Polar Bear Town: The Unexpected New Life of a Soviet Station
After more than 30 years of abandonment, the former Soviet meteorological station on Kolyuchin Island has found new occupants: polar bears have moved into the dilapidated buildings. The base, which operated between 1932 and 1992 as part of the Soviet Union’s Arctic research network, is now serving as a permanent home for the predators, demonstrating a previously unseen behavioural pattern for researchers.
The latest drone footage from Russian nature photographer Vadim Makharov clearly confirms what photographer Dmitry Kokh first noticed in 2021: the bears are right at home. Makharov noted that the polar bears “do not even have to pay rent.”
Why the Soviet Base?
Experts suggest several factors behind this phenomenon:
- Shelter and Protection: The buildings offer ideal shelter from the harsh Arctic weather, providing a wind-protected space. Furthermore, polar bears have learned that human structures can offer protection from humans who historically hunted them.
- Climate Change Adaptation: Polar bear expert Anatoly Kochnev highlighted that while the bears are naturally curious, the retreating sea ice due to climate change forces them to seek new survival solutions. The isolated, human-free Kolyuchin Island and its crumbling structures provide an ideal alternative habitat.
The latest drone video shows the bears looking out of the windows, roaming among the ruins, and even playing with equipment left behind. This unusual behaviour—using the ruins as a permanent home—is an exciting new piece of evidence for understanding the polar bears’ adaptability.
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