Norilsk

Amongst the many "extreme" places on earth inhabited by people, there is one that has recently culled my imagination, albeit in an arbitrary way. I was reading a book review about an account of the Gulags in the Soviet Union that looked interesting. Admittedly, I never pursued the publication but the review did mention the Russian city of Norilsk in Siberia which is located inside the Arctic Circle. It is a mining city where the raw ore of nickel, palladium and other precious metals are extracted and refined. Like oil and other vital resources, these metals, once refined are extremely valuable, ending up finally as super conductors for circuits found in almost any electronic device you can think of. That is obviously why Norilsk continues to exist in such a harsh environment. Built on the backs of forced labor for its massive nickel deposits and metals such as platinum and copper. Norilsk is the northern most city in the world with a population over 100,000. The city also happens to be in the top ten most polluted on Earth. Combine these factors with the extended darkness of the polar night and you have the makings for one miserable place.
The mining and refining workers also must endure a very dangerous work place where extreme temperatures and polluted air are the norm. Here is a promotional clip produced by Norilsk Nickel, the central mining company in the area. Notice the subtle (or not so subtle) proletariat propaganda of the narrator. They not only give their hearts for nickel but also their backs and lungs.




Settled during the 1930's by the forced labor of prisoners under the Communist Gulag penal system that was spread throughout Siberia, prisoners were forced to work in the mines up until 1979. Now, Norilsk is a "closed" city, presumably due the value of the ore extraction on a grand scale and shady nature of Norilsk Nickel’s owners. So, here’s the city as depicted in what is most likely the hottest day of the year. On the surface, it doesn’t seem like that bad of a place to live. Of course, you’ve got row after row of Soviet era apartment blocks which make up the bulk of the drab architecture here.

Now here are some photos of the city during the winter time. Riding the bus never looked so much fun. Ugh.



A factory worker in Norilsk has a life expectancy on average of ten years less than other factory workers in Russia. The smelting facilities belch byproducts into the sky through enormous smoke stacks. The air usually wreaks of sulfur and the snow is often yellow or black. The first video did show some foliage but that’s probably about it. Not much grows in the way of vegetation in or around Norilsk, probably because the slag is literally dumped into the environment all around the factories. Here’s a beautiful summer drive through what looks to be the outskirts of the city.



Even though the Berlin Wall fell years ago, the sense of collectivism appears alive and well. Many of the businesses in the city are owned by Norilsk Nickel so the money earned is cycled through the company and generations have lived, worked, and died in and around the factories. Many pensioners leave when they retire but most don’t earn enough to move partly due to the city’s isolation. The official tourist website proclaims,"Be sure to visit in early spring, when wild flowers and cherry trees go into full bloom. The sight is awe inspiring to the point of collapsing in tears of joy.". I have a hard time believing that when thousands of square kilometers of forest have been decimated by acid rain and black snow.
Without this becoming a Wiki article with video, I will conclude: This could have been a blog post about any number of depressing mining towns or any far off exotic locations but the dynamics of a place like Norilsk are hard to ignore. I also detachedly sense a fortitude amongst the people who not only founded it in the harshest of conditions but in the people who continue to endure there. Because the city is "closed", not many visitors make it to Norilsk. This lack of foreign contact only mystifies the place for me. If I had the opportunity to visit this Siberian outpost, I would in an instant. And then leave shortly thereafter.

Bonus with Pink Floyd soundtrack: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=He5jdAvuL7A

And this: http://www.polarwebcam.com/