Feb/25

Dikson – the Northernmost Settlement in Russia

No comments · Posted by Sergei Rzhevsky in Cities, Regions, Travel

Dikson is an urban-type settlement located in the very north of Krasnoyarsk Krai of Russia, on the northwestern tip of the Taimyr Peninsula, on the coast of the Kara Sea of the Arctic Ocean.

It is divided by a strait into two parts – an island and a mainland. In winter, cars and buses travel along the ice road, in summer, boats operate. In spring and autumn, you can only get from one part of the settlement to the other by helicopter. Dikson on Google Maps. Photos by: Slava Stepanov.

In fact, people on the mainland of Dikson live as if on an island, since you can only get here by sea or by plane, there are no roads or railways to Dikson. The nearest city is Norilsk, located about 540 km to the south.

Since this is the territory of the Arctic tundra, no trees are growing here. In summer, the tundra is covered with grass, and in winter there is only snow, ice, frosts down to minus 50 degrees Celsius and gusts of wind that can knock you off your feet.

The name of the settlement comes from Dikson Island, discovered in the early 17th century. The official name appeared in 1875, when a Swedish polar explorer arrived here, put the island on the map and called it Dikson – in honor of the merchant who financed the expedition.

The poster reads: “Welcome to Dikson”.

In 1901, the first building was built on the island – a wooden barn, in which coal reserves for the Russian Polar Expedition were stored. In 1915, it was decided to organize a permanent base here to support ships of expeditions to the Arctic Ocean. A radio station, residential buildings, and a bathhouse were built on the island.

The seaport of Dikson is the northernmost port in Russia. The history of the Northern Sea Route is connected with it. It is also known as the “Gateway to the Arctic”.

The former building of the Dikson Sea Port Administration, built in the Stalinist Empire style. The building is not currently in use, as the port administration has moved to a new building.

The Obelisk to the Defenders of Dikson, erected in honor of the defense of the settlement during the Second World War. Krasnoyarsk Krai became the only Siberian region where an actual battle took place during this war. On August 27, 1942, the German cruiser Admiral Scheer fired about 500 shells at Dikson destroying part of the infrastructure and buildings, but the initial task of landing troops was not accomplished, the defenders repelled the attack.

This attack was carried out as part of Operation Wunderland – an offensive operation of the Kriegsmarine, undertaken in the second half of August 1942 in the Kara Sea to prevent the passage of Allied convoys into the Barents Sea from the east, via the Northern Sea Route, and to destroy Soviet port infrastructure.

Voronin Street is named after the polar explorer and captain of the Soviet icebreaker fleet Vladimir Ivanovich Voronin (1890-1952).

Shopping center “Torgmortrans”.

In the late 1980s, Dikson had a population of about 5,000. Then local enterprises began to close and residents began to leave. As of 2024, about 300 people live here, most of them on just one street.

This monument is dedicated to the Russian sailor and polar explorer Nikifor Alekseevich Begichev (1874-1927).

The northernmost store in Eurasia operates in the building of the shopping and consumer center. All cargo is delivered by air on an AN-26 plane once a week, if the weather is suitable for flying.

In mid-May, there are still snowdrifts higher than two meters in Dikson.

An area of 218,955 square kilometers is attached to the settlement of Dikson, which is comparable to the area of the UK (242,495).

The Church of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker (2010) is the northernmost church in Eurasia.

The climate of this arctic desert is very harsh. The average annual temperature is minus 11.4 degrees Celsius. From November to April, the average temperature is below minus 15 °C. The warmest month is August – +4.8 °C. The polar day in Dikson lasts from May 5 to August 10, the polar night – from November 11 to February 1.

There are a lot of abandoned buildings in Dikson. The wind knocks down boarded doors and snow covers them not only from the outside but also from the inside.

The airport of Dikson, located on the island part of the settlement, is the northernmost airport in Eurasia. It is the only year-round connection with the outside world. There are regular flights to Norilsk once a week. During the navigation season, fuel is delivered here by ships.