| |
|---|---|
.jpg) View of the town in June 2013 | |
 | |
  Kirkenes  Kirkenes | |
| Coordinates:69°43′37″N30°02′44″E / 69.72694°N 30.04556°E /69.72694; 30.04556 | |
| Country | Norway |
| Region | Eastern Norway |
| County | Finnmark |
| District | Øst-Finnmark |
| Municipality | Sør-Varanger Municipality |
| Established as | |
| Town (By) | 1998 |
| Area | |
• Total | 2.29 km2 (0.88 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 9 m (30 ft) |
| Population (2023)[2] | |
• Total | 3,404 |
| • Density | 1,486/km2 (3,850/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC+01:00 (CET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+02:00 (CEST) |
| Post Code | 9900 Kirkenes |
Kirkenes (Norwegian;pronounced[ˈçɪ̂rkəneːs]ⓘ)[4],Girkonjárga (Northern Sami;pronounced[ˈkir̥ː.ko.ˌɲaːrːka][4], orKirkkoniemi (Kven)[4] is atown[1] inSør-Varanger Municipality inFinnmark county, in the far northeastern part ofNorway. The town lies on a peninsula along theBøkfjorden, an arm of the largeVarangerfjorden, and is located just a few kilometres from theNorway–Russia border.
The 2.29-square-kilometre (570-acre) town has a population (2023) of 3,404 and apopulation density of 1,486 inhabitants per square kilometre (3,850/sq mi). When the neighbouring suburban villages ofHesseng,Skytterhusfjellet,Sandnes andBjørnevatn are all included with Kirkenes, the urban area reaches a population of almost 8,000.[2]
Although Kirkenes is the Norwegian town closest to the Russian border, the town ofVardø to its north is located further east in Norway.
Due to its close proximity to Russians, Finns and Skolt Sami, the town is also known asKirkkoniemi (Finnish),Киркенес (Russian), andǨeârkknjargg (Skolt Sami).[5]
The area around Kirkenes was a common Norwegian–Russian district until 1826, when the present border was settled. The original name of thepeninsula wasPiselvnes ("Pis River headland"), but this was changed toKirkenes (meaning "church headland") after theKirkenes Church was built here in 1862. Kirkenes was avillage until 1998 when it receivedtown status.
During theoccupation of Norway by Nazi Germany, Kirkenes was one of the many bases for the GermanKriegsmarine and theLuftwaffe'sJagdgeschwader 5, and apart from that, the area served as a main base for supplies to theMurmansk front (seeLapland War).
Reportedly, Kirkenes was second afterMalta on a list of European towns experiencing air-raid alarms and attacks, with more than 1,000 alarms and 320 air attacks. The town wasoccupied by theRed Army on 25 October 1944 when the GermanWehrmacht was pushed out and fled the area after having destroyed most of the remaining infrastructure. Only 13 houses survived the war.
Close to the town there is a memorial to 11 freedom fighters who helped the partisans collect information about the German occupation. In the summer of 1943, their activities were discovered and many of them were sent to a prisoner-of-war camp near Kirkenes. Following acourt-martial the 11 were sentenced to death and were killed near the memorial spot on 18 August 1943. When the common grave was opened in 1946 it was found that the men had been beaten to death. Following thepost mortem and memorial service, the bodies were returned to their homesteads.[6]
The majority of the inhabitants of Kirkenes are of a Norwegian background, and a minority areSami. Others are originally from Finland, either members of theKven population or of a newer influx of more or less recentFinnish immigrants. Also, about 500 people are relatively recentRussianimmigrants. For several months in 2015, the town served as aborder crossing point for Syrian refugees, with hundreds per week crossing the border on bicycles, traveling into Norway from Russia (viaMurmansk andNikel).[7]
Kirkenes is located in the extreme northeastern part of Norway on theBøkfjorden, a branch of theVarangerfjorden, which is a vast bay connected to theBarents Sea near theRussian–Norwegian border. The town is situated about 400 kilometres (250 mi) north of theArctic Circle, resulting inmidnight sun andpolar night both lasting for sustained lengths of time depending on season.
Kirkenes is located just east of the30th meridian east. As a result, it is further east thanIstanbul, which marks one of the European borders with Asia. The easternmost point of Norway and the municipality is also at a point further east thanSaint Petersburg.
Unlike the vast majority of Norway, Kirkenes is located east of the neighbouring country of Finland. Because of this, travelling directly west from Kirkenes actually changes thetime zone forwards instead of backwards, as it usually does. Travelling directly east from Kirkenes (into Russia) changes the time zone forward by an hour in summer, but by two in winter. When Russia implementedpermanent daylight saving time between 2011 and 2014, there was a three-hour difference travelling forward from the eastern part of the municipality to westerly Russian areas during winter. Kirkenes shares time zone with areas much further west, e.g.Galicia inSpain which has asolar time difference of 2½ hours.
