Norilsk is the most unfriendly city in the world. A destination not to visit never to forget if you have visited. Located north of the Arctic Circle, belongs to krai Russian Krasnoyarsk, and forms the second cluster of the globe's northernmost city. Rather than to engage in business related to the extraction of nickel, there can be another reason to visit Norilsk. Its mineral deposits of black smoke spit the clock. Acid rain has wiped out any expression tree to fifty miles. Moreover, while half the population dies of lung cancer, the other half breaks its liver hectoliters of vodka. Alcohol and cancer are the main, almost the only, cause of death in Norilsk.
Drinking to forget, that seems to be the fate of norilschanie , as the adjective in Russian. Forget the ubiquitous dark cloud and hits the notes. Or forget that two hundred and eighty days a year the streets are covered by a thick snow like concrete. Winters last eight months, with average temperatures of thirty below zero and frequent ice storms. There is, however, a greater problem than all these, the city is sinking, literally. Norilsk rests on a vast bed of permafrost, as a result of global warming is melting with astonishing speed. Many buildings collapse, others are inclined several centimeters per week, the streets are rooms and basements are breaking down. For those who are drunk enough, is the biggest problem of all those listed above. Heavy drinkers, however, have no such concern, because neither that they care.
An alien who stops in Norilsk must overcome are further barriers. Since the entry to outsiders still restricted since the Soviet era, you must have a valid enough reason to stay in the city. Apart from the Russian visa, a permit is required which required additional monthly renewal costs five hundred rubles. Every three days there to seal the passport at the police headquarters. Amen clothing made with extreme temperature resistant, mask, goggles, sleeping pills and a fat bag that contains everything.
- It is forbidden to run track! - Someone shouted behind me.
Passport control was a martyrdom. Two bald and collarless military repeatedly compared my face with the picture. Spoke each other for a while still looking at me. Then I checked the hand luggage and finally allowed me to pay the entry fee.
-Expires December 24. Remember that.
The shock of the stamp on the passport I had ringing in the ears for minutes, even above the taxi way to the hotel. After the dirty window of mud, the buildings looked as blurry photocopies. We stopped at a traffic light. An electronic clock told me the date, November 22, time 0:24, temperature, least twenty-six degrees. I rushed to the reception, I took the key and ran to my room. In the bathroom I waited ten minutes the water came out hot enough to get wet and take away the sting me picking his bones. I dressed, went down to the modest lobby and asked me a whiskey. I reacted before I serve it and traded it for a vodka.
In the afternoon I went to the first of the meetings, the presentation say. The so Gorozanov behaved with singular kindness, rather warmly. I had imagined lower and sleeker. I was disappointed when I patted her back. Just sit in his office approached me a glass.
- "Kalashnikov". Curious name, right? It is the pride of krai. Not find a vodka and in any other part of Russia. "I served and smashed his glass against mine. Budem Zdorovy!
toured the facilities at its factory in Hull, special boots and mask. So brutal was the cold that I had trouble bending the knees. Cross aisles flanked by pots lined with soot, giant steel beams and pulleys on the size of a car. The noise was unbearable. Gradually, the darkness of the corridors and hallways that connected the pots appeared which sparkles the eyes of workers. They all turned to look at me and pulled the lips, with hatred or envy perhaps. None of them wore masks and special boots. Not even a coat. Some were no more than a loose shirt.
Back at the office, he managed to serve Gorozanov another vodka, but I declined. He poured and drank from a stroke. Masacote dropped his huge meat on the seat and rang. She spoke in dialect. I sat in front of his desk and interlock your fingers.
Soon came a young man and very slim blonde wearing a green skirt and a brown jacket. He left a folder on the desktop, looked at me and went stale.
"My dear freund . Everything is ready. In these months of negotiations learned a lot from you. Jo! If my grandfather were alive would be ashamed. Our efforts and your convenience. Our muscles and your understanding. Russians and Germans had never been such good friends.
nodded.
"And this, my dear Nadel, you will be the main beneficiary. I assure you.
It was foot. He looked out the window looking out to the factory, half hidden by a brown smoke. I replied as I watched his broad back.
Gorozanov Sir, my plane leaves Moscow on Thursday. I will not take hasty decisions. On Wednesday, at the latest, I will give an answer.
As he turned, Gorozanov showed a gesture that seemed different from previous other, as if they had changed to a double. He took a few steps toward me, gulped, got his shirt tucked in and with it part of the belly. He pursed his lips. They spent twenty seconds, I counted in the black clock that hung above the window. Gorozanov rubbed his temples and remained silent. I had to say anything, was he whose turn it was to respond.
