On our planet there are a huge number of ghost towns, empty and creepy, frightening a traveler who accidentally wanders here with the empty eye sockets of the windows of rickety buildings...
In this rating we will present the 10 most famous abandoned cities abandoned by people for various reasons: some were abandoned due to bloody wars, others were abandoned under the onslaught of almighty nature.
1. Buried in the sands of the city of Kolmanskop (Namibia)
Kolmanskop
Kolmanskop is an abandoned town in southern Namibia, located a few kilometers from the port of Lüderitz.
In 1908, railway company employee Zakaris Leval discovered small diamonds in the sand. This discovery caused a real diamond rush and thousands of people flocked to the hot sands of the Namib Desert, hoping to make a fortune.
Kolmanskop was built in record time. It took people only two years to erect beautiful residential buildings in the desert in German style, rebuild a school, a hospital, and even a casino. But the days of the city's existence were already numbered.
After the end of the First World War, the price of diamonds on the world market fell, and every year production precious stones things were getting worse in the Kolmanskop mines. Absence drinking water and the constant struggle with sand dunes made the life of the people of the mining town more and more unbearable.
In the 1950s, the last inhabitants left Kolmanskop and it turned into another ghost town on the world map. Soon nature and the desert almost completely buried the town under sand dunes. Several other old houses and the theater building remained unburied, which is still in good condition.
2. The city of nuclear scientists Pripyat (Ukraine)
Pripyat is an abandoned city in the “exclusion zone” in northern Ukraine. Workers and scientists lived here Chernobyl nuclear power plant, until the tragic day - April 26, 1986. On this day, the explosion of the 4th power unit of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant put an end to the further existence of the city.
On April 27, the evacuation of people from Pripyat began. Nuclear workers and their families were allowed to take with them only the most necessary things and documents; people left all the property acquired over the years in their abandoned apartments. Over time, Pripyat turned into a ghost town, visited only by extreme sports and thrill-seekers.
For those who want to see and appreciate the full scale of the disaster, the Pripyat-Tour company provides excursions to the abandoned city. Due to the high level of radiation, you can safely stay here for no more than a few hours, and most likely, Pripyat will remain a dead city forever.
3. Futuristic resort city of San Zhi (Taiwan)
In the north of Taiwan, near the capital city states Taipei is home to the ghost town of San Zhi. According to the developers, very wealthy people should have bought these houses, because the architecture of the buildings, made in a futuristic style, was so unusual and revolutionary that it should have attracted a large number of wealthy customers.
But during the construction of the city, inexplicable accidents began to occur here and every week there were more and more of them, until the deaths of workers began to happen every day. Rumor quickly spread the news about the bad city, which had a very bad effect on the city's reputation for the rich.
The construction was finally completed and even carried out Grand opening, but none of potential clients I never bought a home here. Mass did not help advertising companies, nor huge discounts, San Zhi has become a new ghost town. Now access here is prohibited, and local residents believe that the city is inhabited by the ghosts of people who died here.
4. Medieval city of Craco (Italy)
About forty kilometers from the Gulf of Taranto in Italy, there is an abandoned old City Krako. Situated on picturesque hills, it was the patrimony of farmers and plowmen, its inhabitants were engaged in agriculture, grew wheat and other grain crops.
The first mention of the city dates back to 1060, when all the land was owned by the Catholic Archbishop Arnaldo.
In 1981, the population of Craco was just over 2,000 people, and since 1982, due to bad harvests, landslides and constant collapses, the population of the town began to decline rapidly. Between 1892 and 1922, more than 1,300 people left Craco. Some left to seek happiness in America, others settled in neighboring cities and villages.
The city was finally abandoned after strong earthquake 1963, only a few residents remained to while away their lives in the new ghost town. By the way, it was here that Mel Gibson filmed the scene of the execution of Judas for his masterpiece film “The Passion of the Christ.”
5. The village of Oradour-sur-Glane (France) - a memorial reminiscent of the horrors of fascism
The small ruined village of Oradour-sur-Glane in France stands as a reminder of the monstrous atrocities of the Nazis. During World War II, 642 village residents were brutally murdered by the Nazis as punishment for the capture of SS Sturmbannführer Helmut Kampf by French resistance fighters.
