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.
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.
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).
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.
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.
Frozen landscape: ice wedges.
Nordre Russeøya: photo gallery
Finally, a little collection of photographic impressions Nordre Russeøya.
my new book is in print and it can now be ordered 🙂 it is a photo book with the title “Norwegens arktischer Norden (3): Die Bäreninsel und Jan Mayen”, with German text Click here for further details!
BOOKS, CALENDAR, POSTCARDS AND MORE
This and other publishing products of the Spitsbergen publishing house in the Spitsbergen-Shop.
Norwegens arktischer Norden (1): Spitzbergen
Photobook: Norway's arctic islands. The text in this book is German. [shop url="https://shop.spitzbergen.de/en/polar-books/70-norwegens-arktischer-norden-1-aerial-arctic-9783937903262.html"] ← Back
Lofoten, Jan Mayen and Spitsbergen from the air - Photobook: Norway's arctic islands. The text in this book is German, but there is very little text, so I am sure that you will enjoy it regardless which languages you read (or not).
The companion book for the Svalbardhytter poster. The poster visualises the diversity of Spitsbergen‘s huts and their stories in a range of Arctic landscapes. The book tells the stories of the huts in three languages.
Comprehensive guidebook about Spitsbergen. Background (wildlife, plants, geology, history etc.), practical information including travelling seasons, how to travel, description of settlements, routes and regions.
Join an exciting journey with dog, skis and tent through the wintery wastes of East Greenland! We were five guys and a dog when we started in Ittoqqortoormiit, the northernmost one of two settlements on Greenland’s east coast.
12 postcards which come in a beautifully designed tray. Beautiful images from South Georgia across Antarctica from the Antarctic Peninsula to the Ross Sea and up to Macquarie Island and Campbell Island.
Huts are places of longing, dreams and adventure in Spitsbergen’s beautiful landscape. Even if the modern visitor’s eye may mostly be directed towards nature, most will have an open ear every now and then for exciting survival stories about explorers and expeditions, adventurers and trappers.
These huts are silent witnesses and and every one of them tells a little part of the whole story. The little book “Svalbardhytter” and the poster that is part of the same project make these fascinating places accessible for everyone.
From remote ruins, just traces in a few cases, to “famous” trapper huts such as Fredheim in Tempelfjord and Bjørneborg on Halvmåneøya, the war weather station Haudegen, the former scientific base Würzburger Hütte on Barentsøya and Hammerfesthuset, Svalbard’s oldest building.