Nordre Russeøya: one of two original Pomor crosses in Svalbard

Photos, panoramas and background

Orthodox cross on Nordre Russeøya in Murchisonfjord.

Nordre Russeøya (“Northern Russian Island”) is a small island in Murchisonfjord, which cuts into Nordaustland in northern Hinlopen Strait. The island is really small and only one of a number of islands in this area. Nevertheless, it has some regional prominence because it has one out of only two original orthodox crosses in the whole Svalbard archipelago from the Pomor period which still exist. The second one, by the way, is not far away from Nordre Russeøya: it is standing on Krossøya.

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It may not be coincidence that the two only Pomor crosses in Svalbard that are still standing are on these two neighbouring islands: there were many of them in the times of the Pomors, but most of these crosses were disrespectfully used as firewood by later visitors, or they just fell victim to the severe weather during all these years.

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As one may expect, there are still some remains of a Pomor hunting settlement to be found on the island. Even under a thin layer of snow you can still trace the foundations of buildings and even red bricks from the ovens which the Pomors typically built with bricks (later trappers used metal ovens).

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Remains of the Pomor station on Nordre Russeøya.

It is, however, unfortunately not known when and by whom the crosses and the huts were built. The Pomor period in Spitsbergen came to an end in the middle of the 19th century.

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Apart from the cross and the remains of the Pomor settlement, Nordre Russeøya is quite similar to neighbouring islands including Indre Russeøya and Søre Russeøya.