Norway - Svalbard - Hopen

With postmark and cover collectors the polar regions have always been very popular. A collection is not complete without mail from bases in Antarctica. On the other side of the world post offices above the Arctic Circle exist in Norway, Greenland, Finland, Alaska, Canada and Russia.

In Norway there are post offices above the Arctic Circle on the mainland. Also the island of Jan Mayen has a post office. The region of Svalbard has four post offices on the largest island Spitsbergen and two on the islands of Hopen and Bear Island (Bjørnøya).

Hopen is an island in the southeastern part of the Svalbard archipelago (Norway). Hopen was discovered in 1596 by Jan Cornelisz Rijp during the third expedition by Willem Barentsz, trying to find the Northeast Passage. Later, in 1613, its name was given by Thomas Marmaduke of Hull, who named it after his former command, the Hopewell.

The Norwegian Meteorological Institute operates a manned weather station on the island with a staff of four persons. For the welfare of the crew, there are three cabins available on the island for their use.

During World War II, the Luftwaffe placed a meteorological team there under cover of Operation Zitronella.

On 28 August 1978 an early model Tupolev Tu-16 of the Soviet Air Force crashed on the island. All seven crew were killed in the accident. It was discovered two days later by the four-man Norwegian weather forecasting team. The USSR refused to admit the loss of an aircraft until the bodies of the crew were given to them. Norway transcribed the contents of the flight recorder over the objections of the Soviet government.

Although the island is small and isolated and have a small staff there is a functioning postal service at the weather station since 1986, although it closed from 2002 and 2005. The original postmark showed a walrus, but that is no longer in use. A normal Norwegian datestamp is used. Fortunately they still use the old postmark without a date as a cachet. On the card inside the envelope the staff put an extra print. As stamps I bought the most recent Norwegian Svalbard stamps from 1996. Although the postal rate for an international letter at that time was only NOK 17, I used the complete series because they look very nice on the envelope.

Date sent: 28 April 2017

Date postmark: 24 May 2017

Date received: 23 June 2017

Number of days: 56

Envelope in collection: 191

Norway - Svalbard - Bear Island

With postmark and cover collectors the polar regions have always been very popular. A collection is not complete without mail from bases in Antarctica. On the other side of the world post offices above the Arctic Circle exist in Norway, Greenland, Finland, Alaska, Canada and Russia.

In Norway there are post offices above the Arctic Circle on the mainland. Also the island of Jan Mayen has a post office. The region of Svalbard has four post offices on the largest island Spitsbergen and two on the islands of Hopen and Bear Island (Bjørnøya).

Bear Island (Norwegian: Bjørnøya) is the southernmost island of the Norwegian Svalbard archipelago. The island is located in the western part of the Barents Sea, approximately halfway between Spitsbergen and the North Cape.

Bear Island was discovered by the Dutch explorers Willem Barents and Jacob van Heemskerk on 10 June 1596. It was named after a polar bear that was seen swimming nearby. The island was considered terra nullius until the Spitsbergen Treaty of 1920 placed it under Norwegian sovereignty.

Despite its remote location and barren nature, the island has seen commercial activities in past centuries, such as coal mining, fishing and whaling. However, no settlements have lasted more than a few years, and Bear Island is now uninhabited except for personnel working at the island's meteorological station Herwighamna. Along with the adjacent waters, it was declared a nature reserve in 2002.

The postmark shows a thick-billed murre, a bird in the auk family, and the geographic coordinates of the island, although only part of the location because the western longitude is missing. It has been in use for many years. As stamps I bought the most recent Norwegian Svalbard stamps from 1996. Although the postal rate for an international letter is only NOK 17, I used the complete series because they look very nice on the envelope.

Date sent: 28 April 2017

Date postmark: 26 May 2017

Date received: 23 June 2017

Number of days: 56

Envelope in collection: 188

Norway - Svalbard - Barentsburg

With postmark and cover collectors the polar regions have always been very popular. A collection is not complete without mail from bases in Antarctica. On the other side of the world post offices above the Arctic Circle exist in Norway, Greenland, Finland, Alaska, Canada and Russia.

In Norway there are post offices above the Arctic Circle on the mainland. Also the island of Jan Mayen has a post office. The region of Svalbard has four post offices on the largest island Spitsbergen and two on the islands of Hopen and Bear Island (Bjørnøya).

