Новопортовский мерзлотник, Underground fish storage facility in Novy Port, Russia
The Novoportovsky Permafrost Storage is an underground facility near Novy Port designed for fish preservation, built into the frozen ground with three main tunnels running parallel to the coast. The complex includes hundreds of individual storage chambers connected by passages and air shafts.
The storage facility was built between 1950 and 1956 when the region expanded its fishing industry and urgently needed a way to preserve the catch. Workers manually excavated the tunnels into the frozen ground using basic tools.
The site shows how local people solved a major problem in this harsh region by working with nature. The buried tunnels became essential to the community's survival and prosperity.
Access to the site is limited due to its remote location and harsh Arctic conditions, so warm clothing is necessary. Visitors should check local conditions beforehand as the underground tunnels remain extremely cold year-round.
The entire complex was dug out by hand using only picks and shovels, taking advantage of the naturally frozen ground to carve the passages. This manual method made it possible to build a large facility without modern machinery.
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