Russian trappers, the Pomors, took over the exploitation of Svalbard from the European whalers. Their experience in cold climate living and the polar night meant that they were the first to stay in Svalbard over winter. They hunted and trapped walruses, seals, white whales, arctic foxes and polar bears.

There is some speculation that the Pomors’  presence in Svalbard pre-dated William Barentsz, but it has been difficult to confirm this.

War in Europe raged in the early 1800s, with the Napoleonic wars and the continued French Revolutionary wars. This led to a decline in demand and a disruption in activities generally.

The Russians withdrew from Svalbard by the 1850s.