There are places in the world where no one lives now, but before, life was in full swing. Today we will talk about ghost cities, where there is not a soul on the streets. Each city has its own unique story, both foundations and “destruction”. Most of them became ghosts due to tragedies, accidents, some due to political and economic reforms, while others simply retired. The most mysterious list, in which we will look at 10 stories of urban desolation, is called:
TOP 10 abandoned cities in Russia.
1. Kursha-2 (Ryazan region)
The city of Kursha-2 was founded at the beginning of the 20th century in Ryazan region. The purpose of the foundation was the development of a large forest area. The population of the city grew rapidly. In the early 30s it amounted to more than a thousand people. The city of Curonian II became a ghost due to a terrible misfortune. What happened? On August 3, 1936, a large-scale fire engulfed the entire city, and since Kursha-2 was located in the very middle of the forest, only a few survived. Now near the burnt settlement there is a huge mass grave where the victims of the incident are buried. The city itself is now completely destroyed, not a soul on the streets.
2. Kolendo (Sakhalin region)
Kolendo is a village in the very north of Sakhalin. It is also classified as abandoned areas. Founded in 1963. People came here to visit the oil and gas fields. In 1979, the number of living people numbered more than two thousand. The cause of the death of the village is a mystery of nature - an earthquake that occurred in 1995. After it, people began to leave the village en masse. Another reason was the depletion of all oil and gas reserves. Currently, no one lives in the village; houses are destroyed everywhere.
3. Charonda (Vologda region)
The abandoned city of Charonda belongs to Volgograd region, is located on the shores of Lake Vozhe with an area of 422 km². Previously, its population was about 11,000 people. In the 18th century, the city of Charonda was one of the central trading cities. Over time, trade routes closed, and at the beginning of the 19th century, the once former city received the status of a village. Over time, the townspeople began to leave, moving to other settlements. And finally, only elderly people began to live in Charonda. Many tourists come to see the once former city.
4. Mologa (Yaroslavl region)
The ghost town of Mologa is located not so far from the city of Rybinsk. The specific location is considered to be the area where the Mologa River flows into the Volga. The city was built back in the 12th century; it was one of the largest centers of trade in Rus'. At the beginning of the 20th century, the number was about five thousand people. The trouble began in 1935, when the authorities decided to build the Rybinsk hydroelectric complex. This construction assumed the flooding of nearby areas, which included the city of Mologa. So, a fully functioning city was destroyed in an instant. There was a complete resettlement of the people living in it. The operation to permanently flood the city took place in 1941. This led to the worst thing - mass suicides: the majority of people living in the city refused to leave their native lands. Now the city remains under water and only occasionally, due to fluctuations in the water, its destroyed buildings are visible.
5. Neftegorsk (Sakhalin region)
From the name it is clear that oil workers with their families live in the city. The most recently functioning city is located in the Sakhalin region. Now deathly silence reigns in these lands. What happened?
On May 28, 1995, an unpredictable tragedy occurred that became famous throughout the world. The city was suddenly hit by a strong earthquake measuring 10 points. More than 2000 people died that day. Following the tragedy, the townspeople were quickly evacuated and the state provided them with financial assistance. Now the streets of Neftegorsk are empty, with rubble of buildings everywhere.
6. Kadychkan (Magadan region)
This village is also called “Death Valley”. The settlement is related to the abandoned cities of Russia. 1943 is considered the year the village of Kadychkan was founded. The city was founded after a deposit of valuable coal was discovered there. The population recorded in 1986 numbered more than 10,000. But 1996 was marred by a tragic coal mine explosion that killed more than 1,000 workers. The village existed for another couple of years, until the central boiler house was defrosted. Then about 400 residents categorically did not want to leave their native village due to the lack of infrastructure. By order of the authorities, all remaining residents were forced to relocate in 2003. Now the village is empty.
