<![CDATA[Scivillage.com Casual Discussion Science Forum - Survivalism]]> https://www.scivillage.com/ Tue, 22 Sep 2026 18:46:30 +0000 MyBB <![CDATA[How to buy a house in the frozen world of Svalbard (Arctic survival)]]> https://www.scivillage.com/thread-21376.html Fri, 18 Sep 2026 23:22:17 +0000 C C]]> https://www.scivillage.com/thread-21376.html Living in an Arctic cabin ..... A Soviet-era town in Svalbard

CIAO, IT'S GIULIA
https://youtu.be/olfRjXNUaYI

VIDEO INTRO: We bought a house in Svalbard: one of the most remote places on Earth, where buying property is far from simple. In this video, we take you through the story of how we managed to buy our own cabin in Longyearbyen, why buying a home here is so complicated, and what the process actually looked like for us.

And yes… we’ll finally reveal exactly how much we paid for our house in Svalbard. From getting a mortgage to navigating the rules and restrictions of living in Svalbard, this is the full story of how we became homeowners this far north.

If you’ve ever wondered what it’s like to actually own a home in the Arctic, this is our story.

I bought a cabin in the Arctic. Here’s how much It cost... https://youtu.be/olfRjXNUaYI

https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/olfRjXNUaYI]]> Living in an Arctic cabin ..... A Soviet-era town in Svalbard

CIAO, IT'S GIULIA
https://youtu.be/olfRjXNUaYI

VIDEO INTRO: We bought a house in Svalbard: one of the most remote places on Earth, where buying property is far from simple. In this video, we take you through the story of how we managed to buy our own cabin in Longyearbyen, why buying a home here is so complicated, and what the process actually looked like for us.

And yes… we’ll finally reveal exactly how much we paid for our house in Svalbard. From getting a mortgage to navigating the rules and restrictions of living in Svalbard, this is the full story of how we became homeowners this far north.

If you’ve ever wondered what it’s like to actually own a home in the Arctic, this is our story.

I bought a cabin in the Arctic. Here’s how much It cost... https://youtu.be/olfRjXNUaYI

https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/olfRjXNUaYI]]> <![CDATA[Living in an Arctic cabin. This is what makes life difficult. (Svalbard survival)]]> https://www.scivillage.com/thread-21300.html Thu, 10 Sep 2026 17:01:50 +0000 C C]]> https://www.scivillage.com/thread-21300.html https://youtu.be/rBwpU-pUqR0

INTRO: Things that are completely normal when you live in the Arctic… but would probably sound insane anywhere else. I live in Longyearbyen, Svalbard, and over time, you get used to living in a place where so many things simply work differently.

We live in a cabin, and even renovating it is a completely different experience when almost everything you need has to be shipped here. Building materials, supplies, equipment... nothing is as simple as just going to a store and picking it up. We don’t have running water in the cabin, so we have to fill our own water tanks. We have to deal with our own waste and heating, and there are things we have to learn and prepare for simply because of where we live.

These are things that have become completely normal to me. But when I take a step back, I realize how unusual this way of life really is. This is what everyday life looks like when you live in the Arctic...

This is what makes life difficult ... https://youtu.be/rBwpU-pUqR0

https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/rBwpU-pUqR0]]> https://youtu.be/rBwpU-pUqR0

INTRO: Things that are completely normal when you live in the Arctic… but would probably sound insane anywhere else. I live in Longyearbyen, Svalbard, and over time, you get used to living in a place where so many things simply work differently.

We live in a cabin, and even renovating it is a completely different experience when almost everything you need has to be shipped here. Building materials, supplies, equipment... nothing is as simple as just going to a store and picking it up. We don’t have running water in the cabin, so we have to fill our own water tanks. We have to deal with our own waste and heating, and there are things we have to learn and prepare for simply because of where we live.

These are things that have become completely normal to me. But when I take a step back, I realize how unusual this way of life really is. This is what everyday life looks like when you live in the Arctic...