According to one version, the Nazis simply confused villages with similar names.
The high-ranking fascist was in captivity in the neighboring village of Oradour-sur-Vaires. The Germans did not spare anyone - neither the elderly, nor women, nor children... They drove the men to barns, where they targeted their legs with machine guns, then doused them with a flammable mixture and set them on fire.
Women, children and the elderly were locked in the church, then a powerful incendiary device was detonated. People tried to get out of the burning building, but they were mercilessly shot by German machine gunners. Then the Nazis completely destroyed the village.
6. Forbidden Island Gankanjima (Japan)
Gankanjima Island is one of the 505 uninhabited islands in Nagasaki Prefecture, and is located just 15 km from Nagasaki itself. It is also called battleship island because of the walls that protect the city from the sea. The history of settlement of the island began in 1890, when coal was discovered here. The Mitsubishi company bought the entire territory and began implementing a project to extract coal from the bottom of the sea.
In 1916, the first large concrete building, and then the buildings began to grow like mushrooms after rain. And in 1959, the population of the island had grown so much that 835 people lived here on one hectare! This was a world record for population density.
In the early 1960s, oil in Japan increasingly began to replace coal in production, and its production became unprofitable. Coal mines began to close across the country, and the Gankandjima mines were no exception.
In 1974, Mitsubishi officially announced the closure of the mines and the cessation of all activities on the island. Gankanjima has become another abandoned ghost town. Currently, visiting the island is prohibited, and in 2003, the famous Japanese action film “Battle Royale” was filmed here.
7. Kadykchan - a village in the Magadan region
Kadykchan is an urban-type settlement, located in the Susumansky district of the Magadan region. One of the most famous abandoned northern villages on the Internet. In 1986, according to the census, 10,270 people lived here, and in 2002 - only 875. In Soviet times, coal was mined here highest quality, which heated almost 2/3 of the Magadan region.
The population of Kadykchan began to rapidly decrease after a mine explosion in 1996. A few years later, the only boiler house heating the village defrosted, and it became simply impossible to live here.
Now it is just a ghost town, one of many in Russia. There are rusty cars in the garages, destroyed furniture, books and children's toys in the rooms. Finally, leaving the dying village, the residents shot the bust of V.I. Lenin installed in the square.
8. The walled city of Kowloon (Hong Kong) - a city of lawlessness and anarchy
One of the most incredible ghost towns, now no longer existing, is the city of Kowloon, which was located near the former Kai Tak Airport, a city where all the vices and base passions of humanity were embodied. In the 1980s, more than 50,000 people lived here.
There was probably no other place on the planet where prostitution, drug addiction, gambling and underground workshops were widespread.
It was practically impossible to take a step here without bumping into a drug addict pumped up on dope, or a prostitute offering her services for a pittance. The Hong Kong authorities practically did not govern the city; here was the most high level crime in the country.
Eventually, in 1993, Kowloon's entire population was evicted and it briefly became a ghost town. The incredible and creepy settlement was then demolished, and in its place a park of the same name was laid out.
9. Abandoned ghost town of Varosha (Cyprus)
Varosha is a district of Famagusta, a city in Northern Cyprus founded in the 3rd century AD. Until 1974, Varosha was a real “Mecca” for lovers beach holiday. Thousands of tourists from all over the world flocked here to bask in the gentle rays of the Cypriot sun. They say that the Germans and British made reservations in luxury hotels 20 years in advance!
The resort flourished, with new hotels and villas built up, until everything changed in 1974. That year, the Turks invaded Varosha with NATO support to protect the Turkish minority Cypriot population from being persecuted by ethnic Greeks.
Since then, the Varosha quarter has become a ghost town, surrounded by barbed wire, where the Turkish military has not allowed anyone in for four decades. The houses are dilapidated, the windows are broken and the streets of the once lively quarter are in widespread devastation. The apartments and shops are empty and completely looted, first by the Turkish military and then by local looters.
