The Pomors are Russians who came from the areas around Kvitsjøen in Russia, with Arkhangelsk as the centre. They were skilled sailors and traded westwards with people from the northern regions. It started mostly as a barter; the Pomors had flour and wood and the Norwegians had fish. The Pomeranian trade has been very important for the infrastructure in Vardø and not the least the local anchoring in the town’s recent history.