This is what makes life difficult ... https://youtu.be/rBwpU-pUqR0

https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/rBwpU-pUqR0]]> <![CDATA[Field test of survival knives (Survival Lilly)]]> https://www.scivillage.com/thread-21275.html Mon, 07 Sep 2026 00:36:11 +0000 C C]]> https://www.scivillage.com/thread-21275.html Left-wing extremists attacked German power grid again?

SURVIVAL LILLY
https://youtu.be/p6CpxU87-FI

Field test Survival Lilly knife

https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/p6CpxU87-FI]]> Left-wing extremists attacked German power grid again?

SURVIVAL LILLY
https://youtu.be/p6CpxU87-FI

Field test Survival Lilly knife

https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/p6CpxU87-FI]]> <![CDATA[Left-wing extremists attacked German power grid again? (Survival Lilly)]]> https://www.scivillage.com/thread-21257.html Fri, 04 Sep 2026 01:12:33 +0000 C C]]> https://www.scivillage.com/thread-21257.html Prepping shifts from right-wing to mainstream in Europe

UPDATE: Germany faced a second sabotage attempt on its electricity grid, with local police saying on Wednesday they ​are investigating an attack on a ‌substation near the western city of Bergheim. [...] Germany’s electricity grid has been hit by attacks before, including by suspected left-wing militants.

SURVIVAL LILLY
https://youtu.be/7Hp8tLAzFSU

VIDEO EXCERPTS: In Germany, yesterday there was at least one detonation at a German power plant. Another terror alert in Germany. This time a substation near a lignite-fired power plant in Brandenburg is the focus. According to reports, unconventional explosives and incendiary devices were discovered, and a detonation occurred. Also, other explosive devices were discovered early Tuesday morning, but not all of them exploded.

Apparently the perpetrators have used some weapons like homemade rockets, which they have shot onto the power plant, and they apparently attached some conductive material to those rockets in the hopes that the rockets catch a cable and create a short. So, that's actually a pretty sophisticated plan to sabotage this plant. And here they are saying, according to the grid operator, several power lines were damaged. The company reported a brief outage. However, by early afternoon all lines were back online, and the general power supply was not affected.

This was not the first attack on the infrastructure of Germany. And this is probably also why Germany wants its citizens to be prepared. So, this is something I've already shown you last time, and this is a prepping guide by the Federal Office of Civil Protection and Disaster Assistance, and it's a full prepping guide, which is teaching you not only how to heat your home and how to cook without any electricity, but it's also telling you how you can protect yourselves against explosions.

In explosions, shock waves, flying debris, and glass splinters pose a big danger. The same is true for air strikes. Okay, so air strikes are now a new topic in prepping guides. When I was following any prepping guides, usually they were only talking about food, shelter, and water. Not about air strikes. So that's something new. Here they're saying, however, most buildings in Germany are solidly built.

[...] According to a media report, Volkswagen's board of directors has decided to close four Volkswagen plants in Germany. Volkswagen employees have been demanding clear answers for weeks, and now they should finally get some. The existing business models and structures are no longer sufficient. So because of the increased energy prices and also because of the government's regulations, CO2 taxes, and requirements about how many electric cars a car company has to manufacture, the company cannot make any profits anymore. So this is why the company has to save money.

But don't worry, pretty soon they will go into another business and use factories for something else. And here they are saying that they will use factories for the arms industry...

Attack on German power plant. Sabotage? ... https://youtu.be/7Hp8tLAzFSU

https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/7Hp8tLAzFSU]]> Prepping shifts from right-wing to mainstream in Europe

UPDATE: Germany faced a second sabotage attempt on its electricity grid, with local police saying on Wednesday they ​are investigating an attack on a ‌substation near the western city of Bergheim. [...] Germany’s electricity grid has been hit by attacks before, including by suspected left-wing militants.

SURVIVAL LILLY
https://youtu.be/7Hp8tLAzFSU

VIDEO EXCERPTS: In Germany, yesterday there was at least one detonation at a German power plant. Another terror alert in Germany. This time a substation near a lignite-fired power plant in Brandenburg is the focus. According to reports, unconventional explosives and incendiary devices were discovered, and a detonation occurred. Also, other explosive devices were discovered early Tuesday morning, but not all of them exploded.

