Towns or Hotels? Gas Workers Towns’ Construction Issue in Yamalo-­‐Nenets Autonomous Okrug in the Late 1960s

Problem of Ural High North and Northern Siberia has always attracted historians. Traditionally historiography payed attention on Yamal colonization during the pre--‐revolutionary period, though the post--‐Soviet historical science even more often began to appreciate practice of region’s colonization during the period of creation and development of the Western--‐Siberian oil--‐ and--‐gas complex (WSOGC) in 1960--‐1960s [1]. But scientists could’t give answers to all the discussed questions. Firstly, it refers to question of preference of colonization and foundation of towns in gas--‐bearing northern regions. Though the acuteness of this problem nowadays is evident because of uncertainty of Yamalo--‐Nenets gas--‐exploitation towns’ future development and development of a perspective strategy for Yamal development on a new level [2]. This article contains an attempt to answer some actual for those days questions. Main positions of project institutes, departments and regional government on the issue of Yamalo--‐Nenets towns’ development, now being part of the Russian Federation Arctic zone, are determined.

1960s: searchings for colonization systems by exploitation of hydrocarbons of Tyumen North

Discovery and started commencement of oil and later gas minefields in the beginning of 1960s appeared to be the first reason for Tyumen North urbanization. Growth of productions, and as following, --‐ number of workers, determined appearing of a question on their resettlement. Tyumen region didn’t possess great manpower, which were ready to serve branches of oil--‐and--‐gas exploitation. Colonization of the region from outside went at a good clip. Near the minefields deprived settlements of geologists, oil workers, constructors and gas workers were created spontaneously. In 1964 a status of industrial communities got settlements Igrim in Khanty--‐ Mansiisk district and Tazovsky in Yamalo--‐Nenets district, which were situated near opened gas minefields. As a result, mostly because of spontaneity of migration and town building in oil regions of Middle Priob, there appeared a problem before the directorship on forming of such a system of resettlement, which would promote economic, intensive and qualified development of oil--‐and--‐gas extraction production.

The challenge became more difficult with the fact that industrial development of the region continued to move to the north, in Yamalo--‐Nenets area, where colossal volumes of gas were founded: Tazovskoye (1962), Novoportovskoye (1964), Gubkinskoye (1965), Zapolarnoye (1965), Urengoyskoye (1966), Medvezhye (1967). An international practice didn’t possess knowledge in exploitation of such great gas minefields, which were situated, by the way, in difficult climate conditions. A concept of development of Tyumen region Northern areas should be formulated, and it was also important to come up with tactics of workers’ resettlement. Decision of this problem was charged to science--‐technical conferences on problems of city planning in oil--‐ and--‐gas bearing areas of Tyumen region, organization of which was initiated by Tyumen CPSU regional committee in the second half of 1960s. On these conferences discussion on building of new towns in oil--‐and--‐gas bearing areas of Western Siberia took place.

In scientific literature, dedicated to WSOGC, an opinion was formed that great importance in creation of town building concept and strategy of oil--‐and--‐gas bearing areas development belonged to 3 science--‐technical conferences. Discussion on town building, appeared on conferences, is noted in works of A.I.Prishepa [3, p. 138; 4, pp. 117--‐118]. A historian arrived at a decision, that in spite of most of scientists’ and practicians’ suggestions for «inside resettlement» (that means large scale town building in the region), instead of outside variant (building of worker’s settlements and airports, and all the works were executed by specialists from «mainland»), there was no definite strategic decision for a long time. According to the point of view of N.Y.Koleva, after argues and discussions an opinion was predominant, that towns must be founded from many--‐storeyed buildings made of noncombustible constructions and materials, and also idea of building of number of big cities, from which more remoted areas would be assimilated by work on a rotational basis [5, p. 237]. A historian N.Y.Gavrilova had another point of view [6, p. 233]. She thought that conferences supposed creation of two types of settlement: traditional (creation of towns 40--‐50 km from deposits and mobile settlements) and rotational. N.Y.Gavrilova noticed that there were more supporters of traditional approach, and realization of resettlement based on traditional principles began. It is evident that historians’ view were different. The reason for it is ti be seen not in the target of research, which could’n be interpreted unambiguously, but in insufficient enlistment of sources. Analysis of historians was based on memoirs (A.I.Prishepa, G.Y.Koleva) or on some newspaper publications (N.Y.Gavrilova). Materials of the conferences as originals were not used in researches.

