Cities become ghosts not only when all their inhabitants leave them. Sometimes no one comes to new cities. The authorities of countries with fast-growing economies approve megalomaniac projects for the construction of new cities and regions, but very often they miscalculate. In the jungles, steppes and deserts of Asia and Africa, cities are growing, doomed to turn into ruins.

The leader in the construction of ghost towns is China. Due to the construction boom, the country was filled with empty residential areas and useless airports. But the rest of the developing world is not far behind, and the entire eastern hemisphere is filled with grim monuments to globalization and economic growth.

Ordos, China

China's largest ghost town, Ordos, is located among the steppes of Inner Mongolia province. In the 1990s, vast coal reserves were discovered in the region, and local residents quickly became rich by selling their lands to large companies. An economic boom began in the province, the symbol of which was to be the huge city of Ordos. But the project was overestimated. The city has its own airport, mosque and contemporary art center, but this does not attract new residents. In a settlement designed for several hundred thousand people, only 2% of the area was inhabited. Optimists are buying apartments in Ordos as an investment, although many experts predict an imminent collapse of the Chinese real estate market; While some areas of Ordos continue to be built up, others are turning into ruins.

Thames Town, China

Not far from Shanghai there are ruins of an English city. In 2006, in the Songjian district of Shanghai, the construction of Thames Town, a village stylized as a small English city. It has red brick houses, a Gothic church and red telephone boxes, but no inhabitants. They invested about 800 million US dollars into the creation of the city and in the end they did not get what they wanted. The middle class that Thames Town was designed for uses it not as a place to live, but as a backdrop for wedding photographs. The city's streets and squares are constantly filled with newlyweds posing for photos in front of faux Victorian architecture and kitschy sculptures like a bronze James Bond.

King Abdullah Financial District, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

Move to a new financial center Saudi Arabia no one. Authorities Arab state announced plans to create a business district in Riyadh in 2006. It consists of 42 buildings with a total office area of ​​900 thousand square meters. However, six months before the opening of the first office centers, only 10% of the premises were able to be rented out. The Saudis have built too much: the new area has three times more office space than all of Riyadh. Even if all the city's businesses moved to new buildings, the area could not be filled even halfway. In addition, it is very expensive there: large Saudi banks even decided that it would be more profitable for them to build their own skyscrapers in other areas. There is no hope for foreigners either. Unlike Dubai, Riyadh's banks mainly work with local companies.

Masdar, United Arab Emirates

The “green” city of Masdar in the UAE has not yet been completed, but the media are already talking about problems with settlement. So far, only students from the new Institute of Science and Technology have arrived in the city, which provides itself with energy thanks to almost 90 thousand solar panels. In Masdar you can't drive a car and there are almost no shops, so you have to travel to other cities to buy many goods. The principle of luxury that Abu Dhabi and Dubai live by has been replaced by responsibility, and apparently the locals don’t like it. The UAE authorities plan that in 15 years the city's population will increase to 100 thousand people. But Masdar stands empty, even though the project is almost completed.

Nova Cidade
de Quilamba, Angola

Naypyitaw, Myanmar

The new capital of Myanmar, Naypyitaw, was founded in 2005. The military junta that rules the country decided to move the capital from Yangon completely unexpectedly for the whole world. Among the versions: the military’s fear of large crowds of people and possible protests in the former capital and the instructions of astrologers, to which the Burmese actively listen. Several years of construction and billions of dollars in investment resulted in a city with luxurious government buildings, eight-lane highways, golf courses, shopping malls and a zoo rising from the jungle. According to rumors, civil servants were ordered to move to the city no later than 48 hours after its opening, but few followed the advice. For several years, the city, designed for several million people, stood half empty: there was no point in the poor Burmese leaving their hometowns; and only in last years Thanks to the democratization of the political regime and the opening of borders, the population poured into the new capital. Now more than a million people live in Naypyitaw, and it is one of the ten fastest growing cities on the planet.

