Murmansk

Guo Chuan intends to set records on the Northern Sea Route. (Atle Staalesen/Barents Observer)

Chinese sailor to take on Northern Sea Route

Atle Staalesen, The Independent Barents Observer
Posted: Friday, August 28, 2015 at 13:17 — Last Updated: Monday, August 31, 2015 at 20:06
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Chinese sailor Guo Chuan intends to make it from Murmansk to the Bering Strait in 14 days without engine power

Greenpeace's ice breaker 'Arctic Sunrise' enters its homeport in Amsterdam, The Netherlands, on August 9, 2014, after returning from Murmansk, almost a year after it was seized by Russia during a protest against Arctic oil drilling. (Remko de Waal/AFP/Getty Images)

Environment Environment (Russia) General Russia

Russia has to pay for Greenpeace arrest

Atle Staalesen, The Independent Barents Observer
Posted: Tuesday, August 25, 2015 at 13:05 — Last Updated: Tuesday, August 25, 2015 at 18:51
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The detention of the “Arctic Sunrise” and the arrest of 30 eco-activists following the Greenpeace campaign in the Pechora Sea was illegal

The nuclear-powered icebreaker 50 Let Pobedy (50 Years of Victory) at the North Pole in 2013. Here, it brought the Olympic Flame to the North Pole for the first time during the torch relay for the 2014 Sochi Winter Games. (Sergei Dolya/AP)

General Politics Politics (Russia) Russia Special Features

Russia’s 100th time to the North Pole

Trude Pettersen, The Independent Barents Observer
Posted: Thursday, August 20, 2015 at 13:32 — Last Updated: Friday, August 21, 2015 at 21:14
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The nuclear-powered icebreaker “50 Years of Victory” recently completed Russia’s 100th visit to the North Pole with a surface vessel.

Radar stations are under construction in the Russian district of Vorkuta and in the Arctic Murmansk region. (iStock)

General Politics Politics (Russia) Russia

Barents Russia gets new missile radars

Thomas Nilsen, The Independent Barents Observer
Posted: Wednesday, August 19, 2015 at 15:51 — Last Updated: Friday, August 21, 2015 at 21:14
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Will be built east of the secret town of Olenogorsk-1 on the Kola Peninsula and outside Pechora in the Komi

An allied Sherman Tank passing a knocked out German Panther tank during the advance on Arezzo, Italy in July 1944. Sherman tanks are among the relics Russia's Northern Fleet are raising from a sunken WW2 American ship. (Keystone/Getty Images)

General Russia Society Society (Russia)

Russia explores sunken American naval vessel

Trude Pettersen, The Independent Barents Observer
Posted: Friday, August 14, 2015 at 13:28 — Last Updated: Monday, August 17, 2015 at 19:44
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Divers from the Northern Fleet are salvaging weapons and equipment from the American ship “Thomas Donaldson”, which sank after a

General Russia Society Society (Russia)

Russians wrap up Arctic ice floe research

Trude Pettersen, The Independent Barents Observer
Posted: Wednesday, August 5, 2015 at 18:00 — Last Updated: Thursday, August 6, 2015 at 18:26
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An icebreaker sailed from Murmansk yesterday to pick up 17 scientists who have spent four months on an ice floe

The northern port of Murmansk in Kol’skiy (Kola) peninsula on the Barents Sea. Eight fisheries companies are ready to invest in the Murmansk Special Economic Port Zone, regional authorities say.(Alexander Nemenov/AFP/Getty Images)

Business Business (Russia) General Russia Special Features

Fishery hopes in Arctic Russia after gas project flame out

Atle Staalesen, The Independent Barents Observer
Posted: Wednesday, June 17, 2015 at 13:49 — Last Updated: Thursday, June 18, 2015 at 18:59
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The Murmansk Economic Zone was presented as a miracle cure for regional development and as key facility for the Shtokman

Heidi Hautala speaking at World Bank Headquarters in 2013. (Saul Loeb/AFP/Getty Images)

Finland General Politics Politics (Finland)

Finnish politician involved in EU nuclear safety grants for Arctic Russia, blacklisted by Moscow

Thomas Nilsen, The Independent Barents Observer
Posted: Wednesday, June 3, 2015 at 13:32 — Last Updated: Wednesday, June 3, 2015 at 18:13
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Nuclear safety projects in the Murmansk region wouldn’t be the same without her contribution. Finnish European Parliament Member Heidi Hautala

Russian President Vladimir Putin at a news conference in Moscow on December 18, 2014.(Pavel Golovkin/AP)

General Politics Politics (Russia) Russia Special Features

Putin signs law against “undesirable” NGOs

Thomas Nilsen, The Independent Barents Observer
Posted: Tuesday, May 26, 2015 at 12:44 — Last Updated: Wednesday, May 27, 2015 at 18:34
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Persons working inside Russia for foreign organizations or firms listed as “undesirable” can get hefty fines or get sentences of up

Aleksandr Serebryanikov, owner of the Bloger51 site, was in 2013 accused of violations of a criminal code paragraph on incitement of national, racial, or religious enmity. (Thomas Nilsen/Barents Observer)

General Russia Society Society (Russia) Special Features

Arctic-based Russian blogger walks free

Atle Staalesen, The Independent Barents Observer
Posted: Thursday, April 2, 2015 at 13:31 — Last Updated: Tuesday, April 7, 2015 at 19:24
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Prosecutors in Murmansk end their case against the man behind the popular Bloger51 news site. Aleksandr Serebryanikov might finally be able

Business Business (Russia) General Russia

Arctic Russia: Transport hub developer in crisis

Atle Staalesen, The Independent Barents Observer
Posted: Tuesday, March 31, 2015 at 15:37
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The company which is to develop the grand infrastructure project in Murmansk is in deep trouble. The Stroygazkonsulting in 2014 won the

General Norway Politics Politics (Norway)

Norway, Russia committed to Barents cooperation, despite divisions over Ukraine

Atle Staalesen, The Independent Barents Observer
Posted: Monday, February 9, 2015 at 14:17 — Last Updated: Tuesday, February 10, 2015 at 22:08
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Fronts are sharp and political disagreement touch. But Norwegian and Russian politicians fully agree about Barents regional cooperation. Organized in the

Map of northern Finland indicating Rovaniemi, the Finnish border city of Salla and the Russian city of Alakurtti.(Yle/Uutisgrafiikka)

Finland General Politics Politics (Finland) Special Features

Russia moves first troops to Arctic base near Finnish border

Yle News
Posted: Wednesday, January 14, 2015 at 14:49 — Last Updated: Thursday, January 15, 2015 at 21:43
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Russia is stepping up its military activity in the Arctic region. As part of this effort, Russian Armed Forces reopened

Storskog border check-point. (Thomas Nilsen/Barents Observer)

Business Business (Russia) General Russia

Russia-Norway border traffic follows ruble downward

Thomas Nilsen, The Independent Barents Observer
Posted: Friday, November 7, 2014 at 16:18 — Last Updated: Monday, November 10, 2014 at 19:17
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After years of booming border traffic, October saw a slide in people crossing the Russian-Norwegian border. Shopping tourism is less

The Sami flag. (Jonathan Nackstrand / AFP)

Russia Society Society (Russia) Special Features

Sami leader harassed by police on way to UN conference

Thomas Nilsen, The Independent Barents Observer
Posted: Monday, September 22, 2014 at 15:42 — Last Updated: Thursday, February 14, 2019 at 14:47
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Valentina Sovkina was on her way from Lovozero on Russia’s Kola Peninsula to the UN World Conference on Indigenous Peoples.