It is called Pevek and is the northernmost city of Russia. Located in the Far East, it served as an important port in the past. Today, only a fraction of the original inhabitants live there and, despite the harsh conditions, try to continue their traditional hunting and herding. We bring you Radio Free Europe’s report on one of the
RFE – Report on the town of Pevek, an abandoned port in northeastern Russia | Video: Radio Free Europe
In the past, gold and tin were mined in Pevek, isolated from civilization on the East Siberian coast. During the Soviet Union, most of the mining work was done mainly by concentration camp prisoners. But now most of the mines have already disappeared.
“Nobody needed tin anymore because it was cheaper to buy it in China,” local nurse Zoya Sopkova explains in a report. “Many settlements were created along the highway but have since been abandoned, and they are still being liquidated. Before leaving, people sealed their homes in hopes of coming back. It was a very sad sight,” he added.
Today, the city has about 4,000 inhabitants, about a quarter of its Soviet-era population. Some of them are still involved in traditional herding and practices unique to the region. “New vehicles such as snowmobiles have become available. People are no longer trained to ride reindeer, they use tractors,” explains Sopkova.
According to residents, one of the main problems right now is the city’s poor accessibility and remoteness. “I wish there were road connections with other cities so that I could get here whenever I needed. You can only get here by plane, which is very expensive.” Scandinavia and Ice A corner like a land.
But some come to Pevek to work at Russia’s first floating power plant, Akademik Lomonosov. This is the world’s northernmost nuclear power plant, located on a ship near the coast of Pevek. Arriving at a permanent base three years ago, it replaced an aging coal and nuclear power plant that powered more than 50,000 of his people in Chukotka.
The floating power plant, operated by Russian state-owned Rosatom, is designed to power hard-to-reach areas of Russia. 3 to 5 years of uninterrupted operation without the need to refuel. Equipped with two pressurized water reactors capable of generating up to 70 MW of electricity, it can power a city of up to 100,000 people. The ship is 144 meters long and 30 meters wide.