-Wednesday she muttered. All right. I'm sure Wednesday will be in this same office to provide the treatment. I will bring the best crop of Kalashnikov. Or better yet, Zyr.
I got up, grabbed my coat and said goodbye with a slight nod. Through the door and walked into the elevator with his hands in his pockets. Before heading down I felt the deep voice of Gorozanov that rebotó en las paredes del pasillo.
–Espere. Regrese, freund . Tres días le quedan en Norilsk. Usted sabe bien que no hay mucho que hacer aquí más que emborracharse en el bar del hotel. A menos que sea acompañado por un lugareño. Permítame recomendarle a alguien de mi confianza para que le enseñe la ciudad y alrededores. Tres días son suficientes.
En el lobby del hotel transmitían un partido entre el Lokomotiv y el Novosibirsk. De a ratos la señal se esfumaba. Nunca me había imaginado que el fútbol ruso fuera así de aburrido. Mientras apuraba el último sorbo de la copa, I wondered why I accepted the proposition Gorozanov. I turned, it started snowing outside, it was three in the afternoon and the bar was barely illuminated by the flashes of TV and street lamps. At that moment came the only person who could enter the hotel grounds. He walked with small steps and stared me. He smiled as if in the street outside spring. He removed his hat and squeezed between your fingers. He shook my hand. Trembling hand.
"You must be ... Mr. Nadel. ... "It also sends me trembling voice.
"You do not presentations. Sit.
I asked for a vodka and sat beside me. He supported his hat in his lap and turned his chair to keep me straight. I looked toward the bar and at times stirring the vodka with your finger.
The man drank his cup in one gulp and stammered, but said nothing. It seemed that he chewed something, but I was actually looking for words.
- your name. "I helped.
-Denis. Denis Zuev.
- Patronymic?
-Mikhailovich.
"Delighted, Denis Zuev Mikhailovich. Alexander Nadel.
River and the fur hat was dropped.
"Nice.
I ordered another vodka and drink it again at once. I thought I would spend all afternoon and until I had to leave. I had no intention of leaving, would revise my email, read a book and I go to bed at six. Did not even want to call my daughter.
The newcomer was chewing on the words. Sideways also noticed that his lower lip trembled.
-seven years ago to work in the nickel deposit Gorozanov. I think I have confidence Gorozanov. He licked the last bit of vodka stuck to the bottom of the cup and went on: "Maybe that's why I was always doing the same. I think I do well. I do it well.
- What are you doing?
-coordinate ferronickel calcination in rotary kilns. Temperatures reach eight hundred degrees, "said proud.
I turned around and focused attention on his face. He was blond, greasy hair. His jaw triangular, thin lips and flat nose. His eyes were slightly slanted, some black spots dotted her iris. Blinking madly. A tangle of tiny wrinkles down her cheeks and forehead, and yet would have no more than forty years. I smiled and asked her age.
-Thirty.
I returned to my drink, ordered another round. I took a short sip, he's a hit. He jumped from his chair and I realized that I wanted finish the response.
"And I have two children, three and six years.
At four I accepted his invitation to meet the city museum. "Certainly nothing special, I thought down the road. But when I entered I was surprised how well the scenarios that were acclimated to the natives of the region. There were spears, bear skeletons, pots, stone tools. Denis tried to add information to that provided posters, but did not really know what to say. Chewing words, more than before.
climbed to the second floor. Encountered on the stairs and cut his lip. "It's nothing," he tried to tell me. Up there exhibited a collection of Russian and European paintings donated by a Gudchenvko such as the gold which flanked the entrance to the plant.
-Gudchenvko was ... the most important nickel extractor ... eighties.
tenderness felt by the efforts of Denis to speak with the bloody lip. The sleeve of his shirt was red. I handed him my handkerchief and continued. He followed me back, with short steps.
At six o'clock we took a taxi and returned to the hotel. An approaching ice storm, but Denis made no sign of wanting to go home. I was about to go to my room. Stood in the doorway of the lobby, saying nothing, watching me walk away.
"Well, what do you want? - I said rudely.
"Nothing. "He silently swallowed. Good night.
looked down and turned and left the hotel. Crudely disappeared in the icy darkness of the Prospekt Mira, a ghost wrapped in furs solo cracked.
The next morning I went down to the lobby with a warm feeling of exhilaration. Had a wonderful dream, I had a hot shower for those who renew and I was ready to take a strong breakfast. I looked up. Denis was already there in the bar.
"Good morning, Mr. Nadel.
I gave a half smile. Beside him was a bottle of vodka in half and several drops scattered on the counter. Ice chips melted with their shoes. Lower lip was swollen and her eyes sparkling, more than ever.