Apparently the perpetrators have used some weapons like homemade rockets, which they have shot onto the power plant, and they apparently attached some conductive material to those rockets in the hopes that the rockets catch a cable and create a short. So, that's actually a pretty sophisticated plan to sabotage this plant. And here they are saying, according to the grid operator, several power lines were damaged. The company reported a brief outage. However, by early afternoon all lines were back online, and the general power supply was not affected.

This was not the first attack on the infrastructure of Germany. And this is probably also why Germany wants its citizens to be prepared. So, this is something I've already shown you last time, and this is a prepping guide by the Federal Office of Civil Protection and Disaster Assistance, and it's a full prepping guide, which is teaching you not only how to heat your home and how to cook without any electricity, but it's also telling you how you can protect yourselves against explosions.

In explosions, shock waves, flying debris, and glass splinters pose a big danger. The same is true for air strikes. Okay, so air strikes are now a new topic in prepping guides. When I was following any prepping guides, usually they were only talking about food, shelter, and water. Not about air strikes. So that's something new. Here they're saying, however, most buildings in Germany are solidly built.

[...] According to a media report, Volkswagen's board of directors has decided to close four Volkswagen plants in Germany. Volkswagen employees have been demanding clear answers for weeks, and now they should finally get some. The existing business models and structures are no longer sufficient. So because of the increased energy prices and also because of the government's regulations, CO2 taxes, and requirements about how many electric cars a car company has to manufacture, the company cannot make any profits anymore. So this is why the company has to save money.

But don't worry, pretty soon they will go into another business and use factories for something else. And here they are saying that they will use factories for the arms industry...

Attack on German power plant. Sabotage? ... https://youtu.be/7Hp8tLAzFSU

https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/7Hp8tLAzFSU]]> <![CDATA[Politician throws live tarantula at her tenant (survivalism)]]> https://www.scivillage.com/thread-21186.html Wed, 26 Aug 2026 00:36:38 +0000 C C]]> https://www.scivillage.com/thread-21186.html
https://youtu.be/gRyjqsHNQOU

https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/gRyjqsHNQOU]]>
https://youtu.be/gRyjqsHNQOU

https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/gRyjqsHNQOU]]> <![CDATA[Officer shot in the head refuses to give up]]> https://www.scivillage.com/thread-21140.html Thu, 20 Aug 2026 19:30:59 +0000 C C]]> https://www.scivillage.com/thread-21140.html
https://youtu.be/lklAoRQdK44

https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/lklAoRQdK44]]>
https://youtu.be/lklAoRQdK44

https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/lklAoRQdK44]]> <![CDATA[Climate change replaces God's punishment as blame for Europe's woes (Survival Lilly)]]> https://www.scivillage.com/thread-21082.html Wed, 12 Aug 2026 16:34:19 +0000 C C]]> https://www.scivillage.com/thread-21082.html Two huge problems in Europe: invasion and heat wave

SURVIVAL LILLY
https://youtu.be/2fxphRgoDp4

VIDEO EXCERPTS: So first of all Austria is enduring a record heat including all of Europe. So in Austria, we had a new record yesterday. 41° C were recorded for the first time in record history.

[...] Now a lot of people are freaking out because of the hot weather because of the reason behind it. Now the mainstream media wants us to believe that this is because of man-made climate change. Then I also have some friends they say this is climate control or weather control or something like this.

But then also it can just be natural. Here you can see an old photograph from 1904. This is in Germany. And here you can see a river bridge, and the people can take a walk underneath it because there was a drought and all of the water receded in this river. So this was 1904.

The river was called Elben which is a huge river. Things like that happen. People believe that it's normal to have a constant temperature on this planet. So I personally believe that the real normality is that there are changes. I think the abnormality would be if, every year, temperature conditions were the same.

Nevertheless, the drought has severe consequences for farmers and the economy, and it has an impact on food inflation. [...] Also in Hungary, they have now shut down its only nuclear power plant because they don't get enough water from the Danube River anymore to cool it....

This is not going to end well ... https://youtu.be/2fxphRgoDp4

https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/2fxphRgoDp4]]> Two huge problems in Europe: invasion and heat wave

SURVIVAL LILLY
https://youtu.be/2fxphRgoDp4

VIDEO EXCERPTS: So first of all Austria is enduring a record heat including all of Europe. So in Austria, we had a new record yesterday. 41° C were recorded for the first time in record history.

