Recent History
After 1990, some descendants of the original settlers began to emphasise their family backgrounds, although only a few had been able to maintain a rusty knowledge of the Vardø dialect of the Norwegian language. Some have now migrated to Norway. There are special provisions in the Norway's immigration law which eases this process, albeit generally being less permissive than those which pertain in other countries which operate a "right of return". In order to obtain a permit to move to Norway and work there, a foreign citizen must show an adequate connection to the country, such as having two or more grandparents who were born there. As for citizenship, it is awarded on the same basis as to anyone else - which basis includes the formal renunciation of the original citizenship. By 2004 approximately 200 Kola Norwegians had settled in Norway.
In 2007, the small village of Port-Vladimir, the last stronghold of the Kola Norwegians lost its official recognition due to depopulation. Only 98 individuals identified themselves as Norwegians in the 2010 Census of Russia, including 20 in St.Petersburg, 11 in Murmansk, and 4 in Karelia.
Read more about this topic: Kola Norwegians
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