North Calotte #12 – Kirkenes (Sápmi, Lapland, arctic europe)

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Kirkenes is a mining town with a large open-pit for iron ore. It went bankrupt in 1997, reopened in 2007, went bankrupt again in 2015, and was purchased by a Swedish company in August of this year with plans to deliver pellet concentrate with a low carbon footprint to green steel producers.
The town has 3,400 inhabitants, and apart from the very central area, Kirkenes mainly consists of small wooden houses.
People in Kirkenes take the sanctity of the day of rest very seriously. All shopping centers, cafes, and restaurants are closed on Sundays. Here, I drive around downtown at 12:30 in the afternoon. Perhaps the only thing open is the swimming pool. I asked there and got confirmation that it was just an ordinary Sunday.
Sweden and Finland, which have had quite a bit to do with Russia throughout history, understandably have had a somewhat strained attitude towards their eastern neighbor. But in Norway's northernmost part, Finnmark, and perhaps especially in Kirkenes, it has been different. In the past, I have noticed a considerably more favorable attitude toward Russia. A few years ago, there were plenty of Russian ships in the harbor; Russian was spoken in the stores, and it could be heard on the streets. A steady stream of Russian trucks on the roads. There was talk of community, love, and investments, and residents could travel without a visa in the border area. But all that has changed now. I did not see a single Russian-registered car in Kirkenes, and the harbor was empty. Only the signs in Russian remind of the good old days. Kirkenes library has a large Russian section with books by Anna Politkovskaya and books critical of Putin, prominently displayed.
A few weeks ago, the town commemorated the memory of the fallen Russians who liberated Kirkenes during World War II. Kirkenes was actually the first city in Norway to be liberated. One day after the Germans had burned it down. Normally, the town would have held a memorial ceremony together with Russian representatives. Among others, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has participated before. But this year, official Russia was not invited. This year, the mayor laid a wreath with the Ukrainian colors at the Liberation Monument. Two hours later, the Russian consul came and laid two wreaths with the Russian colors, which were so large that they covered the city's wreath. Shortly after, the mayor was there again, demanding that the Russian wreaths had to be moved aside. Last year, there was no memorial ceremony at the monument at all, and this year it was very modest, with only a few journalists present.
The fact that Russia allowed Germany to build and maintain a naval base on the Kola Peninsula during WW II is not talked about much. That base played a crucial role when Germany attacked Narvik in Norway. It was during the time when Hitler and Stalin were still best friends, carving up Europe between them.
At the border crossing to Russia, there is this little souvenir shop that has been there for 35 years, belonging to Ørjan Nilsen. He does not want anything to do with Russians, and it has nothing specific to do with the war in Ukraine, but it's an old sentiment. Instead, he welcomes visitors from Hurtigruten and tourists from Finnish facilities. In his shop, you can buy Russian souvenirs, but according to him, business is not doing well right now. However, he remains optimistic, thinking of it like going out to fish: sometimes you catch something, sometimes not, but you still go out every day.
Kimek shipyard, which is quite visibly present in the center, has given notice of termination to 30 out of 80 workers when it became clear that repairs of Russian ships are on the sanctions list.

Видео North Calotte #12 – Kirkenes (Sápmi, Lapland, arctic europe) канала Petri Storlöpare