Longyearbyen · 78.22 N 15.63 E

Svalbard Wire

Est. 2026

Everything said about Svalbard, in one place

Friday 30 January 2026Before the Wire, which starts 26 October 2026Updated 23:59

Daylight on 30 January: none, polar night, day 96. Polar night, day 96 of 111. The sun returns 15 February.

Polar night, day 96 of 111. The sun returns 15 February.

Svalbard Wire starts on 26 October 2026. Pages before that date show the history of the island.

History

The island's past

From the timeline, The present transition

2017

Helicopter crash off Barentsburg

On 26 October 2017 a Russian helicopter crashed in Isfjorden on its way in to Kapp Heer, and all eight on board died. The town of Barentsburg was deeply marked by it.

History Store norske leksikon

The timeline by era

  1. 1596Discovery and whaling, 3 entries
  2. 1715Hunting and expeditions, 4 entries
  3. 1905The coal town, 6 entries
  4. 1920The Svalbard Treaty, 4 entries
  5. 1941War and rebuilding, 4 entries
  6. 1975The modern town, 3 entries
  7. 2015The present transition, 6 entries

Open the history of Svalbard, 30 entries in 7 eras