Colesbukta

Colesbukta is a bay and former settlement on the western coast of Spitsbergen, the largest island in the Svalbard archipelago. Its history is closely tied to coal mining, which was a major activity on Svalbard in the early 20th century.

Colesbukta, along with nearby Grumantbyen, was developed by the Soviet Union in the early 20th century for coal mining. Colesbukta served as a key transportation and storage hub for coal mined at Grumant. A 6 km railway was constructed between the two settlements, making it easier to move coal to the port. In 1951–1952 both settlements had 1,106 inhabitants.

The Grumant mining operations, and consequently Colesbukta, were abandoned in 1962 due to the high operational costs and declining profitability. The remaining structures at Colesbukta and Grumantbyen became ghost towns, though remnants of infrastructure like buildings and machinery are still visible today, giving insight into its historical past.