Norilsk is a city in the Krasnoyarsk Krai of Siberia, Russia, located deep inside the Arctic Circle, with a population of about 176,000 and no road access to the rest of the world. ^[1] The Norillag forced-labor camp system was used by the Soviet Union in Norilsk, sending hundreds of thousands of prisoners who worked on mining and infrastructure in harsh Arctic conditions, and thousands died from cold, hunger, disease, and exhaustion. ^[2] After the camps were closed in the 1950s, the industrial activity remained and Norilsk was recognized as one of the world's most polluted industrial cities, with acid rain and industrial emissions damaging vegetation across a wide area. ^[3] Norilsk experiences a polar night lasting about 45 days during winter, with temperatures often dropping below minus 30 degrees Celsius and strong winds, making daily life difficult. ^[4]