The Arctic climate can be harsh, but Norwegian leaders have often used the saying “High North, low tension” to describe the relatively calm relationship between Norway and its neighbor, Russia, in these frigid parts.

At least, that’s the case in Kirkenes, an Arctic town of some 3,500 people about four miles from the Russian border, known for a snow hotel and breathtaking views of the Northern Lights.

Kirkenes was liberated by the Soviet Army in World War II after German bombing raids destroyed most of the city. There was very little contact between Norwegians and Russians during the Cold War, says Thomas Nilsen, the editor of the Barents Observer, a Kirkenes-based publication specializing in coverage of the region. That led to major cultural, political, and economic differences between the two sides, he adds.

In the three decades since the end of the Cold War, Norwegians and Russians have become real neighbors here: Russian fishing vessels ported in Norway for repairs, while locals traveled back and forth across the border to shop, find work, and build friendships.

But Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine has upended all this, and Nilsen fears that real divisions are emerging again. “We’re seeing an iron curtain coming down; we’re losing contact," he says. “People are scared.”