#ARCTIC. #SIBERIA. THIS IS TAIMYR. In 1944, a holiday home for 100 family places and a pioneer camp for 200 children were opened there. The priority for recovery was given to the children of front-line soldiers, invalids of the Great Patriotic War and excellent students in poor health.
The residents of Norilsk, 9-12 years old, had a rest from June 25 to August 25. In the first season, Taezhny had seven living tents, a canopy for the dining room, a temporary kitchen and a pantry, a cellar, and swimming fences. The children were served by 11 people, including two shooters of the armed guards, who were also night watchmen. That was Taezhny -1944.
The pioneer camp was allocated 60 hectares of land – for growing potatoes, several varieties of cabbage, tomatoes, radishes, carrots, onions, swede, sunflower, various greens and peas. It was also given 10 pigs, which were fattened on the spot. Students and senior schoolchildren were engaged in weeding and harvesting both in the camp and in the state farm of the same name.
The main construction of the pioneer camp and rest house took place in the 1950s. The buildings were designed and erected in the early years by the Norillag prisoners. At that time in Taezhny there were already three camps: for boys, for girls and separately – for kids.
At the end of the 1960s, Taezhny included 11 camps, the twelfth – Boys of the North – was located far from the main territory.
Each camp had its own name, its own territory with houses, canteens, clubs, showers, red corners and sports grounds. Even the pools were built individually for each camp, the water in them was heated (bathing in the Yenisey was recognized as unsafe).
In 1996, in difficult economic times, the Norilsk plant transferred the Taezhny health-improving complex to the jurisdiction of the Suhobuzimsky district.
In the last issue of the History spot photo project, we told that 50 years ago a feature film was shot in Norilsk.
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Text: Svetlana Samohina, Photo: Nornickel Polar Division archive
