#ARCTIC. #SIBERIA. THIS IS TAIMYR. The main object of social and cultural life, the new wide-screen cinema was called 60 Years of October. The first supercinema in Taimyr, capable of accommodating 800 spectators, was opened on November 6, 1977. It was built by the whole world: the original sound-absorbing panels were made in Norilsk, the Norilsk art and production workshops designers developed the design of the second floor and the auditorium.
Before the cinema opening, a competition for the best name was announced. The Norilsk people came up with 80 options, including Metallurg, Aurora, Zvezda. But in honor of the round date, the ideological 60 Years of October appeared, or, as the townspeople simplified, Six-Zero. Since 1993, the cinema has been called Cinema ART Hall. By the way, according to the original plan, it was supposed to become an element of a whole cultural complex.
In 1977, the builders also handed over the Ol-Gul ski base. The name Ol-Gul came from a chain of lakes. Prior to this, skiers trained in the area of the Sredny village, but the local base burned down, and they decided to build a new modern sports facility – with a ski storage for 2500 pairs and a watchman’s apartment. Over time, five ski runs were laid: 3, 5, 8, 10 and 15 kilometers. Lighting masts were placed along the three-kilometer ring, so it’s possible to ski at Ol-Gul even on a polar night.
In the same year, the Press House was built on Komsomolskaya street and a residential building on Talnahskaya street – an art gallery moved to its first floor.
In 1977, the construction of Nadezhda metallurgical plant was in full swing, and metallurgists were the main characters of newspaper publications.
Nickel powder received the international quality standard; in October, cathode copper from Norilsk received the Union quality mark, and the following year it was also awarded to cobalt grades K-1 and K-1A. New technologies were introduced in Norilsk metallurgy. And even those who had nothing to do with metallurgy knew the abbreviation LBM – melting in a liquid bath: the advanced technology developed by professor Andrey Vanyukov was tested at the Copper plant (Vanyukov’s melting would go into the industrial format in 1985).
In the summer, a new Metallurgy pavilion was opened at VDNKh, where the scientific and technological achievements of the Norilsk combine were widely presented. The Socialist Labor Hero Star was awarded to the Nickel plant smelter Nikolay Mikhailov.
Also, the Norilsk airport for the first time accepted the Tu-154 with passengers on board, following the route Krasnoyarsk – Norilsk – Moscow.
In the same year, the powerful Il-76 cargo airliner made its first landing. It delivered 30 tons of cargo for the trade department.
In the History Spot previous publication we told that 50 years ago Norilsk got its own coat of arms – a polar bear.
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Text: Svetlana Ferapontova, Photo: Nornickel Polar Branch archive
