Take a Tour of a Soviet-Era Ghost Town at the Edge of the World | Short Film Showcase

[Music] [Music] I knew about the existence of Pyramidan since middle school. This strange Russian settlement is out of Russia, far behind the Arctic Circle. I never thought of visiting it because, uh, I knew that it's a ghost town, so nobody lives here, and besides, it's too far, and I had no idea how to get [Music] here.

I found an announcement on the website of the Russian Geographical Society about this position. CU, I said that I'm the most experienced guide ever. I've been working as a guide in many, many regions of the world for more than 10 years, and I got employed. I suspect that I was the only candidate to apply. My name is Alexander Romanovski; everybody knows me as Sasha from [Music] Pamm.

[Music] In the Soviet period of time, this was a very prestigious place to work. Pyramidan supplied Northern regions of the Soviet Union with coal. I heard an opinion that Pyramidan is the only place in the world where communism was actually [Music] built [Music].

I happened to talk to the people who lived and worked here in the 1970s and in the 1980s, and they consider the years they spent in Pyramidan to be the best years of their [Music] lives. But when the Soviet Union collapsed, unfortunately, Pyramidan started withering, and people started moving out of here. In 1998, the decision was made to close down the mine and to send all the people back to the mainland.

[Music] [Music] I came here in 2012, and still, I'm here. Currently, we are six people who live here, more or less permanent. [Music] We need to be friendly, peaceful, and we need to treat each other with respect. That's why political talks are strictly forbidden here. If they were not forbidden, I have no idea what would happen. Two of us are from Western Ukraine, two of us are from Donetsk, and two of us are Russians, so it's better to keep silence and we live in peace.

Every day, I need to make a call to my office in Barenburg. It is situated about 100 km to the South from here. They informed me about whom and when should I expect. Sometimes, a helicopter delivers us correspondence. Maybe it's the most precious thing here because, you know, in Pyramidan, we still use this old-fashioned manner of communicating with friends and relatives. We write letters, we send letters, and we receive letters. A very slow process, but, uh, nevertheless very nice.

Okay, so everybody's here. Let's go. Last Autumn, I proposed to use these bricks to build a great wall around Pyramidan and to protect us from polar bears. And they are still thinking about it. No, I'm joking, of course. Uh, no, because, uh, last autumn in October, we had an accident here. A polar bear broke in, and it was scary. Now it's funny to remember, but that night we were all pretty scared. I was supposed to be eaten first because I live on the second floor and the others live on the fourth floor. Well, but I heard him moving the furniture, and he broke in through the window.

Then he got to the bar; he drank our beer, yes, and he devoured our nut storage. He just took some mayo out of the fridge, and then he went out the same way as he came in. Well, and we did not kill him; we are very proud of it. I am not allowed to go outside without my rifle because polar bears are quite often to be noticed in the area, and sometimes they walk up and down the streets.

The last time I saw a polar bear was last Wednesday. I met him face to face at the pier, and I got scared, to be honest, because it was a very unexpected meeting. Suddenly he showed up from behind the mountain of scrap metal. I had to shoot twice in the air, of course, nothing to the bear, just to scare him away.

When guiding, I'm responsible for the tourists, and I'm responsible for their lives, so I have my gun loaded and ready to shoot. I like this place, I like the nature, and I obviously like my job.

Hey guys, it's time to go! Let's go. [Music] [Applause]

It was a surprise for me to start loving this occupation because I'm not a sociable person. I don't feel uncomfortable being alone here in Pyam. Much Margarita, Margarita Elier Delo Sanchez, it's an obligatory condition you need to obtain some special features of character to live here. I got used to it too much, I think, so for me, it's a routine and ordinary thing to realize that I'm far behind the Arctic Circle.

Maybe I'm the northernmost headbanger in the world. Isn't it by mistake or design? I feel so alone. Friday night, can you make it feel like home? If I tell you you're mine like I told Baby, take a walk on wild side. Let me kiss you in a pouring rain. You're like it, girl.

[Music] Insane. Choose your last words. You know, here I'm a person, and everybody knows me. In Petersburg, I'm just one of 5 million people. Maybe I can sing you something. [Music] Russian [Music] no, I will not sing it definitely, but maybe you know this [Music] one also very [Music] popular. Yes [Music] for [Music] [Music] for [Music] sorry, maybe one verse and chorus is enough. [Music]