10. Lost city of Agdam (Azerbaijan)
Agdam is a city once famous for its wine throughout Soviet Union, from now on dead and uninhabited... The war in Nagorno-Karabakh, which lasted from 1990 to 1994, did not give the lowland city a chance to exist, where they used to make excellent cheese and make the best port wine in the Union.
The collapse of the USSR led to the outbreak of hostilities in many former republics.
Azerbaijan did not escape this either, whose warriors were able to seize wagons with rockets located near Agdam. They turned out to be very convenient to bomb the Armenian Stepanakert. Such actions ultimately led to a sad ending.
In the summer of 1993, Agdam was surrounded by 6,000 Liberation Army soldiers Nagorno-Karabakh. With the support of helicopters and tanks, the Armenians practically wiped out the hated city from the face of the earth, and carefully mined the approaches to it. Therefore, to this day, visiting the ghost town of Agdam is unsafe for life.
Ghosts of the old city
Cycle “The Man from the Dreams”. Book 1
© Christina Linsey, 2017
ISBN 978-5-4474-8923-6
Created in the intellectual publishing system Ridero
There is a big moon in the summer sky
She dispels someone's dreams.
And the birches make a quiet noise,
Linden trees give off their scent.
The night is beautiful in the old town,
But walking in the dark is dangerous.
You may not come back
Fall asleep and not wake up.
A terrible howl is often heard,
And something is flying over the rooftops.
Someone is sneaking behind passers-by,
The heart beats like a frightened bird.
The old town is shrouded in secrets,
And filled with human despair.
Werewolves and ghosts -
Its main features.
Arnold lived on railway station for a long time, from puppyhood or from birth. He considered Lydia Andreevna his mistress, who was on duty almost every day and treated Arnold to something tasty. As a child, Arnold simply played and frolicked. And when he grew up, he had a responsibility. Arnold accompanied passengers to the bus stop and guarded them. He came up with it himself, and people didn’t mind.
It was frosty and windy that day. But Arnold was going to do his duty, although he doubted that he would be able to do it. There was a car parked near the station. Taxi driver Valery was also waiting for passengers. Arnold approached the car and greeted the taxi driver with a wave of his tail. Valery smiled, patted Arnold on the head and gave him a cutlet. Arnold was full, but did not refuse. He liked fresh, warm cutlets, and he did not want to offend his friend Valery.
Only one person got off the train. He headed towards the car. This meant that the passenger would leave with Valery. Arnold could return to the warm room with a clear conscience. But something stopped him. He himself did not understand where the alarming premonition suddenly came from. Arnold had a good sense of people. He had no doubt that the passenger who arrived on the train was a wonderful person. But for some reason Arnold knew or guessed that a passenger was not allowed to get into a taxi and go into the city. We must stop him while there is still time!
Letting out a warning growl, Arnold grabbed the passenger's clothing and pulled the man away from the car.
- It is forbidden! Arnold, go back! – Lidia Andreevna shouted in fear and surprise.
She ran up to them, grabbed Arnold by the collar and yanked him back. Arnold reluctantly unclenched his teeth.
- Sorry! – Lidiya Andreevna said to the passenger. “This has never happened to him before!”
- Right. “Arnold is a good-natured dog,” confirmed Valery.
Arnold couldn't explain anything to people, so he got angry and barked.
The passenger sat next to the driver. The car drove away. Lidia Andreevna held Arnold by the collar until the taxi was out of sight.
Nothing will help now. Trouble is about to happen! Arnold howled in despair - loudly, long, drawn out.
"God!" - Lidia Andreevna muttered and crossed herself. She finally also felt what was bothering Arnold.
Neisk. From an anonymous diary
“January 4, 2012 The Black Gang is rampant again. The next victim was twenty-eight-year-old Fyodor Morozov. He was found this morning hanging from an oak tree. No one doubted that Fedor was killed by bandits. And the police are still inactive. Law enforcement officials claim that Morozov hanged himself during delirium tremens. But that's not true. Fyodor, although he drank often, always knew when to stop. He was calm, hardworking, good-natured, and never thought about death. However, it is more convenient for the police to think that Fyodor Morozov took his own life. They say that the “black gang” is as fictional as the ghosts of the old city.
We, the residents of Naisk, are deeply outraged by what is happening in our city. Local and regional authorities ignore our complaints, so we decided to contact the capital.”
