Kirkenes and Neiden, Finnmark, Norway
Our explorations today concentrated on the extreme northeastern coastal region of Norway. The Endeavour was anchored at Kirkenes, which is only a short distance from the Russian border. The name means ‘church on the peninsula.’ The morning was at leisure affording the guests the opportunity to explore the town. This is the center for the export of iron ore which is extracted from nearby Bjornevatn; Norway’s largest mine. The rock has a metal content of 25–30 percent. A large smelting facility which processed the ore prior to shipment was closed in 1996. During the Second World War, there were 100,000 German troops stationed here. Following its liberation by the Russians in October 1944, the retreating soldiers leveled the entire town. Only eight houses were left standing. Kirkenes was also the target for more than 300 air-bombing raids during the war, the inhabitants suffering greatly as a result. The Norwegians in this area have always had a very good relationship with the Russians. This is partly because of the erstwhile Pomor trade which began in the seventeenth century and came to an end in 1917 with the fall of the Tzarist regime. The term Pomor means ‘ by the sea’ and referred to the seafarers who lived in the coastal areas of the White Sea. Initially based on a system of bartering the Pomers supplied vital commodities such as grain, flour and timber to the coastal settlements of the northern region of Norway in return for dried and fresh fish. At its height in the nineteenth century there were over 300 vessels employing some 2,000 men. This trade was also of great economic importance to the indigenous Sami who supplied furs to the Pomor skippers.
Following lunch we were taken by coach on a short tour of the town and then headed off out to the border crossing point with Russia at Storskog . From here we were driven to an Eastern Sami cultural center where we were accommodated in a huge ‘lavvu’, a teepee type structure. Sitting comfortably inside on benches covered in reindeer skins we were treated to a special broth made from boiled deer marrow bones followed by smoked reindeer meat and salmon on bread. The small group of Sami then exhibited their costumes, paying particular attention to the different types of headgear worn by the women at different ages and marital status. An elderly woman displayed a traditional infant's cot, which she had crafted herself from reindeer skin and birch bark and even sang a short lullaby. This was followed with a number of songs and finished off with a group dance. All in all, a fantastic experience. It was obvious that these Eastern Sami are extremely proud of their culture and are very enthusiastic about sharing it with visitors. Time permitted us to continue our drive across the nearby border crossing with Finland where we had a photo stop. Then back into Norway where we headed for the final stop, a visit to St. George's Chapel, the only Russian Orthodox church in the country. The first church was constructed on this site back in the sixteenth century when initial efforts at Christianising the Sami were being made. This is a tiny wooden structure and only one mass a year takes place, on the last Sunday in August. Nearby we crossed the Neiden River, which was traditionally extremely important to the Sami for fishing. The Endeavour had repositioned to Neiden where we boarded Zodiacs for the short cruise to the ship. Following the evening meal we were treated to an enthralling undersea video compilation by marine specialist Dave Cothran, whose commentary detailed a wide array of the fascinating life forms he had encountered in the cold waters of the High Arctic during this expidition.
Our explorations today concentrated on the extreme northeastern coastal region of Norway. The Endeavour was anchored at Kirkenes, which is only a short distance from the Russian border. The name means ‘church on the peninsula.’ The morning was at leisure affording the guests the opportunity to explore the town. This is the center for the export of iron ore which is extracted from nearby Bjornevatn; Norway’s largest mine. The rock has a metal content of 25–30 percent. A large smelting facility which processed the ore prior to shipment was closed in 1996. During the Second World War, there were 100,000 German troops stationed here. Following its liberation by the Russians in October 1944, the retreating soldiers leveled the entire town. Only eight houses were left standing. Kirkenes was also the target for more than 300 air-bombing raids during the war, the inhabitants suffering greatly as a result. The Norwegians in this area have always had a very good relationship with the Russians. This is partly because of the erstwhile Pomor trade which began in the seventeenth century and came to an end in 1917 with the fall of the Tzarist regime. The term Pomor means ‘ by the sea’ and referred to the seafarers who lived in the coastal areas of the White Sea. Initially based on a system of bartering the Pomers supplied vital commodities such as grain, flour and timber to the coastal settlements of the northern region of Norway in return for dried and fresh fish. At its height in the nineteenth century there were over 300 vessels employing some 2,000 men. This trade was also of great economic importance to the indigenous Sami who supplied furs to the Pomor skippers.
Following lunch we were taken by coach on a short tour of the town and then headed off out to the border crossing point with Russia at Storskog . From here we were driven to an Eastern Sami cultural center where we were accommodated in a huge ‘lavvu’, a teepee type structure. Sitting comfortably inside on benches covered in reindeer skins we were treated to a special broth made from boiled deer marrow bones followed by smoked reindeer meat and salmon on bread. The small group of Sami then exhibited their costumes, paying particular attention to the different types of headgear worn by the women at different ages and marital status. An elderly woman displayed a traditional infant's cot, which she had crafted herself from reindeer skin and birch bark and even sang a short lullaby. This was followed with a number of songs and finished off with a group dance. All in all, a fantastic experience. It was obvious that these Eastern Sami are extremely proud of their culture and are very enthusiastic about sharing it with visitors. Time permitted us to continue our drive across the nearby border crossing with Finland where we had a photo stop. Then back into Norway where we headed for the final stop, a visit to St. George's Chapel, the only Russian Orthodox church in the country. The first church was constructed on this site back in the sixteenth century when initial efforts at Christianising the Sami were being made. This is a tiny wooden structure and only one mass a year takes place, on the last Sunday in August. Nearby we crossed the Neiden River, which was traditionally extremely important to the Sami for fishing. The Endeavour had repositioned to Neiden where we boarded Zodiacs for the short cruise to the ship. Following the evening meal we were treated to an enthralling undersea video compilation by marine specialist Dave Cothran, whose commentary detailed a wide array of the fascinating life forms he had encountered in the cold waters of the High Arctic during this expidition.
