The focus this month was to begin the individual POI reports coming from the 5 day IBRG ARTEX-24 expedition to Norway, Finland and Sweden this month. The focus was on all aspects of border visits, border crossings both open closed, border markers (many and varied) tripoint visits as well as unique POI’s such as a cross border hydro electric dam.

Please click on the images below or the red text to access the full visit reports, with photos maps and analysis

New Pages

• The relatively unknown Pikenset enclave, a sliver of Russian territory at the bottom of a Norwegian peninsula. Maps. photos and links to further reports. details here.
• Embassies and Consulates in Norway. Although a secondary focus there were many embassies in Oslo, as well as a Consulate in Kirkenes. Photos and description of those I came across on my travels. Details here.
• Skafferhullet is a historical border crossing point. This crossing point is a fascinating place, with 2 border markers, signs, the old Russian border facilities and a road that disappears towards the now out of reach Boris Gleb church.  Details here.
• Grense Jakobselv is located on the shore of the Barents Sea at the mouth of the Jakobselva river.  The Jakobselva river forms the border with Russia, on the east side of Grense Jakobselv. There is a church, multiple land and maritime border markers and an isolated settlement to explore. Details here.
• There are many border markers along the Jakobselva river. Individual border markers were visited and explored. Details: BM#361, BM#362, BM#363, BM#367, BM#372, BM#377 and BM#382.
• There is one legal border crossing point between Norway and Russia, with stations on both sides, at Storskog in Norway and Borisoglebsky in Russia, located on the E105 highway some 15 km east of Kirkenes. There are passport and customs facilities on both sides of the border. There is also a duty free shop on the Russian side.  Details here
• A boat trip with Barents Safari from Kirkenes harbour to the Russian border along the Paatsjoki river.  The summer camp upper deck provided a great viewpoint for seeing Russia. Borisoglebskaya Dam and the nearby Russian village, the famous Boris Gleb church as well as the border between Norway and Russia. Details here
• The Melkefoss hydroelectric station, built in 1978, is a Norwegian hydroelectric station on the Paatsjoki River. The border is in the river, but the station is on the Norwegian side. Details here
• The Skogfoss dam is a another cross border dam. Theoretically it would be possible to drive a car from one side to another. The border on the dam is marked by a shared border marker #99. It is not allowed to cross the border here. Details here.
• Research and design of the ARTEX-24 page that summarises and collates all the border visits that took place and adds additional photos and explanation of what happened and went on during the trip. Details here
• One of the highlights of the trip, our hike to Treriksrøysa (‘Three-Country Cairn’) is a cairn which marks the tripoint where the borders between Finland, Norway and Russia meet. This is the second most northern tripoint in the world.  The tripoint is marked by a cairn (which is unnumbered). There is a white pyramid on top with the respective countries names written on. Details here.
• The final set of pages are the first 6 border markers on the Norway -Russia border which were visited on the way to, and back from the FINORU tripoint. Details: BM#1, BM#2, BM#3, BM#4, BM#5 and BM#6.

Updated Pages

Several updated pages this month. Country pages have been updated with new photos and links to the new ARTEX-24 reports. In addition, the tripoint and enclave pages have all been updated with Norwegian, Russian and Finish POI’s

Please click on the images below or the red text to access the full visit reports, with photos maps and analysis

• Additional photos and links added to the Norway country page. Details here
• 2) Additional photos and links added to the Finland country page. Details here.
• 3) Additional photos and links added to the Russia page. Details here
• 4) Adding of FINORU to the European tripoint page. Details here
• Adding of the relatively unknown Russian Pikeneset Enclave to the Enclave and Exclave page. Details here.