[...] Now a lot of people are freaking out because of the hot weather because of the reason behind it. Now the mainstream media wants us to believe that this is because of man-made climate change. Then I also have some friends they say this is climate control or weather control or something like this.

But then also it can just be natural. Here you can see an old photograph from 1904. This is in Germany. And here you can see a river bridge, and the people can take a walk underneath it because there was a drought and all of the water receded in this river. So this was 1904.

The river was called Elben which is a huge river. Things like that happen. People believe that it's normal to have a constant temperature on this planet. So I personally believe that the real normality is that there are changes. I think the abnormality would be if, every year, temperature conditions were the same.

Nevertheless, the drought has severe consequences for farmers and the economy, and it has an impact on food inflation. [...] Also in Hungary, they have now shut down its only nuclear power plant because they don't get enough water from the Danube River anymore to cool it....

This is not going to end well ... https://youtu.be/2fxphRgoDp4

https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/2fxphRgoDp4]]> <![CDATA[Living with a constant midnight sun in Svalbard (arctic survival)]]> https://www.scivillage.com/thread-21014.html Mon, 03 Aug 2026 00:14:07 +0000 C C]]> https://www.scivillage.com/thread-21014.html Midnight sun
- - - - - - - - - - - - -

Cecilia Blomdahl
https://youtu.be/vbyZhGVKBEc

INTRO: It's been almost three months since the last sunset here on Svalbard, and now I'm definitely starting to feel it. The craziest part? We still have around 40 more days of 24-hour daylight ahead of us...

I can't tell what time it is anymore ... https://youtu.be/vbyZhGVKBEc

https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/vbyZhGVKBEc]]> Midnight sun
- - - - - - - - - - - - -

Cecilia Blomdahl
https://youtu.be/vbyZhGVKBEc

INTRO: It's been almost three months since the last sunset here on Svalbard, and now I'm definitely starting to feel it. The craziest part? We still have around 40 more days of 24-hour daylight ahead of us...

I can't tell what time it is anymore ... https://youtu.be/vbyZhGVKBEc

https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/vbyZhGVKBEc]]> <![CDATA[Svalbard tiny house project (arctic survival)]]> https://www.scivillage.com/thread-21002.html Sat, 01 Aug 2026 00:26:04 +0000 C C]]> https://www.scivillage.com/thread-21002.html https://youtu.be/zgC63ir7ccg

INTRO: In this video, you’ll follow along as Christoffer takes on this big project — tackling everything from an insanely rusty wood stove to all the challenges that come with building something here on Svalbard. Life at the cabin might just be about to get a little bit easier...

We built a tiny house sauna & shower (part 1) ... https://youtu.be/zgC63ir7ccg

https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/zgC63ir7ccg

INTRO: It's finally time for Step 2 in our Tiny House Project: getting it to our off-grid cabin and trying our sauna for the first time.

Svalbard tiny house project (part 2) ... https://youtu.be/qU_vbZkCSzo

https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/qU_vbZkCSzo]]> https://youtu.be/zgC63ir7ccg

INTRO: In this video, you’ll follow along as Christoffer takes on this big project — tackling everything from an insanely rusty wood stove to all the challenges that come with building something here on Svalbard. Life at the cabin might just be about to get a little bit easier...

We built a tiny house sauna & shower (part 1) ... https://youtu.be/zgC63ir7ccg

https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/zgC63ir7ccg

INTRO: It's finally time for Step 2 in our Tiny House Project: getting it to our off-grid cabin and trying our sauna for the first time.