One can drive 100 kilometres (62 mi) south, and walk 10 kilometres (6.2 mi), into theØvre Pasvik National Park, reaching the border point of the three countries (Muotkavaara), where the three time zones meet. There are only a few such places in the world. It is forbidden, according to both Norwegian and Russian law, tocircumambulate theborder marker, as the only lawful route across the Norwegian–Russian border is at the border control atStorskog.
Themidnight sun shines from May 17 to July 21. The correspondingpolar night extends from November 21 to January 21. Despite its location at the coast, Kirkenes exhibits a more continentalsubarctic climate (Dfc) than further west along the Northern Norwegian coast. This is due to less maritime air from the west reaching across the land east to Kirkenes. The all-time high 32.7 °C (91 °F) was recorded in July 1972 and the record low −41.8 °C (−43 °F) in January 1999. The coldest low after 2000 was −32.7 °C (−27 °F) in February 2003.[8] The vegetation is northerntaiga, with forest of pine and birch. The average date for the last overnight freeze (low below 0 °C (32.0 °F)) in spring is 26 May[9] and average date for first freeze in autumn is 22 September[10] giving a frost-free season of 116 days (Kirkenes Airport, 1981-2010 average). Kirkenes Airport is situated 5 km outside the town and has been recording since 1940.
| Climate data for Kirkenes 1991-2020, extremes 1957-2023 (89 m) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 5.3 (41.5) | 7.3 (45.1) | 6.8 (44.2) | 14.4 (57.9) | 28.8 (83.8) | 31.6 (88.9) | 32.7 (90.9) | 30.7 (87.3) | 22.2 (72.0) | 14 (57) | 8.8 (47.8) | 7 (45) | 32.7 (90.9) |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | −6.4 (20.5) | −6.5 (20.3) | −2.8 (27.0) | 1.7 (35.1) | 7.4 (45.3) | 12.4 (54.3) | 16.4 (61.5) | 14.8 (58.6) | 10.2 (50.4) | 3.2 (37.8) | −1.9 (28.6) | −4.3 (24.3) | 3.7 (38.6) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | −10.1 (13.8) | −9.9 (14.2) | −5.6 (21.9) | −0.8 (30.6) | 4.3 (39.7) | 8.7 (47.7) | 12.4 (54.3) | 11.3 (52.3) | 7.3 (45.1) | 1.2 (34.2) | −4.4 (24.1) | −7.3 (18.9) | 0.6 (33.1) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | −13.6 (7.5) | −13.3 (8.1) | −9.2 (15.4) | −4.2 (24.4) | 1.1 (34.0) | 5.5 (41.9) | 9.1 (48.4) | 8.3 (46.9) | 4.7 (40.5) | −0.9 (30.4) | −7.2 (19.0) | −10.6 (12.9) | −2.5 (27.5) |
| Record low °C (°F) | −41.8 (−43.2) | −38.9 (−38.0) | −29.8 (−21.6) | −20.9 (−5.6) | −13.6 (7.5) | −2.5 (27.5) | 2.4 (36.3) | −1.5 (29.3) | −5.9 (21.4) | −21.7 (−7.1) | −27.5 (−17.5) | −34 (−29) | −41.8 (−43.2) |
| Averageprecipitation mm (inches) | 31 (1.2) | 30 (1.2) | 29 (1.1) | 27 (1.1) | 27 (1.1) | 49 (1.9) | 56 (2.2) | 55 (2.2) | 38 (1.5) | 44 (1.7) | 37 (1.5) | 33 (1.3) | 456 (18) |
| Average precipitation days(≥ 1.0 mm) | 9.4 | 7.3 | 6.8 | 6.5 | 6.3 | 7.6 | 9.0 | 9.7 | 8.0 | 10.2 | 9.3 | 8.5 | 98.6 |
| Source 1: Eklima[11] | |||||||||||||
| Source 2: NOAA - WMO averages 91-2020 Norway[12] | |||||||||||||
| Climate data forKirkenes Airport (2002–2020 averages & extremes; precipitation from Neiden since 2005) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 5.1 (41.2) | 4.7 (40.5) | 6.1 (43.0) | 14.2 (57.6) | 28.8 (83.8) | 28.7 (83.7) | 31.3 (88.3) | 30.7 (87.3) | 22.2 (72.0) | 13.6 (56.5) | 7.0 (44.6) | 7.0 (44.6) | 31.3 (88.3) |
| Mean maximum °C (°F) | 1.8 (35.2) | 1.9 (35.4) | 3.2 (37.8) | 8.5 (47.3) | 18.6 (65.5) | 23.0 (73.4) | 25.7 (78.3) | 23.9 (75.0) | 17.4 (63.3) | 9.5 (49.1) | 4.1 (39.4) | 2.8 (37.0) | 26.5 (79.7) |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | −6.9 (19.6) | −6.5 (20.3) | −2.7 (27.1) | 2.3 (36.1) | 8.2 (46.8) | 12.5 (54.5) | 16.8 (62.2) | 14.9 (58.8) | 10.5 (50.9) | 3.5 (38.3) | −1.4 (29.5) | −3.6 (25.5) | 4.0 (39.1) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | −10.5 (13.1) | −9.8 (14.4) | −5.9 (21.4) | −0.6 (30.9) | 4.9 (40.8) | 9.2 (48.6) | 13.1 (55.6) | 11.7 (53.1) | 7.8 (46.0) | 1.6 (34.9) | −3.9 (25.0) | −6.8 (19.8) | 0.9 (33.6) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | −14.0 (6.8) | −13.1 (8.4) | −9.0 (15.8) | −3.4 (25.9) | 1.6 (34.9) | 5.8 (42.4) | 9.4 (48.9) | 8.4 (47.1) | 5.0 (41.0) | −0.4 (31.3) | −6.4 (20.5) | −10.0 (14.0) | −2.2 (28.1) |
