Damien Aubin's Photographs of Frozen Soviet Settlement Pyramiden

French photographer Damien Aubin has documented the abandoned Soviet mining settlement of Pyramiden on the Norwegian archipelago of Svalbard. The settlement, which ceased industrial operations in 1998 and was largely deserted until a few inhabitants returned in 2007, remains impeccably preserved due to the cold climate. Aubin's photographs capture the still, snow-blanketed environment with interiors largely unchanged: books open on school desks, an unblemished statue of Lenin in a common area, and a towering outdoor monument with vivid red and blue paint contrasting the white landscape. Aubin describes the place as 'left in suspension' rather than abandoned, and notes that he photographs 'at a distance, in a restrained, diffuse light' with 'no event to describe, no narrative to unfold.' The photos also include scenes from Barentsburg and Longyearbyen, where 'spaces shaped by human intent, no longer aligned with it.' Aubin has compiled the images into a limited-edition book, available for pre-order on his website, slated for release in September.