Vorkuta, Coal mining settlement north of the Arctic Circle in Komi Republic, Russia.
Vorkuta is a settlement in the northeastern part of the Komi Republic in Russia, located roughly 100 miles north of the Arctic Circle. The town extends along the Vorkuta River amid expansive tundra, marked by multistory residential blocks dating from the Soviet period.
The settlement was founded in 1932 as a forced labor camp and grew into a coal mining center during Soviet industrialization. After the camp system ended, the town continued to expand, reaching its largest population in the late 1980s before economic shifts led to ongoing decline.
Residents adapt their daily routines to polar night in winter and midnight sun in summer, shaping how the community organizes work and leisure. Local festivals in late autumn feature reindeer sledding and traditions of indigenous northern peoples who have lived in the region for generations.
The airport links the town with other parts of Russia and remains operational even during extreme weather. Visitors should prepare for subarctic conditions, with winter temperatures often dropping below minus 22 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 30 degrees Celsius) and summer rarely exceeding 59 degrees Fahrenheit (15 degrees Celsius).
The so-called Vorkuta Ring includes several abandoned settlements and closed mines still visible around the town. Many apartment blocks stand empty after the population fell sharply since the late 1980s, leaving entire neighborhoods deserted.
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