Svalbard tiny house project (part 2) ... https://youtu.be/qU_vbZkCSzo

https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/qU_vbZkCSzo]]> <![CDATA[A Soviet-era town in Svalbard: hobbies maintain sanity there (arctic survival)]]> https://www.scivillage.com/thread-20835.html Fri, 10 Jul 2026 17:58:50 +0000 C C]]> https://www.scivillage.com/thread-20835.html Making food in a Polish village

CIAO, IT'S GIULIA
https://youtu.be/Jrak_2R5ju4

VIDEO INTRO: Just one hour by snowmobile from my home lies one of the most fascinating places in the Arctic: Barentsburg, a Soviet-era mining town on the Norwegian archipelago of Svalbard. I've been living in Svalbard for the past four years, but visiting Barentsburg still feels like stepping into another world. Although the town has seen some modern improvements over the years, it has carefully preserved its Soviet identity: its architecture, monuments, slogans, and atmosphere remain remarkably unchanged.

People still live and work here. Miners continue to head underground every day, children go to school, families build their lives, and the community carries on in one of the most remote places on Earth. Completely surrounded by Arctic wilderness, with no roads connecting it to the outside world, Barentsburg is isolated in a way that's hard to imagine. Getting here requires a boat, a snowmobile, or a helicopter, and beyond the settlement lies nothing but mountains, glaciers, polar bears, and the frozen Arctic.

In this video, I'll show you what daily life is really like inside this extraordinary Soviet-era town at the edge of the world. If you enjoy unique travel, abandoned history, remote places, and life in the Arctic, don't forget to subscribe for more adventures from Svalbard...

A Soviet-era town in Svalbard ... https://youtu.be/Jrak_2R5ju4

https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/Jrak_2R5ju4]]> Making food in a Polish village

CIAO, IT'S GIULIA
https://youtu.be/Jrak_2R5ju4

VIDEO INTRO: Just one hour by snowmobile from my home lies one of the most fascinating places in the Arctic: Barentsburg, a Soviet-era mining town on the Norwegian archipelago of Svalbard. I've been living in Svalbard for the past four years, but visiting Barentsburg still feels like stepping into another world. Although the town has seen some modern improvements over the years, it has carefully preserved its Soviet identity: its architecture, monuments, slogans, and atmosphere remain remarkably unchanged.

People still live and work here. Miners continue to head underground every day, children go to school, families build their lives, and the community carries on in one of the most remote places on Earth. Completely surrounded by Arctic wilderness, with no roads connecting it to the outside world, Barentsburg is isolated in a way that's hard to imagine. Getting here requires a boat, a snowmobile, or a helicopter, and beyond the settlement lies nothing but mountains, glaciers, polar bears, and the frozen Arctic.

In this video, I'll show you what daily life is really like inside this extraordinary Soviet-era town at the edge of the world. If you enjoy unique travel, abandoned history, remote places, and life in the Arctic, don't forget to subscribe for more adventures from Svalbard...

A Soviet-era town in Svalbard ... https://youtu.be/Jrak_2R5ju4

https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/Jrak_2R5ju4]]> <![CDATA[Making food in a Polish village (displaced arctic survival)]]> https://www.scivillage.com/thread-20788.html Sat, 04 Jul 2026 14:43:14 +0000 C C]]> https://www.scivillage.com/thread-20788.html Svalbard interviews - Do people actually like 4 months of darkness?

CIAO, IT'S GIULIA
https://youtu.be/igu0PDoxCDI

VIDEO INTRO: Today I spent a slow, peaceful day in a small Polish village with my boyfriend’s grandparents, learning how to make authentic homemade pierogi from scratch. There’s something incredibly special about simple living: the quiet kitchen, the warm light, the hands working slowly with care, and recipes that have been passed down through generations.

This isn’t just about food, it’s about connection, tradition, and the beauty of slowing down in a world that moves too fast. We rolled the dough, prepared the filling, and cooked everything together in the most comforting, old-fashioned way. It felt like stepping into another rhythm of life, one that is calm, warm, and deeply human. I hope this video brings you a little bit of that same peace.

The art of simple cooking in a Polish village in the countryside ... https://youtu.be/igu0PDoxCDI

https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/igu0PDoxCDI]]> Svalbard interviews - Do people actually like 4 months of darkness?

CIAO, IT'S GIULIA
https://youtu.be/igu0PDoxCDI

VIDEO INTRO: Today I spent a slow, peaceful day in a small Polish village with my boyfriend’s grandparents, learning how to make authentic homemade pierogi from scratch. There’s something incredibly special about simple living: the quiet kitchen, the warm light, the hands working slowly with care, and recipes that have been passed down through generations.