"I arrived early for us to embrace the day. I know that morning and I thought up several sites to visit. My wife thinks I'm at the factory, less bad you can not prove it. He laughed. The children are with her grandmother. For weeks I have not seen.
I was surprised by his verbosity. He poured himself another drink and gave a little jump in the chair. On the cut on his lip began to like a drop of saliva.
"Even in winter not notice much, as you know, Mr. Nadel, how beautiful they are our women. I chose one for you not to forget ever: Marina.
I looked into his eyes, gritted my teeth. He drained his glass and went on
Norilsk "And we also have sites where you can get ... this ... quality. Quality.
suddenly let out air and dropped his shoulders, with obvious sign of relaxation. He took off his hat and looked down. I pursed his lips, I felt rage. Snap a boiling stream of air through the nose, would say something, do not know what, I do not get the words out in Russian at that time. In the end I did not. The fur hat that squeezed slipped from his fingers and fell on the ice chips melt. He sweated and her jaw began to tremble, like yesterday.
also trembled knees and arms. I poured another glass and drink it again at once. I put my hand on his shoulder.
"No need to do that, Denis. "I found myself calling him by name.
Denis eyes tightly closed.
"Take me to take a walk outside or on the river if you want.
pulled out his wallet and pulled out a few rubles.
"Here, you need insurance ...
be jumped and frightened away.
"No, no, no ... Mr. Nadel. I better go. Yes, I go, gotta go. My wife, my wife ...
left the sentence unfinished, crossed the first gate, second, and the environment last, outer, touched his head. From the bar shook his fur cap and smiled.
Soon were in the corner, raising us to a taxi. Since the mirror driver gave me a look of displeasure. Did not really know where to go, wanted that day would pass as quickly as possible to end once and for all that. But I could not bend over to Gorozanov, had to wait until tomorrow.
I looked at Denis, which is nestled against the left door. I felt sorrow or pain or surprise for him. The roles were reversed: I was the guide and he my guest. The driver grunted and hit him behind the wheel. I explored in my memory and remembered the name of a place out of town.
"Take us to Valek.
The driver turned. He shouted something I did not understand. Denis looked at me aghast.
- But what are we doing there?
De Valek knew only that a group of houses surrounded by industries that spew black smoke day and night, with a small airport off Norilskaya River. If Norilsk is unpleasant, Valek is undoubtedly painful.
not answered. I swallowed and I urged the driver to boot it.
The trip by the shattered road took more than an hour, though only
ten kilometers far from the city. The plain was bare, I could barely see burned trees and mountains in the distance. Brown clouds were moving in the sky here and there in the sky darkened, and stale air slipped through the cracks of the window. Denis started coughing, I covered my mouth with the scarf. The car jumped and beat our heads against the ceiling. The driver took a sharp turn after another to dodge the bumps, and each time he passed a truck in the opposite direction had the feeling that we would sink in the icy bends flanked the road. Denis could not stop coughing, with increasing dryness. He pulled the handkerchief he had given the day before, still stained with blood, and spit out a black clot. She wrapped him in cloth, put it in his pocket and reached into his jacket. He took a small bottle and drank. I passed it, but I refused. We came back to beat his head against the ceiling.
We . The taxi driver left us in front of a wooden house, the only white among the rest, which black wood was wet. I paid seven hundred rubles, I did not want to haggle. The taxi disappeared on the same road, the only paved, with a pitiful whine of the engine. At that time I asked how come back, of course there would not have taxis, but could pay a hefty sum to the first villager to find by car.
In Valek was heard the creaking of the wooden walls disturbed by wind. I breathed and I burned the trachea. It was sunny, but was hidden behind thick orange clusters. Denis had behind him, hidden behind a scarf and fur hat. Again shaking, until they broke down and coughed again, once, three, five. Spat another black clot, this time on the dirt road.
I turned the light and went to the only way the people. No one was there. Absolutely nobody. In the distance we saw the river and a dire Norilskaya metal structures. I looked at Denis, did not know what to say, what to do. I was just happy that the time passed, even meaningless.
Denis stopped coughing when I picked up the forearm.
"This White House ... is the mayor. We ask that we serve a vodka.
entered, there was colder inside than outside. In the ceiling hung a lamp dimly lit a cracked wooden floor, a desk, some chairs along the wall, a desk with nothing on and a red door. But there was nobody.
I managed to sit in a chair next to the wall, but Denis told me the desktop. He sat in front and with a smile told me to sit back. I ignored him, not knowing what to say.
After a while he rolled the red door, and there came an old fat, bald, with long white beard. Denis spoke in dialect. After a while we brought a bottle of Topaz and two glasses.
