Damien Aubin Documents a Former Soviet Mining Settlement Suspended in Time

The small settlement of Pyramiden on the Norwegian archipelago of Svalbard is literally frozen in time. A former mining outpost for the Soviet Union, industrial operations ceased in 1998, and residents relocated. It wasn’t until 2007 that a handful of new inhabitants made the settlement home.

Because Pyramiden was abandoned in a cold climate, it remains impeccably preserved, with remnants of its once-thriving settlement still visible. French photographer Damien Aubin visited the Arctic region and documented the still, serene environment blanketed in snow. “The place has not been abandoned. It has been left in suspension,” he says.

Classroom, Pyramiden

Pyramiden’s buildings and the objects inside are largely unchanged. Books sit open on school desks, and an unblemished statue of Lenin presides over a common area. Outside, a towering outdoor monument soars into the sky, the vibrant red and blue paint a stark contrast to the otherwise white landscape.

“I photograph these environments at a distance, in a restrained, diffuse light. There is no event to describe, no narrative to unfold,” Aubin adds. “Across Pyramiden, Barentsburg and Longyearbyen, the same condition appears:spaces shaped by human intent, no longer aligned with it.”

Aubin has compiled the photos in a limited-edition book slated for release in September. You can purchase a copy on his website.

Miners’ Canteen, Pyramiden