Siberia from North to East. Part 1 : Norilsk.
 

Maybe you remember my photo threads last year about my trip across Eurasia by train (if not, take a look at my signature ;)).
I decided to come back this summer to Siberia for three weeks. I've just returned back home.
This time, I didn't only travel by train, but also by boat and car to go from Norilsk to Vladivostok.

Here is the trip that I did in 2010 :
http://i.imgur.com/gAZVp.jpg


And here is the trip I've just come back from :
http://i.imgur.com/flrzT.jpg

So, first step : Norilsk.
Norilsk is an industrial city, located north of the arctic circle (thus we had 24 hours daylight). It has some 200,000 people and it's officially a forbidden city for foreigners. If you are not Russian, you need special authorizations to enter the city. Needless to say, it's not a very touristic place. Me, the other three tourists who accompanied me and our guide were probably the only international tourists in the city at the time we visited it (and maybe the sole international tourists of the whole year).
Norilsk must be the most fascinating place I've ever visited. It's also very polluted, you could smell (and see) the gaz in the city.

1- Arriving at Norilsk airport :
http://i.imgur.com/pUAq7.jpg

2-
http://i.imgur.com/1VXB1.jpg

3- I don't know why, but 9°C in Norilsk feels a lot colder than anywhere else in the world.
http://i.imgur.com/mNTZ0.jpg

4- Abandonned commieblocks on the way from the airport to Norilsk :
http://i.imgur.com/uyTis.jpg

5-
http://i.imgur.com/ittSu.jpg

6-
http://i.imgur.com/2eTH8.jpg

7- The northenmost railroad in the world, linking Norilsk to Dudinka, the port on the Iennisseï river :
http://i.imgur.com/VataP.jpg

8-
http://i.imgur.com/TRGCB.jpg

9- Kayerkan (pop. : 27,000), just before Norilsk :
http://i.imgur.com/RU3tG.jpg

10-
http://i.imgur.com/gNWDr.jpg

11-
http://i.imgur.com/vixqX.jpg

12- The tundra :
http://i.imgur.com/Fw3SE.jpg

13-
http://i.imgur.com/UtddO.jpg

14-
http://i.imgur.com/4ExYP.jpg

15-
http://i.imgur.com/ct7b9.jpg

16- The HM3 (NMZ) plant, on the way to Norilsk.
http://i.imgur.com/UjdQS.jpg

17-
http://i.imgur.com/zISfg.jpg

18-
http://i.imgur.com/g4CSz.jpg

19-
http://i.imgur.com/NmJDt.jpg

20-
http://i.imgur.com/xNWFU.jpg

21- Downtown Norilsk :
http://i.imgur.com/5ITz5.jpg

22-
http://i.imgur.com/w2TjG.jpg

23-
http://i.imgur.com/9lMiT.jpg

24- The northenmost mosque in the world :
http://i.imgur.com/QQivm.jpg

25-
http://i.imgur.com/8Axbv.jpg

26-
http://i.imgur.com/98k7T.jpg

27-
http://i.imgur.com/i1G5O.jpg

28-
http://i.imgur.com/2YaKt.jpg

29- Monument to the victims of the gulag (Norilsk was built by people deported to the Gulag) :
http://i.imgur.com/g1Heo.jpg

30-
http://i.imgur.com/pAKYr.jpg

31-
http://i.imgur.com/2OeIU.jpg

32-
http://i.imgur.com/AAZP9.jpg

33-
http://i.imgur.com/W3RFf.jpg

34-
http://i.imgur.com/Q9BUi.jpg

35-
http://i.imgur.com/dGpAg.jpg

36-
http://i.imgur.com/Jvnoa.jpg

37- City views from the mountain :
http://i.imgur.com/V2Agf.jpg

38- Spot the mosque :
http://i.imgur.com/uYgcZ.jpg

39-
http://i.imgur.com/swtqY.jpg

40-
http://i.imgur.com/fPN6u.jpg

41-
http://i.imgur.com/tNPf4.jpg

42-
http://i.imgur.com/fklIb.jpg

43- The orthodox church :
http://i.imgur.com/1nuQa.jpg

44-
http://i.imgur.com/AOJTI.jpg

45-
http://i.imgur.com/XWm8z.jpg

46-
http://i.imgur.com/b73IT.jpg

47-
http://i.imgur.com/78ULR.jpg

48- Some parts of Norilsk have been renovated in recent years, but most of the buildings remain in bad shape :
http://i.imgur.com/wp2qv.jpg

49-
http://i.imgur.com/oQy5m.jpg

50-
http://i.imgur.com/01gGQ.jpg

51-
http://i.imgur.com/5T47J.jpg

52- Thanks to our guide who knew one of the security responsible of the plant, we had the chance to visit the HM3 (NMZ) plant (see also pic 16).
Unfortunately we couldn't take pics of the inside, which was very impressive with large melting metal tanks everywhere and a stifling atmosphere.
http://i.imgur.com/0MPi3.jpg

53-
http://i.imgur.com/ceeU4.jpg

54-
http://i.imgur.com/0G04V.jpg

55-
http://i.imgur.com/tfebp.jpg

56- Our hotel at Norilsk (actually it's the only one hotel in the city) :
http://i.imgur.com/oW5NV.jpg

