Trondheim (continued), Norway 2019

Trondheim

Nidaros Cathedral is arguably the most important site in Trondheim. It was built as a simple wooden chapel to stand over the tomb of King Olav II when Trondheim was the capital of Norway and the city was called Nidaros.

The stone building was completed around 1300. The cathedral was destroyed by fires several times and rebuilt at least 5 times. One of the materials used in the cathedral structure is Grytdal soapstone that is highly susceptible to rot and weathering. Grytdal soapstone simply disintegrates after a number of years. The maintenance works are ongoing and they probably will never be done. It was a big mistake to use Grytdal soapstone; renovations are costly and do not fix the core of the issue. Here is an interesting article about the latest restoration project https://norwegianscitechnews.com/2017/12/nidaros__cathedral_stones/.

Trondheim was the capital of Norway only for 19 years from 997 to 1016. However, Nidaros Cathedral remains the place for royal weddings and coronations. It is probably the most impressive church in Scandinavia. As it often happens in such places, no photos were allowed inside. So please view the images available online.

It is worth explaining how I, being Russian, happened to have relatives in Norway.

In 1979, my mother’s sister married Paul Vernstad (born Pavel Alekseevich Chegodaev-Sakonsky). Uncle Paul was a Russian prince and a direct descendant of Genghiz Khan’s second son Chagatai whose Khanate was roughly where the current Kazakhstan is. Some family members converted to Christianity and served Russian tsars. For that, they were granted the title of Princes Chegodaev. Their last name was derived from the name Chagatai.

Uncle Paul’s family escaped from Russia after the October revolution and settled down in France. There, he met his first wife who was Norwegian. The couple moved to Trondheim where Uncle Paul built a house on a land plot inherited from a childless relative of his wife.

In the medieval times, this piece of land belonged to a monastery that once had a cruel abbot. Uncle Paul’s house stands on the place where the monastery’s cemetery was. Since then, this area is haunted and my aunt told me first-hand accounts of her encounters with ghosts.

The second most important attraction in Trondheim is Kristiansten Fortress. It was built after the great city fire in 1681 and in 1718, it saved the city from conquest by Sweden. The flag seen from most of the city is raised when the fortress is open.

When the Germans occupied Norway during World War II, Uncle Paul worked for them as an interpreter. He was a linguist by education and spoke over 10 languages. He openly protested against inhumane methods of interrogation which was largely ignored. However, the Germans did not forget to mark Uncle Paul for execution before their forces retreated from Trondheim. A friend tipped Uncle Paul that his name was on the list. The entire family fled from the city and hid in the woods in the south of Norway.

They lived in the woods until Norway was liberated and then returned to Trondheim. When the war was over, Uncle Paul was accused of collaboration with the Germans and thrown into the prison in Kristiansten Fortress. He spent in the dungeon 2 months waiting for the trial that acquitted him of all charges.

After several days in Trondheim, I became restless. My aunt and I were not used to each other’s company day and night. It was for our mutual benefit if I went elsewhere until my flight to London but where to go? I had seen all major cities in Norway. That’s why visiting a small rural place sounded like a good idea.

I studied the map and decided on the town of Kristiansund located on four islands. It is close enough to Trondheim, conveniently connected to it by direct ferries and yet it is far out from the mainland. The northwestern shores of the islands are washed by the waters of the Norwegian Sea. Online photos of the islands with Kristiansund looked amazing. I quickly booked a place to stay 3 nights and left Trondheim.

Kristiansund