BARENTSBURG, Norway (AP) 鈥� A 15-year-old boy in a polar bear hoodie took turns reading the Gospel passage about Jesus鈥檚 birth in Russian with three girls in dresses and bows who proclaimed it in Norwegian, in a shared celebration of Orthodox Christmas deep in the Arctic undimmed by war and the round-the-clock polar night.
The girls and a dozen of their fellow members of Polargospel, the children鈥檚 choir at the only church in Svalbard 鈥� an archipelago closer to the North Pole than to either Oslo or Moscow 鈥� traveled three hours by boat Saturday to mark the holiday with the 40 children in Barentsburg.
At midday in the snow-covered square of this village owned by Russia鈥檚 Arctic mining company, a full moon illuminated a bust of Lenin standing in front of a big, twinkling Christmas tree and an even larger old monument reading 鈥淥ur goal is Communism鈥� in Cyrillic script.
This far north, the sun never rises in winter.
鈥淲e who live in the north in darkness, we know how much the light means,鈥� said the Rev. Siv Limstrand as she handed out the slim yellow candles popular in Orthodox churches to the children after the Gospel reading. 鈥淓ven one weak candle in the window is enough to find the way to each other.鈥�
The tradition of an annual Christmas visit by the Lutheran pastor of Svalbard Church and other leaders from the archipelago's main settlement of Longyearbyen 鈥� 34 nautical miles away from Barentsburg through a fjord hemmed by majestic white mountains 鈥� was suspended during the pandemic. It was put in doubt again by the war in Ukraine, which also disrupted the occasional visits by Orthodox priests.
For 18 months, none has come to celebrate services in Barentsburg鈥檚 tall, wooden chapel filled with icons. It鈥檚 always open, its light shining like a beacon through the windows toward the miners鈥� modern apartment complexes and out to sea.
So for the last couple of months, Limstrand worked with the church鈥檚 choir director and with the teachers at Barentsburg鈥檚 school to create a program stripped of officialdom, whose songs and short narrations focused on the Christmas Gospel message of light and peace in the darkness.
As she finalized her remarks while on the big ship Svalbard鈥檚 governor lent for the occasion, Limstrand said she wasn鈥檛 even sure if she鈥檇 offer a formal blessing at the end of the performance.
But the atmosphere had become so festive that she did invoke the Old Testament鈥檚 鈥淭he Lord bless you and keep you鈥� verse to the audience that included church staff, parents from Longyearbyen, teachers from Barentsburg and, seated unobtrusively in the back, the general manager of Arcticugol, the mining company that runs the town.
For more than a century, mining has driven permanent settlements in Svalbard, including Longyearbyen, with about 2,000 residents, and Barentsburg, where about 350 people live. Even though it鈥檚 Norway鈥檚 territory, the Soviet Union was party to an early 20th century treaty that allowed other countries to share in mining rights, and Arcticugol continues to operate Russia鈥檚 mine.
During the Cold War, tensions flared between the two countries in Svalbard, as they have again since Russia鈥檚 invasion of Ukraine, including over transit for in July. In October, the Svalbard鈥檚 tourism council 鈥� representing the archipelago鈥檚 growing leisure industry 鈥� announced it would cut off Arcticugol鈥檚 tourism branch in protest against the war.
But church members approved the choir鈥檚 Christmas visit, Limstrand said, to help the children not see one another as enemies but rather pray for all 鈥� especially in such remote communities.
鈥淲e鈥檙e so far away we feel connected to all the world,鈥� she told The Associated Press, adding that her responsibility as Svalbard鈥檚 pastor is to ensure 鈥渟piritual hospitality鈥� beyond her Protestant flock.
Leonard Snoeks said his 10-year-old daughter had fundraised for Ukraine, selling waffles and coffee outside their home in Norway, but had no qualms coming on the choir trip with the new friends she鈥檚 made since the family moved to Svalbard six months ago from the Norwegian mainland.
鈥淎lthough things are as they are, it doesn鈥檛 separate the fact that people are people,鈥� Snoeks said. 鈥淭he church choir is really important to see beyond that, to show that you care.鈥�
To highlight this wasn鈥檛 a diplomatic overture but ministry from children for children, Saturday鈥檚 celebration took place at Barentsburg鈥檚 school.
The Russian program followed the Norwegian choir鈥檚 performance. Since most families in Barentsburg are Ukrainian, it included a poem and a rendering in that language of the globally popular 鈥淐arol of the Bells,鈥� which was first penned a century ago in Ukraine.
Svetlana Yanevska, the school鈥檚 assistant director since May, sang the carol a cappella along with students.
She later explained that it was especially important this year to follow religious traditions together, from preparing for the performance to going house to house in Barentsburg on Christmas Eve sharing sweets like kutia, a rice pudding with nuts and raisins.
鈥淜ids everywhere are kids. Our aim is that all kids are happy and safe,鈥� Yanevska said.
The first Russian number started in pitch dark, with young children in white costumes dancing and rhythmically waving flashlights as a projection of Santa's sleigh moved on the wall past the Donald Duck mural.
The school鈥檚 English teacher, Maria Kharcheva, who recently moved here from Russia, explained the rays of light were meant to symbolize 鈥渢he stars in the night sky when the Savior was born.鈥�
鈥淚鈥檓 a religious person. This holiday is very important to me. It symbolizes something pure, warm,鈥� Kharcheva said. While she missed having an Orthodox priest on Christmas, she was delighted with this 鈥渦nusual鈥� celebration that the children had worked hard to prepare.
They all mingled over the gift exchange 鈥� presided by a teacher acting as Ded Moroz, the Slavic equivalent of Santa Claus, in flowing white beard and blue robe 鈥� followed by Napoleon cake, Russian tea, and Cokes. Then a clunky bus drove the Norwegian group over snow-packed streets back to the port for the long ride home.
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Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the AP鈥檚 collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content.
Giovanna Dell'orto, The Associated Press
