Maxim Mironov, the head of the Norilsk Development Agency (NDA), told the city’s high-ranking guests about the houses construction, the center of citizens attraction, the mosaic panels revival and the tourism development in the northernmost city.
In 2018, in order to understand what the city needs and to understand the needs of residents, the largest social survey in the entire history of Norilsk was conducted, which covered almost four thousand people. It was an electronic questionnaire containing eight blocks, 360 questions. The survey lasted two months and was conducted in a mobile application. Residents were asked to compare Norilsk in its current state with the city it will become in ten years.
It was the assessment of the townspeople that became the basis for the development of the master plan for the city’s development for ten years. The Urbanika Institute of Territorial Planning (St. Petersburg), the Norilsk administration specialized structures and the Nornickel Polar Division’s representatives, local experts and the NDA specialists took part in the document development, which lasted almost a year.
Taking into account the residents’ requests and wishes, the document reflected 11 priority areas of the city planning policy, including the development of the residential environment, public spaces, urban mobility, the formation of the city’s landscape code, the competence center creation and others.
“Speaking about the city spaces development, I will start with the building on Leninsky prospekt, 1. It has housed a technical library for several decades, which has moved to another place, and the building has been vacated. We offered the city’s administration to develop a design project to transform a seven-story building into a space for citizens, in which Norilsk residents of all ages, whether they are young people or families with children, will feel comfortable, where there will be playgrounds for both entertainment and business meetings”, said the NDA director Maxim Mironov.
At the moment, the design project has been surveyed, the design and estimate documentation is being developed. By April next year, specialists plan to receive a state expert opinion. According to preliminary estimates, the center of attraction for citizens will open its doors in 2023.
Another project included in the master plan is the transformation of the courtyard area. We are talking about Talnahskaya street, 10. The address was not chosen by chance. The residents voted for it. In total, the Norilsk Development Agency received 120 applications from the townspeople with suggestions for the improvement of 68 courtyard spaces. As a result of the competition, it was this courtyard that won. The renewal of the territory will take two years: a sports complex for young people and an evergreen giraffe have already been installed. In 2021, a bicycle path and an indoor sports ground will be designed, a recreation area for adults will be equipped.
Tourism and the Arctic tourist cluster development is another important topic for the NDA. Big Argish ethnic festival, the northernmost gastronomic festival, ice fishing festival – all these large-scale events attract hundreds of tourists to the city every year. It should also be said about the beauties of the Putorana plateau, which make an impression on everyone who sets foot on the land. In the last couple of years, the flow of tourists has increased by 30 percent. But getting to Norilsk is not a cheap affair.
“If we were able to achieve a preferential ticket price for travel companies, even if for the first period of tourism development, it would be very good support for us”, Maxim Mironov emphasized.
Meanwhile, the Arctic tourist cluster entered the top thirty projects, according to the Russian Ministry of Natural Resources. Applications for participation were submitted by 200 applicants, our project was the only one from the Krasnoyarsk region, which was noted by experts. This means that tourism must be developed in Norilsk. Guests should be given the opportunity to get acquainted with the ethnic groups of the region, with their traditions and legends; the opportunity to see Kandinsky waterfall – the highest in Russia, and Lama lake – one of the deepest ones. According to the NDA head, this can be done with the help of small aircraft. But the Federation’s help is also needed.
“We could develop small aircraft on the territory – this is our salvation. The cost of small aircraft for tourism is much lower than that of helicopters. For understanding, a helicopter flight is 50-70 thousand rubles, and by plane it will cost 11 thousand. Plus, you can use small planes to deliver people to remote villages. This is also a way out. In addition, we have a large number of nature reserves and sanctuaries in which it is necessary to track animal populations, and here the mechanism of small aircraft can also be used”, the source added.
The Federation Council promised to consider the NDA head’s request.
Text: Elena Stepanenko, Photo: Nornickel Polar Division press office
