TEST
From the First Plant to an Industrial Giant
The Arctic doesn't want to share its wealth. In 1935, people challenged it and won. Nickel, copper, palladium, and platinum from the permafrost region flowed into the country's facilities, and the Norilsk Region became one of the largest industrial centers in the world. In 2025, Nornickel celebrated its 90th anniversary. Take a test to learn some interesting facts about the company's history.
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What know-how did the builders of the Norilsk Combine apply for the first time?
Electric heating enables the performance of construction work in temperatures as low as 5°C. The basic principle of the method is to connect electrodes and pass an electric current through a material, such as concrete or brickwork. As opposed to external heat supply, electric heating allows for quick and efficient solidification and structural strength throughout the entire depth.
The civil engineers at the Norilsk plant proposed an electric heating solution in a desperate situation. In September 1941,the State Defense Committee of the USSR ordered that the plant under construction produce its first batch of electrolytic nickel by 1 May 1942. The front needed tanks, and nickel was a crucial element for the production of armor.
To comply with the government's directives, they had to construct new workshops under severe frost conditions. The temperature reached -47 °C that winter. No one has ever built anything like this before. It was clear to any competent engineer that the building would inevitably collapse in the spring without extraordinary measures.
Thanks to electric heaters, the Norilsk builders not only built the walls of the workshop but also a 200-meter-high pipe. It remained in operation until the early 2020s, when the company underwent restructuring. But the electrolytic nickel was delivered to the tank plants on time.
Electric heating enables the performance of construction work in temperatures as low as 5°C. The basic principle of the method is to connect electrodes and pass an electric current through a material, such as concrete or brickwork. As opposed to external heat supply, electric heating allows for quick and efficient solidification and structural strength throughout the entire depth.
The civil engineers at the Norilsk plant proposed an electric heating solution in a desperate situation. In September 1941,the State Defense Committee of the USSR ordered that the plant under construction produce its first batch of electrolytic nickel by 1 May 1942. The front needed tanks, and nickel was a crucial element for the production of armor.
To comply with the government's directives, they had to construct new workshops under severe frost conditions. The temperature reached -47 °C that winter. No one has ever built anything like this before. It was clear to any competent engineer that the building would inevitably collapse in the spring without extraordinary measures.
Thanks to electric heaters, the Norilsk builders not only built the walls of the workshop but also a 200-meter-high pipe. It remained in operation until the early 2020s, when the company underwent restructuring. But the electrolytic nickel was delivered to the tank plants on time.
Electric heating enables the performance of construction work in temperatures as low as 5°C. The basic principle of the method is to connect electrodes and pass an electric current through a material, such as concrete or brickwork. As opposed to external heat supply, electric heating allows for quick and efficient solidification and structural strength throughout the entire depth.
The civil engineers at the Norilsk plant proposed an electric heating solution in a desperate situation. In September 1941,the State Defense Committee of the USSR ordered that the plant under construction produce its first batch of electrolytic nickel by 1 May 1942. The front needed tanks, and nickel was a crucial element for the production of armor.
To comply with the government's directives, they had to construct new workshops under severe frost conditions. The temperature reached -47 °C that winter. No one has ever built anything like this before. It was clear to any competent engineer that the building would inevitably collapse in the spring without extraordinary measures.
Thanks to electric heaters, the Norilsk builders not only built the walls of the workshop but also a 200-meter-high pipe. It remained in operation until the early 2020s, when the company underwent restructuring. But the electrolytic nickel was delivered to the tank plants on time.
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How long did the first railway in Norilsk operate?
The first 113-kilometer-long narrow-gauge railway was completed in record time, connecting the port of Dudinka with Norilsk by 7 May 1936. It was essential to deliver materials and equipment to the Norilsk Combine under construction.
They built the railway literally from whatever materials they had at hand.. They made the embankment out of peat, moss, and deadwood, and the sleepers out of local larch. They poured water on wood so that it could freeze and gain the necessary strength. Trains with iron, timber, coal, and crushed stone ran non-stop on the railway for two weeks. After that, the ice melted and the base "floated away".
The road was reinforced with gravel and worked safely for another 17 years. Over this period, 22 million tons of cargo were delivered via this route. In 1952, a broad-gauge railway was laid nearby, and a highway was built on the site of the narrow-gauge railway. It still leads from the airport to Norilsk.
Today, the Norilsk Railway is 333 km of broad–gauge track. The railway does not belong to Russian Railways, but to Nornickel. The company transports the main cargoes of the Polar Division via this route.
