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> Constella found that years ago gezze@mail.ru was used to create a Vkontakte account from Magnitogorsk, an industrial city in the southern region of Russia. T

by lbotos 3y ago

> Constella found that years ago gezze@mail.ru was used to create a Vkontakte account from Magnitogorsk, an industrial city in the southern region of Russia. This picture of Magnitogorsk has always stuck with me: https://www.reddit.com/r/UrbanHell/comments/hs0phj/magnitogorsk_russia/ https://www.reddit.com/r/UrbanHell/comments/hs0phj/magnitogo...

pixl97 3y ago
When I see that town name and that picture all I can think of is Magnasanti https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NTJQTc-TqpU https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NTJQTc-TqpU
nwienert 3y ago
Looks not far from Barcelona with dramatic lighting
- woobar 3y ago
  Same thought. And Barcelona is often lauded for its urban planning. Pics for reference: Barcelona: https://toposmagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/logan-armstrong-hVhfqhDYciU-unsplash-scaled.jpg https://toposmagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/logan-a... Magnitogorsk: https://www.shutterstock.com/shutterstock/photos/751528006/display_1500/stock-photo-aerial-view-of-the-industrial-russian-city-magnitogorsk-751528006.jpg https://www.shutterstock.com/shutterstock/photos/751528006/d...
Georgelemental 3y ago
Looks very Soviet…
zoeysmithe 3y ago
This city looks awful in this photo but this is probably ideal living for urbanized people. This was built as a public trans city so the narrow streets are for buses and trams. The apartment complexes aren't big blocky buildings like in say Manhattan, but L shaped to allow a large shady green area and to maximize natural light for all residents. Its full of green between the buildings and quite charming looking and walkable, especially considering some of those buildings are mixed use and allow for business as well: https://imgur.com/sxgFLjO https://imgur.com/sxgFLjO https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/magnitogorsk-russia-august-2017-aerial-view-753776176 https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/magnitogorsk-russia... The Soviets got so much right, its such a shame the car-centric suburban sprawl model won out in the West and percolated its way to Russia and parts of the East after the fall of the SU.
- Scoundreller 3y ago
  And if you don’t have air conditioning, you get “alphabet buildings” shaped like letters. You get a chance to open windows on multiple sides to get actual airflow. And more sun.
- lbotos 3y ago
  I did a thing on the internet that I personally hate which is to share a thing but not share my thoughts. I think you are right, and I think the city looks cool, but it also seems to have an environment that could be described as oppressive (and in this image... cold) I see others talking about Barcelona and I agree -- Barcelona looks similar. I assume less cold on average though.
- ogurechny 3y ago
  I suppose modern man is trained to see any picture with any kind of caption on screen and instantly believe it. You don't have to do any research to learn that it is a satellite city to giant plants which appeared during rapid industrialization and were moved during the war. > Magnitogorsk was to become a one-industry town modeled after two of the most advanced steel-producing cities in the United States at that time: Gary, Indiana, and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. 100 year old industry processes usually can't be easily updated to cleaner ones. Especially if no one has actually bothered to fix anything. > Magnitogorsk was mentioned in the Blacksmith Institute's 2007 survey of the world's worst polluted cities, placed in the report's unranked list of the 25 most-polluted places outside the top ten. It has only left the list of 20 most polluted Russian cities 5 years ago, when official pressure to do better started (and “better than before” is not “great”). Reportedly, one third of emissions was cut, which leaves the other two thirds. Buildings from '30s and '50s are great if they have been well kept, which is rare because of lackluster approach in the late decades of Soviet era, and economic turmoil afterwards. Otherwise they can get quite nasty. Other option is major renovation, but developers are not interested in keeping low rise blocks (if they can't erect a 20 storey building at the same place). Local videos like this are easy to find: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9d39wq7x9uk https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9d39wq7x9uk What's more important, Russia is extremely centralized. There is not a lot one can do Most people with money, ambitions, or desires move to Moscow. Second option is St. Petersburg, third one is a small number of other big cities. Exactly that seemed to happen here.

by lbotos 3y ago

pixl97 3y ago

When I see that town name and that picture all I can think of is Magnasanti https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NTJQTc-TqpU https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NTJQTc-TqpU

nwienert 3y ago

Looks not far from Barcelona with dramatic lighting

woobar 3y ago
Same thought. And Barcelona is often lauded for its urban planning. Pics for reference: Barcelona: https://toposmagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/logan-armstrong-hVhfqhDYciU-unsplash-scaled.jpg https://toposmagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/logan-a... Magnitogorsk: https://www.shutterstock.com/shutterstock/photos/751528006/display_1500/stock-photo-aerial-view-of-the-industrial-russian-city-magnitogorsk-751528006.jpg https://www.shutterstock.com/shutterstock/photos/751528006/d...

Georgelemental 3y ago

Looks very Soviet…

zoeysmithe 3y ago

This city looks awful in this photo but this is probably ideal living for urbanized people. This was built as a public trans city so the narrow streets are for buses and trams. The apartment complexes aren't big blocky buildings like in say Manhattan, but L shaped to allow a large shady green area and to maximize natural light for all residents. Its full of green between the buildings and quite charming looking and walkable, especially considering some of those buildings are mixed use and allow for business as well: https://imgur.com/sxgFLjO https://imgur.com/sxgFLjO https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/magnitogorsk-russia-august-2017-aerial-view-753776176 https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/magnitogorsk-russia... The Soviets got so much right, its such a shame the car-centric suburban sprawl model won out in the West and percolated its way to Russia and parts of the East after the fall of the SU.

Scoundreller 3y ago
And if you don’t have air conditioning, you get “alphabet buildings” shaped like letters. You get a chance to open windows on multiple sides to get actual airflow. And more sun.
lbotos 3y ago
I did a thing on the internet that I personally hate which is to share a thing but not share my thoughts. I think you are right, and I think the city looks cool, but it also seems to have an environment that could be described as oppressive (and in this image... cold) I see others talking about Barcelona and I agree -- Barcelona looks similar. I assume less cold on average though.
ogurechny 3y ago
I suppose modern man is trained to see any picture with any kind of caption on screen and instantly believe it. You don't have to do any research to learn that it is a satellite city to giant plants which appeared during rapid industrialization and were moved during the war. > Magnitogorsk was to become a one-industry town modeled after two of the most advanced steel-producing cities in the United States at that time: Gary, Indiana, and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. 100 year old industry processes usually can't be easily updated to cleaner ones. Especially if no one has actually bothered to fix anything. > Magnitogorsk was mentioned in the Blacksmith Institute's 2007 survey of the world's worst polluted cities, placed in the report's unranked list of the 25 most-polluted places outside the top ten. It has only left the list of 20 most polluted Russian cities 5 years ago, when official pressure to do better started (and “better than before” is not “great”). Reportedly, one third of emissions was cut, which leaves the other two thirds. Buildings from '30s and '50s are great if they have been well kept, which is rare because of lackluster approach in the late decades of Soviet era, and economic turmoil afterwards. Otherwise they can get quite nasty. Other option is major renovation, but developers are not interested in keeping low rise blocks (if they can't erect a 20 storey building at the same place). Local videos like this are easy to find: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9d39wq7x9uk https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9d39wq7x9uk What's more important, Russia is extremely centralized. There is not a lot one can do Most people with money, ambitions, or desires move to Moscow. Second option is St. Petersburg, third one is a small number of other big cities. Exactly that seemed to happen here.