Relations between the Russians and the Norwegians on Svalbard are generally good, but disagreements do occur. About a year ago, the Norwegians were convinced the Russian community suffered from a lack of vitamins, so a Longyearbyen chef sent over six tons of fresh food. This was not well received by Trust Arktikugol. In an article in Svalbardposten, the local Longyearbyen paper, the general director was quite incensed with this gift. He conceded a lack of fruits and veggies in Barentsburg for a short while, but that did not entail a crisis. Understandably, this was humiliating for the Russian authorities.

I don't know what to make of this episode. The food shipment, although well-intentioned, might have been a bit hasty. After all, nobody dies from a temporary lack of fruit. At any rate, alcohol seems to be plentiful. Some years ago, 14 seagulls were found dead on a rubbish-tip. The gulls were sent to Oslo to be autopsied, and were found to have died from alcohol poisoning.