Post It Note 03/02/2021

News from the note…

A round up of the day’s news that might be of interest to you.

This is an OPEN THREAD,  folks. Chat about any of the stories listed, share links to stories that caught your eye today, and generally have a good time discussing whatever you want.


The ABC News link is broken, for more information on this see The Weather Channel’s Eerie Photos Show Frozen Homes and Buildings in a Russian Ghost Town (PHOTOS) at Weather.com.

Vorkuta is the fourth largest city north of the Arctic Circle and the coldest city in all of Europe, with record cold temperatures reaching below minus 50 degrees Celsius in the dead of winter. The city was once home to a thriving coal mining community, promising high wages for those who moved to the frigid region. But pri.org called Vorkuta “the fastest dying city in Russia” as the population has dwindled consistently since the collapse of the Soviet Union fueled hyperinflation and as coal mining all but disappeared.

The city and mines were built on the backs of gulag prisoners under the reign of Joseph Stalin, and the work and harsh conditions killed 200,000 of them, according to pri.org. Now the city itself is dying.

The city is still home to 50,000, but the population is nothing compared to Vorkuta and its surrounding suburbs in its heyday. Migration out of the city has increased since 2013 due to unemployment, turning many of the settlements into ghost towns, which freeze over in the frigid temperatures.

Most of the town’s theaters, cinemas and cultural centers have shuttered. According to The Guardian, the government does not have the funds to repair the overwhelming amount of abandoned buildings that become unstable in the extreme temperatures.

The Weather Channel

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