Novaya Zemlya opening up?
The municipal administration at Novaya Zemlya wants to start breeding reindeers, engage in commercial fishing, extract metals and minerals and initiate tourist projects in the strictly closed military archipelago. At the same time, Gazprom plans to build a support base for its Shtokman field in the area.
Novaya Zemly is forbidden ground for everybody, except for the Russian Armed Forces, which control the 55,200 square kilometre archipelago. From 1954 to 1990 the Soviet Union blew up 132 nuclear detonations with a total explosive energy equivalent to 265 megatons of TNT on the two islands.
However, the future might bring more openness and other business to the far northern archipelago.
Tourism
Recently a journalist from the newspaper Murmanskii Vestnik visited the archipelago’s two biggest settlements – the Belushya Bay and the nearby Rogachevo.
In meetings with the civilian municipal administration – an administrative entity established in 2000 – the journalist was told by Mayor Vladimir Smetanin that several business projects are under planning in the archipelago.
According to the mayor, Russian authorities have already allowed for several tourism initiatives in sites located outside the most sensitive military areas. So far however only for state officials working in defence institutions and enterprises.
Mr. Smetanin also hopes the tourist potential of the area can be exploited as the northernmost part of the archipelago soon becomes part of the Russian Arctic National Park, an initiative which also includes the Franz Josef Land.
Fishing, reindeers
The Novaya Zemly municipal administration believes it will be possible to start up breeding of reindeers and commercial fishing in the area. The islands are also believed to hold valuable mineral resources, and Mayor Smetanin says to Murmanskii Vestnik that he hopes it some time will be possible to erect a plant for silver extraction.
Shtokman base
The initiatives of the local administration might not all be unrealistic. As recently reported by BarentsObserver, sources close to the energy giant Gazprom confirm that areas on the Novaya Zemlya will be used in connection with the development of the Shtokman field.
It is soon 20 years since the last nuclear detonation rocked the mountains of Novaya Zemlya. Whether they like it or not, the Russian Armed Forces might in the years to come have to share parts of the islands with other interests.
