Russia Close-Up: Norilsk – Russia's aluminium heart
Published 02 November, 2007, 03:40
Norilsk is the major city in Russia's Krasnoyarsk region, with more than 100,000 people. That makes it the world’s second largest city above the Polar circle. It is famous for its Norilsk Nickel factory, for being one of the most polluted places in the world and for its harsh Polar living conditions.
Norilsk is almost cut off from the world. It is connected by a railroad to only one city – the port of Dudinka. The only way to leave Norilsk is to then travel 2,000 km down the Yenisei River or by air. But due to bad weather a flight can be delayed for up to two weeks.
Vasilina Dmitryuk remembers the time when there was nothing but tundra on the spot where Norilsk now stands. She was one of numerous GULAG prisoners who built the city in the 1940s.
“I was young when I became a political prisoner. But it was nothing but a pretext, they just needed people to help in construction in the north,” explained Vasilina Dmitryuk, Norilsk resident.
She says the city is now very different because of industrial pollution.
Norilsk Nickel is the major factory in the area. It includes the world's largest nonferrous metal factory. Kilometres of mines stretch under the city where 19 elements of the periodic table are being excavated, including half of all the palladium in the world.
Mikhail Dyagilev from the Krasnoyarsk non-ferrous metals plant said Norilsk is one of its major suppliers.
“We produce all the precious metals – gold, silver, platinum, palladium and all the other metals of platinum group. They come to our company first of all from Norilsk Nickel and all the other companies that have their mineral base in Krasnoyarsk region.”
Industrial smog surrounds the city
According to the Black Smith Institute, due to intense mining Norilsk has been named one of the ten most polluted cities on the planet.
Every day two Norilsk Nickel mobile laboratories patrol the city measuring the level of noxious gas in the air.
“If the level is critical, the factory temporarily reduces production and undertakes other measures to reduce gas emissions,” said Aleksandr Zhernokleev, a laboratory engineer.
Norilsk has an extremely harsh climate and the most difficult time is the polar night period, when the sun never rises and it's permanently dark – seven weeks without sunshine.
Taking into account all the disadvantages it's obvious that even those who came here voluntarily to make money are eager to escape – and the state supports them.
“For the people who have been living and working in the North for 15 years, we offer free accommodation for life anywhere else in Russia, if they want to move,” said Aleksandr Kostylyov from the Krasnoyarsk Agency for Housing Programmes.
One by one, those who cannot find work end up leaving the region. But it always draws others – the young and the adventurous – not only in search of a living, but also for a taste of the exotic.
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