The first 113-kilometer-long narrow-gauge railway was completed in record time, connecting the port of Dudinka with Norilsk by 7 May 1936. It was essential to deliver materials and equipment to the Norilsk Combine under construction.
They built the railway literally from whatever materials they had at hand.. They made the embankment out of peat, moss, and deadwood, and the sleepers out of local larch. They poured water on wood so that it could freeze and gain the necessary strength. Trains with iron, timber, coal, and crushed stone ran non-stop on the railway for two weeks. After that, the ice melted and the base "floated away".
The road was reinforced with gravel and worked safely for another 17 years. Over this period, 22 million tons of cargo were delivered via this route. In 1952, a broad-gauge railway was laid nearby, and a highway was built on the site of the narrow-gauge railway. It still leads from the airport to Norilsk.
Today, the Norilsk Railway is 333 km of broad–gauge track. The railway does not belong to Russian Railways, but to Nornickel. The company transports the main cargoes of the Polar Division via this route.
The first 113-kilometer-long narrow-gauge railway was completed in record time, connecting the port of Dudinka with Norilsk by 7 May 1936. It was essential to deliver materials and equipment to the Norilsk Combine under construction.
They built the railway literally from whatever materials they had at hand.. They made the embankment out of peat, moss, and deadwood, and the sleepers out of local larch. They poured water on wood so that it could freeze and gain the necessary strength. Trains with iron, timber, coal, and crushed stone ran non-stop on the railway for two weeks. After that, the ice melted and the base "floated away".
The road was reinforced with gravel and worked safely for another 17 years. Over this period, 22 million tons of cargo were delivered via this route. In 1952, a broad-gauge railway was laid nearby, and a highway was built on the site of the narrow-gauge railway. It still leads from the airport to Norilsk.
Today, the Norilsk Railway is 333 km of broad–gauge track. The railway does not belong to Russian Railways, but to Nornickel. The company transports the main cargoes of the Polar Division via this route.
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What was the first order given by the new director of the Norilsk Combine, A.P. Zavenyagin, in 1938?
Without Zavenyagin, the city might not have existed. The government did not plan it. Moreover, they only wanted to produce a semi-finished product, feinstein, at the plant, and then process it at facilities in the Urals and Siberia. During these challenging times, Zavenyagin disagreed with the leadership and insisted on building a full-cycle production facility and a well-organized city.
The director chose Northern Palmyra as an example of a recognized pearl of world architecture. He invited two Leningrad architects to the Far North and chose the location of the city. The new director also arranged the construction of the plant. Metallurgists still remember Zavenyagin's three laws of management:
1. Maximum performance in inhumane circumstances.
2. Salvation (including your own) lies in extraordinary decisions.
3. Youth is more of an advantage than a disadvantage.
In 1957, the Norilsk Mining and Metallurgical Combine was named after A.P. Zavenyagin.
Without Zavenyagin, the city might not have existed. The government did not plan it. Moreover, they only wanted to produce a semi-finished product, feinstein, at the plant, and then process it at facilities in the Urals and Siberia. During these challenging times, Zavenyagin disagreed with the leadership and insisted on building a full-cycle production facility and a well-organized city.
The director chose Northern Palmyra as an example of a recognized pearl of world architecture. He invited two Leningrad architects to the Far North and chose the location of the city. The new director also arranged the construction of the plant. Metallurgists still remember Zavenyagin's three laws of management:
1. Maximum performance in inhumane circumstances.
2. Salvation (including your own) lies in extraordinary decisions.
3. Youth is more of an advantage than a disadvantage.
In 1957, the Norilsk Mining and Metallurgical Combine was named after A.P. Zavenyagin.
Without Zavenyagin, the city might not have existed. The government did not plan it. Moreover, they only wanted to produce a semi-finished product, feinstein, at the plant, and then process it at facilities in the Urals and Siberia. During these challenging times, Zavenyagin disagreed with the leadership and insisted on building a full-cycle production facility and a well-organized city.
The director chose Northern Palmyra as an example of a recognized pearl of world architecture. He invited two Leningrad architects to the Far North and chose the location of the city. The new director also arranged the construction of the plant. Metallurgists still remember Zavenyagin's three laws of management:
1. Maximum performance in inhumane circumstances.
2. Salvation (including your own) lies in extraordinary decisions.
3. Youth is more of an advantage than a disadvantage.
In 1957, the Norilsk Mining and Metallurgical Combine was named after A.P. Zavenyagin.
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What event has caused the Norilsk Mining and Metallurgical Combine to come to a near-complete standstill only once in its history?
