#ARCTIC. #SIBERIA. THIS IS TAIMYR. In winter, there was nothing in the center of the square, not even a turning circle with a lawn. This made snow removal much easier.
And in the summer, starting from the mid-1950s, a seasonal flower bed was set up there. In the center of the flower bed stood a tall gypsum flowerpot, which can be seen in many pictures in Norilsk people’s old photo albums.
By the way, this was not the only flowerbed there: on the nearest lawn overlooking the square, a flower calendar was arranged, the numbers and letters of which were made up of greenery and changed daily.
In the late 1950s, a city sculpture, a plaster bear, was placed on Gvardeiskaya square. He did not just stand, but “posed” in a very naturalistic way, holding a captured seal in his paws.
The sculpture stood in the center of the city for a short time – apparently, only one season, then it was again replaced by flower beds and small architectural forms.
In June 1966, a block of gabbro-diabase appeared on the square with the promise: “An obelisk will be built here, always reminiscent of the heroism of the Norilsk people who conquered the tundra, created our city and the combine”.
The monument to the Norilsk Metallurgists was erected in the summer of 2020. At the same time, the stone, which is a landmark itself, remained with it in a single composition.
In the History Spot’s previous publication we talked about the House of Physical Education in the Old town, which was the first building in Norilsk specially built as a sports facility.
Follow us on Telegram, VKontakte.
Text: Svetlana Ferapontova, Photo: Nornickel Polar Branch archive
