Norilsk: the isolated city considered “the most depressing” on Earth
If the old adage of “It’s grim up north” is true, it certainly explains the existence of Norilsk, the world’s northernmost city, which is regularly dubbed one of the “most depressing” places on the planet. Founded during the early days of the Soviet Union, the Russian city was built upon Gulag labour camps and a strong mining industry, which still continues to this day. Even if you have not heard of Norilsk, you have likely seen photographs of the endless brutalist tower blocks covered in smog and snow, an everyday sight for the 175,000 people who live there.
Located firmly within the Arctic Circle, Norilsk seems an unlikely place for humans to inhabit. However, the city is built upon huge nickel deposits which have caused communities to live in the area going all the way back to the Bronze Age. However, Norilsk itself did not fully establish itself as a settlement until the Soviet state established Norillag, a gulag labour camp in 1935. Prisoners were used to extract nickel and other resources through mining and hard labour, which set the atmosphere for the future history of the city.
The extensive gulag system brought more and more people into the harsh climate of Norilsk, and the settlement was eventually granted city status in 1953. That same year, shortly following the death of Stalin, prisoners at the Norillag camps went on strike, sparking what later became known as the Norilsk Uprising, which was a vital moment within the domestic political history of the USSR, as it was one of the first real demonstrations against the inhumane gulag system.
The gulags of Norilsk were closed in 1956, by which time they had claimed the lives of nearly 17,000 inmates, many of those from hypothermia or starvation as a result of the city’s harsh winters and poor supply links to the rest of the country. Since the 1960s, the city has existed almost entirely on the strength of its copper and nickel industry, which supports the vast majority of its inhabitants. Even still, the nickel mines remain some of the most dangerous in the world, and the winters of Norilsk continue to claim lives every year.
Given its dark history, depressing scenery, high levels of pollution and lack of any kind of cultural industries, most people would be content with never visiting Norilsk. However, the Arctic city has become a dream destination for dark tourists and photographers of brutalist architecture. Unsurprisingly, though, the region is incredibly difficult to travel to, particularly from outside of Russia. Officially, Norilsk is classed as a closed city, meaning that outsiders are unable to visit without a permit or special permission from the Russian state.
Permits to visit Norilsk are almost never granted to individuals, so much like tourism in North Korea, embarking upon a supervised, guided tour seems to be the only real option for tourists looking to experience the peak of geographical depression. Even if you are granted permission to enter the city, getting there is a colossal hurdle in itself. For starters, there are no roads into or out of Norilsk, meaning it is only accessible by boat or plane.
Travelling to the city via the Daldykan River has been the predominant method of transport for decades, but it is fraught with difficulties. Namely, the river regularly freezes over in the winter, making boat travel impossible, hence why so many inmates died during the Norilsk winters during the Gulag era. Air travel, therefore, is the superior mode of transportation, but it is worth remembering that the city is nearly 3000 kilometres from Moscow or Saint Petersburg, so flights can be fairly expensive and take upwards of six hours.
Inevitably, therefore, Norilsk is not in any danger of fostering a booming tourism industry. With its harsh weather conditions, poor transport links, and lack of attractions – aside from numerous examples of brutalist Soviet-era architecture – coupled with difficulties caused by Russia’s ongoing assault on Ukraine, it is unlikely you will be able to travel to the city anytime soon. Nevertheless, Norilsk remains a source of morbid fascination for many travellers, eager to get a peak at an urban landscape so far removed from any other location on Earth.
