Send message to Author

Paper short abstract:

The paper analyzes the practices of exploring the territories of the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard as a 'contested space' during the Cold War era. It illuminates the role of geological science in the USSR's struggle to maintain its presence on Svalbard in the 1960s-1980s.

Paper long abstract:

The paper will analyze the practices of exploring the territories of the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard as a 'contested space' during the Cold War era. Based on archival materials and interviews, the role of geological science in the USSR's struggle to maintain its presence on Svalbard in the 1960s-1980s will be illuminated.

Since the 1960s, the USSR actively researched the archipelago, with a key focus on discovering new raw material sources. In 1962, the Institute of Arctic Geology (Saint-Petersburg) launched the Svalbard expedition, and shortly after, a substantial geological research base was established near Barentsburg. This effort gained significant importance during the 1970-80s as Norway increasingly solidified its control over the islands, affirming its rights to a 200-mile economic zone. The significance of hydrocarbon exploration was largely driven by political motives, as the imminent depletion of coal reserves would inevitably diminish the Soviet presence status on Svalbard.

After three decades of Soviet geologists' presence, no exploitable deposits were discovered on the archipelago. However, the accumulation of extensive knowledge about the territory (not all of which was publicly disclosed) in itself meant gaining control over this polar space. While Norway led in shaping Svalbard's legal framework and gradually restricted foreign presence, the Soviet Union effectively held the position of the secondary power on Svalbard throughout the Cold War. Geological research served as a critical tool for the Soviet 'effective occupation,' leveraging valuable expertise, robust logistics (sometimes surpassing Norwegian capabilities), and the allocation of areas to the USSR for geological studies.