You could be forgiven for thinking they don’t share a border (Image: Getty)
You would be forgiven for believing the and do not share a border, or that travel between the two countries would have to come via or from a cursory glance at a map.
But the Norwegian-Russian border is one of the Second World War’s most important but least understood historical sites.
Because the two nations do in fact meet at one of ’s most northern points and share a border crossing full of history and strategic importance.
This border became a contested zone during the as Norway fell to German forces in 1940 and the Nazis set their sights on an invasion of the Soviet Union.
During Operation Barbarossa, the German invasion of the Soviet Union, Norway became a staging post for German troops as they attempted to capture a key Soviet port in the city of Murmansk.
:
The border can be accessed only by one road (Image: Getty)
In the event of conflict between Russia and the west, the border would become extremely important (Image: Getty)
Following a stalemate, the Soviets launched an offensive of their own, with forces pushing through into the Norwegian town of Kirkenes.
Post war, relations between the two did not improve, with Norway aligning itself with western nations and seeing the Soviet Union as its biggest threat. As a result, the border became heavily guarded, with both sides suspicious of one another.
Such was the distrust, established the county of Finnmark as a buffer zone, with the population’s allegiances not being trusted by either side.
The border for the remainder of the Soviet Union’s lifespan was the only border shared with a NATO country and is still only the second NATO/ border following becoming a member state in 1999.
The border has just one crossing, reached along the E105 highway with an uninspiring building greeting those looking to pass through.
There is one road to the border with forests and rivers surrounding it (Image: Google)
Don’t miss…
As the only NATO border with mainland Russia, security is tight since the invasion of Ukraine (Image: Getty)
Since the turn of the century, various work projects have been undertaken to develop the border crossing, as visits between the two increased whilst relations between and the west became more cordial.
However following , the border has closed to Russian freight and significant limitations placed on civilian crossings, with only those with family close to the other side being allowed to pass through.
The prospect of war in Europe brings the importance of this border back into sharper focus. It remains the only border into proper, with Poland only sharing a border with the Russian exclave Kalingrad, meaning that in the event of conflict, it would become a key piece of terrain for both sides looking to make incursions into enemy territory.