The creepiest Russian ghost towns We present a rating of the creepiest Russian
ghost towns that people have abandoned. 1. Kolendo (Sakhalin region)
The settlement was founded in 1963. People lived there quite well, there were all the needed
amenities for living. School, nursery, shops, and fire station. There was even a club in the
village, as well as several high-rise buildings and private houses. About 5 thousand people lived
here. In 1995 there was an earthquake. Many buildings were damaged, people had nowhere to
live. In addition, not everything was so smooth in Kolendo, there were a number of problems with its
design. The authorities decided to liquidate the village. Now on the site of the village
there is a dense forest, a couple of garages and several ruined country houses. Therefore,
there is nothing for stalkers to do here. It is not known exactly when the buildings were
demolished. In social networks, the last photos of the abandoned village are dated 2009.
2. Promyshlenniy (Komi Republic) The settlement was founded in 1956,
thanks to the construction of two mines "Central" and "Promyshlennaya". The number of people
working in the industry was 12 thousand. The infrastructure was at a fairly high level. What
was here includes: an ice rink, restaurant, club, and school with a swimming pool. But in 1998,
a misfortunate event happened in the village. An explosion occurred in one of the mines,
several dozen people died. The mine was closed, people had nowhere to work. The population was
declining, people were leaving Promyshlenniy. After the closure of infrastructure facilities,
it became impossible to live there, residents were offered to move. The village is located
across the river and now you can get there only over a dilapidated bridge.
3. Khalmer-Yu (Komi Republic) Another ghost village located in the Komi
Republic. Geologists discovered coal deposits back in 1942. Later, a settlement was built. In 1957,
the mine began its work, but not so much coal was mined. The maximum number of residents living in
Khalmer-Yu was 7.7 thousand people. Hospitals, schools, shops, nursery, House of Culture,
dispensary, and hostel. There was even a weather station here. The town was connected to Vorkuta
by a railway, there was no road. In 1993, the mine was liquidated, as it was running at a loss. In
1996, they also decided to liquidate Halmer-Yu. The residents were resettled. Now it is used
as a military training ground. 4. Kadychkan (Magadan region)
Kadychkan suffered the same fate. Built during the Great Patriotic War, it also became a place where
miners and their families settled. A mine was built not far from it. But in 1996 there was a
major accident. Many people died, about thousand. The authorities decided to liquidate the village.
However, residents did not want to leave the village. Then the electricity in the village was
turned off, and heat was no longer supplied to the houses. Arson attacks started to the properties.
Everything was done so that the population of Kadychkan would finally leave it. Now the town
still exists and you can visit it if you wish. 5. Mologa (Yaroslavl region)
The city was located on the right bank of the Mologa River. The name of the river was first
mentioned in history in 1149. Nobody knows the exact date when the city was built. For 8
centuries, life in a small provincial town went on as usual. In 1935, residents first heard
that the construction of the Uglich and Rybinsk hydroelectric power stations was beginning nearby.
The government reassured them by promising that the city's territory would not be included in
the flood zone. The war started, and authorities decided that more powerful hydroelectric power
stations were needed. Not only the residents of Mologa suffered, but also 700 nearby villages.
Everything was flooded. People were moved to other settlements. Those who resisted were declared
insane and placed in medical institutions. When the water level drops in the Rybinsk reservoir,
you can see the remains of the ancient city. 6. Neftegorsk (Sakhalin Region)
Built in 1964, the urban-type settlement was one of the most comfortable in Sakhalin. Most of the
residents are oil workers with their families. In 1995, there was a strong earthquake. 3157
people lived in the village by that time, but 2040 of them died. Several days after
the earthquake, the rubbles was cleared, helping to rescue the surviving people. They decided not
to restore the village, and the survivors settled throughout Sakhalin. A memorial plaque with the
names of the victims was erected in Neftegorsk. Relatives still come here to honour their memory.
7.Kursha-2 (Ryazan region) At the beginning of the 20th century
in the Ryazan region, at the terminal station of a narrow-gauge railway, a village was formed. The
railway was built here to bring out the timber. The country constantly needed a forest. About
1000 people lived in the village. In August 1936, the village was destroyed by fire. The cause of
the fire is unknown, the weather was very hot at that time. People tried to escape from the fire,
ride away on horses, but all the efforts of the people were in vain. Almost everyone died. Only
those who hid in the river or climbed into the well managed to survive. After a while,
the village was rebuilt again, but it did not last long. Now you can see the same railway there,
destroyed houses, and a cross over the mass grave of those who died from the fire.
8. Charonda (Vologda region) The village of Charonda was founded
during the Neolithic period, it is more than 7 thousand years old. Until a few centuries ago,
it was a rich independent area. All trade routes passed through the city. But gradually the number
of residents decreased, life in the city became worse, and soon it was renamed into a settlement,
and later into a village. In 2007, there were only 8 people left in Charonda, it is not known whether
anyone lives there now. But tourists love to visit this place, a church, destroyed buildings,
and beautiful nature - this is what attracts hikers and just those who like to travel.
9. Iultin (Chukotka Autonomic District) There are a lot of abandoned villages in Chukotka,
but this one was the largest. In the 50s, a tin deposit was found here. Whole families
began to come here. They built houses, worked at local city-forming enterprises. In the 90s,
the mine and the ore processing plant had to be closed, they worked at a loss. In 1989,
about 5 thousand people lived here. In 2000, there was not even one, people left in search
of a better life. The village still exists, but it is not easy for tourists to get there.