***Moscow. From the diary of Viktor Safronov.
“January 20, 2012 There are rumors that I am being deliberately sent to the periphery as punishment. This is what my ill-wishers think and gloat about it. But I don't care about their opinion. I myself asked to go to Naisk to restore order there. I know for sure that the “black gang” really exists. No one knows the bandits by sight, because they wear black masks and camouflage suits of the same color. But eliminating the “black gang” is not my main task. Naysk is an unusual city. Strange things are happening there."
***Neisk. From an anonymous diary.
« January 27, 2012 We now have a new police chief, young and energetic. I liked Viktor Petrovich Safronov immediately, at the first meeting. He is smart, correct, insightful, and God did not offend him with his appearance. Safronov began restoring order in the city by firing all the previous police officers, replacing them with new, young and disciplined employees, mostly newcomers. The measure turned out to be very effective. Crime has dropped sharply and the number of road accidents has decreased. But the most important thing is that the “black gang” no longer reminds of itself. The bandits probably fled, afraid of the new police chief.
In the old city, everything remains the same for now. But Safronov was already interested in ghosts and werewolves. Maybe he can cope with this problem too.
February 25, 2012 Yesterday, local businessman Ilnur Rishtanov told me that he was threatened by an unknown man over the phone. The caller's number was not identified. The stranger demanded a large sum of money, but Ilnur refused to pay and turned to the police. They promised to look into this matter. And this morning Rishtanov died in a car accident.
On February 28, 2012, Grigory Milyutin told me that he was being blackmailed by some criminals over the phone, and he intended to complain about them to the police. It happened during the day. In the evening, Gregory died of a heart attack.
On March 2, 2012, Ivan Tumanov also refused to pay the blackmailers and hoped for help from the police. During the night of fog, he and his family burned down in their house.
Then it became clear that these were not coincidences. Rumors about a “black gang” began to spread again. A hypothesis arose that the bandits did not escape, but hid, and now became more active again. It is possible that they have a police informant.
On March 5, 2012, Georgy Abramov fulfilled all the blackmailers’ conditions without informing the police about it. He survived.
On March 9, 2012, Avakumov, Grekov and Tyulgaev followed Abramov’s example. They weren't touched either.
March 12, 2012 When it was my turn, I didn’t resist. I was told to put the money in a bag and go to the village of Ozerny. That's what I did. Halfway along the road I met a black jeep and gave the signal. The car's windows were tinted. Got out of the jeep a tall man, dressed in black. His face and hair were hidden by a mask. Through the narrow slits it was impossible to see the color and shape of the eyes, but it suddenly seemed to me that instead of eyes he had bottomless darkness. I was numb with horror. And the stranger took the package from me, headed to his car and drove off.
I don’t remember how I returned home, and I can hardly believe that my life was spared. The terrible hypothesis was confirmed. The unknown blackmailers are members of the “black gang”.
March 14, 2012 After talking with businessmen who were robbed by blackmailers, I suggested that they again send a complaint to Moscow. They categorically refused. I had to act alone and on my own behalf. I sent a letter to e-mail, it’s more reliable and faster.
On March 17, 2012, Safronov asked if I knew anything about the blackmailers who called Rishtanov, Milyutin and Tumanov. I answered in the negative, because I knew what awaited me if the secret was revealed. Viktor Petrovich said that he believes in the existence of a “black gang” and wants to end it quickly, but the police cannot find the bandits without help local population. The police chief suggests that the members of the "black gang" are Nei, and they have an accomplice who works for the police. This conversation convinced me that Viktor Petrovich Safronov is a decent person. But I did not tell him about the letter to the capital.
Every day Minsk residents pass by places shrouded in mysteries, secrets and riddles. Do you know about them? The "R" correspondent, together with the author of city guides, went on a tour of paranormal attractions.
Stand! Afraid!
Christopher Khilkevich: “What we see is often not what it really is. Minsk fits well the definition of “secret, hidden”
Photo by Evgeny KOLCHEV
We meet with Christopher Khilkevich, local historian, journalist and guidebook author, right at the entrance to the Minsk City Hall. Probably not by chance...
