TIL there is a Russian town named Asbest, due to its asbestos industry. The welcome sign says “Asbest is my town and destiny”

28 comments

  5. Haha, I’ve actually been there once! Horrible roads. Bit my tongue twice by simply riding along in the car.

  6. This is the real Russia. Not Moscow, not St. Petersburg. When you visit small towns with a population of less than 100,000, then you will understand Russia.

  10. Lol.

    Asbestos is actually probably the best construction material ever invented, with good strength and (sound and heat) insulation.

    Just that *tiny little lethal detail* is sub-optimal.

  12. It’s more accurate to translate as “Asbestos – my city and my fate”, as “fate” is more like something you cannot control.

  20. Incidentally, what’s with these massive monuments as town and oblast signs? Is there like a Wikipedia article explaining them

  21. Well here’s another one Canada also has a similar town called Asbestos, except they realized that the marketing sucks and changed the town’s name. Now its called Val des Sources

  24. There is a town in Quebec, Canada formerly known as Asbestos until a name change in December of 2020. The town had various asbestos mines and was known for the industry, hence the name. It is now known as Val-des-Sources (‘Valley of the Springs’).

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