World maps are constantly changing. New settlements appear, old ones disappear. But cities do not die right away, and for some time they still exist on old maps, in the memory of former residents. They exist, having lost their living spirit, turning into ghosts. And photographs of their empty streets are becoming a welcome trophy for fans of extreme tourism.
Any city was once mapped for the first time. He lived, grew, developed. People walked along its streets, children ran to school. Under the canopy of city parks, lovers met, and at the cemetery, relatives mourned their deceased loved ones. But in the life of any city there comes a moment when it is no longer drawn on maps. Life in him dies down - gradually or immediately, overnight. And now the wind whistles along the once busy avenues, and houses look out onto the streets with empty dark window frames.
Pripyat
The notorious Ukrainian city of Pripyat ceased to exist after the Chernobyl disaster on the night of April 26, 1986. Within a few hours, the city with a population of six tens of thousands of people was almost completely evacuated. Today, trees grow on the streets of Pripyat, making their way through the asphalt, and groups of tourists-lovers of extreme recreation who like to call themselves stalkers wander around.
Kadykchan
The Soviet North was mastered on a grand scale. Thousands of villages, urban-type settlements, cities grew almost overnight around coal mines, gold mines and the notorious Kolyma camps. One of such urban-type settlements was Kadykchan, located in the Susuman district of the Magadan region. Kadykchan owes its appearance to the rich coal deposit of the highest quality found next to it. In 1986, the population of the town was over 10,000 people. After the mining town was recognized as unprofitable (this happened in 2003), Kadykchan turned into a ghost town. Furniture and books are still preserved in the apartments, forgotten cars are in the garages, and in the central square there is a dilapidated bust of the first Soviet leader, who is covered with snow almost to the top of the head by snowstorms in winter.
Centralia
Few people know that the famous town of Silent Hill from the horror film of the same name has a real prototype. This is the settlement of Centralia (USA, Pennsylvania), which received the status of a city in 1866. The city's economy subsisted on coal mining in the surrounding mines. The abandoned coal mines were the cause of the tragedy that destroyed Centralia. Due to the negligence of firefighters, an underground fire started right under the city, which continues to this day. The borough's zip code was eliminated by the US Postal Service in 2002. Centralia has become a ghost town.
Detroit
Another American city recently joined the ghost town community. This is Detroit, once an industrial gem among American cities. The decline of the city began in the 50s of the last century. Today Detroit is a ghost town with barely a glimpse of life.
San Zhi
Not far from Taipei (Taiwan) is the fermented city of San Zhi. The city was conceived and built as an ultra-modern vacation spot for the wealthy elite. However, accidents constantly occurred at the construction site, which gave rise to the belief among local residents that the city was cursed. Construction was suspended, and then completely curtailed. The city has turned into a ghost, but it continues to attract crowds of extreme tourists.
Cities, like all living things, are dying. But you can't bury the city. And today, many of the cities that have already perished still attract tourists, drawn by a strange desire to explore and capture on photographic films the skeletons of the streets and houses that were once full of life.
