October 16, 2025, 1:30 pm | Read time: 3 minutes
On a barren island in the far northeast of Russia, an unusual scene unfolds: Polar bears have made themselves at home in an abandoned Soviet research station. A photographer captured the spectacular images, showing how animals are carving out new habitats.
A Window to the Wilderness–Like a Russian Fairy Tale
Silent and deserted, the old polar station lies on a remote island. The wind sweeps over the wave-tossed, rain-and-spray-gray wooden roof, and a polar bear gazes out from a window–as if about to tell a fairy tale.
The bear’s figure fills the frame like the wise storyteller from old Russian fairy tale films, ready to narrate a story with Baba Yaga and Ivanushka. Only in this case, it’s an abandoned hut in the north, from which the bear might recount tales of ice, storms, and survival skills.
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Unexpected Residents on Kolyuchin Island
During a cruise through the Chukchi Sea in September, photographer Vadim Makhorov filmed the rugged landscape around Kolyuchin Island. He discovered that several polar bears had settled in one of the abandoned buildings of a former Soviet research station. The island is about seven miles off the northern coast of the Chukchi Peninsula, directly across from Alaska on the other side of the Bering Strait.
The footage Makhorov captured with a drone shows the majestic animals in and around the abandoned buildings–sometimes peering through windows, sometimes on the roof or in front of the facade.
In a social media post, the photographer wrote: “The bears appreciate comfort and coziness; they see their home as a refuge.”
“The polar bears live here in an abandoned weather station,” the drone photographer’s post continued. Nearby is a walrus colony, and whales swim in the area.
He also speculates why the bears occupy the empty houses: “It’s convenient; there’s no wind, no rain. And in sunny weather, you can lie in the yard on your belly.”
Insights from Above
In addition to close-ups of the polar bears, the photo series also features impressive aerial images of the abandoned research station. These highlight the isolation of Kolyuchin’s location. The region is part of Russia’s Far East, specifically the autonomous region of Chukotka.
The images and videos, taken on September 14 and 18, 2025, are part of a photo series compiled by the photo editors of the Associated Press (AP). All photos are by Vadim Makhorov.
They show polar bears in daylight in various situations on the grounds of the dilapidated station–an unusual but impressive testament to the animals’ adaptability in a changing habitat.