At the Center for Barents Region and Cooperation in Kirkkoniemi, Norway, people’s cooperation is not only based on official connections. As the Russian war of aggression continues, ways have been found to maintain connections.
In northern Norway, close to the Russian border, before the Russian war of aggression, there was natural international interaction in the entire northern region from Norway through Sweden and Finland to Russia. Now the meetings organized at home are a new form of international cooperation in the Barents region. This “kvartirnik” known from the Soviet Union can now also take place virtually. On-line meetings are attended by people from many homes in the Barents region and also from other places where Russians have moved.
This was and still is a way to circumvent restrictions on freedom of speech, assembly and performance. Only trusted and familiar friends get an invitation.
– We are talking about culture and art. How they help to survive and how art can be used to resist war, says a Russian living in Kirkkoniemi, Norway Yevgeny Goman.
Russians, Ukrainians and other residents get along well in Kirkkoniemi.
– Kirkkoniemi is a good example of how we can live together well despite the war, says Yevgeni Goman, a Russian who moved to Kirkkoniemi from Murmansk.
According to him, cooperation in Kirkkoniemi is based on relationships between people, not just official connections.
– When politicians start burning bridges, friendship, mutual understanding and discussion between people are preserved, says Jevgeni Goman.
Goman moved from Murmansk to Kirkkoniemi for work in January 2022, i.e. just before the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
– The war came as a surprise, but you could feel the development of the dictatorship year by year. In itself, everything was fine, but there was no certainty about tomorrow. The dictatorship was and is total, but hidden.
Goman can no longer visit his country of birth because the Russian security service FSB considers him a threat to national security. Because of this, the official bodies are not allowed to cooperate with him anymore.
Even during the corona period, fewer Russian tourists came to Kirkkoniemi than before, so the war has not affected the street scene. However, the change in mood is remarkable.
– There is more concern because Kirkkoniemi has been the center of the Barents region and cooperation, where political, economic and cultural connections intersect. We are trying to continue cooperation with Russians who do not accept war, Putin’s regime and want to live free, says Yevgeni Goman.
There also seems to be more suspicion and discord between the people of Kirkenes than before.
– Now even small things can escalate faster, thinks the deputy manager Marit Egholm Jacobsen From the Norwegian Barents Secretariat.
Cooperation looks towards Finland and Sweden
The Norwegian Barents Secretariat has stopped supporting cooperation if Russian state actors are involved. The secretariat has supported around 200 cooperation projects every year.
The secretariat has proposed that cooperation be expanded in the direction of northern Finland and northern Sweden. There is no decision on the matter and it is also affected by the desire of Finland and Sweden to participate, also as financiers.
The war especially froze sports and educational cooperation, because clubs and educational institutions in Russia are state or sub-state actors.
– We still have the task of supporting Norwegian-Russian cooperation, but it is quite difficult when the Russians are either not allowed or dare not participate, states Marit Egholm Jacobsen.
The Barents Pride event, which was attended by about 30 Russian LGBTI activists from Russia last fall, continues to receive support. The study of individual Russian Sámi in Norway’s Kautokeino is also supported.
The Norwegian Barents Secretariat considers it important that there is still some kind of cooperation.
– However, we have a border with Russia, says Jacobsen.