St. Nicholas of Iron Horses
Religious Fables, Folklore, Legends, and Stories
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Submitted by: Yuri Klitsenko

It is also interesting that in Taimyr, Russian St. Nicholas was re-interpreted by Taimyr Natives as "god of iron beasts", "creator of all iron machines and mechanisms".

I studied and worked in industry for 16 years (5 years of machine-tool institute and 11 years of factories) but I have never seen something more terrible than Norilsk industry - true world of iron creatures (made by Russian god Nicholas to distress nature of taiga and tundra?). Norilsk said by some observers to have the worst air quality in the world. Big Norilsk unites few industrial satellites (Norilsk itself, Talnakh, Kaierkan, Oganer, Alykel, Snezhnogorsk), Dudinka is sea port of Norilsk Industrial Region.

Attachments: industrial symbolism decorating graves at Dudinka cemetery, Taimyr.

From Eugene Helimsky: "The shamanic practices of the Nganasans and of Tubiaku Kosterkin in particular contain some impressive examples of incorporating elements of Russian orthodoxy and even of Soviet ideology. St. Nicholas, the holy patron of Russia, underwent a transformation into one of Tubiakus main assistant spirits the Iron Horse Mikuluska, who governs "the firm passport" and has at his disposal "thousands of stone man, thousands of iron Russians, the birth of all machines". An icon with the Holy Virgin, bought in Moscow, occupied a place in the sacred sledge (with cult objects)".

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