7. Iultin (Chukchi Autonomous Okrug)
Iultin can also be classified as an abandoned area in Russia. Iultin is a village in Chukotka District. In this area, back in 1937, tin deposits were found. Later, from the beginning of the 50s of the 20th century, the land began to be populated by people. Unfortunately, tin mining was stopped in 1994 due to lack of profit. Gradually, residents began to leave Iultin for other settlements. Almost no one has lived in the village since the beginning of 1995. Today there is nothing left of the settlement, only everything is overgrown with grass.
8. Khalmer-Yu (Komi Republic)
The city of Halmer-Yu is located in the Komi Republic. The development of the area is due to the fact that back in 1942 a coal deposit was found on the Halmer-Yu River. At the beginning of winter, a group of workers remained to determine the amount of fossil. Unfortunately, due to bad weather, people were cut off from the nearest city of Vorkuta. The weather was not calming down in any way, and therefore it was not even possible to bring food for the workers. Those who wanted to help abandoned people tried to get there on reindeer. An expedition was organized with a hundred deer, and only fourteen deer returned with difficulty due to lack of food. A group of workers was finally found, but in an unimaginably severe state of exhaustion. They were transported to Vorkuta.
A year later, the necessary material base and soon people began to populate the city. In 1957, the mine was launched and from that moment everything more people began to settle in the city. Two years later, about 7 thousand people could be counted in Halmer-Yu. The authorities announced their decision to liquidate the mine and forcefully resettle city residents in 1993. Now there's no time to be there former city there is a military training ground.
9. Industrial (Komi Republic)
Promyshlenny is an urban settlement located in the Komi Republic, founded in 1956. Almost all the buildings on this territory were built by prisoners from the city of Lvov. Previously, the city had up to 12 thousand inhabitants. In the 90s of the 20th century, an explosion occurred at the Tsentralnaya mine, killing working miners. Now there is not a soul in that place. The history of the Promyshlenny settlement dates back to 1954. The foundation is associated with the opening of two mines - “Central” and “Promyshlennaya”. The entire infrastructure of the settlement was concentrated on these mines. The mine accident caused miners and other employees of the city-forming enterprise to lose their jobs. Over time, people began to leave their homes and go to other localities in search of work. Later, the Promyshlenny village was destroyed: the wooden buildings were burned, and the brick buildings were dismantled. At the moment, only ruins remain of the settlement, and it is difficult to imagine that this place was once in full swing with life.
10. Yubileiny (Perm region)
So we have reached the last settlement from our list of abandoned cities in Russia. Yubileiny is a former workers’ settlement founded in 1957. The village began its history with the opening of a mine called Shumikhinskaya. But in 1998, the mine was liquidated by order of the authorities, which in turn provoked a lot of discontent among workers and people living in the village. More than half of the residents lost their jobs. After this, the village began to be rebuilt. Some buildings were converted into sawmills, others were completely destroyed. Even the central boiler house, which supplied heating to the entire village, was demolished. People living in the village simply had no choice but to leave their homes. Only a few people remained to live out their days in their native settlement. Buildings began to turn into a pile of stones literally before our eyes. Looters also did their job, breaking windows, breaking down doors and looting empty houses. At the moment, the workers' settlement has been converted into a place for serving sentences for prisoners in a free settlement.
In conclusion, it is worth saying that such ghost towns, abandoned by people completely or in which only a few elderly residents remain, in the territory Russian Federation there are not a dozen or even a thousand. In fact, there are many more of them - tens of thousands of completely depopulated villages, villages and urban settlements. More than 19 thousand settlements (most are single-industry towns), in which hundreds of thousands of people once lived and worked for the benefit of their homeland, were virtually destroyed and in most cases these were not natural or man-made disasters. The reason was a direct order or criminal inaction of the authorities. Although, of course, in the media these crimes are called a bad economic situation in the country or, for example, a crisis.
It was after the USSR was destroyed, in new country Russian Federation, many mining and production sectors unexpectedly turned out to be unprofitable, and speculation began to be called business. All this has had a devastating impact on many communities across the country.
Below you can see data based on the 2010 All-Russian Population Census. Perhaps they are already outdated, because... It's already 2016. But we can say with confidence that if the situation with the “extinction” of Russia has changed, it will only be for the worse.
Where are the most abandoned cities in Russia?
