Immediately after crossing into Russia, we had to drive for a while through a restricted border zone, where you aren't allowed to take any detours or photos, or even stop. Eventually, we got to the town of Nikel, where we could stop and have a look around. The name means what it sounds like—there is a massive nickel smelter in town, which makes it known for being a very polluted area. The photo shows the welcome signs to Nikel; the big one looked a bit old.