March 30, 2021

Mines from Aluminum to Crypto


Mines from Aluminum to Crypto
Nadvoitsy has been called the Pripyat of the Arctic; this is what a post-Chernobyl Pripyat classroom looked like in 2011. Wikimedia Commons user Shanomag

What's more mysterious than a nearly abandoned Soviet-era ghost town in the Arctic? A nearly-abandoned Soviet-era ghost town in the Arctic that's seeing an uncanny resurgence through internet wizardry.

The town of Nadvoitsy developed around an aluminum factory planted in the Arctic by the Soviets. At its height, it had more than 10,000 residents. Now, apartments are on sale for R150,000-R400,000 ($1,973-$5,262), and no one buys them. For comparison, the cost of an entire apartment in Nadvoitsy would buy a person root canals and crowns on two teeth in St. Petersburg, as this author knows from recent personal experience.

Now that the aluminum factory is closed, who wants to stay in the Arctic? No one, really. The Komsomolskaya Pravda writer who investigated the story contends that, "According to all the laws of economics, [Nadvoitsy] had to die."

But investors recently spent $5 billion dollars to keep this monotown from turning into a ghost town. Why?

The old factory is now a data center. After all, "every pie shop now has an online store." That digital data has to be stored somewhere!

Cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin can also be mined there, meaning that a town that was once close to being forgotten is now becoming more and more valuable. With a hydroelectric plant nearby, electricity is cheap. Servers and mining release enormous amounts of heat, but in the Arctic, there is no need for expensive coolers.

Since a data center pretty much runs itself, thousands of factory jobs have been replaced with only hundreds of high-tech ones. Still, the new facility is pumping a lot of money into the local economy.

Like this post? Get a weekly email digest + member-only deals

Some of our Books

Stargorod: A Novel in Many Voices
May 01, 2013

Stargorod: A Novel in Many Voices

Stargorod is a mid-sized provincial city that exists only in Russian metaphorical space. It has its roots in Gogol, and Ilf and Petrov, and is a place far from Moscow, but close to Russian hearts. It is a place of mystery and normality, of provincial innocence and Black Earth wisdom. Strange, inexplicable things happen in Stargorod. So do good things. And bad things. A lot like life everywhere, one might say. Only with a heavy dose of vodka, longing and mystery.

Bears in the Caviar
May 01, 2015

Bears in the Caviar

Bears in the Caviar is a hilarious and insightful memoir by a diplomat who was “present at the creation” of US-Soviet relations. Charles Thayer headed off to Russia in 1933, calculating that if he could just learn Russian and be on the spot when the US and USSR established relations, he could make himself indispensable and start a career in the foreign service. Remarkably, he pulled it of.

A Taste of Russia
November 01, 2012

A Taste of Russia

The definitive modern cookbook on Russian cuisine has been totally updated and redesigned in a 30th Anniversary Edition. Layering superbly researched recipes with informative essays on the dishes' rich historical and cultural context, A Taste of Russia includes over 200 recipes on everything from borshch to blini, from Salmon Coulibiac to Beef Stew with Rum, from Marinated Mushrooms to Walnut-honey Filled Pies. A Taste of Russia shows off the best that Russian cooking has to offer. Full of great quotes from Russian literature about Russian food and designed in a convenient wide format that stays open during use.

93 Untranslatable Russian Words
December 01, 2008

93 Untranslatable Russian Words

Every language has concepts, ideas, words and idioms that are nearly impossible to translate into another language. This book looks at nearly 100 such Russian words and offers paths to their understanding and translation by way of examples from literature and everyday life. Difficult to translate words and concepts are introduced with dictionary definitions, then elucidated with citations from literature, speech and prose, helping the student of Russian comprehend the word/concept in context.

The Little Humpbacked Horse
November 03, 2014

The Little Humpbacked Horse

A beloved Russian classic about a resourceful Russian peasant, Vanya, and his miracle-working horse, who together undergo various trials, exploits and adventures at the whim of a laughable tsar, told in rich, narrative poetry.

The Moscow Eccentric
December 01, 2016

The Moscow Eccentric

Advance reviewers are calling this new translation "a coup" and "a remarkable achievement." This rediscovered gem of a novel by one of Russia's finest writers explores some of the thorniest issues of the early twentieth century.

Driving Down Russia's Spine
June 01, 2016

Driving Down Russia's Spine

The story of the epic Spine of Russia trip, intertwining fascinating subject profiles with digressions into historical and cultural themes relevant to understanding modern Russia. 

The Samovar Murders
November 01, 2019

The Samovar Murders

The murder of a poet is always more than a murder. When a famous writer is brutally stabbed on the campus of Moscow’s Lumumba University, the son of a recently deposed African president confesses, and the case assumes political implications that no one wants any part of.

About Us

Russian Life is the 31-year-old publication of an award-winning publishing house that also creates books, and other products for Russophiles the world over.

Latest Posts

Our Contacts

Russian Life
73 Main Street, Suite 402
Montpelier VT 05602

802-223-4955