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 history, both its founding and its “demise.” Most of them became ghosts due to tragedies, incidents, some due to political and economic reforms, 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 Cursha-2 became a ghost due to a terrible misfortune. What happened? On August 3, 1936, a large-scale fire engulfed the entire city, and since Cursha-2 was located in the very middle forest area, 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 the Volgograd region, 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 and move 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: Most of the 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 2,000 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 valuable coal deposit 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 the 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. On this moment All that remains of the settlement are ruins, 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 there are not a dozen or even a thousand such ghost towns, abandoned by people completely or in which only a few elderly residents remain, on the territory of the Russian Federation. 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 suddenly 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.". 🙂

Why does China build large, well-designed ghost cities that sit completely empty?
Photos from Google Earth of city after city show huge complexes consisting of office skyscrapers, government buildings, residential buildings, residential towers and houses, all connected by a network of empty roads, and some of the cities are located in some of the most inhospitable places in China.

Images of these ghost towns (after countless billions of dollars spent on design and construction) show that no one lives in them.

The photos look like a giant film set, prepared for the filming of some apocalyptic film, in which neutron impact or unknown disaster destroyed people, leaving skyscrapers, sports stadiums, parks and roads completely untouched. One of these cities was actually built in the middle of the desert, in inner Monogolia."

Business Insider published a series of photos of these Chinese ghost towns. None of them show cars, with the exception of about 100 parked in a large vacant lot near the government building, and another one, which depicts a beautiful park, and people added in a photo editor.

According to some estimates, there are now about 64 million empty houses in China. China is building up to 20 new ghost towns a year in its “vast areas of free land.”

Everything would be fine, but then I came across some kind of crazy explanation for this circumstance. Listen here!

At the moment, there are about 100 million-plus cities in China. And these newly built ghost towns are a reserve fund for the population. In case of war. There is no point in bombing them; there are many more important targets. And existing residential cities will definitely be struck, and most likely nuclear. It is expensive to restore them during the war, and such gigantic masses of people cannot be shoved through the cracks. It is much more profitable and easier to rebuild entire cities with ready-made infrastructure in advance, and at the right time to evacuate the remaining population and surviving equipment from factories and factories.
But there is one very unpleasant moment here. Keep in order.
Let's still read the real version.
Dai District, Huizhou City, Guangdong Province, covers an area of ​​more than 20 square meters. km. Over the course of several years, it has been actively developed and has a fully formed infrastructure. However, for several years now about 70% of the living space there has been empty, which has turned it into a real “ghost town.”
According to the Chinese newspaper Daily Economic Bulletin, the new Dai district is located 70 km from the Shenzhen metropolis; literally in a matter of years it was completely built up with both residential, administrative and business buildings. However, on the wide streets between high-rise buildings it is very rare to see passers-by.
Since real estate prices in this area are 4-5 times lower than in neighboring Shenzhen, residents of the metropolis bought apartments here. But they did this solely as an investment, hoping that over time the prices for this property would rise. They themselves do not live there, they only visit occasionally.
Their assumptions turned out to be correct; over the past few years, property prices in the area have more than doubled. Average square meter now costs 5,000 yuan ($714).

The new city is like an area after an epidemic in which a small part of the population has survived. You can rarely see light in the windows of high-rise buildings.

“All the apartments here have been sold a long time ago, but most of the owners do not live in them. Less than 20% of the residents live here permanently,” says a security guard at one of the neighborhoods.
Local residents joke: “Nothing grows here except empty houses.”
Forensic Asia Limited in its report points out the existence of numerous empty areas in China, the so-called “ghost towns”.
The Zhengdong New Area of ​​Shenzhou, Henan Province has been named the largest "ghost town" and a landmark area of ​​the real estate bubble in China. The area began to be built in 2003, it covers an area of ​​150 square meters. km. For several years now it has been less than 40% occupied.
After this information was widely publicized in the media, a local official completely rejected it in an interview with the Chinese Business newspaper. In turn, he stated that the current occupancy rate of new buildings is 90%, and the number of residents of the Zhengdong region has already exceeded 300 thousand people.
However, according to the same authorities, more than 30% of the planned development of the area has already been built, and the population level given by the official is only 7.5% of the planned number of residents, which by 2020, according to the project, should be 4 million people .

Last year, Chinese media reported that the State Grid Company of China conducted a study in 660 cities. As a result, it was discovered that the electric meters of 65.4 million apartments had zero readings for six months. This suggests that no one lives in the apartments. These apartments are enough to accommodate 200 million people.

