MOSCOW, December 22. /TASS/. The Russian government adopted a comprehensive plan for Norilsk’s social and economic development to 2035, under which the city will have more than 70 new apartment houses, plus residents from 40 outdated houses will receive new flats, and 1,860 families will receive money to buy new housing. Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin signed the plan, the government’s press service said.
"The plan’s term is to 2035, but major tasks will be fulfilled within a few coming years. According to the plan, in Norilsk will appear more than 70 modern apartment houses, two kindergartens, one school, and a clinic. The building, taken by the social service center, will be renovated. More than 40 outdated houses will be demolished, and three buildings of certain historical value, which are located downtown, will be overhauled," the press service said in a release.
Additionally, before 2024, the city’s 1,860 families will receive social payments to buy new housing in regions with a better climate and social-economic conditions. Those are the disabled, people with childhood disabilities, and the retirees wishing to move from Norilsk and neighboring Dudinka.
Under the program, soils under Norilsk’s houses and social buildings will be thermo-stabilized. The works include the renovation of power lines, water pipelines, and a new water inlet facility on the Norilskaya River. Besides, the city will have a new My Business Center, where companies will be able to receive necessary services, including the service to file applications for state support.
"All the planned works will cost about 120 billion rubles ($1.6 billion), where 24 billion rubles ($325 million) will come from the federal budget, 14.7 billion rubles ($199 million) from the regional budget. The remaining money - 81.3 billion rubles ($1.1 billion) - will be extra-budgetary funds," the press service added.
Norilsk’s role in Arctic development
Russia’s presidential envoy to the Far Eastern District, Deputy Prime Minister Yury Trutnev stressed the city is closely related to operations of the Norilsk Nickel Company (Nornickel). "The city’s look must match the modern industry that makes the highly profitable product," Nornickel’s press service quoted Trutnev as saying. "The comprehensive plan refers to the entire city. The task is to renovate the city, to make it modern and beautiful, convenient. Upgraded Norilsk will be comfortable for people, making the expensive metal, which is necessary for many sectors. The people will make families, grow children."
Nornickel’s President Vladimir Potanin in his turn stressed the importance of Norilsk in the development of the Russian Arctic zone. "Nornickel hails the joint effort of business and authorities of all levels, aimed at Norilsk’s development. The company, from its part, will continue to invest money and effort to develop comfortable and safe urban space," he said.
The Krasnoyarsk Region’s governor Alexander Uss stressed "Norilsk must be a platform, where we will show how in modern conditions to make the renovation north of the Arctic Circle."
Norilsk’s Mayor Dmitry Karasev said the renovation program had relied on the opinions and wishes of the local residents. "It has been a long way. We have completed a big work involving federal ministries, the Krasnoyarsk Region’s government, and Nornickel. The city has been waiting for improvements to come, and the signed agreement is a landmark, from which we will be moving towards this objective. I am adamant, with the successful implementation of all the plans that we have, Norilsk may become a leader of the Arctic zone and a positive example as a pilot project for other Northern cities to follow," the mayor said.
Norilsk renovation program
In February 2021, a four-party agreement on Norilsk’s social and economic development was inked by the Ministry for Development of the Far East and the Arctic, Nornickel, the Krasnoyarsk Region’s government, and Norilsk’s city administration. The document includes the plans to renovate the housing, to upgrade and improve the city’s infrastructures, to build, renovate and develop social infrastructures, to form comfortable and safe urban space, and also to move people from Norilsk and Dudinka to regions with better conditions.
The total investments in the city’s development to 2024 and further on to 2035 make 120.1 billion rubles ($1.6 billion), where 81.3 billion rubles ($1.1 billion) will come from Nornickel.
Norilsk is one of the northernmost cities in the world. It is home to 180,000 people, 26% of whom are employed with the Norilsk Nickel Company. Mass construction in Norilsk was in the 1940s-1950s and in the 1960s-1990s. Presently, the city does not have new construction projects. Nornickel announced earlier, about 100 new apartment houses of 400,000 square meters would be built in the city before 2035.