Norilsk, The Frigid Russian City Where Tourists Are Banned
Андрей Романенко/Wikimedia CommonsA car buried in several feet of snow in Norilsk, Russia.
Norilsk, located north of the Arctic Circle in central Russia, is one of the world’s northernmost cities. Established in 1935 as a gulag labor camp, it has since evolved into a major center for nickel, copper, and platinum mining.
The city, which has a permanent population of around 175,000, experiences a subarctic climate characterized by long, harsh winters and brief, cool summers. It is covered in snow for about 250 days per year, and the average temperature in January, the coldest month, is around negative 17 degrees Fahrenheit. Norilsk has a booming taxi industry, as it’s too cold and windy for its residents to walk anywhere during the winter.
In addition to being one of the coldest places in the world, Norilsk is also one of the most polluted. The smelting of nickel in the area accounts for around one percent of sulfur dioxide emissions on Earth. Abandoned mines and slag heaps also contribute to the environmental contamination.
Because of the harsh conditions and heavy pollution, tourists are forbidden from visiting Norilsk without special permission from the government.
After learning about the coldest places on Earth, check out the 11 hottest places on Earth. Or, see the 11 creepiest places on Earth — and why they are so unsettling.
