#ARCTIC. #SIBERIA. THIS IS TAIMYR. 1945. The construction of Sevastopolskaya street was coming to an end – one of the first two streets established in Norilsk. It shared its status with the neighboring Pionerskaya street, as they each had one corner house between them. However, while Pionerskaya street was just beginning to develop, Sevastopolskaya street already boasted 15 new buildings, primarily two- and three-story houses.
In the center of the street, an unusual residential building was erected, featuring two three-story wings and a four-story core – this height was unprecedented in Norilsk at that time. The architect Sergey Horunzhy designed the building in 1942, with contributions from renowned local architects Vitold Nepokoichitsky and Lydia Minenko, who worked on the architectural details for the exterior. At that time, the building was not only the tallest but also the largest in the construction area, covering 2 723 square meters.
According to accounts, the first residents moved into the unfinished building in 1943, while work on its exterior was still ongoing. The housing shortage in wartime Norilsk was too severe to wait. Officially, the building was commissioned in January 1944, but local legend tells that its completion was celebrated on May 9, 1945, making it a symbol of Victory on the street named after the hero city.
Interestingly, the unofficial decision on the street’s name was made back in 1942 during the defense of Sevastopol. In 1945, a document was signed to officially commission the entire street. By 1947, the name Sevastopolskaya street was formally registered, and its main building changed from construction number 13 to its current postal address – Sevastopolskaya street, 7.
Initially, this building served as a workers’ dormitory, but it also housed a branch of the trade union library, a cinema for the trade union committee, and even a cafeteria, the only one in the area that stayed open until ten o’clock in the evening.
In 1953, building No. 7 was redesigned and renovated for public use, becoming the main administrative building of Norilsk. Its four-story core and three-story wings became home to the city’s authorities, including the city party committee, Komsomol committee, city executive committee, city council, trade union regional committee, military enlistment office, and the unified Norilsk aviation squadron. Until 1970, the editorial office of the local newspaper Zapolyarnaya Pravda was located on the second floor of the right wing, and over the years, the building even housed a school for working youth and a boarding school.
In the 1990s, this historic building lost its eastern wing, but the western wing was preserved, albeit with significant renovations. Today, the building at Sevastopolskaya street, 7, stands as the oldest structure within the modern boundaries of Norilsk.
In the previous issue of the History Spot project, we explored Monchegorsk street which is now called Kirov street.
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Text: Svetlana Ferapontova, Photos: Nornickel’s Polar Branch and Norilsk residents’ archives.