- We are in the middle of the “mystical route”. Usually, excursions around secret Minsk start from the Red Church and end on Zybitskaya Street,- Christopher approaches the sculpture of the Voyt with the key to the city. At his feet is a medieval map of Minsk. - But not only in the center are all the secrets “focused”. Let's start from here today, because it is here, at the town hall, that ghosts live...
Already scared? So, the square near the town hall and the adjacent alleys and streets are once a large monastic conglomerate. Christopher points to the map of Voyt and explains what kind of houses are marked on it, what was there before, and what has been preserved. Why all these listings? To the secrets! And they are literally under our feet - underground.
- The churches and monasteries were connected by underground passages, which, they say, even reached the Trinity Suburb, - the guide is intriguing. - Unfortunately, you can’t get there. By the way, there are still passages nearby. Over there, approximately from the current Pobeda cinema. At the beginning of the 19th century, there was a Benedictine monastery there, from there a passage led to the Dominican Church, which stood not far from the place where the Palace of the Republic is now located. This is the longest underground passage that was in Minsk - about 350 meters. Height – 1.5 meters, width – meter. True, it's closed. But one elderly guide said that he managed to walk along it a couple of meters.
I believe - I don't believe
Christopher suggests looking directly at the town hall. “Did you know that the ghost of Michal Volodkovich lives here?” - asks.
"Whom?!" - mine panics inner world, and Christopher plunges us into history... It was in 1760. Michal Volodkovich, a distant Minsk relative of Karol Stanislaw Radziwill, known as Pane Kohanku, wanted to be like him. Yes, he was rich and influential, but they didn’t take him to the Minsk magistrate, to the town hall, because he was a drunk and rowdy. Unable to withstand the bad attitude towards himself from those who did not join the “club”, he came to the town hall with a saber. Mahal wounded members of the magistrate, but these are trifles compared to what he did later - he hit the statue of Christ with a saber. They took him out to the courtyard near the town hall and finished off the man. But that same night his spirit appeared at the magistrate’s office in search of his offenders...
Stands at the town hall Christmas tree. Right on this spot at the beginning of the 20th century, Ivan Pulikhov, a famous Socialist Revolutionary terrorist, tried to assassinate the city governor, Pavel Kurlov. Ivan threw the bomb, but it didn’t explode. They grabbed him and took him to Pishchalovsky Castle, now known to us as the Volodarka detention center. They hanged the boy on the gate of the prison castle.
- Since then, the ghost of Pulikhov has settled in the castle. At night, he leaves the death row and climbs the tower, where he lights a candle...- Christopher sums up the story. - Whether you believe in it or not is everyone’s choice. But the legends allow us to look at the city differently. By the way, turn around. Do you see a building here older than St. Petersburg?
Out of sight
I look where they pointed - at the Republican College of Music. It turns out that once upon a time there was a Jesuit college on this site. But wait, why did he stand? He is still here, but he is not visible. Mystic. They hid him in “new” clothes.
Meanwhile, we are walking around the town hall, and, approaching the Europe Hotel, Christopher stops, takes out a smartphone and reads out a note from the newspaper “Soviet Belarus” for September 1940: “In the morning everything was calm, but suddenly bombers appeared, sirens howled, radio horns announced: “Air raid warning!” Anti-aircraft artillery opened fire, but several planes still managed to break through to the city center and inflict a lot of damage. Bombs fell on Freedom Square and the Europe Hotel caught fire.
This is an article about anti-aircraft exercises: it was as if Minsk was attacked. The mysticism is that the note became prophetic: less than a year later, bombers destroyed this building.
Christopher suggests going to a place where you can make a wish. Come on, come on... A couple of minutes and we are in Musical Lane. The narrowest surviving street in Minsk, where it is customary to wish something good for yourself.
- Here, if you listen, you will notice the city echo... Shout!– our guide suggests, and I obey. My “ay” was repeated by the alley.
Svisloch has already overflowed
We are on Zybitskaya Street, where the spiritual and educational center is now located.
