shoot a rifle, and walking around with a weapon in their hands is not uncommon here. Hunger-mongers often visit settlements. Animals have to be killed, unfortunately, but it’s better that way than people being eaten alive on city streets.
More than four hundred local residents are children. There are kindergartens here, designed for children up to five years old. Six-year-olds go to school. Adults can teach Norwegian in free courses.
Illogical plot!
Some believe that the secret to this place’s popularity lies in its tax offshore status. In part, this is true: taxation of organizations on the islands is carried out at a reduced rate of 15% compared to 28% on the mainland.
But the Norwegians are categorically against virtual offices and insist that the firm have a physical office and local managers, which makes this jurisdiction similar to Hong Kong.
All new arrivals must register as tax residents at the post office in the administrative center of the islands. Every resident of Svalbard pays an income tax of 8%.
There are two available options to settle on these islands:
- Get a job at the coal mining company “Arctic Coal”, whose employees fly to Spitsbergen “at the expense of the institution” and have medical insurance.
- There are a few worse options related to on-site service, but vacancies are rare and usually short-term;
- Contact one of the service organizations, a hotel or hotel complex, or a restaurant, a Longyearbyen pub – you might find something there.