Nornickel, Wowhaus architectural bureau and the Norilsk Development Agency held a public consultation with Tukhard residents focused on the new settlement’s master plan and house plans. The consultation was part of a process to obtain free, prior and informed consent (FPIC) for any changes from affected indigenous peoples, held in line with the UN principles.

The new settlement project, fully financed by Nornickel, will be a unique case of area development for similar regions in the Arctic and a benchmark for renovating other remote settlements in the Russian North. The proposed project is driven by technology and comfort — spacious houses, advanced utility systems, a landscaped embankment, a village green with leisure areas, community and fitness facilities, and all-season playgrounds and outdoor gyms sheltered from wind.

**Tukhard residents giving their comments on the new settlement draft master plan**

Tukhard was built back in the Soviet times at an industrial site, which violates current regulations. There is a buffer zone around the site, within which permanent residence is prohibited. Nornickel was Russia’s first company to obtain FPIC from indigenous peoples of the North, securing a consent from the Tukhard community to relocate voluntarily and on the terms set by the indigenous community itself during the FPIC procedure.

“We had three rounds of consultations involving leading international experts in indigenous rights, who came to Tukhard to give advice on the rights and opportunities related to this project. After five months of negotiations, we obtained a consent from Tukhard residents to move subject to certain conditions, including the ability to choose social and utility infrastructure options, as well as requirements for the settlement’s appearance and reindeer herding infrastructure. An important relocation consent condition was the community’s involvement in all stages, from design to construction of the settlement,” said Vasily Zakharov, an indigenous engagement expert at Nornickel.

In April 2023, the settlement project moved to the next stage of development. Based on findings from an extensive survey of residents conducted in January, the team presented a draft concept of a new Tukhard reflecting the community’s ideas and suggestions.

**Rendered image of one of the streets in Tukhard**

The Tukhard master plan envisages a modern settlement that supports traditional ways of life of indigenous peoples. The master plan carefully considered the local climate and landscape profile, with curved streets protecting against the wind, main public areas all located within a five-minute walk, a landscaped lake embankment, and a pier on the river.

“It is important to enable the settlement’s organic development in the future. So the best way to do this is not just ask residents about their vision for their settlement but involve them in the design and decision-making processes. The residents’ views we collected informed the terms of reference for architectural design, which formed the basis of the settlement draft design,” commented Oleg Shapiro, a co-founder of Wowhaus.

The future settlement will be fully self-sufficient, with its own utilities, social and community infrastructure, and production facilities. Construction will take into account changes in permafrost in northern regions as well as the need to resist high wind loads. Each home is required to have a storage room and its own grounds.

Residents of Tukhard actively participated in discussions of the new settlement project, sharing what they liked and what needed to be improved.

Igor Yamkin, Head of the Tukhard Council of Representatives, said: “Over the past two years, a lot of effort has been invested by both Nornickel and the Tukhard Council of Representatives. This project is very important: people will be very happy when it is finished. I personally like the location of the new settlement, its architecture, and having community and social facilities all within walking distance. Of course, we made some adjustments: community, cultural, social infrastructure, and healthcare facilities all should be housed in separate buildings. This is a settlement, after all. And we need to be mindful of that. Overall, settlement residents are upbeat. We see that the company is following through on all commitments made at the time of the FPIC procedure.”

The project team will collect all recommendations resulting from consultations with residents and incorporate them into a final master plan. The final master plan of Tukhard will be presented to all interested parties as early as this autumn.

Tukhard residents discuss new settlement master plan and house plans