MONCHEGORSK, MURMANSK OBLAST, Russia
Monchegorsk town brand × Imandra tourist brand
Turning metallurgist town into the tourist spot with agency for 2.5 years
Monchegorsk is the historically successful industrial spot in the center of the northern Kola Peninsula, located around lakes of amazing beauty. Built around the Kola Mining and Metallurgical Company, the image of the tremendous monotown became so strong among people, supported by the views of the urban polluted scenery, that it became overwhelmingly repulsive for many. In response to the growing trend of diversificating economy in monotowns and quality improvement of life among the local residents and potentially new employees, Nornickel Corporation has established a strikingly experimental and long-awaited institution in town — the Monchegorsk Development Agency. Since its launch activity changed how the town is perceived both from inside and outside borders. Our team has been taken a humble role in this process, curating everything brand and design related projects with one small notice: we've been working on it for almost 3 years straight since 2021.
Client: Monchegorsk Development Agency
Work:
Branding, design of all kinds, copywriting, support,
2021 … 2024
Work:
Branding, design of all kinds, copywriting, support,
2021 … 2024
Prepare yourself for the largest article about the most complex project we've ever been working with.
Igor Makovsky
BRAND STRATEGIST, ART DIRECTOR, DESIGNER
Short summary of what we had to achieve can be summarized up in these four items:
- Economic diversification
Find a way to break the monotown dependency for the residents - Fix the external perception of the town
Get rid of associations with a polluted industrial town - Support local
entrepreneurs
Create and grow the community of local entrepreneurs - Begin with tourism
Developing tourism is one of the most accessible ways to unite the first three points
To begin with, the results of these changes lies on the highly effective collaboration of many teams. We highly grateful for having experience being a part of the results during the prolonged period. We praise the ability to cooperate, listen and understanding the importance of support period, that lies right after the launch.
Natalia Makovsky
BRAND STRATEGIST
- Monchegorsk Development AgencyThe initiators and coordinators of almost every positive change in town
- TerritoriiAll things tourism
- Urban ProAll things master plan
- EBMAll things promotion and support
Monchegorsk that we lake with all our hearts
It's also has been filmed partly in "Leviathan" movie by Andrey Zvyagintsev
What's wrong with Monchegorsk?
The core problem with Monchegorsk, as well as with many other monotowns, built around a single industrial plant are as follows:
- Disbalance between industrial and natural
While town is built to be balanced between industrial and natural, people perceive it as an industrial one, without any appreciation to the great location and those advantages it can give - Existed branding that exists without context
All the symbols, that residents are proud of, are totally non-unique on the scale of regional and federal levels. To begin with the "Town of metallurgists" brand and the absolute love for the sculpture of the elk, that presents everywhere in town as its main symbol. - Polluted scenery by the entryway to the town
The most challenging part is the polluted territory, that welcomes anyone who is passing by the town on the only federal highway. It is so depressing that leaves no desire to look what's inside - Negative in media
Number of negative that pop up in search indexes that focuses on the worst aspects of living in town, that spoils the vision.
On the contraty, the reality in this case is way ahead surpacces the expectaions.
Expectations: legend of a town, filled with industrial gas × Reality: town full of green parks, lake air and great views
Expectations: polluted views by the industrial plant and entryway to town × Reality: Mesmerizing set of northern lakes around Monchegorsk
Expectations: conservative historical monuments × Reality: New unique modern art
Expectations: town is located by the industrial monstrosity × Reality: town is located by the outstanding lakes, as well
Harmony between industrial and nature
While industrial plant being the historical core of the town since its foundation in 1935 and source of investments and the reason of its successful development, we couldn't ignore it. Historically, Monchegorsk was planned to be built as a soviet self-sufficient dream town with great architecture and close connection with nature.
Monchegorsk supposed to be the beautiful intentionally. "Monche" stands for beautiful (translated from Saami language).
Town was built according to the plan developed architects from St. Petersburg under control of architect Sergey Brovtsev
Summarizing on what's being said, we saw our mission on bringing harmony to the town that it intendedly had from the beginning. To bring justice to Monchegorsk, we had to move the focus towards the ecological part, being neglected by the prosperious industrial image of the town.
Natalia Makovsky
BRAND STRATEGIST
Perfect meme on the brand transformations based on Vasily Pukarev masterpiece
Symbols of Monchegorsk
The town of metallurgists slogan
The most recognizable and loved symbol of town is the sculpture of the grand elk on one of the main squares of the historical part of town.
