A shift settlement, shift town, etc. () is the category of urban-type inhabited localities in Russia for short-term accommodation of workers who work in shifts ("

fly-in fly-out Fly-in fly-out is a method of employing people in remote areas by flying them temporarily to the work site instead of relocating employees and their families permanently. It is often abbreviated to FIFO when referring to employment status. This i ...

") at sites in remote areas, e.g., for mining, fishing, road construction, etc. They are also used for the maintenance of vehicles and fuel storage. They differ from another type of settlements, "

workers' settlement The classification system of inhabited localities in Russia and some other post-Soviet states has certain peculiarities compared with those in other countries. Classes During the Soviet time, each of the republics of the Soviet Union, including t ...

", in that the latter ones are for permanent residence. Over time, shift settlements may be abandoned (when the

mineral resource Natural resources are resources that are drawn from nature and used with few modifications. This includes the sources of valued characteristics such as commercial and industrial use, aesthetic value, scientific interest, and cultural value. ...

is exhausted, construction works finished, etc.) or converted into worker's settlements. According to the , shift settlements must have all amenities present it regular settlements: electricity, water and heat supply, post office, medical and recreational facilities, etc."Трудовой кодекс Российской Федерации" от 30.12.2001 N 197-ФЗ (ред. от 07.04.2025)
2001 Labor Code of Russia, amended in 2025 Housing in these settlement may be (semi)-permanent or temporary:

portable cabin A portable, demountable or transportable building is a building designed and built to be movable rather than permanently located. Smaller version of portable buildings are also known as portable cabins. Portable cabins are prefabricated struct ...

construction trailer Construction trailers are mobile structures ( trailers) used to accommodate temporary offices, dining facilities and storage of building materials during construction projects. Hook-ups Typically, trailers need to be equipped with telephone lines ...

KUNG Kung or Küng may refer to: * ǃKung people * ǃKung language * Kung (Haida village), an historical village of the Haida people of the Queen Charlotte Islands of British Columbia, Canada; also Kung Indian Reserve No. 11 at the same location * Ku ...

s, etc. , the legal status of shift settlements has been undetermined, which creates issues, e.g., during major emergencies.Pyotr Gogolev ()
Статус вахтовых поселков надо закреплять законодательно
November 6, 2020 Major, modernized, shift settlements include Bovanenkovo by the

Bovanenkovo gas field The Bovanenkovo gas field is a natural gas field located in the Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug. It was discovered in 1972 and developed by Gazprom. It began production in 2012 and produces natural gas and condensates. The total proven reserves o ...

, , ( Yamal), Купол, Первомайский ( Chukotka) and (

Nenets Autonomous Okrug The Nenets Autonomous Okrug (; ) also known as Nenetsia ( ) is a federal subject of Russia and an autonomous okrug of Arkhangelsk Oblast. Its administrative center is the town of Naryan-Mar. It has an area of and a population of 42,090 ...

See also

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Further reading