Barentsburg is a Russian settlement located on the island of Spitsbergen in the Norwegian archipelago of Svalbard. Founded in 1932 by the Soviet Union, it was named after the Dutch navigator Willem Barentsz, who explored these waters in the 16th century. The town was once a major coal mining center. Today, it remains the second-largest Russian settlement in the archipelago after Longyearbyen. The settlement is famous for its Russian cultural center, museum, and the only coal mine still operating in the archipelago. The local currency is the Norwegian krone, but rubles are also accepted.
Despite being part of Norwegian territory, the settlement operates under Russian administrative jurisdiction.
