Norilsk, located in the Siberian region of northern Russia, is positioned in the northernmost area of the planet. This place has long been given a grim title, known as “the harshest city in the world”.
A Forgotten Land Shrouded in Cold
Home to over 170,000 residents, the small city of Norilsk is incredibly remote and almost isolated from the outside world. Even though it is only 930 miles from the Siberian capital of Krasnoyarsk and 1,800 miles from Moscow, the difficult terrain makes travel for the locals challenging. Due to its isolation, Norilsk does not attract tourists or new residents.
To reach here, one must take a train or choose to travel by sea.
There are no roads leading to Norilsk. To get to the city, one must take a train or choose to travel by sea from the city of Dudinka, which is 40 miles away, but this is impossible in winter due to frozen waters. The people of Norilsk often joke that when they go elsewhere, they are “going to the mainland.” It wasn’t until 2017 that the city had complete internet connectivity.
Not only is the geographical location extreme, but the most frightening aspect of Norilsk is its frigid climate. The average annual temperature is minus 10 degrees Celsius, with the lowest recorded at minus 53 degrees Celsius. Located about 320 km from the Arctic Circle, the city experiences two months of complete darkness in winter, with no light at all. In summer, however, the sun shines continuously for two months, disrupting the daily lives of the residents. During the peak of winter cold, hardly anyone dares to step outside for fear of freezing on the streets.
The average annual temperature here is minus 10 degrees Celsius, with the lowest at minus 53 degrees Celsius.
Record Pollution
The modern history of Norilsk began in the early 20th century. Beneath the thick layers of ice and snow lie many precious metal ores. Today, Norilsk is one of the largest producers of nickel and palladium in the world. One-fifth of the world’s nickel and half of its palladium production comes from this forgotten land.
Norilsk is one of the largest producers of nickel and palladium in the world.
After geologists discovered the city’s abundant resources, a series of factories were built in close proximity. Despite the harsh climate, for a long time, hundreds of thousands flocked to Norilsk to exploit its minerals. Statistics show that in 1936, the city had up to half a million workers. Working under extremely cold conditions, over 18,000 people died from starvation, cold, metal poisoning, and exhaustion within approximately 20 years.
Norilsk has become the most polluted city in Russia.
The excessive establishment of factories and the rapid exploitation of minerals in a short period have left numerous consequences. Currently, Norilsk has become the most polluted city in Russia and the fifth most polluted city in the world, despite its small size. Each year, nickel industrial zones release more than 2 million tons of toxic gases. About 1% of the total global sulfur dioxide emissions come from this “harsh city.”
In addition to the freezing snowstorms, the residents of Norilsk frequently face acid rain. These rains devastate the already poor ecosystem of the area. As a result, the average lifespan of Norilsk residents is significantly lower than normal, at just 59 years compared to 69 years for the rest of Russia. The cancer rate in the city is also double that of other regions in the country. A statistic once indicated that Norilsk residents have significantly higher rates of blood-related, musculoskeletal, and psychological diseases.
Residents of Norilsk frequently encounter acid rain.
Despite this, over 170,000 people still remain in Norilsk. Most of them are descendants of the laborers who toiled under harsh conditions in the previous century. Although difficult and harsh, for many, Norilsk is still home, and leaving to seek new horizons is not a priority.
