#ARCTIC. #SIBERIA. THIS IS TAIMYR. Active and, most importantly, collective leisure was monitored by the district committee of trade unions. It was the trade unions of various Norilsk enterprises that were engaged in the arrangement of tourist centers and night dispensaries in the vicinity of Norilsk.
In the summer of 1968, the city executive committee approved the allocation of land plots for the first recreation centers construction. Those were Jubilee (tourist center of the building materials enterprises management office), Blue Lakes (belonged to the Nickel plant), Fishman’s Dawn (tourist base of the Medny plant) and Sunny (housing and communal administration office’s camp).
Since that time, the developing of the tundra zone along the Talnah road with specialized recreation centers began.
The first camp sites did without houses, they were replaced by tents. But there were sports and dance grounds. For example, in 1969 near the Valyok dispensary the Nikelstroy’s seasonal tent camp – Birch Grove was opened.
“There is a TV and a tape recorder, a tennis court, billiards, chess, checkers, two sports grounds, boats and a raft at the lake”, the organizers boasted.
Over time, comfortable houses appeared, and behind them were sports and dance floors, stages, boat docks, sandy beaches, catamarans and cross-country ski rentals and, of course, buffets and canteens. There was even an unspoken competition among enterprises – for the most original, comfortable and interesting camp site.
For other issues of our photo project about the history of the city and the combine, go to the History spot section.
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Svetlana Samohina, Photo: Nornickel Polar Division archive