Top 10 abandoned Russian cities | Video
I would like to end the article with the words of Prime Minister D. A. Medvedev, which he said to the pensioners of Crimea - “There’s just no money. You hang in here, all the best to you, good mood.". 🙂
Ghost towns in Russia are scattered throughout the territory. Each of them has its own story, but the end is the same - they were all abandoned by the population. Empty houses still retain the imprint of human habitation; in some you can see abandoned household items, already covered with dust and dilapidated from the passage of time. They look so gloomy that you could make a horror movie. However, this is exactly what people usually come here for.
New life for Russian ghost towns
Despite the fact that cities are abandoned for various reasons, they are often visited. In some settlements, the military organizes training grounds. Dilapidated buildings, as well as empty streets, are good to use to recreate extreme living conditions without the risk of involving civilians. 
Artists, photographers and representatives of the film world find a special flavor in abandoned buildings. For some, such cities are a source of inspiration; for others, they are a canvas for creativity. Photos of dead cities can be easily found in different versions, which confirms their popularity among creative personalities. In addition, modern tourists find abandoned cities interesting. Here you can plunge into a different side of life; there is something mystical and creepy in lonely buildings.
List of known empty settlements
There are quite a few ghost towns in Russia. Typically, this fate awaits small settlements in which residents are employed primarily in one enterprise that is key to the city. What was the reason for the mass relocation of residents from their homes?
- Kadykchan. The city was built by prisoners during the Second World War. It is located next to coal deposits, so most of the population was involved in working in the mine. In 1996, there was an explosion that killed 6 people. There were no plans to restore mining; residents received compensation amounts to relocate to new places. In order for the city to cease to exist, the supply of electricity and water was cut off, and the private sector was burned. For some time, the two streets remained populated; today only one elderly man lives in Kadykchan.
- Neftegorsk. Until 1970, the city was called Vostok. Its number slightly exceeded 3,000 people, most of whom were employed in the oil industry. In 1995, a strong earthquake occurred: most of the buildings collapsed, and almost the entire population was under the ruins. The survivors were resettled, and Neftegorsk remained a ghost town in Russia.
- Mologa. The city is located in the Yaroslavl region and has existed since the 12th century. It used to be big shopping mall, but by the beginning of the 20th century its population did not exceed 5,000 people. In 1935, the USSR government decided to flood the city in order to successfully build a hydroelectric complex near Rybinsk. People were evicted forcibly and in the shortest possible time. Today, ghostly buildings can be seen twice a year when the water level drops.
There are many cities with a similar fate in Russia. In some, there was a tragedy at the enterprise, for example, in Promyshlenny, in others, the mineral deposits simply dried up, as in Staraya Gubakha, Iultin and Amderma.
There are many unexplained phenomena in the world. However, the most interesting and mysterious have always been. There are many nuances and reasons for their occurrence. In one case, these are large-scale disasters, and in the other, inexplicable phenomena. Here are a number of the most famous and interesting ten ghost towns that still excite the minds of contemporaries today.
Taiwan, the dead city of San Zhi
Sometimes even the most ambitious projects become failures due to fate, chance, or inexplicable reasons. This is the city of San Zhi in Taiwan.
It was built as the greatest and unique. The city project was created back in the seventies. A huge amount of money was allocated for the construction, and the architecture itself was amazing. For a decade, construction was in full swing, but there were no customers. Everyone was afraid of this city of glass and plastic. This is strange for us, since nowadays it attracts tourists and rich people who want to relax. At that time, such styles in architecture were frightening.
Throughout the construction, the city was plagued by failures. Mostly these were the absurd and horrific deaths of workers, installers and guides. It is worth saying that the excursion groups could not find a place for themselves and tried to leave the entertainment complex as quickly as possible. Soon the money for construction ran out, and investors abandoned the project. The local homeless people immediately fell in love with it, but they could not live in it for long, since the dead constantly appeared to them.
After lengthy proceedings in the government of the country, they decided to completely demolish the city. However, local residents did not allow this. According to popular belief, the spirits of the dead can, and as long as they have their own city, no one bothers anyone.
