Construction of the “Pyramiden” mine began; in 1956 it was commissioned. In 1961, a decision was made to mothball the mine and the settlement of “Grumant.” In 1965, following reconstruction, the “Barentsburg” mine was brought back into operation. In 1975, for the first time in the history of Spitsbergen, the “Arktikugol” trust, together with the Norwegian company “Hanlast,” commissioned a water-supply pipeline from Lake Stemmevatn to the “Barentsburg” mine, laid along the seabed of Grønfjorden Bay at a depth of 145 m. The total length of the pipeline is 8 km.
Despite Norway’s sovereignty, Soviet influence on Spitsbergen was very significant; for example, in the 1980s more than 2,000 Soviet citizens lived on Spitsbergen, and only about 1,000 Norwegians (today: 1,800 Norwegians and 500 Russian citizens). In our settlements of Barentsburg, Grumant, and Pyramiden (the latter two are now abandoned), large-scale coal mining was carried out, and unique mines and underground railways operated.