Together with it we must notice that historians analyze only two Tyumen conferences --‐ of 1966 and 1969. At the same time, the conference, which took place 1968 and touched the problems of resettlement in gas regions, was left out in the cold. In this context a present article enter for the first time in science not only materials of the conference held 1968 on town building, but also opens for researchers of the Western Siberia North the fact of existence of such a conference, which was the greatest event during the period of discussions on building of towns for oil and gas workers in the Western Siberia. Probably, this article couldn’t have appeared, when the authors hadn’t found a sourcebook in one of Tyumen libraries.

The most well--‐known conference nowadays on problems of urban planning was held in June 1966. The latest researches showed that the main line of resistance during the conference was between Ministry of Oil Industry of the USSR and government of Tyumen region [7, p. 102--‐ 103]. Heads of the region called for centralized resettlement in big cities with extensive use of rotating scheme in areas of oil--‐and--‐gas exploitation, and oil workers --‐ for method of resettlement, which supposed creation of small towns near deposits. Ultimately the point of CPSU Tyumen regional committee was adopted, that means the centralized resettlement with predominant creation of well--‐appointed cities--‐centers of big regions and neighboring groups of deposits. Nevertheless, participants of the conference of 1966 talked about the united system of resettlement in Tyumen region, which affected both oil and gas regions, the main emphasis was on urban colonization of the oil production territories, thus the region of Middle Priob and Khanty--‐ Mansiisk district. But with discovery of unique gas deposits on Yamal, a question on methods of resettlement in gas regions appeared simultaneously.

In the beginning of 1966 gas deposits of Berezovo--‐Igrimskaya group were introduced into development; they were situated in Khanty--‐Mansiisk district. Together with it, Yamal deposits of gas demanded its seepage. The first secretary of Tyumen regional committee B.E.Cherba even in May 1966 in newspaper «Tyumenskaya pravda» called «to adopt immediately a program of crash development of gas production in Tyumen region» [8, p. 62]. Nevertheless, because of unclarity with volumes of deposits and lack of foreign practice of gas exploitation in such northern points, preparations for exploitation of new gas deposits was suspended.

The situation began to change in the end of 1967 --‐ beginning of 1968, when in January the Tyumen region was visited by Chairman of the Council of Ministers of the USSR A.N.Kosygin, who during the meeting emphasized that on deposits of gas the region was becoming one of the greatest in the world. During this meeting the USSR State Committee for Construction was charged to «speed up development of projects of residence buildings and cultural and general objects for the regions of high North»1. A visit of Kosygin brought the end to argues containing exploitation of northern gas deposits. Final acknowledgement of great economic meaning of Tyumen region gas areas succeeded in Resolution of the Council of Ministers from 17th of May 1968 «On actions for preparations on building of great gas fields and pipelines».

But government of Tyumen region didn’t wait for decision from the up and began to search for ways of Yamal exploitation. Activation of regional governmental bodies was connected with discovery in 1967 of unique by its deposits of gas field --‐ Medvezhye. The greatest part of this strategy was the approach in urban settlement development, for which discussion it was decided to run a conference. On the 26th of December 1967 a decision of CPSU Tyumen regional committee and Regional Executive Committee «On organization questions of science--‐practical conference on problems of urban development in gas areas of Tyumen region» 2 was adopted. A decision defined number of main reports and composition of organizations--‐participants. Among the organizations--‐participants there were Ministry of the Gas Industry of the USSR, Main Tyumen Oil--‐and--‐Gas Construction, Tyumen Gasprom and many project institutes. All in all there were 66 organizations. By that way there wasn’t presented Ministry of Oil Industry of the USSR and Chief Tyumen Oil and Gas, what was logic because they were engaged in oil exploitation production, but not in gas exploitation production. The chairman of the conference’s organization committee was secretary of CPSU regional committee E.A.Ogorovnov who supervised in the party problems of construction.

Conference took place on the 26--‐28th of June 1968. Opening of the conference was charged on the second secretary of CPSU Tyumen regional committee A.K.Protozanov, who wished all its participants fruitful work3. Structure of conference repeated structure of conference held 1966. The first session was connected with regional planning and resettlement. During the second session questions on planning, development and engineer equipment of cities and settlements were overviewed. The third session involved problems of structural design of buildings, lower layers and ground works of constructing geology.

