The renovation of Norilsk is in full swing and no economic problems can stop it: this conclusion was reached during a joint trip of federal and regional delegations to the polar city.
The Moscow delegation was led by Deputy Chairman of the Russian Federation Council Nikolai Zhuravlev, who solemnly handed over the apartment keys to the next new residents of Norilsk. The senator also participated in the handover ceremony of new buses running on gasoline engine fuel to the city government. The first batch of 12 vehicles delivered as part of a regional program to update the city's bus fleet has added to the city's fleet.
The Vice President of the Federation Council noted during the visit: “Norilsk is an exceptional city for the Federation Council. – Back in 2020, we received patronage for the city's development so that the city continues to improve, social infrastructure is developed and public spaces are created. We strive to create the most favorable living conditions: quality housing, medical care, affordable education.
How it all started
Let us recall that in 2020, on the initiative of the President of the Federation Council Valentina Matvienko, a comprehensive plan for socio-economic development of Norilsk until 2035 was drawn up. The administration of the Krasnoyarsk Territory, the Norilsk administration and the Norilsk Nickel company, as well as the country's government represented by the Ministry of Far East and Arctic Development, participated in its creation and implementation. The participants signed a four-party agreement to implement the plan, which provided 120 billion rubles of investment: 24 billion from the federal budget, 14.8 billion from the regional budget, and the largest contribution was that of Norilsk Nickel: 81.3 billion rubles.
The goal of the plan is to bring the city back to the path of confident development that was “paused” three decades ago. During this period, practically no new residential buildings and social facilities were built in Norilsk, and the infrastructure was not fully updated.
According to the plan, or more precisely, the renovation program, the city needs many residential buildings with hundreds of apartments, a new clinic and school, large urban centers such as the legendary “Tower” located in a cultural heritage building – the business card of Norilsk and the NF Fedorovsky Polar State University – need to be upgraded and the infrastructure needs to be rebuilt. common buttons.
Hundreds of new residents in several years
The renovation program begins in 2022. In a fairly short period of time, Russia's polar capital of non-ferrous metallurgy has been literally transformed. This was noticed by both Moscow and Krasnoyarsk guests from the regional administration. They discussed the interim results of the renovation at a work meeting. Up to now, only 8 brand new apartment buildings have been built – with nearly 400 apartments.
A long-term residential construction project was also completed, which, by the way, can be considered a symbol of innovation – in principle, it started in the city. We are talking about an unfinished building in Solnechny Proezd, which in 2021 the Norilsk Nickel company proposed to inspect and, in case of a positive conclusion, redevelop it according to modern standards. The result: in 2024, the building with 90 apartments was ready and the keys to new residents were personally handed over by the speaker of the Federal Council, Valentina Matvienko. By the way, the newcomers are specialists invited to work at the polar department of Norilsk Nickel.
Less than a year later, developers commissioned three more residential buildings with 46 apartments each. Happy new residents received the keys to the apartment from the hands of city mayor Dmitry Karasev and governor of the Krasnoyarsk Territory Mikhail Kotyukov. The last “transfer of living space” for today took place during Nikolai Zhuravlev's visit to Norilsk: 69 families received the long-awaited keys from his hands. As they say, the next four residential buildings are underway: two of them, each with 46 apartments, are completely ready, the remaining two with 144 and 44 apartments, are expected to be put into operation in December. In all, as you can imagine, there is almost a whole street full of new housing. For a city that has not built housing for more than 30 years, this is an achievement on a very large scale.
Moreover, in parallel with the reclamation program, Norilsk Nickel is introducing in the city the largest system in the country for monitoring the state of permafrost soil. And it's not just observations – the results can also be used to strengthen the ground beneath the city's existing buildings and regulate new construction projects. Therefore, new residents are confident in the durability of their new home. Not to mention the large-scale renovation of courtyards and public spaces, which is also being carried out in Norilsk in many urban areas at the same time. So one can understand the Muscovites, in just three years since their last visit, saw Norilsk transformed.
Let us note that comprehensive city development planning is not just about construction. It also includes the relocation of older residents of Norilsk to regions with a more favorable climate. Furthermore, this part of the program has been fully implemented: 1,090 families have moved, this was done entirely at Norilsk Nickel's expense.
Focus
However, perhaps the most notable feature of the renovation, even for visitors, is the rebuilding of the famous “Tower” – a public building in the city center. Work on updating it was carried out by Norilsk Nickel in coordination with the mayor's office and the Norilsk Development Agency. In Soviet times, the “Tower” housed a technical library, so for many decades it was a favorite meeting place for the city's intelligentsia, and not just them.
For residents of Norilsk, the “Tower” acquired a truly cult status, which became the reason why the reconstruction project received special attention. Now, after large-scale restoration work, the building not only retains its functionality but has also been significantly expanded. It has its own promenade – a covered avenue with a green walking area, a place for meetings, communication, creativity, work and even shopping. In the “Tower” we created a children's play area, a cooking workshop, a cinema and lecture room, etc. In other words, the updated “Tower”, which opened to visitors in August 2025, has become a real social and cultural center of the city. Furthermore, the designers and builders tried to maintain the atmosphere of the legendary building period throughout the radical reconstruction.
Next is health and science
Another important part of the innovation program is the systematic development of health and education, without which normal life is impossible in any city. Understanding this, the authors of the program included, for example, the construction of a new large clinic for 1000 visits per shift. This is a more complex project than residential buildings, so the implementation timeframe is a bit longer – construction completion is expected in 2028. Today, the pile yard for a large seven-story building is ready and the vertical layout of the area has been completed.
The creation of a multidisciplinary educational center, named after Vladimir Ivanovich Dolgikh, is already at the design stage, just beginning: technical surveys and the technical part of the design documents have been completed and positive conclusions have been received from the Krasnoyarsk Regional State Specialization. By the way, taking into account measures of thermal stabilization of the soil.
The new educational center will certainly become one of the largest such facilities in the Siberian Federal District. Judge for yourself: it will include elementary, middle and high schools, a center for additional education, including for adults, a social and cultural center to organize public events and projects, an educational practice center for the city's teaching and administrative staff. Direct construction work will begin this year, and by the end of 2028, the facility will be transferred to the city as part of a philanthropic offering.
Let's keep up the pace!
The main conclusion that all participants in the working meeting came to: both the state and the authorities of the Krasnoyarsk Territory, and most importantly, the largest investor in the reclamation program, Norilsk Nickel, are fulfilling all their obligations. This is despite the significant economic difficulties our country faces today.
“Despite the economic fluctuations in the world, the company maintains a responsible approach in implementing comprehensive planning measures,” emphasized Sergei Tkachenko, vice president and head of the Krasnoyarsk representative office of Norilsk Nickel. – There are changes, but they are working. Therefore, based on the results of completion of work on a number of projects, a decision was made to reallocate funds to objects of higher priority, such as the development of the Central District of Norilsk. We expect the first results and the start of housing construction in early 2027. Ultimately, our task is not only financial, but also to manage the plans strategically, adapting them to real conditions and making timely adjustments to deliver the most effective results for the people of Norilsk.