Yes: All Monchegorsk symbolism in one picture
But: while it is not unique. Here are some examples from Kirovgrad, Beloretsk, Shelekhov and Asha
The elk of Monchegorsk
The most recognizable and loved symbol of town is the sculpture of the grand elk on one of the main squares of the historical part of town.
Architect Boris Vorobiev and his Elk, the ultimate symbol of Monchegorsk
Monchegorsk souvenirs in all its elkness
Elk of arms
Like many towns that haven't been thinking about branding, local residents were satisfied with what they historically had: the coat of arms that was used as a logo.
Official coat of arms (2004)
Interpretation of the coat of arms is always pretty individual. We understand it like harmony lies between urban and nature.
- Colors
Red stands for everything urban and industrial
Blue stands for all northern and natural, like lakes and woods - Symbols
- Ladle is for industrial power and the steel plant
- Moose is for natural power and the wildlife
- 4 parts
Each one stands for one lake, surrounding Monchegorsk- Imandra
- Moncheguba
- Lumbolka
- Nyudyavr
During town competition on drawing the coat of arms, residents have prooved they're accepting the offered symbols and associate them with the town.
Set of Monchegorsk symbols on coat of arms and its variations
Despite all love to the elk symbol it is also no unique at all among other town brandings. Moreover, it is one of the most widespread ones symbols in heraldic.
Elk is among the most widespread animals in heraldic!
Family of heraldic elks from all over Russia (taken from here)
Not being able to win a battle against using the elk in the official context, we've created a substitution design that could replace the coat of arms if possible.
Want to know, how we've dealt with the elk symbol in Monchegorsk? Go check the Prineslos souvenir shop branding.
Igor Makovsky
BRAND STRATEGIST, ART DIRECTOR, DESIGNER
Monchegorsk branding
Surrounding lakes
Obvious solution was to move focus towards the lake side, according to the location of Monchegorsk by the largest lake on the whole Kola Peninsula: the Imandra lake of outstanding northern beauty. These were the reasons to believe we haven't invented that by ourselves:
- Work on the plant, relax by the lake
The most common rythm of life of a typical worker from the plant. Most people are having a cabin by the lake, a boat and enjoy taking time there - Fire vs water
The original contrast, intentionally encolsed in the town filosophy graphically with red-blue colors in the coat of arms design - Imandra Viking Fest, outdoor water activity
Succesful family festival of scandinavian culture, sincerely loved by many, fulfilled with romance towards lakes and lots of sport activity on the lakes - Enbankments and lakes
Personal stories of residents connected with lakes. To begin with familiar views from windows, forward to cakewalks with the loving ones
The essence of the brand with the focus, invented by our team, sounds is as follows. We made it more personal, like it has been said by the town resident:
Lakes around us
This brand supposed to be following these aims:
- Accent on the present, not on the past
Getting rid of the remote and ostentatious heroic tones, focused on the past, ignoring the present - Personal
Speaks in first person, which adds more inclusion tone to the participants - Care and sustainability
Focuses on the support and stability that surrounds business and residents in town, brought by the town institutions and the сorporation - Friendly and open
More pleasant tones in communication, willing to be open and clear for public
Here is perfect example on the importance of constant testing hypotheses in life. One of our working slogans used to sound like "Lakes inside us". We liked the idea of keeping lakes inside hearts and souls of residents, who get used to live in a town surrounded by the lakes. That was until we showed it to the public. It didn't take long to get a reaction from residents who laughed at it, because they associated it with the vodka brand "Five lakes" that's very commonly drunk by the local people.
Natalia Makovsky
BRAND STRATEGIST
First public Igor Makovsky demonstrates brand to the business community (moderated by Marat Kozlov; March, 2022)
Monchegorsk identity
Monche oval
The atomic element of all design, related to the brand is the oval shape. According to the guidelines, this symbol should be present as creativly as it can be.
- Lake
Literally, it's a lake - Care, stability, sustainability
Metaphor of constancy that the corporation gives to its employees and residents of the town - Contrast from industriality
Graphically different from all the industrial designs, that people used to associate with Monchegorsk - Flexibility
Easy to implement and use as a part of illustration. Where it had to be perfectly round circle — use oval instead - Simplicity
Laconic design is close to scandinavian way of graphic designing: plain and simple - Using as a frame
Cound frame any design inside not interfering with the graphics inside. No matter how unappropriate and unprofessional the inside graphic would be
Monchegorsk lettering with oval lakes inside. There are lakes in town, as well
Wavy lettering is the recognizable graphical method to make every logo brand related
We substitute coat of arms with much more flexible redrawn version (we do not call it official, rather than just a coat of arms remake)
Limited number of graphical elements and graphical techniques gave us literally lakes of flexibility and creativity in life.