Unlike the conference held in 1966, representatives of departments, to unknown reason, didn’t present their reports for participation (at any rate, these reports were not published). A possibility is not excepted that departments could just ignore invitation of CPSU Tyumen regional committee. It could be connected with the fact that in this period of time between government of the region and oil--‐and--‐gas producing departments a struggle on issue of construction of oil workers’ cities settlements of gas workers in Middle Priob has increased. Governmental bodies of the region with all its strength tried to direct development of the region on urbanization, the priority was given to creation of comfortable cities. Departments had another point of view --‐ they were mostly interested in implementation of a program of oil and gas exploitation.

47 reports were published (probably more were listened), which brought up concerns connected with complex exploitation of Yamalo--‐Nenets are, including development of a system of transport, implementation of new types of housing and methods of construction, relevation of natural and landscape conditions. Bt the main question, which the conference must answer, sounded in such a way: whether construction of cities in gas areas of Tyumen region is viable?

USSR State plan was also against construction of cities in Yamalo--‐Nenets area. Chief of the sector of West--‐Siberian industrial complex of the USSR Council for the Study of Production Forces (CSPF) by State plan V.D.Belousov expressed the idea of creation of comfortable hotels in the region, where workers and engineers could live and work [9, p. 14]. Such a variant didn’t demand for resettlement in northern regions of workers’ families: «all the industrial--‐production staff live in such hotels and their families live in the regions of Tyumen, Tobolsk and probably in other places, with rather mild climate conditions» [9, p. 14]. After definite period of rotation, which determined in 15--‐20 days and more, all workers came to their families and than another pair arrived. According to the idea of State plan representative, hotels could surrogate cities and industrial settlements.

The main argument against construction of cities was expensiveness of this project’s realization. The greatest expenses were connected with building construction and civil construction. According to the USSR State plan estimates, by resettlement of 21--‐24 thousand people, who provided functioning of oil--‐and--‐gas industry, for arrangement of stated number of people in cities and settlements, it was appropriate to invest 140--‐150 million rubles. At the same time construction and upkeep of hotels of rotation type for accommodation in them of 6--‐7 thousand people stood for the state 45--‐50 million rubles [9, p. 13--‐15]. Another advantage was that by such a scheme of resettlement in northern regions didn’t demand for engaging of teachers, doctors, commercial and cultural workers. That’s why it was important to give up the idea of cities’ construction in the High North of the region and to stop introduce here such a number of families and especially workers, engaged in industrial sphere. Though, at the end of the report representative of the State plan laid emphasis on the idea, that construction of hotels and cities in the region was investigated not enough, and only after thorough and strong investigation it would be possible to decide which method of resettlement would be more appropriate by exploitation of Northern gas fields. In the whole, the idea of hotels was based on suggestion that even by colossal volumes of exploitation of gas in the future (from 179 bln. to 310--‐360 bln. square meters up to the year 1975), demand in industry--‐production specialists, engaged in exploitation, would estimate 6--‐7 thousand people. Such number of workers could be serviced and by comfortable hotels.

Position of the USSR State plan wasn’t supported by institutes of Giprogor and Leningrad institute for projecting of cities (Lengiprogor). For the speedy construction of cities was a famous Sverdlovsk architect G.V.Shaufler [9, p. 76]. According to his point of view, it could influence perspective development of gas areas.

At the plenary meeting of the conference projectors of Moscow Giprogor suggested 2 ways of solving this problem: internal and external [9, p.20--‐21]. Internal system supposed actualization of resettlement directly in the areas of gas exploitation, and external — out the Yamalo--‐Nenets area. System of internal resettlement included 3 possible variants:

• a)    « group variant », which supposed distribution of populated localities with population from 10 to 20 thousand people by the groups of mine fields (such cities should be Urengoy (Ygengoy group of mine fields), Nadym (mine fields Medvezhye and Yubileyny), Tazovsky (Zapolyarnoe and Tazovskoe), Tarko--‐Sale (Posovskoe and Gubinskoe), Novy Port (Yamal group of mine fields);

• b)    « centralized variant », which allowed construction of one great city with population up to 80 thousand people within the Yamalo--‐Nenets area for all groups of mine fields (such cities could become Urengoy and Nadym), which were operated with the help of rotation settlements;

• c)    « Decentralized variant », according to which small settlements with population under 2 thousand people by each production were constructed.