This isn’t just about food, it’s about connection, tradition, and the beauty of slowing down in a world that moves too fast. We rolled the dough, prepared the filling, and cooked everything together in the most comforting, old-fashioned way. It felt like stepping into another rhythm of life, one that is calm, warm, and deeply human. I hope this video brings you a little bit of that same peace.

The art of simple cooking in a Polish village in the countryside ... https://youtu.be/igu0PDoxCDI

https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/igu0PDoxCDI]]> <![CDATA[Germany wants to ban crossbows (Survival Lilly)]]> https://www.scivillage.com/thread-20740.html Sun, 28 Jun 2026 21:04:49 +0000 C C]]> https://www.scivillage.com/thread-20740.html Radiation leak in Chernobyl, Germany wants to abolish mini-jobs

SURVIVAL LILLY
https://youtu.be/tf-bomRpNws

VIDEO EXCERPT: So this day today is going to be the hottest day throughout the year in Germany. they are expecting 42°C and also yesterday night there was the warmest night recorded in Germany with 29.4°C. So that's really crazy warm.

Also Hungary is suffering. I have a friend there and he told me they have a drought going on for a period of time now and now some lakes are drying out. So we are all suffering from this heat.

So, I'm really glad that I have this basement because in the basement it's really cool and it's nice to work.

Now in Germany, politicians want to restrict crossbow sales in order to disarm extremists. Yeah, I thought it was a joke when I read it, but apparently some politicians want to make crossbows illegal. The interior ministers of the German states are taking decisive action against weapons in the hands of extremists...

Apparently some citizens they are not acknowledging the government of Germany and some of those are truly extremists, and I think we all agree that extremists should never haveany weapons. But now they found a couple of crossbows with those people so they want to make crossbows illegal for everybody in Germany.

[...] Germany has over 80 million people. It's a big country with a lot of people. Do you really think that 1,500 extremists with crossbows will overtake the government in Germany? Come on, that's a joke, right? I mean, the military is so strong, you don't have a chance with a crossbow. And here they're saying that a lot of these weapons that were confiscated by the extremists, half of them were illegal, right?

So those extremists, they will not abide to the law. If you make crossbows illegal, criminals don't care. They know how to obtain them illegally...

Germany wants to ban crossbows ... https://youtu.be/tf-bomRpNws

https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/tf-bomRpNws]]> Radiation leak in Chernobyl, Germany wants to abolish mini-jobs

SURVIVAL LILLY
https://youtu.be/tf-bomRpNws

VIDEO EXCERPT: So this day today is going to be the hottest day throughout the year in Germany. they are expecting 42°C and also yesterday night there was the warmest night recorded in Germany with 29.4°C. So that's really crazy warm.

Also Hungary is suffering. I have a friend there and he told me they have a drought going on for a period of time now and now some lakes are drying out. So we are all suffering from this heat.

So, I'm really glad that I have this basement because in the basement it's really cool and it's nice to work.

Now in Germany, politicians want to restrict crossbow sales in order to disarm extremists. Yeah, I thought it was a joke when I read it, but apparently some politicians want to make crossbows illegal. The interior ministers of the German states are taking decisive action against weapons in the hands of extremists...

Apparently some citizens they are not acknowledging the government of Germany and some of those are truly extremists, and I think we all agree that extremists should never haveany weapons. But now they found a couple of crossbows with those people so they want to make crossbows illegal for everybody in Germany.

[...] Germany has over 80 million people. It's a big country with a lot of people. Do you really think that 1,500 extremists with crossbows will overtake the government in Germany? Come on, that's a joke, right? I mean, the military is so strong, you don't have a chance with a crossbow. And here they're saying that a lot of these weapons that were confiscated by the extremists, half of them were illegal, right?

So those extremists, they will not abide to the law. If you make crossbows illegal, criminals don't care. They know how to obtain them illegally...