- This building of the 19th century was restored in our time. And once upon a time there lived a family of a merchant who, as in a fairy tale, had three daughters - Christopher points to the renovated facade of the house, from which one would not expect mysticism. – Two daughters are their own, and one is adopted. When they grew up, they hired them a tutor. He, as befits the legends, fell in love with the receptionist. They decided to run away. Two sisters found out about the escape. They tied up their stepdaughter and threw her into the basement. And it was spring...
The Svisloch flooded and the girl drowned in that basement. The tutor came for her, found out the whole truth and killed the sisters. Afterwards he hanged himself in this house. Since then, they say that during floods four ghosts appear here...
Creepy? Yes. Interesting? Yes sir! Finally, Christopher Khilkevich shows where in Minsk there was a castle in the swamp, the street of alchemists and crocodiles that lived in Minsk houses. Can you imagine how much you still don’t know about Minsk?
Phantoms and ghosts. Admit it, this is one of the most popular topics on the site. What kind of phenomenon is this? For myself, I decided that a ghost is a vague manifestation of otherworldly forces associated with the lifetime passions of the deceased. Let's say a translucent entity flying around grandma's apartment, a drum in the kitchen where the unfortunate drunkard hanged himself, clumps of protoplasm - all these are ghosts. Phantom is more difficult. Imagine that the death of the physical body was instantaneous, and the person did not realize his departure to another world. Then his ghostly essence, restless spirit, will repeat his dying path with almost photographic accuracy. The appearance of such a ghost is close to its lifetime, like a reflection. Phantoms are sometimes correlated with the phenomenon of “field memory,” such a special property of objects on the ground to “remember” and, most importantly, “reproduce” pictures from the past. This is associated with strong bursts of psychokinetic energy. Energy can be accumulated in one moment, for example, during an airliner crash, or it can accumulate over years or even centuries.
Remember when I talked about my adventures abroad? Inexplicable phenomena happened with enviable regularity. So, after some time I stopped being surprised. As I explored the ancient streets and neighborhoods of Lisbon that survived the 1775 earthquake, I encountered things that were at times frightening and awe-inspiring.
It is worth noting that the city has a very ancient history and could rival Rome and Jerusalem in age. Its streets and houses have been rebuilt countless times. I would not be surprised to learn that the foundations of buildings still contain stones from destroyed Phoenician and Roman temples. The time at which you decide to walk through the center of Lisbon is very important. And it’s not a fact that all the mysticism will take place in the evening hours. Moreover, in this place with unstable energy, gaps in the fabric of objective reality are literally physically felt. In a completely empty square, out of nowhere, a man in a weekend suit may appear. late XIX century. In the castle of St. George, a bugle will sound, summoning the defenders of the fortress. And in the predawn fog, ghostly caravels will pass along the mouth of the river, passing the Belem Tower. It can be noisy and crowded here, but you turn the corner and find yourself through the looking glass, where phantoms of past eras continue to appear in our world...
It was a weekday in March. The sky was gloomy with incoming rain clouds. A gusty wind blew from the sea, carrying chilly weather and a mood of sad melancholy through the streets. I carefully studied the city landscape; fortunately, the observation decks on the walls of the castle, which had turned into a museum, offered an excellent view of the central areas. I remember how I then compared the local “seven hills” with the domestic ones... In Moscow you can no longer tell them apart. But here there was a feeling that some giant child had crushed the city like a sheet of paper. Such heterogeneous relief remains, to some extent, from the previously mentioned earthquake. And, it seems to me, it is precisely this “curvature of matter” that could explain all the anomalous phenomena.
I photographed the panorama and noted particularly interesting places. One of these was the ruins, invisible at first glance. These were the walls of the old cathedral, which was not restored after the collapse of the dome. The place was densely overgrown with greenery and resembled the ruins of a Greek amphitheater somewhere in the suburbs of Athens. Of course, I immediately wanted to go and take a closer look at this architectural miracle.
