
Isolated, polluted and – above all – cold, it is a city built on misery and blood.

It is also a city of surprising wealth – the reason for its unlikely existence. Norilsk, squatting 250 miles north of the Arctic Circle, has the largest deposits of nickel, copper and palladium on earth and its hellish mines are thriving.

Gulag prisoners began expanding the Siberian settlement in 1935 and over the next 20 years, 500,000 slaves took part in its construction . Thousands lost their lives.

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Due to its location, Norilsk might appear even more isolated than other arctic cities, without ground connections with the rest of the world. The air is the only way to reach it, together with seaway and river boats when the navigation is possible

The living conditions are extreme in Norilsk, with intense cold, negative average annual temperature, strong winds and grey skies throughout the year. Locals (pictured) enjoy a rare day of sunshine but have few beauty spots to sunbathe in

The cold period in the city extends for about 280 days per year, with more than 130 days with snowstorms and the average annual temperature is -10C, reaching lows of -55C in winter.

Norilsk, Siberia is situated 250 miles north of the Arctic circle, the average annual temperature is -10C

Today, Norilsk is the northernmost city on earth and still a place of extremes. The average temperature is -10C, reaching -55C in the endless winter.

There are two whole months of polar night, when people endure near total darkness, and Norilsk is encased in snow for eight to nine months a year.

Despite this, the city now has 170,000 residents. Russian photographer Elena Chernyshova spent several weeks there for her project: Days Of Night- Nights Of Day and her pictures show a normal life of sunbathing, picnics and parties existing alongside a desperate battle to keep warm during bitterly cold spells.

For two months of the year, the city is plunged into polar night, where 24 hours a day are in darkness and in the summer they have 24 hours of light

The polar days and nights cycle has a strong influence on the physical and psychological conditions of the human body

The Norilsk’s citizens suffer ‘the polar night syndrome’, resulting in anxiety, nervousness, drowsiness or insomnia, depending of the seasons, while the psychological discomfort and poor emotional stimuli also generate many cases of depression. Pictured in January locals celebrate Epiphany by swimming in Lake Norilsk

With the population of 175,300 inhabitants, Norilsk is one of the biggest cities above the Arctic Circle. For Shrove Tuesday, locals burn a scarecrow to welcome the spring (pictured)

The work conditions for miners are hard. The compensation for the risks is represented by the long duration of official holidays, 90 days, and the early retirement at 45 years old

In the winter, children are allowed for a walk outside only under certain conditions. Sometimes children have to spend several months indoors. Many buildings have been gradually abandoned (left)

It is, for obvious reasons, an indoor place of sports and shopping centres and social gatherings in apartments.

Children are often forced to spend several months indoors so the city has large buildings where they can enjoy outdoor activities like cycling and running, even during the winter.

During cold spells, a convoy of 15 to 20 buses transport workers around. If one bus breaks down, the passengers can be evacuated to another bus. This column circulates three times a day.

Lost in the middle of tundra in 400 km on the North of the Arctic Circle, Norilsk has no ground transport connections with the rest of the world. In the time of Stalin, the perilous road to Norilsk Gulag was known as the 'road of death'

Only waterways and airways allow the life to be attached to the rest of Russia and inhabitants call the rest of the world a continent

People domesticate industrial zones for their leisure and recreation. A man soaks up some rare rays of sunshine (above)

During snowstorms the public transport is organised in processions. The column of 15-20 buses transport workers between the city and places of work. If one bus breaks down, the passengers can be evacuated to another bus. This convoy circulates only three times a day

The fall of the USSR disrupted the flow of funds to the city and construction of several buildings were frozen. For 20 years, these buildings have remained unfinished

A coat of snow covers the city during eight to nine months a year and snowdrifts can reach three metres in height

Norilsk was first settled in the early 1900s after the discovery of rich mineral deposits, formed 250million years ago, at the foot of the Putorana Mountains

In 1935, the USSR started constructing a metallurgical complex to extract the materials and with this came the wretched columns of prisoners, condemned to a living death in the Arctic wasteland.

