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Abandoned cities of Russia – places of human settlements, in which once life was in full swing. Today they are called ghost towns, where you will not find a single living soul. All of them have their own unique history of formation and collapse. Many of them ceased to exist due to tragic incidents, others due to political and economic reconstruction, and others simply outlived their usefulness. So, let’s get acquainted with a dozen abandoned urban settlements in our country.
10 Kursha-2
Kursha-2 opens a list of abandoned cities in Russia. It was built in the Ryazan region at the beginning of the 20th century to develop huge forest reserves. The population grew rapidly, and by the 30s of the last century it had exceeded one thousand. The tragedy that happened on August 3, 1936 contributed to the complete extinction of the population. The resulting fire claimed more than a thousand lives. Few managed to escape, since Kurshcha-2 was located in the very center of the forest. Not far from the burnt-out village there is a large mass grave where the victims of the tragedy were buried. Now this place is an overgrown glade with ruins.
9. Kolendo
The northernmost village of Sakhalin Kolendo refers to abandoned and forgotten places. Oil and gas deposits attracted people here in the 50s of the last century. People began to leave the settlement in 1996, after the earthquake that occurred here. The reason was also depleted mineral reserves. Now Kolendo is considered to be a completely extinct city.
8. Charond
Charond – an abandoned Russian town in the Volgograd region on the shores of Lake Vozhe. Once its territory was inhabited by more than 11 thousand inhabitants. In the 18th century, Charonda was considered one of the trading centers. But gradually the trade routes began to wither, and at the beginning of the 19th century the city fell to the status of a village. Residents left their homes and moved to other settlements. Only a small handful of elderly people remained in Charonda, who lived out their lives here. Now this place attracts many tourists.
7. Mologa
The next abandoned town in Russia Mologa located near Rybinsk. The place of its exact location is the point where the Mologa River flows into the Volga. It was built in the 12th century and was one of the largest shopping centers in the state. At the beginning of the 20th century, about 5000 people lived on its territory. But in 1935, the Soviet government decided to build the Rybinsk hydroelectric complex here. This meant the flooding of nearby lands, including the city of Mologa. A prosperous settlement with a developed infrastructure ceased to exist at one moment. The liquidation of the inhabitants began. In 1941, the city was completely flooded. The reorganization led to cases of mass suicides: many residents refused to leave their hometown. Due to fluctuations in the level of the reservoir, the remains of a ghost town sometimes appear on the surface of the water.
6. Neftegorsk
Once a thriving city of oil workers called Neftegorsk The Sakhalin region at the moment is a shapeless ruin. This is due to the tragedy that happened in 1995 on May 28 and spread around the world. The unexpected happened: a powerful earthquake of 10 points suddenly began. Natural disasters claimed the lives of more than 2 thousand people. After the incident, the residents of Neftegorsk were evacuated and received material support. Now only ruins remain of the well-organized settlement.
5. Kadychkan
Village Kadychkan, popularly referred to as the “Valley of Death”, refers to the abandoned cities of Russia. The settlement was founded in 1943, when deposits of coal of a valuable brand were discovered in these places. In 1986, more than 10 thousand people lived on the territory of Kadychkan. But after the explosion that occurred at the mine in 1996, the population began to decline rapidly. A couple of years later, after the tragedy, the central boiler house was defrosted. Approximately 400 residents refused to leave their home village, despite the lack of any infrastructure. In 2003, according to the order of the local authorities, all residents were resettled.
4. Iultin
Former settlement Iultin Chukotka Okrug belongs to the abandoned settlements of Russia. In 1937, a tin deposit was discovered here. In the early 50s, the area where the deposit was discovered gradually began to be populated by people. In 1994, tin mining was stopped due to the unprofitability of production. Residents began to leave Iultin, and by the beginning of 1995 it was almost completely empty. At the beginning of the 21st century, not a trace remained of the city.
3. Halmer-Yu
Halmer-Yu is a ghost town of the Komi Republic. The settlement was founded in 1942, when deposits of valuable coal were discovered on the Khalmer-Yu River. A small group of workers was left here, who were supposed to determine the scale of the mineral deposits. Bad weather cut off the people, left to fend for themselves, from the nearby city of Vorkuta. Due to the rampage of nature, it was impossible to deliver provisions to a group of workers. An attempt was made to get to the harsh place by reindeer. About a hundred animals participated in the expedition, and only fourteen deer managed to return due to lack of food: the whole reindeer moss was frozen in the ice. A year later, the necessary material base was created in Khalmer-Yu, and soon about three hundred people migrated here. In 1957, the mine began to function and the flow of people arriving here began to increase more and more. Already two years after the opening of the mine, more than 7 thousand people lived here. But in 1993 it was decided to liquidate the mine. From that moment, the liquidation of the village began: people were forcibly forced to leave their homes. Now there is a military training ground here.
2. Industrial
An urban-type settlement is also referred to the abandoned cities of Russia. Industrial. It is located in the Komi Republic. In 2007, about 500 citizens lived here. And once this area was inhabited by about 12 thousand people. After the explosion that occurred in the 90s of the last century at the Tsentralnaya mine, the village began to fall into decay. At the moment no one lives there. The history of this small settlement begins in 1954 and is associated with two local mines – “Central” and “Industrial”. It was on them that the entire infrastructure of the workers’ settlement rested. Tragedy on sh. “Central” became the reason that people were left without work. Gradually, the inhabitants began to leave Industrial. The city was destroyed: wooden buildings were burned, and brick buildings were dismantled. Now only ruins remain from Promyshlenny, and it is hard to imagine that life has ever existed here.
1. Jubilee
Former workers’ settlement Jubilee belong to the abandoned Russian cities. The settlement was formed in 1957 with the laying of the Shumikhinskaya mine. But in 1998, the mine, by decision of the top management, was destroyed, which caused a violent protest of local workers and residents. Most of the population was left without work. The reconstruction of the village began. Some buildings were converted into sawmills, others were simply destroyed. The central boiler house, which heats the entire village, was also destroyed. People had no other choice but to leave Yubileiny. Only a small handful of settlers remained to live here. Due to the lack of heating, the buildings began to fall apart literally before our eyes. Not without the help of vandals, who began to rob buildings for profit. Now a free settlement for prisoners is equipped in this place.