4 territories belonging to Russia but not in Russia
The frigid Arctic islands of Spitsbergen, the warm coasts of the Red Sea and the desert landscapes of Kazakhstan – Russian flags fly over these and some other foreign territories. What are Russia's strongholds abroad and how did they get there?
Barentsburg Village
Forgotten, abandoned Russian workers' settlements on the edge of the globe. Located in the West Svalbard Islands, Barentsburg is the second largest settlement in the archipelago. Less than 500 people live here.
Officially, the archipelago belongs to Norway. However, other countries can actually build cities and extract local resources. Today too right to enjoy only Russia and enjoy special rights. In particular, coal has been mined here since 1932.
It must be said that there were 3 Soviet settlements on the island: Barentsburg, Piramida and Grumante. However, with the collapse of the Soviet Union and the ensuing economic crisis, two villages were abandoned.
Barentsburg is unprofitable and depends on subsidies for its livelihood. It exists for geopolitical reasons. The fact is that Russia's ownership of the islands is disputed. The presence of the Russian population here is the only clue that allows the country to declare its interests.
In addition to the mines, the village has a thermal power plant, a port, apartment buildings, a hospital, sports venues, kindergartens, schools, research centers, museums and Orthodox churches.
City and Baikonur Cosmodrome
The Baikonur complex in Kazakhstan is a leased area fully supported by Russia. Until 2050, baikonur was recognized as a Russian city of federal significance.
The complex costs the state budget 10 billion rubles a year: in addition to rent, part of it is used to maintain the facilities of the space launch site and the city budget. The population of Baikonur is 80,000 people
Despite friendly relations with Kazakhstan, the lease of space launch sites often sparks conflict over allegations of environmental disasters.
In addition, the southern neighbor regularly blocks missile launches and in 2014 formulated options for terminating the lease. However, the contradiction was soon resolved and the space launch site remained in Russia.
Antarctica
According to the Antarctic Convention, the continent does not belong to any country. However, more than a dozen countries have made territorial claims against the mainland. They argue their rights with the scientific stations that have been working here since the 1950s.
Russia also has active Antarctic stations Bellingshausen, Vostok, Mirny, Novolazarevskaya and Progress. Domestic scientists work here and can only get there with permission from the Russian Institute of Arctic and Antarctic Research.
Military bases
Officials say Russian troops have been stationed in 10 countries: Abkhazia, Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Syria, Tajikistan, South Ossetia and Sudan.
There is also talk of Western media talking about establishing strongholds in Libya and Nicaragua. Suppose that future bases will appear in Egypt and Cuba. The military stationed here ensures the security of Russia and the countries in which it operates from possible threats.