Igor Makovsky
BRAND STRATEGIST, ART DIRECTOR, DESIGNER
Monchegorsk font
In addition to the very limited number of elements we present the most important one: the type. We've chosen the most graphically excellent and streamlined of all: the Factor_A by Ilya Naumov (Interval Type). Its design looks functional and universal, ideally readable for everybody. While all the twist lies inside, like the alternative glyphset or those small details, that will touch the heart of a graphic designers.
Ilya Naumov, type designer
Factor_A type by Ilya Naumov (Interval Type)
We've personally contacted Ilya Naumov, who've developed a special version of his Factor_A for Monchegorsk projects, curated strictly by the Agency only. Thanks to Ilya Ruderman and his type.today for consultancy on licensing part and other help.
Igor Makovsky
BRAND STRATEGIST, ART DIRECTOR, DESIGNER
Monche merch
Merch was helping us to share ideas of the brand among the residents and tourists. Getting a souvenir as a prize for participating in some sort of activity was a valuable gift that encouraged to take part in it.
Family of lakes set of t-shirts suits for teamwork
Lakes around merch set
Using oval in real branding
To illustrate the power of using an oval shape, here are a pinch of logos, we've redrawn or created from skratch that has been ovalated by two designers in the first year, since brand launch. Just follow this rule:
Circle → Oval
Ovaluating every brand for the first year since launch, late 2022. (Designed by Igor Makovsky and Viktor Krasovsky)
The process of putting the existent design in the oval shape frame was called "ovalating" process. That process can be made in no time and is very gentle to the contents. It's merely changes the visual approach of the brand, leaving them almost the same for the common residents. Besides, all logos look united.
Igor Makovsky
BRAND STRATEGIST, ART DIRECTOR, DESIGNER
Town vs tourism branding
Town branding
While town branding is helping residents to think outside of the monotown box and head towards creating new businesses and taking advantages of the outstanding location of the town, it slowly immerses the town life with new designs here and there.
Like the water level rising, Monchegorsk brand is slowly covering up Monchegorsk for the past 3 years
Tourism branding
Tourism sector was developed by our partners, Territorii agency, who have done a great job. We had been asked to slightly modify the existent guidelines to suit tourism needs. There are some significant changes in between the tourist and town branding. Tourism is Monchegorsk is all connected with outdoor activity, connected with lakes.
- Brand new name
Getting rid of industrial associations with Monchegorsk could be achieved only during the long run and we didn't have that time. That's why focus has been moved to the Imandra lake, that was clear. - Dynamic designs
Outdoor activities that Monchegorsk can offer require much more dynamic designs, that aren't applicable to social work with town residents. - Target audience
While town design is applicable to the residents who live inside town, tourist brand heads towards potential guests from outside who, probably, have never heard about Imandra at all.
Monchegorsk → Imandra
So, the main hero of the tourist brand became Imandra. These changes occured due to polluted media trail, that followed Monchegorsk and very difficult to get rid of in short perspective. While Imandra, the largest lake of Kola Peninsula is the perfect hero, with a desirable northern scent. "Visit" prefix was added to the title, according to the tourism branding rules:
Visit Imandra. Unleash the energy of Imandra
Tourist portal of Monchegork invites to Imandra with only a short notice about town
This is the vibe:
And this is the design:
New title, bright colors, dynamic patterns is what distinguishes tourist brand from the town one
This is how tourist brand looks in real life. This brand successfuly substitutest the mention of Monchegorsk in cases of tourism focused events.
Visit Imandra: feel the energy of Imandra. The tourist brand for Monchegorsk looks similiar, yet way more poweful.
Agency of town development
Getting lakes done
All the coordination and controlling of the changes has been adressed to the Monchegorsk Development Agency. Soon after the launch, it became the source and the core of all the changes and center of attraction to all the progressive communities. Here residents can meet all sorts of development activities, educational programs, shows and consultancy with experts.
Monchegorsk Development Agency is the source of energy in town
Agency states its purpose of existing like this:
To create opportunity for the development and growth of Monchegorsk's economy
in order to reduce dependence on the city-forming enterprise, improve the quality of residesnts and create a comfortable urban environment.
in order to reduce dependence on the city-forming enterprise, improve the quality of residesnts and create a comfortable urban environment.
Its structure has been devided into 4 equal parts:
- Tourism
- Hospitality
- HoReCa
- Tourism brand
- Tourism events
- Business & finances
- Investments
- Business community
- Education
- Finance models
- Art & culture
- Schools
- Masterclasses
- Art projects
- Creativity
- Urban environment
- Design code
- Master planning
- Urban projects
- Architecture
We had been asked to curate the 5th one: all about branding and design for more than 2 years since launch.
