Harsh-Harsh Norilsk

Dudinka, Norilsk, as well as the suburbs of Talnakh and Kayerkan are cut off from the rest of Russia (thank you, Putorana), and so much so that Russia is commonly called the "mainland". Unfortunately, people who count money realized that the 1,500 km long road between Norilsk and other cities is too expensive and unprofitable, so residents of Taimyr (where Dudinka and Norilsk are located) can only fly by plane or sail by ship along the Yenisei. But rivers have an offensive property of freezing in winter, so they almost always use the first option.

By the way, one mustachioed citizen, Iosif Dzhugashvili, decided to sort of help the residents and build a Transpolar highway from Vorkuta, through Nadym and Urengoy (where I also managed to live) to Norilsk by the hands of convicts, but somehow it did not work out and specifically the convicts connected Norilsk only with Dudinka.

As the solfeggio teacher said: "Dudinka is the perfect place to study! You're sitting, there's nothing to do at home, on the street -40"

Well, of course — high salaries. Under Stalin, Norilsk was not settled very voluntarily. After him, the order changed, so in order for someone to agree to live there, the government pays workers in the Far North a lot of money. A simple example: the minimum wage in Taimyr, and try to live on it, is 30,000 rubles (according to the merrily dancing exchange rate, it is $500), which on the mainland is considered an average salary; the average salary is 50-60,000 rubles (600-900; on the mainland it would be considered a decent salary); if your work is connected with the Norilsk Nickel corporation — $2000-3000.

But this is a double-edged sword: almost everything is 2 times more expensive, especially fruits and vegetables.

Unfortunately, because of the nasty properties of rivers in winter, everything can only be delivered by plane, and nasty capitalists know that it's more expensive, so instead of cucumbers, beef and tomatoes, you're probably eating a space suit or iPods.

Some people believe that it is not necessary to eat such food, and get beriberi, scurvy or something else.

Norilsk is an industrial city, so factories are working hard on air pollution. Therefore, the city has a bad reputation for being the most unecological in Russia (so that you understand, the average industrial city in Russia is already very bad in this regard). Coming out for the first time in Norilsk, I closed my nose (though not because of bad air, but because of prejudice).

For the word, the wind, apparently, does not bring the muck to the Dudinka, so it breathes in full chest.

Unlike Norilsk, there are quite a lot of native Northerners — Dolgans in the city. They get benefits here, but some of them decide to buy drinks with them. Not that Russia is not ashamed to buy alcohol (what I wrote! everyone knows that we are leaders in this), but the indigenous people are genetically not immune (or whatever) to alcohol and are prone to alcoholism, and Dolgan drunkards in the city are trouble. Also, many Dolgan children live in a not very prosperous boarding school, so there are plenty of gangs of rowdy (I remember how Dolgan children mocked a Russian boy while there were no adults nearby). The biggest problem is that all this causes a part of the population to dislike the Dolgans, which is sad, because many of them are good people. In defense, we can say that many Dolgans work in museums, most often to promote national culture (in Russia a lot is done to promote national minorities), artists and dancers, choreographers, singers, guides, storytellers. Therefore, it is not necessary to give prejudices to judge a person.

Dudinka schools make up a separate folklore. I can tell a lot of stories, but I think they are not for this community.

Especially lucky if you are from Norilsk Nickel, where you can get a free ticket to choose from: Sochi or Bulgaria (although I think the second shop is already closed). Most often, the first one is chosen for the sake of a good all inclusive (for a few weeks you live for free in a sanatorium with food, medical services, a beach, playgrounds, a swimming pool, a bowling alley and a large territory), Bulgaria is for trips further to the EU — France, Greece, Italy (it was planned to fly further from Bulgaria to Paris, but infamous events have ruined everything).

From time to time, the military swim into the Dudinka, and then the fun begins. On the main streets, a lot of people in uniform are smoking, chatting, queues of infantrymen are lining up in shops. During the day, several people ask how to get to the x point. A military ensemble once came to the art school, where the soloist entered into a controversy with an indomitable vocal teacher.

Dudinka's children use the great Russian ingenuity in all its glory (as well as wrecking and vandalism, spoiling what was made with government money and gutting plush hares on playgrounds), making themselves entertainment from anything, for example, swings from boards (playgrounds are there, but the spirit of inventors does not sleep in children).