In any case, this is probably the most misterious story, and the city of San Zhi rightfully occupies.
Chernobyl
Number two is one of the most terrible and mysterious cities in the world - Chernobyl, Ukraine.
Chernobyl became abandoned after the disaster that occurred in 1986. Explosion on nuclear power plant shocked the whole world without exception.
The wind carried radioactive particles. The city was deserted within a month, as the government feared disclosure. People lived for several more days, not knowing that a mortal threat hung over them. The mass removal put an end to the existence of this small town. In those days, Chernobyl was the great pride of the USSR, but in the end it became its biggest disappointment.
It is worth noting that a huge number of films have been shot about him, and computer games have been created. Even at this moment, the phrase “Pripyat is a ghost town” causes trembling in the body. A huge amount of radiation made Chernobyl and its territory both dangerous and popular. Now tourists from all over the world and people calling themselves stalkers go there. They are willing to pay money for excursions and the opportunity to see ghosts caused by anomalies in places where radiation accumulates. Excursions are held daily to the reactor itself, covered with a dome, and simply around the territory of the city, which was abandoned. Guides show apartments with remaining furniture, toys in kindergarten And so on. Against the general background, it actually looks creepy and unpleasant.
Abandoned Chernobyl will continue to attract tourists and ghost hunters for decades to come.
Famagusta
Among the most famous places in the world is Famagusta, a ghost town on the island of Cyprus.
On the sunny tourist island of Cyprus lies the most famous abandoned city in the world, Famagusta. No one lives in it except the wind. Silence and trees that grow through concrete walls are his lot for many years to come.
The reason for the desolation of the city was the war between two states - Turkey and Greece. They did not divide the right to the territory among themselves. And now Famagusta stands in complete desolation and is covered with barbed wire. It has become the border between two states that are not moving towards reconciliation.
The once successful and prosperous center was completely looted, only a few buildings remained intact, but they had already begun to collapse under the influence of water, wind and sun. You cannot visit its territory, but the abandoned city still attracts a huge and irrepressible desire to visit it.
Villa Epequeen, Argentina
This once wonderful place is now one of the most famous abandoned ghost towns on the planet. The villa was built on the banks of a beautiful estuary and opened as a huge spa, where the rich could recover their health at great expense. However, the city authorities found there were few buildings and clean water on the coast, and they decided to expand the territory by expanding the fresh lake. However, less than ten years had passed before water from the reservoir began to flood the beaches and resort area.
Nature warned that it was not worth interfering with the sequential course of events. However, the authorities of Villa Epequeen decided that it was worth strengthening the city’s borders with dams and dumping excess water into irrigation fields.
Nature could not tolerate this careless attitude and one day completely flooded the city. The water rose 15 meters up, and also mixed with fresh water. Residents had to leave all their belongings and leave. Salt and sun have turned the once prosperous place into whitish ghosts.
Soon a new spa resort grew up nearby, and tourists are gladly taken to the Villa, since it is a local landmark, and former residents are trying to look out for traces of their long-standing stay.
Centralia, USA
If you have ever played a game called Silent Hill or watched the movie of the same name, know that the idea was based on an example - the abandoned city of Centralia in Pennsylvania.
This is a truly scary and creepy place with smoke constantly rising from the cracks in the asphalt and in the houses. Once upon a time, this city was a successful and prosperous settlement of hard workers who mined anthracite coal. It lay very close to the surface. However, the mine was closed, and the residents successfully adjusted their lives and lived quietly, earning a living by farming and other things.
One fine day, the mayor of the city decided that it was time to burn heaps of garbage outside the city, since an inspection would soon arrive. However, he did not take into account how disastrous this would be and turn Centralia into the abandoned city of the world. It turned out that anthracite lies very close to the surface, and even after the workers burned the garbage heaps, it continued to smolder methodically.