Germany wants to ban crossbows ... https://youtu.be/tf-bomRpNws

https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/tf-bomRpNws]]> <![CDATA[Svalbard interviews: Do people actually like 4 months of darkness? (arctic survival)]]> https://www.scivillage.com/thread-20695.html Mon, 22 Jun 2026 20:31:36 +0000 C C]]> https://www.scivillage.com/thread-20695.html Why I left everything in Italy behind for frozen Svalbard

CIAO, IT'S GIULIA
https://youtu.be/9A8QKKl4ztY

VIDEO INTRO: What is it really like to live through four months of darkness? In this video, I interviewed some of my colleagues here in Svalbard, one of the world's northernmost inhabited places, located just 1,300 km (800 miles) from the North Pole.

We all ended up on this remote Arctic archipelago, but for very different reasons. Some people love the darkness and the unique atmosphere of the polar night. Others miss the sun and count the days until it returns. Some came here for adventure, snowmobiles, and life in the Arctic wilderness. Others were drawn by career opportunities, good salaries, or simply the chance to experience something completely different.

Despite our different backgrounds, nationalities, and motivations, we all share the experience of living in one of the most isolated and fascinating places on Earth. These are their stories, their perspectives, and their honest thoughts about life in Svalbard. Would you enjoy living here?

Svalbard interviews ... https://youtu.be/9A8QKKl4ztY

https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/9A8QKKl4ztY]]> Why I left everything in Italy behind for frozen Svalbard

CIAO, IT'S GIULIA
https://youtu.be/9A8QKKl4ztY

VIDEO INTRO: What is it really like to live through four months of darkness? In this video, I interviewed some of my colleagues here in Svalbard, one of the world's northernmost inhabited places, located just 1,300 km (800 miles) from the North Pole.

We all ended up on this remote Arctic archipelago, but for very different reasons. Some people love the darkness and the unique atmosphere of the polar night. Others miss the sun and count the days until it returns. Some came here for adventure, snowmobiles, and life in the Arctic wilderness. Others were drawn by career opportunities, good salaries, or simply the chance to experience something completely different.

Despite our different backgrounds, nationalities, and motivations, we all share the experience of living in one of the most isolated and fascinating places on Earth. These are their stories, their perspectives, and their honest thoughts about life in Svalbard. Would you enjoy living here?

Svalbard interviews ... https://youtu.be/9A8QKKl4ztY

https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/9A8QKKl4ztY]]> <![CDATA[They are coming for your gold and assets (Survival Lilly)]]> https://www.scivillage.com/thread-20667.html Thu, 18 Jun 2026 19:01:46 +0000 C C]]> https://www.scivillage.com/thread-20667.html Electric shortage: AI data centers get energy priority in EU

SURVIVAL LILLY
https://youtu.be/OkTU6vN82mo

VIDEO EXCERPTS: This time I'm reporting from the greenhouse because in the car it's too hot. So now finally the summer starts here in Europe. We had a really cold long winter and also a cold spring. But finally summer [hot weather] is here. So we are good.

Now there will come even stricter austerity measures in Austria. We now have an excessive deficit procedure with the European Union because our country is performing so badly, and of course all of the austerity measures will be burdened on the taxpayer again. Yeah. And this is where the cat bites its own tail because you can raise taxes to a certain amount, but there's a point where companies will just close the doors. They will leave for other countries.

[...] So they want to know everything about you. They also want to know what kind of gold or silver reserves you have. Because once they know what you have, they also can tax that...

They are coming for your gold and assets ... https://youtu.be/OkTU6vN82mo

https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/OkTU6vN82mo]]> Electric shortage: AI data centers get energy priority in EU

SURVIVAL LILLY
https://youtu.be/OkTU6vN82mo

VIDEO EXCERPTS: This time I'm reporting from the greenhouse because in the car it's too hot. So now finally the summer starts here in Europe. We had a really cold long winter and also a cold spring. But finally summer [hot weather] is here. So we are good.

Now there will come even stricter austerity measures in Austria. We now have an excessive deficit procedure with the European Union because our country is performing so badly, and of course all of the austerity measures will be burdened on the taxpayer again. Yeah. And this is where the cat bites its own tail because you can raise taxes to a certain amount, but there's a point where companies will just close the doors. They will leave for other countries.

