Russia-Norway Border

At the top of a small hill near the centre of Kirkenes stands the statue of a lone Soviet soldier, straight-backed with a gun at the ready. The monument reads: "To the valiant soldiers of the Soviet Union in memory of the liberation of Kirkenes." 

In 1944, the Soviets freed eastern Finnmark from German control. However, the 196-km border would remain closed until the end of the Cold War, with Russian troops actively patrolling the region. In 1993, Russia and Norway established the Barents Cooperation, an agreement that ushered in an era of relative peace. But the camaraderie between the two nations is wavering.

The Arctic region is experiencing a chilling effect and the unassuming, 3,500-person town of Kirkenes has gained unprecedented geopolitical importance in recent years: One of the world's only border crossings between Russia and a NATO country lies about 16km away.