– We notice that polar bears are more often entering the pyramid now, says Darya Slyunyaeva from the company Trust Arktikugol to news. The video of the polar bear incident was recently published in social media. The incident happened in the closed Russian mining town of the Pyramid in Svalbard, where Russia conducts tourist business and has a hotel. It shows how a man comes running with a firearm, shoots in the direction of the polar bear – probably with a bang shot. In escape from the polar bear, he wastes the rifle and flees on a waiting snowmobile. The polar bear sprints after, but gives up after a short time and sits on the ground. The event lasts for about 30 seconds. Here, the employee of the Russian tourist company escapes from a polar bear in the pyramid in Svalbard. Photo: Private / news confirmed by hotel and Governor Darya Slyunyaeva represents the state -owned Russian mining company Trust Arktikugol, which in turn owns the travel company Arctic Travel Company Gruman, which runs the hotel in the pyramid. She writes in an e-mail to news that the incident was handled by employees, in line with the guidelines in the Environmental Act. The company has also notified the Governor of Svalbard. It was by the Russian cure that the pyramid that the incident happened. About the pyramid in Svalbard Photo: Torgeir Skeie / news Pyramid (Russian пирамида) was a Soviet, later Russian, settlement in Svalbard. It was founded by Sweden in 1910, and sold to the Soviet Union in 1927. The settlement is located on the Billefjord on the island of Spitsbergen. It has its name from the pyramid -shaped mountain which is close by. The settlement had mostly over 1000 inhabitants. Trust Arktikugol in April 1998 closed coal mining in the pyramid after 53 years of continuous operation. Since the winter of 1998/99, the Pyramid has been depopulated, but the Russian state -owned company Trust Arktikugol uses buildings there for tourist activities. The pyramid was a well -developed city with a gas station, school, kindergarten, hotel, restaurant and various other facilities. Most buildings are still the way they were when they were abandoned. People who lived there had a great interest in sports. Pool, shooting range, holder and football field. There are no restrictions when it comes to visiting the pyramid, but visitors cannot go into any of the buildings without permission. This is due to health and safety reasons. Most of the buildings are closed today. The pyramid can be reached by boat or snowmobile. Guided tours are available in Russian, Norwegian and English. The nearest settlement is the Svalbard Administration Center, Longyearbyen, about 50 km further south, and a small research society, Ny-Ålesund, 100 km to the west. The Governor confirms to news that they received notification of the incident: – We have registered this incident. We were sent the video this morning. We do not consider this a police case, says Eva Therese Jenssen, communications advisor at the Governor. news has tried to contact the person who filmed the episode, identified as part of a tour of the pyramid this weekend. He has so far not answered inquiries. Must act cautiously Ronny Brunvoll, general manager of Visit Svalbard, does not want to comment on the incident itself. – We have registered the incident, but do not know any details about it, says Brunvoll. Ronny Brunvoll is the general manager of Visit Svalbard. Photo: Aslaug Elisabeth Høgsæt Aarsæther / news He points out that such meetings take place more often in the Pyramid and Ny-Ålesund than in Barentsburg and Longyearbyen:-In places that the pyramid must act with great care and respect, he says. Visit Svalbard recommends that visitors participate in organized trips in nature, where qualified guides are responsible for safety. The guides seek both dangerous situations and know how to handle such if they occur. You do this if you meet polar bears: Always be prepared: Carry polar bear -proofs such as weapons, signal gun or shot when traveling outside Longyearbyen. Notify immediately: If a polar bear is seen in or near buildings, the Governor must be notified as quickly as possible. Keep distance: Don’t close to you a polar bear. Keep great distance and pull back calmly. Do not scare the bear unnecessarily: Avoid provoking the bear with noise or sudden movements if it does not seem threatening. Use warning shoots if needed: If the polar bear approaches and the situation is considered dangerous, bright shoots or warning shots can be fired to scare the animal away. Only shoot in emergency guard: Polar bear killing is only allowed if it is absolutely necessary to save lives. Secure in advance: When staying in areas such as the pyramid, snowmobiles should be ready with engine in progress and weapons be easily accessible. Follow local advice: Pyramid players, Barentsburg and other places outside Longyearbyen often provide their own safety instructions that need to be followed. Sources: The Governor of Svalbard: Guide for Polar Bear Management Visit Svalbard: Safety in meeting with Polar Bear Published 28.04.2025, at. 13.50 Updated 28.04.2025, at. 13.55
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