Angarsk, Russia

Capital City

With a population of just 216,973, Angarsk is a provincial Russian city that offers little to entice expats. The industrial hub, located 32 miles from the regional capital Irkutsk, has been plagued by environmental degradation, ranking as one of the most polluted cities in Siberia. Bureaucracy is a persistent headache, as the local government has undergone a dizzying series of reforms and restructurings over the past decades. This remote, smog-choked outpost is best suited for hardened locals willing to brave the challenges of small-town Russian life.