The authorities miscalculated not only in this, but also in the fact that they closed the mine, since there was a lot of fuel left there. For a long time, everyone turned a blind eye to carbon monoxide poisoning. Centralia continued to live in peace. The impetus for complete desolation was the increasing frequency of tremors underground and ruptures of asphalt and houses at the most unexpected moments. Coal burns in the depths, and hot smoke needs to escape to the surface. Thus, city authorities evacuated people. However, it still burns to this day. Abandoned streets and houses smoke, and the air is saturated with carbon monoxide.
Neftegorsk
Among the most famous places in the world is Neftegorsk, Russian Federation.
Neftegorsk is probably the most terrible example of an earthquake. A terrible event happened in 1995. The city was founded as a settlement for oil workers who worked there on a rotational basis. However, the years passed, and high wage and the provision of jobs have turned the town into a developing and successful one. However, it also became the last refuge for most of its residents.
So on the evening of May 25, an earthquake measuring 10 on the Richter scale occurred. Not a trace remained of the city; only a few buildings survived. More than two thousand people were buried alive under the ruins. They decided not to restore Neftegorsk, but only built a huge monument that reminds of the tragedy that happened on May 25, 1995. Thus, he enters the most terrible abandoned ghost towns, which were not just abandoned, but destroyed by natural disasters.
Detroit, USA
The city still exists and is partially inhabited. It is worth saying that it was founded back in the 17th century and was considered one of the most successful. A thriving industry, a huge number of majestic buildings, architecture that amazes the imagination, all this once existed. Now Detroit can be safely classified as an abandoned ghost town.
The first impetus for the desolation was the construction of huge corporations - Ford and General Motors. They are automobile manufacturers. The city is becoming industrial, pollution is only growing every year. The second step is the settlement of Detroit with a black population. Moreover, the majority of them are criminals and low-income people. The city simply began to be robbed. Crime reached unprecedented heights, and the white population simply began to leave.
Gradual desolation and lack of jobs have taken their toll, and now the ghost towns of the world have been replenished with another representative.
Time Beach, USA
A town in Missouri was destroyed by human hands. The small settlement decided to deal with the enormous dustiness of the country roads. In order to improve the situation, the authorities decided to spend money. However, either due to lack of funding or for some other reason, an unknown contractor was hired. Neither his documents nor the means with which he decided to spray the roads were checked.
For a small sum, he successfully completed the work assigned to him. However, after several years the city died out completely. It turned out that the agent the contractor used was dioxide. This is a powerful poison that causes mutations and a host of serious diseases, as well as livestock pestilence.
This is how the town was destroyed, as they say, with his own hands, due to a banal lack of finance. All that was left was dead houses and cracked asphalt.
Chaiten, Chile
The port town of Chaiten completely died out after a volcanic eruption that happened in May 2008.
The main thing is that the authorities managed to evacuate the population and save them from imminent death. Despite the fact that the village is located deep in the mountains. It is worth saying that the volcanic eruption lasted from May to September 2008. The city was completely covered in ash. Only 10% of the houses remain. Everything is covered with a thick layer of ash several meters deep.
Namie, Japan
The catastrophe of our time, which occurred in September 2013, shocked. In Japan, the Fukushima nuclear power plant exploded, turning a successful city with a huge population into an abandoned one.
A big disaster has struck all countries of the world, since Japan has always been considered the most responsible and strict in its approach to electronics and inventions. However, the worst thing happened - a nuclear explosion.
Thus, the city overnight turned into an exclusion zone. No one is allowed to be on its territory, as the dose of radiation reaches unprecedented heights.
Video about the most abandoned cities
What ghost towns do you know? Write to us about them in the comments.
In Russia itself there are many cities, towns and villages. These settlements are simply abandoned by people. And so a large number of not only surprises, but even frightens. Arriving at such ghost places, you can feel vague feelings and see real story. The situation here that was throughout the vast country several decades ago has been preserved. Ghost towns haunt the present civilization and leave memories of the way of life of the past. Only now they are completely deserted. A ghost town in Russia is no longer a new concept. Many people know about the existence of such places, and their mystery and mystery attract curious tourists.
Abandoned cities
Arriving in such a city, you may get the impression that you are only one, and all the people have died out, as if you are on a deserted planet where life and civilization once reigned a long time ago. Why do such abandoned cities attract the attention of many people?