A black blizzard is not the usual severe snowstorm in the Far North, but a natural disaster. During this period, the wind can reach hurricane force and, most importantly, change direction frequently and abruptly. It's like a crazy merry-go-round with everything flying through the air: snow piles from the ground, house roofs and doors, cars, and people. Visibility is no more than a meter.
It was the black blizzard that hit Norilsk on 15 January 1957. For three days, the wind force reached an incredible 40-45 m/sec, that is, 150 km/h! It was snowing continuously, with temperatures fluctuating between -5 °C and -35 °C.
The disaster paralyzed the city. Public utilities, businesses, and institutions have stopped working. The storm severely disrupted operations at the Norilsk Mining and Metallurgical Combine, with only one shift remaining at work when the disaster struck. The wind overturned buses, making it impossible to bring people to the plant. Any movement along the street could have led to death.
It took a week to eliminate the consequences of the black blizzard. Everyone in the town was out there shoveling snowdrifts up to 6 m high, clearing debris, and doing emergency repairs on houses. The Norilsk Combine resumed operations as usual after that. The Council of Ministers compensated the company for millions in losses incurred due to the shutdown caused by a natural disaster for the first time in the history of the USSR. The bodies of the dead were found until the snow had melted completely. Their exact number is still unknown.
A black blizzard is not the usual severe snowstorm in the Far North, but a natural disaster. During this period, the wind can reach hurricane force and, most importantly, change direction frequently and abruptly. It's like a crazy merry-go-round with everything flying through the air: snow piles from the ground, house roofs and doors, cars, and people. Visibility is no more than a meter.
It was the black blizzard that hit Norilsk on 15 January 1957. For three days, the wind force reached an incredible 40-45 m/sec, that is, 150 km/h! It was snowing continuously, with temperatures fluctuating between -5 °C and -35 °C.
The disaster paralyzed the city. Public utilities, businesses, and institutions have stopped working. The storm severely disrupted operations at the Norilsk Mining and Metallurgical Combine, with only one shift remaining at work when the disaster struck. The wind overturned buses, making it impossible to bring people to the plant. Any movement along the street could have led to death.
It took a week to eliminate the consequences of the black blizzard. Everyone in the town was out there shoveling snowdrifts up to 6 m high, clearing debris, and doing emergency repairs on houses. The Norilsk Combine resumed operations as usual after that. The Council of Ministers compensated the company for millions in losses incurred due to the shutdown caused by a natural disaster for the first time in the history of the USSR. The bodies of the dead were found until the snow had melted completely. Their exact number is still unknown.
A black blizzard is not the usual severe snowstorm in the Far North, but a natural disaster. During this period, the wind can reach hurricane force and, most importantly, change direction frequently and abruptly. It's like a crazy merry-go-round with everything flying through the air: snow piles from the ground, house roofs and doors, cars, and people. Visibility is no more than a meter.
It was the black blizzard that hit Norilsk on 15 January 1957. For three days, the wind force reached an incredible 40-45 m/sec, that is, 150 km/h! It was snowing continuously, with temperatures fluctuating between -5 °C and -35 °C.
The disaster paralyzed the city. Public utilities, businesses, and institutions have stopped working. The storm severely disrupted operations at the Norilsk Mining and Metallurgical Combine, with only one shift remaining at work when the disaster struck. The wind overturned buses, making it impossible to bring people to the plant. Any movement along the street could have led to death.
It took a week to eliminate the consequences of the black blizzard. Everyone in the town was out there shoveling snowdrifts up to 6 m high, clearing debris, and doing emergency repairs on houses. The Norilsk Combine resumed operations as usual after that. The Council of Ministers compensated the company for millions in losses incurred due to the shutdown caused by a natural disaster for the first time in the history of the USSR. The bodies of the dead were found until the snow had melted completely. Their exact number is still unknown.
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Which of Nornickel's deposits is the richest in the world?
The Oktyabrskoye Deposit was explored in the 1960s and exceeded the reserves of the first developed deposit, Norilsk-1, by 100 times.
In the meantime, the future of the Norilsk Industrial Region was hanging by a thread. There was an urgent need to explore new deposits, as the reserves of Norilsk-1 had been depleted. The plant became unprofitable due to high production costs.
Searches began in the Talnakh mountain range, in the northwestern part of the Putorana Plateau, on the right bank of the Norilsk River. They explored at a crazy pace and on a huge scale. The company drilled more than 100 wells, and each drilling site was like a small town with housing for workers, fuel and lubricant depots, equipment, and food supplies.
At first, they didn't get any results, but in the summer of 1960, geologists dug up the first “golden core.” This is the name for a rock sample containing the desired ore. Then, more and more new wells gave promising forecasts. It was not until the discovery of the Oktyabrskoye Deposit that it became apparent that Talnakh's ore was indeed golden.
