Barentsburg and Longyearbyen in times of socioeconomic transition: Residents’ perceptions of community viability

Abstract

Geopolitical interventions since the end of the 1980s—such as the collapse of the Soviet Union, a decline in the activities of state-owned coal companies, and governmental initiatives to increase tourism activities—have affected the community viability of two main settlements on Svalbard: Barentsburg and Longyearbyen. This paper explores how the residents of these settlements (with different cultural backgrounds) perceive the effects of socioeconomic transitions on community viability. The analysis of qualitative interviews with residents of Barentsburg (n = 62) and Longyearbyen (n = 36) reveals the residents’ perceptions of the pace of the transition and the changing community composition. New types of commercial activities, such as tourism, contribute to local value creation and socioeconomic development but come with concerns grounded in community fluctuation, environmental protection, economic prioritisation, and power relationships. Compared to Longyearbyen, Barentsburg has undergone relatively minor demographic and social changes and remains stable in terms of culture, language, and management practices. We conclude that the viability of Longyearbyen and Barentsburg during the transition was affected by community dynamics and fluctuations, social relationships within and between communities, and local institutional practices.

Concluding commentary: Inter-disciplinary vistas – research on Svalbard in a local to global continuum

“…While the Svalbard Treaty does provide a stable legal framework, and while relations between communities on the archipelago are not characterised by a high level of tensions (in the current collection, see Olsen, Vlakhov, & Wigger, 2022), the prescription of peaceful utilisation has not led to Svalbard remaining out of the troubled waters of geopolitical conflict. Even distinctly before the Ukraine invasion, Russia has grown more assertive in claiming its interests in Svalbard, complaining about being discriminated against by Norway (see particularly the February 2020 letter by the Russian to the Norwegian Minister of Foreign Affairs; Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, 2020).…”

The trouble with local community in Longyearbyen, Svalbard: Howbig politicsand lack offellesskaphinder a not-yet-decided future

“…Change of both the economic base and demographic outlook is striking. Olsen, Vlakhov and Wigger (2022) explore the concept of community viability, comparing the economically more diversified andin terms of populationless homogeneous ex-company town of Longyearbyen with Barentsburg, where the I apply the idea of communitification as a process, a dynamic strategy involving values and emotions. Jørgensen is aware of the illusionary imaginary of Arctic communities as isolated and "local," while in reality they "encompass ethnically mixed, highly mobile, and composite identities," (p. 2) which characterises Longyearbyen accurately.…”

Changing Svalbard: Tracing interrelated socio-economic and environmental change in remote Arctic settlements

“…The same underlying motives define Russian Svalbard strategies (Olsen, Vlakhov & Wigger, 2022): to uphold and maintain the Russian presence (President of Russia Decree, 2020). During most of the 20th century, the Soviet Union was the only state besides Norway to make active use of resource extraction rights provided under the Treaty, while some other states maintained minor research activities (Arlov, 2003).…”

“…To study how these socio-economic transitions are embodied and perceived by local residents remains a major task for social science research on Svalbard. Olsen, Vlakhov and Wigger (2022) explore Barentsburg and Longyearbyen residents' perceptions of socio-economic transition, framing their analysis in the concept of community viability. The article is the first in the field to compare the perspectives of the inhabitants of these very different settlements going through similar transitions.…”

“…To secure constant rotation of the staff, an intricate wage payment system is used which makes it financially impractical to stay in Barentsburg after several years. This "come at will, but go away before long" system has been heavily criticised as many residents grow fond of the place, developing an articulated form of local identity (Olsen, Vlakhov & Wigger, 2022). As a result, some jobs requiring a strong sense of place, first of all tourism-related positions, as well as top management positions, are now specifically encouraged to last longer in order for employees to develop this looked-for local identity.…”