Barentsburg is named after Dutch explorer Willem Barentsz, who (re)discovered Svalbard in 1596. The Russian state owned Trust Arktikugol has been mining coal here since 1932, and during the Cold War Barentsburg was a veritable hotbed of activity as the Russians attempted to expand their zone of control over the islands. After Pyramiden was closed in 1998, Barentsburg has been the only Russian settlement still operating, with 471 inhabitants (2015) and some 100.000 tons of coal exported yearly. The mine closed in 2006 due to concerns over an underground fire breaking out, but resumed production in late 2010.

The population of the settlement has been steadily decreasing in the recent years. Many buildings are not inhabited, and some are left to decay. Combined with a truly stunning setting for the town when the weather is clear enough to see across the Isfjord, and the black smoke from by the old coal power plant, the visit will leave a strong impression on the few who come here.

The postmark shows a Svalbard grouse and the geographic coordinates of the town. It has been in use for many years. As stamps I bought the most recent Norwegian Svalbard stamps from 1996. Although the postal rate for an international letter is only NOK 17, I used the complete series because they look very nice on the envelope. The big surprise was the card inside the envelope. In every cover I put a blank card to make sure the envelope goes through the postal system without damages. The surprise was that the post office clerk in Barentsburg put ten cachets on the card. What a service.

Date sent: 28 April 2017

Date postmark: 12 May 2017

Date received: 23 May 2017

Number of days: 25

Envelope in collection: 95

Norway - Svalbard - Ny-Ålesund

With postmark and cover collectors the polar regions have always been very popular. A collection is not complete without mail from bases in Antarctica. On the other side of the world post offices above the Arctic Circle exist in Norway, Greenland, Finland, Alaska, Canada and Russia.

In Norway there are post offices above the Arctic Circle on the mainland. Also the island of Jan Mayen has a post office. The region of Svalbard has four post offices on the largest island Spitsbergen and two on the islands of Hopen and Bear Island (Bjørnøya).

This envelope was postmarked in the city of Ny-Ålesund. It lies in the Oscar II Land on Spitsbergen. The company town is owned and operated by Kings Bay, who provide facilities for permanent research institutes from ten countries. The town is ultimately owned by the Ministry of Trade and Industry and is not incorporated. Ny-Ålesund has an all-year permanent population of 30 to 35, with the summer population reaching 120. Its facilities include Ny-Ålesund Airport, Hamnerabben, Svalbard Rocket Range, a port and Ny-Ålesund Town and Mine Museum, as well as fifteen permanent research stations. It is the northernmost functional civilian settlement in the world, which makes the post office the northernmost functioning post office in the world.

The postmark shows a seal and the geographic coordinates of the town. It has been in use since March 2012. As stamps I bought the most recent Norwegian Svalbard stamps from 1996. Although the postal rate for an international letter is only NOK 17, I used the complete series because they look very nice on the envelope.

Date sent: 28 April 2017

Date postmark: 9 May 2017

Date received: 17 May 2017

Number of days: 19

Envelope in collection: 67

Norway - Svalbard - Longyearbyen

With postmark and cover collectors the polar regions have always been very popular. A collection is not complete without mail from bases in Antarctica. On the other side of the world post offices above the Arctic Circle exist in Norway, Greenland, Finland, Alaska, Canada and Russia.

In Norway there are post offices above the Arctic Circle on the mainland. Also the island of Jan Mayen has a post office. The region of Svalbard has four post offices on the largest island Spitsbergen and two on the islands of Hopen and Bear Island (Bjørnøya).

This envelope was postmarked in the capital city or administrative centre of Svalbard, Longyearbyen. It has a population of just over 2.000 people. Originally a coal mining settlement, it is now a normal Norwegian town with a town council and other services. There is a university, a satellite station, GSM coverage and a fiber optic cable to the mainland.

The postmark shows a reindeer and the geographic coordinates of the town. It has been in use for many years. As stamps I bought the most recent Norwegian Svalbard stamps from 1996. Although the postal rate for an international letter is only NOK 17, I used the complete series because they look very nice on the envelope.

Date sent: 17 April 2017

Date postmark: 5 May 2017

Date received: 11 May 2017

Number of days: 24

Envelope in collection: 33