[...] So they want to know everything about you. They also want to know what kind of gold or silver reserves you have. Because once they know what you have, they also can tax that...

They are coming for your gold and assets ... https://youtu.be/OkTU6vN82mo

https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/OkTU6vN82mo]]> <![CDATA[I entered Soviet-era supermarket on Svalbard: Here’s what they sell (arctic survival)]]> https://www.scivillage.com/thread-20594.html Sun, 07 Jun 2026 15:16:06 +0000 C C]]> https://www.scivillage.com/thread-20594.html Yes, there are songbirds in the cold & dark of Svalbard

CIAO, IT'S GIULIA
https://youtu.be/wVCv280yCa4

VIDEO INTRO: This is Barentsburg, a small Russian settlement located on the Svalbard archipelago deep in the Arctic Ocean halfway between mainland Norway and the North Pole. Even though Svalbard belongs to Norway, the islands are governed under the Svalbard treaty of 1920 which allows citizen and companies from different countries to live and work here.

That's why Russia still maintains a permanent community in Barentsburg today. The town was originally built by the Soviet Union around coal mining and much of it still looks almost exactly like it did decades ago. Unlike many places after the collapse of USSR, Barrentsburg changed very slowly because of its isolation and small population.

That's why Soviet era buildings, monuments, and symbols are still part of everyday life here. Barentsburg is also home to the last active coal mine on Svalbard which is still one of the main reasons this settlement exists today.

I'm walking now in the streets of Barentsburg where time is just suspended, where the time has stopped and everything has been the same since an era that now doesn't even exist anymore. We are talking about the Soviet era. So all the buildings and the people -- nothing has changed since then. So this is the only place here in the Arctic where you can basically travel back in time.

So here behind me we have a hotel, of course, in a Soviet style like every other building here. It's really hard to imagine a life here in Barentsburg. There's only 300 people living here, mostly Russian, even though there's also a South African girl who decided to move here. For pleasure, because she loved this place and she loved the community and the people that she met here to the point that she decided to move here for a period of her life.

Of course, we have to remember that here in the Arctic, we have four months of polar night, dark season, where it's completely dark 24/7. And being here is completely disconnected from the reality of the larger world, is a really hard life, especially during those times...

Time travel to Soviet supermarket ... https://youtu.be/wVCv280yCa4

https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/wVCv280yCa4]]> Yes, there are songbirds in the cold & dark of Svalbard

CIAO, IT'S GIULIA
https://youtu.be/wVCv280yCa4

VIDEO INTRO: This is Barentsburg, a small Russian settlement located on the Svalbard archipelago deep in the Arctic Ocean halfway between mainland Norway and the North Pole. Even though Svalbard belongs to Norway, the islands are governed under the Svalbard treaty of 1920 which allows citizen and companies from different countries to live and work here.

That's why Russia still maintains a permanent community in Barentsburg today. The town was originally built by the Soviet Union around coal mining and much of it still looks almost exactly like it did decades ago. Unlike many places after the collapse of USSR, Barrentsburg changed very slowly because of its isolation and small population.

That's why Soviet era buildings, monuments, and symbols are still part of everyday life here. Barentsburg is also home to the last active coal mine on Svalbard which is still one of the main reasons this settlement exists today.

I'm walking now in the streets of Barentsburg where time is just suspended, where the time has stopped and everything has been the same since an era that now doesn't even exist anymore. We are talking about the Soviet era. So all the buildings and the people -- nothing has changed since then. So this is the only place here in the Arctic where you can basically travel back in time.

So here behind me we have a hotel, of course, in a Soviet style like every other building here. It's really hard to imagine a life here in Barentsburg. There's only 300 people living here, mostly Russian, even though there's also a South African girl who decided to move here. For pleasure, because she loved this place and she loved the community and the people that she met here to the point that she decided to move here for a period of her life.

Of course, we have to remember that here in the Arctic, we have four months of polar night, dark season, where it's completely dark 24/7. And being here is completely disconnected from the reality of the larger world, is a really hard life, especially during those times...

Time travel to Soviet supermarket ... https://youtu.be/wVCv280yCa4

https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/wVCv280yCa4]]>