From the castle, in addition to the main exit, there were several secondary ones. I went down from the observation deck and walked to the western wall, where behind a small arch there was a narrow, almost vertical staircase made of massive stones. The wind was getting stronger. A light rain was falling. The stones slipped under our feet, and the descent lasted almost half an hour. It seemed to me that the ruins were only a kilometer or a half away. If you go straight. But in reality I found myself in a damn confusing labyrinth among the same type of streets, where there was no one to ask for directions. One could attribute everything to bad weather and the height of the working day. However, the absence of passersby caused uneasy feelings. What to do if you get lost in a foreign city? You need to stop and take a breath, take out a map (previously purchased at the hotel) and try to find at least one noticeable landmark in order to use the map to track where to go. Such a landmark was the castle of St. George (aka Castelo de Sao Jorgio), which I abandoned. Having figured out the cardinal directions and eyeballing the distance traveled, I involuntarily groaned - in three hours I had moved no more than five hundred meters from the stone stairs. Luckily for me, there were tram tracks in that place, and along them I managed to get out of this ghetto closer to the center.
To compensate for the failure, I decided to walk through another, more familiar area. According to rumors, there were also some abandoned buildings there, some of which have survived more than one hundred years. But as soon as I stepped outside the central square, I found myself in the same place from which I had so carefully chosen. If this had happened in the Tver forests, I would have known what to do... Still, I know a lot about the habits of the devil. But what kind of evil spirits are so confusing in the city?! I looked around discouraged and wondered where I had made a mistake... In the end I decided to just walk, it’s better to think while walking, after a while I saw a group of people on the road. Apparently, the procession was going to a very remarkable church, nestled among narrow and variegated houses at the end of the street. The viewing angle made it possible to see how they entered the church, but only from the side, i.e. in profile. It was not visible who opened the door for them. The silhouettes just walked into the church.
I quickened my pace and five minutes later I was standing in front of her entrance. But, to my surprise, I saw fences and scaffolding. On the doors there was a sign “Obras” (“Repairs”). I pulled the handle and knocked insistently. (Suddenly these were builders, and you can ask them how to get out of the maze to the nearest metro station or tram stop). But there was no answer. After standing for about ten minutes in confusion, I went back. There was still hope to look out for some store or pharmacy to find out from the owners where to go. And very soon I came across a small bookshop. It was open, an elderly man was sitting behind the counter, I cannot determine his exact age.
I politely said hello and asked my question. The man asked me for a map and, without saying unnecessary words, showed me how to go. He thanked the second-hand bookseller and went to his hotel, following the instructions he had received. Within fifteen minutes I was sitting in a cafe on the ground floor of the hotel where I had rented a room. It seemed to me that the whole adventure took from five to six hours, and this was confirmed by the clock in mobile phone, But real time ran away almost an hour and a half ahead.
This strange story should end here...
But no.
Two days later, I decided to go to that store and look for a couple of books as gifts for friends and teachers. I quickly found the right street and house. The store was open. There was another salesman behind the counter. I turned to him and asked him to convey greetings to that venerable lord, whose help was very useful. The seller looked at me like I was crazy. It turns out his store has been closed for the last week. He works alone after his father's death. So to speak, a family business that has been passed on from older to younger for more than one generation. Strangers are not allowed near him.
I apologized for my tactlessness and hurried to leave...
Here's how it turns out... Indistinct images of ghostly parishioners for whom there is no closed doors. The labyrinth city and the phantom of the bookseller's grandfather.
A few photos from those places:
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Ghost towns are scattered all over the planet and silently keep their secrets. The creations of human hands, abandoned by people, stand deserted and silent for decades. They are not destroyed, they are simply abandoned - at one point people left them due to insurmountable reasons. The reason for this could be the threat of a natural disaster, man-made disaster, war or economic crisis.
This list contains the most famous ghost towns in the world!
1 Pripyat, Ukraine
Perhaps the most famous ghost town is Pripyat. This city in Ukraine is relatively young - it was built in 1970. In 1986, about 50 thousand people lived there, the first park was opened, and the infrastructure was actively developing. And one day - April 26, 1986, the city was evacuated due to the accident at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant. This city is still full of radiation, so excursions and groups of stalkers enter its territory only occasionally.