"It's the mayor. Since the site moved to Vorkuta even he has nothing to do here. I still wonder what those left living.
Denis coughed for the umpteenth time but relented clots with individual drinks. I looked at him without saying anything.
"Yesterday I was holding all day cough. Today we have more confidence, right?
I served and I wet my lips. That vodka, or whatever it was-was burning lava.
Denis had shone even more noticeable in the eyes. He got up, took off his jacket and tried to smile. Mouth trembled as the first time I saw him. It was evident that he wanted to talk.
"Worse is when I spit to be present Gorozanov. I have to swallow, makes my eyes full of veins, like tomatoes cheeks, tears jump .- I tried to take it as a joke, but his whole body shivered from head to toe. Drinking again, this time to give encouragement.
"Please, Mr. Nadel, tell my boss accepted my invitation. Please.
And then began to mourn. He covered his face with his bare hands and tried to swallow tears and coughing. Do not know what to say, I do not know if it's because the cold was inhibited to move his lips or they really did not want to say anything.
"My wife is almost dead. Do not know why I keep spending it the shit that I possess. My mother will not let me see Anya and Alex. He says he is afraid, but I never stuck, never, I swear.
heard the crunch of the red door. The mayor stood behind, leaning, and I watched with hard eyes.
"I hope I have not," he continued. I put together a good deal, let what I can in the time remaining.
Crying was transformed into howling. He tried to assuage her grief with a long drink of Topaz. With more courage grabbed my hand and held it to his chest.
"Please, Mr. Nadel. Take me with you. For a while only. I can do anything I can do everything in his factory, at least for a month. After I promise you I'm alone, without having to ask.
He squeezed my hand, I had to pry it away. His palms were sweaty. She buried her face in her arms and coughed again.
- I can do anything! The cry was merged with a small clot that flew up on the desk stamped.
got up and knocked to the floor the bottle, glasses and a chair. Started kicking the air. Now his cough sounded like a roar, moved convulsed, possessed by unbridled force. I got up, I grabbed the armpits and dragged out. The mayor just looked behind the red door, half hidden, without managing just a gesture of concern.
dusk in the street and the wind blowing carrying tiny bits of ice that nailed me on the cheek. Denis took hold of a wooden pole and vomited on the ice. Phlegm were red, black, green. I looked away.
"I'm fine. I'm fine.
was stated in my forearm, his hand was gobs of spit. I took it in disgust. At that moment I hated and insulted me, I forget the atrocities they mumbled in the scarf, I should have gone to that damn place on the same day I arrived. I thought so. Why, why I stayed. Why have gotten there.
Denis could not stop coughing. His fever alcohol prevented me from getting too close to him. Also helped him sit up. He pulled his mouth to my ear and I felt sick.
"Mr. Nadel. Sorry. I'm better now ... Thanks.
stood up and dragged me by the hand towards the end of that one street. He tried to catch their breath after the scarf and pressed his chest. I felt so disoriented that I still did not resist.
-River, go to the River.
walked Denis grabbed my jacket, making efforts not moving cough. We crossed a ditch and ice on boards Norilskaya reach the coast. Appreciated only black sand covered with ice, and a river that was more like a gigantic piece of gray marble. She leaned on my shoulder and drank what remained of the bottle still in his pocket.
"There, there ... As a young man came with my brothers ... to fish there. In summer.
pointed to a pile of rusty beams dug into the ice.
"There, there in the spring ... we threw and caught the cane ... lenoks, hangers ... And until sigs ...
There was no dock. The bottle slipped from his fingers and shattered on the ice. She grabbed both of my shoulders, and thus, face to face, looked into my eyes and turned to shake. He shivered from head to toe and a look that pierced me squeezed my gut. He could not help another fit of coughing. He began to spit blood clots frightened I turned away and fell on the frozen sand. I suggested a move to get up, but his mouth began to emanate balls of various colors, and slipped on the ice. I looked away toward the horizon, where some abandoned cranes silhouetted sky. The polar night fell with overwhelming speed. Denis coughed and coughed in a fetal position and tried to grab trailing ankle. I walked backwards while looking at it and fell onto the frost. The cold water is embedded in my hips. I got up and kept walking backwards. Denis ran away with smoke from the mouth and vomited. My jaws chattering, I reached out but I kept moving away. Finally I turned and fled toward the village street. From behind I heard a cry, a cry that was coupled to the sharp whistling of the wind. I ran with extreme caution to avoid slipping on the ice and hurt my jacket, ready to pay whatever it takes to first see a car with enough gas to return to Norilsk me ASAP.
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