Nornickel corporation is the first company of such scale to implement the building of town development agencies in the town of presence. We've been working with three of them: in Norilsk, Nikel and in Monchegorsk. We highly praise this innovation. Our experience with Monchegorsk was the most productive in the long run.
Natalia Makovsky
BRAND STRATEGIST
Brand support for 2.5 years
The reason for the brand's resilience lies between the support period, that we've been asked to participate in after the launch after late 2021. That being said, we have offered to lead the so-called branding department of the Monchegorsk Development Agency. That's a huge success to find the client, who fully supported this important idea, that hasn't been prolonged neither in Norilsk, nor in Nikel (where town development agencies are present, as well). These are the quantitative results, as of mid 2024:
- >35 brands for business
Local businesses got their brands updated and created from skratch, including all the communication and further support if requested - >10 festive designs
Design support for all festive tourist projects and events, under the management of Territorii team - >15 urban projects
Full support of the urban projects, including maps, wayfinding, design code - 2 years of monthly visits
Close communication with residents, business and agency, including taking part in discussions, public talks
Pushing up the brand across Monchegorsk during unforgettable 2.5 years in 2022 … 2023
All the project results had been transparent to the Monchegorsk business community and public, due to putting guidelines for online access, using Notion platform. Some of them are available for public view.
Excerpt of Notion-based online guidelines made by our team
Everything connected with the brand and process of our support work with Monchegorsk has been kept and packaged in the wiki for the future brand manager to keep maintaining later. It got 8 sections:
- Summary
Manifestation and the summary of the brand contents - Target audience
Results of observation, research and experience on communication with representatives - Topics
Lists and collections of information based on subject for the future use. The most popular is ready questions-answers - Editorial
Short summary of rules for editorial purposes on how to write less and stay clear - Channels of communication
Lists and charasteristics of the available channels of communication - Social networks
Brief summaries and exploration on the available vk teams - Events
List of offline events with comments and observations - Brands
List of reated brands in town and the way newly made brand can connect with them
Brandmanager guide (the way we call the communication strategy in town branding)
The ultimate requirement for a successful long run is to find a team of partial people, familiar with the town. Even better, born or living inside. We've succed in finding these awesome professionals, who've supported the project and taken part in its lifetime run.
- Kirill FokinBorn/lives in Monchegorsk💙 Brand manager
since 2023 - Viktor KrasovskyBorn in Monchegorsk💙 Brand designer
since 2022 - Nikita FilatovBorn in MonchegorskFilmmaker
- Anton SmirnovLives in MurmaskSound designer
Finding a motivated participant born and living in town is quite a rare occasion. Both Kirill Fokin and Vitya Krasovsky got a job at Monchegorsk Development Agency and are working for the glory of the lake brand for more than 2 years, already. We were happy to educate and curate them for the launch period.
Natalia Makovsky
BRAND STRATEGIST
Monchegorsk in media
- Monchegorsk Development Agency on personal website and vk
- Visit Imandra tourist portal on personal website and vk
- Otdykh leisure expo article on the Monchegorsk pearl of the Arctic circle
- Business haus — the educational show for the young entrepreneurs (vk)
- People of the North wrote an article on Monchegorsk in 2023
- Interview with our team for MDA on thoughts of the further brand
- Detailed interview of Daria Yarkova on the town branding
Left-to-right: Marat Kozlov, Natalia Treshova, Anna Fedorova, Daria Yarkova, Natalia Makovsky, Igor Makovsky, Aleksander Palenkov
- Natalia MakovskyBrand strategy
- Igor MakovskyArt direction, designer, copywriter
- Tatiana MakarovaResearcher, antropologist
- Katya Antoshkina,
Egor GolovyrinDesigners - Katya SemenovaDesigner, illustrator
- Viktor KrasovskyDesigner born in Monchegorsk
- Ilya NaumovFactor_A type designer
- Anna Bulochnikova,
Katya Dmitrieva
and othersThanks to Territorii team - Aleksander KholodnovThanks to Urban Pro team
- Anna Fedorova,
Dasha Yarkova,
Sasha Polenkov,
Regina Potekhina,
Kirill Fokin,
Dasha Budkova,
Sasha Stendere
and othersThanks to Monchegorsk Development Agency team - Andrey Sergeev,
Liza Lineva,
Marat Kozlov,
Lera Tikhonova,
Sasha Maslennikova,
Vladimir ShkolnikovThanks to EBM agency for support
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