System of external resettlement supposed resettlement of gas workers and their families in one of the existing cities of Tyumen region in more mild climate conditions, with cheaper building construction. In the eye of Giprogor, such cities could be Tyumen and Surgut. With such an approach in the areas of gas exploitation, «Rotations for long term occupancy and the basis airdrome» were organized [9, p. 21], where workers were delivered from the centre of resettlement and were carried to productions. Actually, the variant of external resettlement was the same with the construction in the region of comfortable hotels.

All in all, according to specialists of Giprogor points of view, in the gas areas must come from 70 to 80 thousand people, and during peak of building in 1974--‐1977 extra 25--‐30 thousand people. When taking into account such volumes, the priority was given to internal way of resettlement with construction of one or few cities.

Constructors of Giprogor E.Y.Feigina and V.I.Zamerceva also noticed that composition of the Tyumen region northern regions must «be based on the principle of restraint and extreme density of the whole city» [9, p. 22]. To architects’ point of view, planning must correspond with following regulations: «City is formed around the community centre with minimum disclosure to environment. It is rational to establish overdensity of residental areas in planning, which will give an opportunity to shorten the way from houses to cultural--‐domestic servicing and create in housing complexes close interior space with zones of relative wind calm» [9, p. 22--‐23].

Other variants of construction development of Yamalo--‐Nenets area were suggested. So, Krasnoyarsk «PromstroyNIIproject», engaged in problems of Norilsk industrial hub resettlement, recommended creation of pioneer settlements like mobile complex from movable detachable standard elements with high level of home--‐household and production comfort. And the result of the investigation process for the nearest future, to the natives of Krasnoyarsk points of view, were permanent settlements --‐ local production areas for exploitation of gas fields [9, p. 38]. The USSR AS Institute of geography suggested a scheme of oil--‐and--‐gas resettlement, which included the centre of resettlement --‐ a big city (up to 20 thousand people) — and smaller permanent and seasonable «satellites» [9, pp. 42--‐43]. According to the Siberian zone science--‐research and project institute (Sibzsrip), more perspective in production cities and settlements could be Tyumen, Syrgut, Tobolsk, Ishim, Zavodoukovsk, Lugovoy, Mezhdurechensky and Kondinskoye [9, p. 62].

According to Lengiprogor approach, the most important base of the Tyumen region North must become Salekhard and near to it working settlement Labytangi, which represented natural logistic base of gas areas exploitation [9, p. 54--‐55]. It gave place to the idea, that through Labytangi Salekhard was connected with railway net of the European part of the country. Institute noted that during some period of time there was no major construction work in Salekhard and Labytangi. It was connected with that settlements were situated in the zone of possible flooding during construction of Lower Ob hydro--‐electric power station. At the same time problem of Lower Ob hydro--‐electric power station construction was touched, which construction, according to the institute point of view, not only complicated exploitation of gas fields, but also crossed out construction development of the Tyumen North. Director of the institute K.N.Nelyubin pointed, that Salekhard must be developed on either existed territory or on new grounds as «compact comfortable city — centre of Yamalo--‐Nenets area and new gas industrial capital of Siberian North, but not as accidental gathering of disengaged and ill--‐provided settlements» [9, p. 55].

Specialists of Central science--‐research and project institute of house and commercial buildings (CNIIEP) placed emphasis on existence of inadmissible fact, which appeared in house--‐ commercial construction on the North of Tyumen region, namely --‐ «appearance of big without modern conveniences timely settlements of building productions, which resulted that new city was constructed in the North for two times» [9, p. 105]. Mainly such a situation took place because of departments’ policy.

