Igarka

Igarka ( _ru. Ига́рка) is an town in Krasnoyarsk Krai, Russia, located 163 km north of the Arctic Circle. It is also a port on the Yenisey River, situated 673 km away from the river's mouth. Population: 8,627 (2002 Census); 18,820 (1989 Census); 16,000 (1970). It is served by Igarka Airport whose location across the river makes access difficult when the water is part thawed: in winter one can drive across, in summer there's a boat connection but in between things get difficult.

Igarka was founded in 1929 as a sawmill and timber-exporting port. It gained a town status in 1931. From 1949 to 1953 the Salekhard-Igarka Railway project made an unsuccessful attempt to connect Igarka to the Russian railway network at Salekhard, claiming the lives of thousands of Gulag prisoners.

The town's main attraction is a curious permafrost museum [ [http://museum.ru/M1405 Игарский краеведческий комплекс "Музей вечной мерзлоты" ] ] which has won some pan-European prizes [ [http://www.europeanmuseumforum.org/Bulletin%20July%202002.pdf www.europeanmuseumforum.org ] ] .

References