Russia for the sad: the five most depressing cities

“Russia is for the sad” – this is what one of the most popular memes says, which later became a stable phrase to describe Russians. Hence the jokes about how Russians never smile and many public pages dedicated to the national “ktony”. And this phrase also explains very well why we love Dostoevsky, criticize Balabanov’s films and respect the old domestic rap style, ignoring young artists.

But in fact Russians are not sad at all, they are just serious because they are lost in their thoughts most of the time. And even if they smile, maybe not at everyone, but with their loved ones, they absolutely do not restrain themselves in their emotions.

In this collection we talk about the five most depressing cities in Russia, which few people dream of visiting. And it wasn’t us who addressed them that way, experts from the independent research agency Zoom Market compiled the rating based on a survey.

5th place – Omsk

The ranking opens with the Siberian city of Omsk, which ranked fifth in the survey. In total, just over a million people live there, and according to statistics, every tenth of them is unhappy. For example, more than half of the marriages made here break up in a short time. And it was Omsk that went down in history as a city with only one metro station, used as an underground passage. Additionally, writer Fyodor Dostoyevsky was imprisoned here for four years. So perhaps the title of one of Russia’s most depressed cities is its curse.

4th place – Chelyabinsk

It is unlikely that the capital of the Urals will become a tourist center. There are not many people who want to see Chelyabinsk. And as the survey shows, local residents are not very happy here either. The reason for this is a very bad environment. The city also cannot boast of rich architecture – it is built mostly of panel high-rise buildings. But there is a lot of work here; on the other side of the environmental disaster. Numerous factories and enterprises always offer a large number of offers on the labor market.

3rd place – Saratov

According to news headlines in local newspapers, one in three city residents does not like living in Saratov. The main reasons include the lack of normal public transport, too slow development of the urban environment and constant traffic congestion. In 2018, the UN included Saratov in its list of “vanishing cities”: according to its forecast, next year the population will reach a record low. But Saratov is also a source of talent. This city is the small homeland of many famous actors and artists. Among them are, for example, the “Combination” group, Philip Yankovsky and even Roman Abramovich.

2nd place – Perm

The Perm administration, where the “Happiness Is Just Around the Corner” artwork is located, clearly did not consult with residents when choosing this quote. Otherwise, the city is unlikely to take second place in the list of the most depressing places in Russia. Perm is known among the masses as the city of gopniks, drunkards and crimes – at least that’s how it was portrayed in the TV series “Real Boys”. But any city dweller will tell you that all this is greatly exaggerated.

1st place – Norilsk

Norilsk was the most depressed city in the ranking. It cannot be said that its history is rich. The city itself emerged from “Norillag,” a Gulag forced labor camp that was only closed in 1956. And although about 176 thousand people live in it, it can hardly be called comfortable. Norilsk is a dreary industrial city. And it looks like this even in sunlight. The city is located in the Far North, where winter lasts up to 11 months and frosts reach minus 60 °C. There are snowstorms, tundra, polar nights and days, and permafrost. But there are still people who promote tourism in the Arctic Circle and believe that one day the city may emerge from its long-standing dopamine hole.