No Sun, No Roads, No Fresh Air: The World’s Highest and Most Isolated City
The isolated mining town of Norilsk, nestled within Russia's Arctic Circle, steadfastly holds onto its title as the 'most depressing city in the world'. Struggling for survival amid freezing temperatures that can reach 70 degrees, two months of pitch-black darkness, and poisonous clouds, the only lifeline in this city is the airplanes.
The roots of Norilsk were established in the 1930s as a Gulag labor camp.
The gray concrete blocks we inhabit today were constructed by prisoners, who were forced to work in the freezing cold, leading to the loss of approximately 17,000 lives. The city is filled with colossal structures, lined up like giant windbreakers to cut through the harsh winds.
In this city, it's as if nature has declared war on mankind:
In the freezing season that lasts for a whopping seven months in winter, the sun doesn't make an appearance for two full months. The city is plunged into 24-hour darkness.
In Norilsk, where temperatures can plummet to as low as 70 degrees, life has largely moved underground. Restaurants, cafes, and shopping centers operate beneath the earth's surface to shield themselves from the biting winds.
Norilsk doesn't just send shivers down the world's spine with its chilling temperatures, but also strikes fear with its alarming levels of pollution.
In the city, which is solely responsible for one percent of global sulfur dioxide emissions, acid rain and metallic fogs have become a part of daily life. The most tangible evidence of the ecological devastation in the region are the incidents in 2016 when a river turned completely red and the massive fuel leaks in 2020.
The tales told by former residents are horrifying: you have to quickly escape when a poisonous 'dirty cloud' suddenly appears in front of you while walking down the street, in order not to suffocate. The trees in the region have long since withered, leaving behind only 'pitch-black skeletons'.
Despite this bleak picture, why do people choose to reside here?
Response: Money and the Corporate State.
The colossal nickel deposits in the region offer salaries that are significantly higher than the Russian average. Many miners endure this 'hell' with the hope of saving money within a few years. Norilsk Nickel, on the other hand, is not just the city's employer, but virtually its de facto government; it sets the rules and governs life.
If you're keen on seeing this place with your own eyes, you've got quite the challenge ahead.
Norilsk is one of the rare cities in Russia that still maintains a 'closed' status. It requires a special permit from the Russian government, which is notoriously difficult to obtain, for foreign tourists or journalists to gain entry into the city.
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