The Soviet Union collapsed in 1991 but the city thrived and Norilsk Nickel is now the world leader in production of nickel and palladium. It brings in two per cent of the Russian GDP.

But working condition for miners are still bad. The compensation is long holidays – 90 days a year – and retirement at 45.

The real rise of Norilsk started at the beginning of the 20th century, when the expedition of the geologist Urvantsev found out the rich deposits of nickel, copper and cobalt at the foot of the Putorana Mountains

One of the Norilsk particularities is the lack of green spaces in the city where one can escape. Inhabitants must go 20 miles by bus and have to walk for a while to reach the true nature. Lack of time causes people to enjoy the sun and heat in the urban area

Following the collapse of the Soviet Union, Norilsk became the main centre of the company Norilsk Nickel, the world leader in production of nickel and palladium, with 17% and 41% of the world production respectively. Nowadays, Norilsk Nickel brings in 2% of the Russian GDP

The pollution caused by the mining and factories brings Norilsk in the top-10 list of the world most polluted cities

Every year, more than 2 million tons of gas (mainly dioxide sulfur, but also nitrogen oxides, carbon and phenols) are expelled into the atmosphere

This huge pollution has a strong influence on the people’s health. Life expectancy is 10 years less than in other regions of Russia, the risk of cancer is two time higher and respiratory diseases are widespread

Norilsk is consistently in the top 10 of most polluted cities on Earth. Every year, more than 2 million tons of gas (mainly sulphur dioxide , but also nitrogen oxides, carbon and phenols) are expelled into the atmosphere.

Life expectancy is 10 years less than in other regions of Russia, the risk of cancer is two time higher and respiratory diseases are widespread.

Some studies show that the air quality is responsible for 37 per cent of deaths of child deaths and 21.6 per cent of adult deaths.

The polar days and nights cycle also has a strong influence on the human body, which struggles to adapt to such extreme conditions.

Darkness causes a reduction in the release of the hormone melatonin, which regulates many functions of the body.

This leads to sleep and nervous system problems, constant fatigue, psychological discomfort and depression. A lack of melatonin also aids premature aging of the body and promotes the development of cancer.

Norilsk is situated on the Siberian western plateau at the foot of the Putorana Mountains culminating at 1700 metres above the sea level. Norilsk has the largest deposits of nickel, copper and palladium in the world. These deposits were formed about 250 millions years ago during the formation of Siberia

The city-factory has only one reason to exist: maintaining the biggest metallurgical and mines complex in the world. This complex brings in 2% of GDP of Russia

The factories and the mines work 24 /7. The working days follow the pattern: three days of work and one day of rest

The “isolation” of Norilsk makes the city fold in on itself: the social and cultural activities are reduced and are often lead by personal initiative

The construction plan of Norilsk was established in 1940 by architects who were prisoners of Norillag. Its main idea was to create an ideal city with simple and logical plan. The most ancient buildings are constructed in the style of Stalin architecture

The second phase of construction in the city was in 1960s, and followed the widespread system in USSR of constructing the buildings with pre-built panels

Some large closed spaces are designed for the children, so that they can enjoy outdoor activities like cycling, running... even during the winter

Life expectancy is ten years lesser than the average in Russia, while life expectancy in Russia is already low enough, about 60 years

Some studies show that the air quality is responsible for 37 per cent of deaths of child deaths and 21.6 per cent of adult deaths. Following some independent studies, the cancer risk in Norilsk is two times greater than in the rest of the country

Due to the adverse weather conditions, people spend most of their time in enclosed spaces at their work, individual apartments or local sport, cultural and shopping centres

Norilsk is facing, despite its prosperity, big problem of maintenance of its buildings. The problem is the thawing of upper layers of permafrost