#ARCTIC. #SIBERIA. THIS IS TAIMYR. From most remote villages, residents traveled to Norilsk by train. Therefore, in addition to the main railway station, which was located at the Norilsk-Sortirovochnaya station on Vokzalnaya street, far from residential areas, the railway was extended to the Octyabrskaya square station.
The first trains arrived at Leninsky prospect in April 1961. This is how a front entrance gate appeared near Norilsk, overlooking the palace skyscrapers of October Square.
This section of the way to the next station Zub-Gora was about one and a half kilometers long.
In 1962, a neat wooden pavilion, a mini-station where tickets were sold, was built at the new station.
From there, electric trains left for Kayerkan, and later to the new airport in Alykel. There in summer mushroom pickers got on the ‘health trains’ – the Norilsk residents were taken to the Tundra station during the mushroom season.
In addition, pioneer trains left Octyabrskaya Square for Dudinka. Annually in June, about twelve thousand schoolchildren and service personnel were sent to the Taezhny pioneer camp. For that, specially organized electric trains departed from the Octyabrskaya Square station.
The train arrived at the Oktyabrskaya Square station until the early 1990s, when construction began on the even side of 50 Let Octyabrya street.
In previous issues of History spot photo project, we told about the first pioneer organization in Norilsk and that the Norilsk railway station was originally built for long-distance trains.
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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Text: Svetlana Samohina, Photo: Nornickel Polar Division archive