The middle of the 1930s on the Norwegian side of the valley, was "a time with homesteading and colonization of the valley, as part of a political desire to mark Norwegian sovereignty in the area. To make the valley attractive as a tourist destination, an observation tower was erected at the highest point of the area, 96 meters above sea level. At the top of the tower [on "hill 96"] there was a restaurant run by ["Sør-Varanger tourist association"] Sør-Varanger turistforening".^[2]

1968 Soviet projection of military power edit

In the early hours of 7 June 1968, the 3 soldiers who were at the (Norwegian) border observation tower at ["hill 96"] 96-høyden outside Svanvik (Norway) (no), observed that 14 Soviet tanks simultaneously were pointing their barrels at Norwegian border observation posts when some of the tanks opened fire—apparently with blanks; the staging of tanks near the border was against Soviet—Norwegian treaties, because no advance notification has occurred; along the Soviet-Norwegian border the Soviets mobilized one infantry division supported by paratroopers and warplanes, including 70 T-54 tanks and 400 other vehicles with sights pointed at Norwegian targets.^{[dubious – discuss][3]}