| Mean minimum °C (°F) | −26.9 (−16.4) | −25.7 (−14.3) | −20.1 (−4.2) | −12.9 (8.8) | −3.4 (25.9) | 1.4 (34.5) | 5.5 (41.9) | 3.7 (38.7) | −0.5 (31.1) | −8.7 (16.3) | −16.7 (1.9) | −20.1 (−4.2) | −29.1 (−20.4) |
| Record low °C (°F) | −31.5 (−24.7) | −32.7 (−26.9) | −30.0 (−22.0) | −19.3 (−2.7) | −7.3 (18.9) | −0.6 (30.9) | 3.2 (37.8) | −0.7 (30.7) | −4.3 (24.3) | −17.0 (1.4) | −27.5 (−17.5) | −29.1 (−20.4) | −32.7 (−26.9) |
| Averageprecipitation mm (inches) | 34.9 (1.37) | 24.0 (0.94) | 24.0 (0.94) | 21.5 (0.85) | 32.5 (1.28) | 48.8 (1.92) | 65.0 (2.56) | 59.0 (2.32) | 45.1 (1.78) | 41.4 (1.63) | 31.3 (1.23) | 35.9 (1.41) | 463.4 (18.23) |
| Source: Norsk Klimaservicesenter[13] | |||||||||||||
Kirkenes is close to Norway's border with Russia, and this location influences the local economy. TheNorwegian Barents Secretariat, which works to promote Norwegian-Russian collaboration, is located in Kirkenes.
In 2010, Norway's and Russia's Foreign Ministers signed an agreement that made it easier for 9,000 Norwegians and 45,000 Russians living near the common border to visit each other.[14]
Tourist attractions includeGrenselandmuseet (The Border Area Museum), which shows the history of war and peace along the Norwegian–Russian border, Sami art exhibitions by the artistJohn Savio (1902–1938), and a history of themining industry in the area. The museum has a small shop and café. Almost every last Thursday of each month the Russian Market takes place on the central square where traders from Murmansk sell their merchandise. Here you can find everything frommatryoshkas, linen cloths, and handicrafts, to Russian crystal and porcelain dishes.
Just outside Kirkenes is a military base that is home to theGarrison of Sør-Varanger atHøybuktmoen. Connected to this base are the six border stations along the Russian border. This base and these border stations are there to protect against illegal immigrants as well as other illegal activities across the border. The only public border crossing is atStorskog, southeast of Kirkenes. In October 2023, Norway banned the entry of Russian vehicles with less than 10 seats. In May 2024, Norway closed the entire border for Russian tourists.[15] After this, only a Mercedes van is allowed to cross the border, driving from Norway's Kirkenes to the Russian town of Murmansk once a day.[16]
In the city centre of Kirkenes isAndersgrotta, a vast underground bunker built duringWorld War II that provided shelter to the town's residents. Tours of the bunker are available.[17]
Apride parade held in 2017 in Kirkenes attracted participants from neighbouring Russia, who were unwilling to participate in LGBT events in Russia due to hostility from the government and police. In addition, the parade saw participants fromAmnesty International and theNorwegian Helsinki Committee.[18]
Kirkenes's location on theNortheast Passage and the effect of climate change on sea ice have led to expressions of interest to develop port and transport infrastructure in the town, including fromstate-owned enterprises of China. Public reception to such projects in Kirkenes is mixed.[19]
Kirkenes is one end of the route of theHurtigruten, which cruises daily up and down the Norway coast to and fromBergen. Kirkenes is served byKirkenes Airport, Høybuktmoen. There are non-stop flights toOslo,Vadsø,Vardø,Alta andTromsø. TheEuropean route E6 highway has its northern terminus at Kirkenes. The northern terminus of theEuropean route E105 highway is located in Hesseng, just south of the town.
Kirkenes is also theterminus ofKirkenes–Bjørnevatn Line, the world's second-most northerlyrailway line, used to transportiron ore from the mines atBjørnevatn to the port at Kirkenes. The proposedArctic Railway would see Kirkenes connected with northern Finland.
The town of Kirkenes is also the starting point ofEV13 The Iron Curtain Trail, a cycling route that runs along the historic border between the capitalist West and the communist East during theCold War.
The main church for Kirkenes isKirkenes Church, located in theHaganes area of the town.
Kirkenes travel guide from Wikivoyage
| |||||||
 | Towns and cities |
| |||||
| Municipalities |
| ||||||
| |||||||
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