The Norilsk-1 deposit contained 1.23% of nickel and 0.4% of copper, while the Talnakh ore hub contained 4% and 11%, respectively. Norilsk Combine's industrial output increased tenfold. They built a new plant to process the Talnakh ore.
The Oktyabrskoye Deposit was explored in the 1960s and exceeded the reserves of the first developed deposit, Norilsk-1, by 100 times.
In the meantime, the future of the Norilsk Industrial Region was hanging by a thread. There was an urgent need to explore new deposits, as the reserves of Norilsk-1 had been depleted. The plant became unprofitable due to high production costs.
Searches began in the Talnakh mountain range, in the northwestern part of the Putorana Plateau, on the right bank of the Norilsk River. They explored at a crazy pace and on a huge scale. The company drilled more than 100 wells, and each drilling site was like a small town with housing for workers, fuel and lubricant depots, equipment, and food supplies.
At first, they didn't get any results, but in the summer of 1960, geologists dug up the first “golden core.” This is the name for a rock sample containing the desired ore. Then, more and more new wells gave promising forecasts. It was not until the discovery of the Oktyabrskoye Deposit that it became apparent that Talnakh's ore was indeed golden.
The Norilsk-1 deposit contained 1.23% of nickel and 0.4% of copper, while the Talnakh ore hub contained 4% and 11%, respectively. Norilsk Combine's industrial output increased tenfold. They built a new plant to process the Talnakh ore.
The Oktyabrskoye Deposit was explored in the 1960s and exceeded the reserves of the first developed deposit, Norilsk-1, by 100 times.
In the meantime, the future of the Norilsk Industrial Region was hanging by a thread. There was an urgent need to explore new deposits, as the reserves of Norilsk-1 had been depleted. The plant became unprofitable due to high production costs.
Searches began in the Talnakh mountain range, in the northwestern part of the Putorana Plateau, on the right bank of the Norilsk River. They explored at a crazy pace and on a huge scale. The company drilled more than 100 wells, and each drilling site was like a small town with housing for workers, fuel and lubricant depots, equipment, and food supplies.
At first, they didn't get any results, but in the summer of 1960, geologists dug up the first “golden core.” This is the name for a rock sample containing the desired ore. Then, more and more new wells gave promising forecasts. It was not until the discovery of the Oktyabrskoye Deposit that it became apparent that Talnakh's ore was indeed golden.
The Norilsk-1 deposit contained 1.23% of nickel and 0.4% of copper, while the Talnakh ore hub contained 4% and 11%, respectively. Norilsk Combine's industrial output increased tenfold. They built a new plant to process the Talnakh ore.
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The Nadezhda metallurgical plant was named after...
They first thought about putting the city of Norilsk there, but quickly gave up the idea because it was too far from the mining site. In 1946, Nadezhda Airport was built on this site and existed until 1965.
Urbantsev's prophecy came true only when it became necessary to build a plant for processing Talnakh ores. The first blast to lay the foundation for the new plant on the Nadezhda Plateau took place in November 1971. They built the plant in a way that was unusual for that time: not in-house, with the company doing everything on its own, but through contracts with a number of outside organizations, including some foreign companies.
There was no pre-approved plan: decisions were made at each stage of construction. As participants recall, there was so much project documentation that it had to be transported by trucks.
So, it turned out that the Nadezhda plant was pretty unique in terms of the number of cutting-edge solutions used. For example, they used Finnish autogenous suspended smelting technology with oxygen enrichment instead of the electric smelting used at the Nickel Plant . It allows up to 84% of sulfur dioxide to be recycled. Nornickel's Sulfur Program is based on that kind of technology.
They first thought about putting the city of Norilsk there, but quickly gave up the idea because it was too far from the mining site. In 1946, Nadezhda Airport was built on this site and existed until 1965.
Urbantsev's prophecy came true only when it became necessary to build a plant for processing Talnakh ores. The first blast to lay the foundation for the new plant on the Nadezhda Plateau took place in November 1971. They built the plant in a way that was unusual for that time: not in-house, with the company doing everything on its own, but through contracts with a number of outside organizations, including some foreign companies.
There was no pre-approved plan: decisions were made at each stage of construction. As participants recall, there was so much project documentation that it had to be transported by trucks.
So, it turned out that the Nadezhda plant was pretty unique in terms of the number of cutting-edge solutions used. For example, they used Finnish autogenous suspended smelting technology with oxygen enrichment instead of the electric smelting used at the Nickel Plant . It allows up to 84% of sulfur dioxide to be recycled. Nornickel's Sulfur Program is based on that kind of technology.
