#ARCTIC. #SIBERIA. THIS IS TAIMYR. Reinforced concrete foundations for columns, girders, crossbars were made on plank platforms near the building under construction, then mounted at the assembly sites. As construction expanded in the city, they began to make door and window lintels, small mobile houses, curbs for roads.
In the mid-1950s, a new technology appeared at large construction sites in the country: prefabrication was introduced in both industrial and residential construction. And in Norilsk, they began to think about turning construction sites into assembly sites, that is, into sites where structures and elements manufactured at the plant would be delivered and where their installation would be carried out. But for this it was necessary to rebuild the construction technology – to build a high-capacity reinforced concrete plant.
In 1955, the development of a large plant project began. Its first line went into operation only in 1957, the second – in 1959. That powerful plant began to produce hollow-core slabs, stairs, landings, interior partitions and many products for industrial construction.
From the memoirs of the Norilsk chronicler Joseph Shamis:
“On a fine day in 1955, a truck stopped at the construction department building on Octyabrskaya street. The foreman of the reinforced concrete products shop came out of the cab, and in the meantime, several young workers jumped out of the body onto the sidewalk. They threw back the sides and together took up the unloading of some large cargo. They picked it up and carried it into the building. It turned out that this load was… an apartment building wall’s part. Yes, it was a block – a prefabricated wall element! This block had a window frame, double glazed frames with vents, a window sill and an outdoor sill; hinges, latches – everything is in its place. In a shallow niche under the window, a cast-iron heating radiator is fixed, pipes for heating supply are connected to it. Everything is painted in bright colors, 100% ready! All that is left to do is just to move the block to the appropriate place on the wall and fix it… It was an event, it made a strong impression. It was the first building block in Norilsk in its permanent form and in full size. The Norilsk combine director, Alexey Loginov, gathered designers and builders there and explained to everyone what he had still not deeply understood, that the prefabrication method is extremely important, especially for the Norilsk construction – in the Arctic conditions with its severe cold and strongest winds. He demanded urgent and unanimous doing everything for the widespread introduction of prefabrication along the entire construction front…”
In the History Spot’s previous publication, we told that Norilsk, as a city remote from the mainland, developed not only industry, but also its own food production.
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Text: Svetlana Ferapontova, Photo: Nornickel Polar Branch archive