Participants of the conference noted that high speed of oil--‐nad--‐gas exploitation leaded to the situation, when departments by themselves began to accommodate and cities and settlements began its construction without any scheme of regional planning and general plans of development. Specialist of the Siberian Science--‐research institute of transport construction (SibSRITC) V.Y.Tkachenko thought that department approach for planning and economic grounding of a new area provided «diffusion of fundings for the same goals, its ineffective usage» [9, p. 49]. Director of Lengiprogor K.N.Nelyubin expressed himself more strong: «We are standing before threat of disorder, lack of any general plan, department construction of both banks of Ob, which would devour Salekhard, which would divest it with any construction perspectives» [9, p. 55]. Most of projected institutes gave its negative appreciation to the construction policy of ministries and departments, who possessed direct construction, were employers of house--‐commercial and culture--‐household construction in cities, and in some moments they were builders. For solution of this problem representative of Novosibirsk Engineer--‐construction institute named after V.V.Kuibishev I.F.Malkov suggested creation of special organization «Priobgrazhdanstroy», which would fulfill the function of the only developer of house and culture--‐commercial construction in gas cities [9, p. 111].

All in all most of participants evidently expressed themselves for construction of cities and settlements in the areas of gas exploitation. Construction of hotels wasn’t seriously overviewed by government of the Tyumen region not only because of forecasted by the USSR State plan population census was improbable small, but firstly because of small volumes of funding and unrealizability of region’s complex development by such a hotel project, for which with all their strength struggled local powers. In much under the influence of the conference, the USSR State plan overviewed its position concerning building construction in the Yamalo--‐Nenets area. Later, as subsequent events showed, centralized variant of internal resettlement was supported, which was suggested by Giprogor. This variant found its way into decisions of CC CPSU and the USSR Council of Ministers from 11th of December 1969 «of measures for speedy development of oil--‐and--‐gas industry in the Western Siberia» and from 21st of December 1971 «Of measures of future development of cities and settlements in areas of oil--‐and--‐gas exploitation of Tyumen region».

Pic.1. Yamalo--‐Nenets Autonomous Area. URL:

When by centralized resettlement of Middle Priob oil areas it was decided to construct number of powerful cities--‐centers, where rotations and expeditions were sent from for exploitation of natural resources, in gas areas of High North it was decided to found one base city--‐ center. From all the suggested variants (Urengoy, Salekhard, Nadym), the choice was for projected city Nadym.

Firstly, this city became basic for exploitation of gas field Medvezhye and gas pipe line ref--‐ erence point. Such scheme of resettlement was overviewed as the main by development by Giprogor in 1970 of regional planning of Nadym--‐Urengoy industrial region.

A general plan of Nadim, created by Giprogor in 1969, was proved by Tyumen Regional Executive committee in 1970. Population of Nadym for target time limit up to the year 1980 supposed to be 16 thousand people. In 1972 Nadym got the status of the city of under the okrug's jurisdiction, by that way it escaped the status of working settlement. But in 1970s realization of centralized resettlement in Yamalo--‐Nenets area was far from ideal. Gas departments were looking to create settlements by productions and near mine fields. In 1975 status of working settlement was given to Labitangi --‐ center of Yamal geological exploitation. In 1976 status of working settlement was given to Tarko--‐Sale, which was formed as a base on Purpeysk group of oil fields, and 1979 working settlements became Noyabrsky, Pangody, Urengoy and Stariy Nadim. Departments demanded for creation of a base city and by great Urengoy gas field. Tyumen government was not ready to agree with construction of one more big city in north latitude, but nevertheless, in 1974 Regional Executive Committee adopted a general plan of Novy Urengoy, developed by Giprogor. Population for target limit up to 25--‐30 years supposed to be 30 thousand people, and to the year 1980 --‐ 18 thousand people.4 But departments started development of Novy Urengoy not according to the plan, and getting the status of a city ran over 1980.

Conclusion

In such a way, materials of the conference on town construction in gas areas of Tyumen region, held 1968 in Tyumen showed that during the discussion point of view of construction of cities in High North was adopted, and construction of hotels was delayed. Together with it it was decided to realize centralized variant of internal resettlement and construct in Yamalo--‐Nenets area only one basic city of gas workers, where exploitation of natural resources was held by rotating scheme. Though the adopted centralized resettlement at the end of 1960s, under the influence of uncontrolled politics of departments, in 1970s it appeared a realization of group variant of resettlement with creation of settlements in each big gas field. This fact again confirms thesis that city construction and resettlement in the USSR in conditions of industrialization of the North and Siberia took place locally and didn’t comply with city--‐building plans and projects,

Spontaneity and uncontrollability of urbanized process by realization of not enough strong and successive politics of regional government and all--‐might of industrial productions during exploitation of natural resources territories must be taken into account in strategies of High North and Arctic territories development nowadays.