Attracted by the high wages, Yeremeeva's parents came here in 1980, when she was just 7 years old. Like most, they hoped to make good money, save some of it and eventually leave. But the collapse of the Soviet Union and the ensuing economic turmoil meant that they haven't been saving anything. In fact, they're just barely getting by. Everything must be shipped in from the mainland,'' said Yeremeeva, wearing her miner's helmet.
Health problems are rampant.
The environmental group Greenpeace says toxic smoke from the factor's furnaces and acid rain, have effectively killed the forest for up to 60 miles to the southeast of town. Yet the plant continues to churn out about 200,000 tons of nickel a year, roughly 20 percent of the world supply. It is not profitable for us, but it's clear that if we didn't support the town, then Norilsk would cease to exist,'' said Bururhin, the head engineer. For the workers, moving to a new city, finding another job and a place to live seem like monumental obstacles. It's a daunting prospect to venture elsewhere in Russia, where millions of workers get paid months late, if at all.