57-
http://i.imgur.com/QbU6E.jpg

58- The theatre :
http://i.imgur.com/RpckQ.jpg

59-
http://i.imgur.com/lor4v.jpg

60-
http://i.imgur.com/DUExU.jpg

61-
http://i.imgur.com/jgCk5.jpg

62-
http://i.imgur.com/8DDae.jpg

63-
http://i.imgur.com/91FGh.jpg

64-
http://i.imgur.com/8CPUF.jpg

65-
http://i.imgur.com/dcXX2.jpg

66-
http://i.imgur.com/WLVGH.jpg

67-
http://i.imgur.com/50YDp.jpg

68-
http://i.imgur.com/6LX5q.jpg

69-
http://i.imgur.com/4QyYm.jpg

70-
http://i.imgur.com/FgKuA.jpg

71-
http://i.imgur.com/lWt7w.jpg

72-
http://i.imgur.com/EynbW.jpg

73-
http://i.imgur.com/ZaKqX.jpg

74-
http://i.imgur.com/qYoJc.jpg

75-
http://i.imgur.com/VdOV7.jpg

76-
http://i.imgur.com/v9T1X.jpg

77- Monument to the soldiers fallen during WW2 :
http://i.imgur.com/RzU7d.jpg

78-
http://i.imgur.com/f8iGE.jpg

79-
http://i.imgur.com/gO7S8.jpg

80-
http://i.imgur.com/NUM7k.jpg

81-
http://i.imgur.com/fDOc6.jpg

82-
http://i.imgur.com/27iq4.jpg

83- Because of the permafrost, all buildings are built on pilotis in Norilsk :
http://i.imgur.com/vUdYk.jpg

84-
http://i.imgur.com/7Pm89.jpg

85-
http://i.imgur.com/vwC1G.jpg

86- The mosque again :
http://i.imgur.com/yDYyy.jpg

87-
http://i.imgur.com/zSguR.jpg

88-
http://i.imgur.com/jrRrq.jpg

89-
http://i.imgur.com/ZBKAx.jpg

90-
http://i.imgur.com/ow8x9.jpg

91-
http://i.imgur.com/An1mF.jpg

92-
http://i.imgur.com/XwjPG.jpg

93-
http://i.imgur.com/qSnIV.jpg

94-
http://i.imgur.com/oVaML.jpg

95-
http://i.imgur.com/Ew9s6.jpg

96-
http://i.imgur.com/Wn914.jpg

97-
http://i.imgur.com/Z3mkM.jpg

98-
http://i.imgur.com/OqWuU.jpg

99-
http://i.imgur.com/599VI.jpg

100-
http://i.imgur.com/TMM5s.jpg

101-
http://i.imgur.com/wcUrD.jpg

102-
http://i.imgur.com/l8LjO.jpg

103-
http://i.imgur.com/N4q7E.jpg

104-
http://i.imgur.com/K0yjY.jpg

105-
http://i.imgur.com/mVWAs.jpg

106-
http://i.imgur.com/jU44T.jpg

107-
http://i.imgur.com/7uBUW.jpg

108-
http://i.imgur.com/ra2oy.jpg

109- Leaving Norilsk, a little stop to take the pose in front of the sign at the entrance of the city :
http://i.imgur.com/APYmf.jpg

110-
http://i.imgur.com/EKSJq.jpg


Next step : Dudinka !

Awesome!

I've read about Norilsk in Nat'l Geographic but I have never seen so many photos of it.

It does look scary and dirty, but also fascinating at the same time. And nickel has to come from somewhere I guess.

Excellent photo tour. There are some nice buildings, but overall this is a nasty-looking city. I'm suprised they allowed photography of some of these places.

I look forward to more of your trip.

Truly fascinating. Excellent tour.

Very eerie looking place, but still very interesting. Thanks for the tour.

whoa, crazy place. I'd actually be a bit scared to live in some of those highrises, the buildings don't appear to be very structurally sound.

Wow, so many interesting shots. Hands down winner of the 2011 Grit Award™. Thanks for the great tour, look forward to the rest.

Terribly awful, but quite interesting nonetheless. Your photos display the dreary, desolate gloom. Lots of vodka would be required to battle through life in a place like this.

Holy crap, awesome photos; but damn, what an incredibly terribly depressing place to live. What happened, did time never go past 1985 there? Do they even know the Berlin Wall fell... doesnt look like it, damn.

Truly depressing.
Great job!

Like the other commenters, I found much of this depressing, but all of it fascinating. Including the best and worst of the buildings.

It's worth remembering that Fairbanks is pretty dirty and lacking in streetscape too. Being that far north makes it hard to be a liveable city in a traditional sense.

You and I have very, very different taste in holidays, but thanks for the fascinating photos.

this is too funny:

http://i.imgur.com/jrRrq.jpg

Awesome!!
Looking forward to more!

Standing ovation for showing us locations of where we would rarely see if ever. Gritty and industrial-

Wow, some amazing shots. But as others have echoed this place looks pretty grim (that may actually be an understatement).

Wow, can't wait for the rest of what is sure to be a fascinating tour.

I nominate this for most depressing skyline on earth:

http://i.imgur.com/V2Agf.jpg

Holy fuck...to say that this looks like a rough place to live would be an massive understatement...can't wait to see the rest of the trip!

Dismal, bathed in pastel.

Totally obscure, completely different, and seriously fascinating.

I can't wait to see the rest of this trip.

Not that you need to, but for others, Travels in Siberia by Ian Frazier is a great read.

Wow, thanks for an extremely interesting post! I'd love to go on a trip like this some day. Do you speak Russian? When you went by car, did you hire a car with a driver?