#ARCTIC. #SIBERIA. THIS IS TAIMYR. During the years of the Great Patriotic War, the following facilities were built in Norilsk: a nickel plant, a sintering and small concentrating plant, a sulfuric acid plant and an oxyliquite plant, the Zapolyarny mine, the Ugolny Ruchey mine, a cobalt plant, an airfield and the Medvezhiy Ruchey mine construction began. Geologists almost doubled the ore reserves and nearly tripled the coal reserves.
The Norilsk people submitted and implemented rationalization proposals with a total economic effect of 30 million rubles, collected 60 million rubles for the defense fund. During 1941-1945, 7 606 Norilsk citizens were called up to the front.
The life of a small polar village during the Great Patriotic War can be traced in the lines of archival documents of those years:
Order dated June 21, 1941
“Sunday, June 22, 1941, is considered a day off for all combine’s enterprises (except for permanent workers)”.
Order dated June 22, 1941
“From this date, until further notice, to stop dismissal on regular leave with the departure of the combine and the camp’s employees from Norilsk.
In special cases, the next vacation with departure to provide only with my permission.
To the Human Resources Department head Astahov: persons who have been granted regular leave with departure from Norilsk and who are currently in Norilsk, have to cancel the granted leaves and immediately start working;
all the combine and the camp’s employees, who are on regular vacation outside Norilsk, immediately, by telegraph call, must be returned from vacation.
Order dated August 15, 1941
“…Everything that the combine has for this period: manpower, electrothermal energy, materials, equipment and transport should be used with maximum effect and subordinated to the solution of the main immediate tasks of the combine – ensuring the timely early commissioning of the main start-up facilities: the complex of workshops Big and Small metallurgical plants, coking plant, thermal power station; pump station No. 2 and a water conduit, as well as structures and enterprises with them…”
Order dated February 20, 1942
“…The Norilsk combine staff, having done a lot of work on the construction of a metallurgical plant by the day of the Red Army, has the opportunity to also contribute to strengthening of our homeland defense capability – by launching an extraordinary part of the Big metallurgical pant. After checking the status of construction and installation works of the BMP, the day of the BMP extraordinary part launching with the first matte issuance was set on February 23, 1942”.
January 1943
“…in order to maximize the savings in water consumption from water bodies that are limited – Dolgoye and Barriernoye lakes, as well as the careful use of electricity… within three days to give a decision on the issue of artificially reducing the fire and utility pump performance…”
Order dated February 19, 1944
“… The combine’s sanitary and epidemiological station staff and management throughout 1943 systematically dealt with the issues of production rationalization. The epidemiological station work has mastered: the dysentery bacteriophage production, the anesthetic ether and fortified coniferous kvass preparation, the medical glucose substitute production – a glucose solution of fructose, and so on.
In the History Spot’s previous publication, we told that the Dudinka seaport began with a small river pier.
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Text: Svetlana Ferapontova, Photo: Nornickel Polar Branch archive