They first thought about putting the city of Norilsk there, but quickly gave up the idea because it was too far from the mining site. In 1946, Nadezhda Airport was built on this site and existed until 1965.
Urbantsev's prophecy came true only when it became necessary to build a plant for processing Talnakh ores. The first blast to lay the foundation for the new plant on the Nadezhda Plateau took place in November 1971. They built the plant in a way that was unusual for that time: not in-house, with the company doing everything on its own, but through contracts with a number of outside organizations, including some foreign companies.
There was no pre-approved plan: decisions were made at each stage of construction. As participants recall, there was so much project documentation that it had to be transported by trucks.
So, it turned out that the Nadezhda plant was pretty unique in terms of the number of cutting-edge solutions used. For example, they used Finnish autogenous suspended smelting technology with oxygen enrichment instead of the electric smelting used at the Nickel Plant . It allows up to 84% of sulfur dioxide to be recycled. Nornickel's Sulfur Program is based on that kind of technology.
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When did development of the Bystrinsky deposit begin?
The Bystrinskoe Deposit was explored back in the late 19th century during the construction of the Trans-Siberian Railway. In 1955–1959, geologists studied it more thoroughly but deemed it unpromising. The forecast was for only 31,000 tons of copper to be extracted from it.
In 2015, Nornickel participated in an auction for the development of the Bystrinsky Deposit and secured the right to develop it for RUB 710mn, with a starting price of RUB 12.7mn. The Bystrinsky Mining and Processing Plant was built in a record time of 3.5 years. The enterprise started operations in 2017 and reached its design capacity of 10 million tons of ore per year in 2021.
Current reserves at the deposit amount to 2.798 million tons of copper, 355 tons of gold, 1,552 tons of silver, and 92 million tons of iron. Bystrinskoe GRK continues exploration and expects to further increase production.
The Bystrinskoe Deposit was explored back in the late 19th century during the construction of the Trans-Siberian Railway. In 1955–1959, geologists studied it more thoroughly but deemed it unpromising. The forecast was for only 31,000 tons of copper to be extracted from it.
In 2015, Nornickel participated in an auction for the development of the Bystrinsky Deposit and secured the right to develop it for RUB 710mn, with a starting price of RUB 12.7mn. The Bystrinsky Mining and Processing Plant was built in a record time of 3.5 years. The enterprise started operations in 2017 and reached its design capacity of 10 million tons of ore per year in 2021.
Current reserves at the deposit amount to 2.798 million tons of copper, 355 tons of gold, 1,552 tons of silver, and 92 million tons of iron. Bystrinskoe GRK continues exploration and expects to further increase production.
The Bystrinskoe Deposit was explored back in the late 19th century during the construction of the Trans-Siberian Railway. In 1955–1959, geologists studied it more thoroughly but deemed it unpromising. The forecast was for only 31,000 tons of copper to be extracted from it.
In 2015, Nornickel participated in an auction for the development of the Bystrinsky Deposit and secured the right to develop it for RUB 710mn, with a starting price of RUB 12.7mn. The Bystrinsky Mining and Processing Plant was built in a record time of 3.5 years. The enterprise started operations in 2017 and reached its design capacity of 10 million tons of ore per year in 2021.
Current reserves at the deposit amount to 2.798 million tons of copper, 355 tons of gold, 1,552 tons of silver, and 92 million tons of iron. Bystrinskoe GRK continues exploration and expects to further increase production.
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Metallurgy in the Far North is like something out of a fantasy novel for you.
And you're right. Mining minerals under such harsh conditions is associated with fantastic challenges. This is especially true if you build modern cities, instead of temporary camps near mining sites, as in other countries with Arctic territories. And you keep them going, just like Nornickel does. Learn how northern cities are developing now and what lies ahead for them in the future.
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You know the history of Nornickel well.
However, it shows that the Far North is a place for a special kind of romantic. They are capable not only of admiring nature, but also of conquering it. New technologies are required for this. Nornickel has made numerous technological breakthroughs over its 90 years of operation. We are pleased that many of them are aimed at preserving nature. Read about the reasons for implementing the Sulfur Program at the cutting-edge Nadezhda GOK.
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You believe that humans can do anything
The longer humanity exists, the more obvious this truth becomes. The scale of the metallurgical industry in the Arctic confirms this. Major companies like Nornickel are contributing significantly to this. This has become even more apparent since Nornickel began publishing its non-financial reports. You will find detailed information about all aspects of the company's activities in these reports.
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Photos by Nornickel