Who’s putting giant crosses in the Arctic?

Quick Overview

The giant Orthodox crosses seen in the Russian Arctic are part of a deliberate, ongoing geopolitical campaign by the Russian Orthodox Church and military structures to assert Russian cultural and spiritual dominion over the Arctic territories, including areas like Novaya Zemlya (a 7.5m cross erected in 2021) and Franz Josef Land (an 8m cross erected in 2023), with the original cross on Svalbard dating back to 1952, all aimed at legitimizing Russia's claim to the region.

Key Points: Three large Orthodox crosses have been erected or restored in Russian-claimed Arctic territories: Svalbard (7m cross, original from 1952, restored/re-erected), Franz Josef Land (8m cross in 2023), and Novaya Zemlya (7.5m cross in 2021). The cross erection ceremonies involve military personnel from the 12th Main Directorate (responsible for nuclear munitions) and representatives from the Russian Orthodox Church and the Russian Geographical Society. The cross on Novaya Zemlya, which casts a shadow pointing perfectly north, was created around August 12, 2025, imagery date, and its shadow length suggests a height of approximately 7.5 meters. The cross erected on Svalbard in 2023 was deemed unlawful by the Governor, who required Trust Arktikugol to relocate it to a regulated zone in 2024. The actions are interpreted by experts like Kari Aga Myklebost as a message to the home audience that Russian settlements are 'holy lands' belonging to the Russian cultural sphere, supporting broader geopolitical ambitions. The cross found on Svalbard dates back to 1952 and may have served as a navigational aid for Pomor hunters, whose historical presence in the region is being invoked by the current campaign.

Context: This video investigates a series of large Orthodox crosses appearing in various remote Russian-controlled or claimed Arctic locations, specifically Svalbard, Novaya Zemlya, and Franz Josef Land. The investigation is prompted by a Reddit post showing a strangely shaped shadow on Google Earth, which turned out to be one of these crosses. The crosses are being installed or restored as part of a coordinated campaign involving the Russian Orthodox Church (led by Bishop Vladika Iakov) and military/state entities like the 12th Main Directorate and Trust Arktikugol, linking modern Russian presence to historical Pomor activity in the region.