A Photo Essay by Sisse Brimberg, Saskia Coulson and Colin Tennant
In the far reaches of the Arctic circle, situated on the Norwegian archipelago of Svalbard, lays the ghost town of Pyramiden. This abandoned mining town was first founded by Sweden in 1910 and then sold to the Soviet Union in 1927. The community thrived for decades and at its peak in the 1980s it had a population of over a 1000.
The Russian state-owned mining company at the heart of Pyramiden closed in 1998 after 53 years of continuous operation. Pyramiden is now a time capsule. When the mine was closed and the settlement was abandoned, it seems that everyone left instantly, leaving many of their belongings. Cups were left on the tables, newspaper clippings on the walls and skis in the corridors. Pyramiden was a town that during its peak was highly desirable and sought after by Russian miners and their families, it is now a forgotten place at the top of world, lost in time.
All images by Sisse Brimberg, Saskia Coulson and Colin Tennant