2 Gunkanjima, Japan
Hashima Island in the East China Sea, nicknamed Gunkanjima (cruiser), was an ordinary rock near Nagasaki in the early 19th century. Coal was discovered there, so the Japanese artificially built an island and began to develop the deposit. The city was the most densely populated place on the entire planet - with an area of 0.063 square meters. m. lived more than 5 thousand people! The peak of activity was reached in the middle of the 20th century, and in 1974 the mines were completely closed, and the city became a ghost.
3 Kolmanskop, Namibia
The history of this city began in 1908, when one of the railway workers discovered diamonds in the southern part of the Namib Desert. The field was transferred to August Strauch, who built a German town on this site with a hospital, schools and a stadium. But the diamond reserves dried up after a couple of years, and people faced terrible conditions. The city was constantly bombarded by sandstorms; there was no water or communication with the world. In 1954, the last inhabitants left the city, and it was left standing in the middle of the desert.
4 Famagusta, Cyprus
In the 1970s, the city of Famagusta was the tourist center of Cyprus. It was especially famous; it housed many hotels and hotels that were visited by celebrities from all over the world. In 1975, Famagusta was invaded by the Turkish army and expelled the Greeks from their homes. The Varosha quarter has become a ghost town, because according to a UN resolution of 1984, only its residents can return to it. On this moment this huge tourist area of the city is slowly being swallowed up by nature.
5 Kilamba, Angola
Cities do not always become ghosts because they have been abandoned. Some cities were never settled, such as the huge city of Nova Cidid de Kilamba near the capital of Angola. It is designed for 500 thousand people, and more than $3 billion was spent on construction. In 2012, the city slowly began to be populated, but in fact it still remains a ghost. There are few middle class residents of Angola who could afford such expensive housing. At the moment, there is only one school there, to which people take their children from afar.
6 Tawarga, Libya
The ghost town in Libya was abandoned by local residents in 2011 due to genocide. The rebels began a real persecution of the indigenous peoples of Tawarga, which was once founded by the descendants of black slaves. In addition, this city was under the protection of the Gaddafi regime, so the rebels mercilessly destroyed the population - 1,300 people are still considered missing. Almost 30 thousand people left the city and still cannot return to their homes. The Libyan government cannot provide them with safety and protection from abuse.
7 Kayakoy, Türkiye
The Turkish village of Kayakoy has a rich history, but that hasn't stopped it from becoming a ghost. It was founded in the 19th century by the Greek community and had a developed infrastructure. But in the 1920s, the Greeks were forced to leave the areas belonging to the Turks, so the villagers simply left overnight. Moreover, in 1957 major earthquake destroyed the last islands of civilization in Kayakoy.
8 Sanzhi, Taiwan
This city can hardly be called a ghost, since in 2008 a decision was made to demolish it. Unfortunately, it belongs to those buildings where people have never settled. In 1975 it was decided to build unusual complex houses in the form of UFO saucers. They were built from fiberglass and concrete, taking into account last word technology. However, in the 1980s, when the complex was almost completed, a crisis began in Asia, which led to a freeze in construction. The alien houses were abandoned, and Taiwan decided to demolish them to build a park on the site.
9 Oradour-sur-Glane, France
This village in France received the title of martyr city. Today it still stands as a silent reminder of the atrocities of the war, and a new town of the same name has been built nearby. Oradour in 1944 was inhabited by French partisans who captured a German officer. In retaliation, the SS killed all the inhabitants of the village - 205 children, 240 women and 197 men. Since then the city has been a memorial center.
10 Kadykchan, Russia
One of the most famous abandoned cities in Russia is Kadykchan. It is located in the Magadan region, and was completely abandoned by people in the early 2000s. The city was built in the mid-20th century near a coal deposit, but after an explosion in 1996 the mine was closed. Residents of the village began to be slowly resettled, and in 2001 the houses were completely cut off from electricity.
Paris exists not only in France, but also in China, although it is very small. Construction of the city of Tianducheng began in 2007, when there was a fashion in China for copies of European landmarks. There is the Eiffel Tower, three times smaller than the original, the Arc de Triomphe and the Park of Versailles. However, housing here is so expensive that the city has practically remained a ghost - despite its splendor, no one lives in Tianducheng.
All these cities are completely deserted, so they gradually fall into disrepair, and nature wins its territory back, covering the gray buildings with lush greenery.