Video about abandoned cities of Russia
Nowadays, it has become quite a popular form of recreation to visit places where life reigned several decades ago. At the turn of the two millennia, these special places became of interest to many tourists who prefer an extreme and original form of recreation.
The sights of many countries and cities are so boring for tourists that many choose to visit cities where no people currently live. Visiting ghost towns has become especially popular among active tourists, due to the fact that everyone has the opportunity to become a real explorer who has the opportunity to discover something new and unusual.
It is the cities, destroyed and abandoned by people, that represent a certain mystery that attracts tourists who want not only to take a break from the hectic life and busy people in a quiet place, but also to combine such a vacation with the opportunity to become a real discoverer or archaeologist who finds ancient civilizations. For history buffs, visiting ghost towns is one of the most fascinating moments.
In fact, throughout the Russian Federation there are a huge number of deserted places where life was in full swing several decades ago. Such ghosts create the impression that time has stopped. Here are some examples of these mysterious places:
- Komi Republic - Halmer-Yu;
- Perm region - Staraya Gubakha;
- Magadan region - Kadykchan;
- Yaroslavl region - Mologa;
- Chukotka Autonomous Okrug - Iultin.
These are the most famous places, ghost towns, abandoned by local residents, now no one lives here. Each of these places has its own characteristics and...
Halmer-Yu
This abandoned place is currently a training ground for the military. But earlier local residents buried their dead here.
The very name of this town comes from German word and means "Dead River". This rather unusual place was inhabited until 1993, but after that the mine located here was liquidated, and the entire local population was forced to leave for Big City Vorkuta. This is exactly how abandoned cities appear.
Old Gubakha
This mysterious place was inhabited by people who were engaged in coal mining. The deposit was discovered in 1721.
Until 1994, some mines were still active, but over time they were completely closed. Now few people live here, all the buildings are covered with dense vegetation, only a few have dachas in this place. Nobody comes here for a long time, since this place is very close to the industrial zone.
Even abandoned cities have attractions. For example, in this village there is a cave called “Mariinskaya”, it is still famous among tourists.
Kadykchan
This place is the most popular among all the ghost towns in the Magadan region. Such a unique name has an extraordinary meaning, since if you look at the translation of this word from the Evenki language, it means “Valley of Death.”
Only about thirty years ago, approximately ten thousand inhabitants lived in this village. It is interesting that the history of its foundation was laid down by political prisoners who built this city. Abandoned places remind you that in the 90s people worked here and there was an active mine. But due to an accident that occurred at this mine, in which six people died, the local population began to be diligently evicted. This has led to the fact that at the moment there is only one resident living here, who fundamentally does not want to leave his homeland.
Mologa
Today nothing suggests that several centuries ago these places were a center of trade, which attracted thousands of people. This city is located at the confluence of the Mologa River and the Volga River. This city, now flooded, is located 32 kilometers from the city of Rybinsk. The history of the city of Mologa goes back to the end of the 12th century.
Having existed for eight centuries, Mologa numbered 5,000 people. Due to government decision Soviet Union this city, rich in its history, was flooded. In 1935, it was decided to build the Rybinsk hydroelectric complex on this site. The local residents were not explained the reason for their eviction; it was forced and forced. The work began knowing that about three hundred people refused to evacuate from places near and dear to their hearts. Nowadays, the flooded city rises from under the water twice a year when the water level in the reservoir drops.
This example once again shows how abandoned cities can remind of their former existence from year to year.
Iultin
In Chukotka, Iultin was the main center for tin mining. This village was founded in 1953. Since the climate here is quite difficult, supplies arrived with great difficulty. Therefore, already in 1994, people gradually began to leave it. And subsequently Iultin ceased to exist as a residential village. In addition to the population, production also ceased to exist, since it gave almost no profit.
By the beginning of the twenty-first century, this city had completely died out, and today it is considered an uninhabited ghost town, in which only what remains is reminiscent of man's past stay.
Abandoned by their extraordinary mystery. Therefore, you can go here in order to feel the spirit of history and mystery.