Chinese economist Xie Guozhong believes that 25% - 30% of new buildings in China remain empty. According to him, the area of ​​residential premises in Chinese cities is 17 billion square meters. m, which is enough to accommodate all the residents of China.
When the financial crisis began, many Chinese businessmen began to transfer their capital from production to real estate in order to somehow avoid bankruptcy. Thus, many houses and apartments in the country were bought just for the sake of investing money. But it also became main reason a sharp increase in real estate prices, which the authorities still cannot bring under control.
The fact is that for some time, due to the construction boom and the global economic crisis that reduced the appetites and opportunities of developers, a hitherto unprecedented type of ghost towns arose in China. This is a comfortable residential property, with all the necessary to modern man infrastructure in which no one lives. And if we don’t settle in it, everything will be overgrown with weeds, like in Pripyat.

In 2010, the State Electric Networks company of the People's Republic of China conducted a census of electric meters of subscribers from 660 cities. As a result of this event, it became clear strange fact. According to the census results, the counters of 65.4 million apartments showed zero. That is, no one lives in these areas. As it turns out, China has been building “ghost” cities since 2000. More than twenty points under construction remain uninhabited. Why does China need empty cities? Let's try to figure it out in the article.

No housing crisis

It's hard to believe that in an overpopulated country where the birth of every child is considered practically a crime, there are empty cities. New buildings, highways, shops, parking lots, kindergartens, and offices are being erected in China. Of course, housing is provided with running water, electricity, and sewerage. Everything is ready for life. However, it is in no hurry to send its citizens to the empty ones. What is the reason for their appearance?

One of the options

Why is China building empty cities? The government of the country sacredly guards the secret, leaving it possible only to speculate on the true purpose of these points. There is an opinion that empty cities in China are just a "duck". However, there are photographs of these uninhabited areas. It’s worth saying here that getting a photo of an empty city is, in general, not difficult. In any, even large, metropolis there is a period when there are no people or cars on the streets. As a rule, this happens early in the morning. Well, if you couldn’t catch such a moment, you can use the well-known Photoshop program. However, there are objections to this opinion. First of all, it should be said that the Chinese themselves do not deny the existence of such cities. In addition, there are reliable satellite images. They clearly show that at the height of the day there is no one on the streets, and there are no cars in the parking lots.

"Conspiracy theory"

There is also a belief that every empty city in China rests on huge underground shelters. They are designed to accommodate several hundred million inhabitants. Thus, the Beijing government makes it clear to the authorities in Washington and Moscow that the country is quite ready for As you know, underground shelters are considered the most effective way protection of the population from damaging factors(penetrating radiation, radioactive contamination, radiation).

Empty cities in case of disaster

According to another assumption, the Beijing government, anticipating an imminent change of power in the United States, is preparing housing for its fellow citizens who are currently in America, but will be ready to leave if an economic collapse occurs. A version has also been put forward that empty cities will become a refuge for the inhabitants of the Middle Kingdom when the water covers all coastal territories. And houses are being built in the most remote areas.

Investment

According to another version, empty cities are a monetary contribution from the government. The Beijing authorities considered that it was more profitable to store money in real estate than in Western bank accounts. In this regard, monumental but empty cities are built - just in case. Again, this opinion can be argued. How long can an empty city last? The photos presented in the article fairly fully illustrate these uninhabited areas - some of them have been standing for more than 10 years. They will stand for another 20 years, what will happen to them next? If no one populates the empty cities, they will most likely have to be demolished.

New holiday villages

All empty cities are really built away from the coast. At the same time, the least earthquake-prone areas are selected for their construction. Actually, all this can be explained. If there is a choice of areas where to carry out such monumental construction, then it is better to immediately play it safe and provide adequate protection to future residents, at least from earthquakes and floods.

Kanbashi and Ordos

The above is a version of a profitable investment. There is some truth in this assumption. Many owners bought apartments from developers at the initial stages of construction. Now the cost of living space has increased several times. As it became known from some sources, in the city of Ordos, apartments in houses have their own owners. One of its districts - Kanbashi - is located twenty kilometers from the center. It was built in the middle of the desert. The area is designed for approximately 500,000 people. However, it looks completely empty, since about 30 thousand live there permanently. In fact, there are almost no available apartments left in the area. Ordos is considered one of the richest Chinese cities. He stands on the deposits natural gas and coal. At the same time, the Kanbashi area is something like a summer cottage for its residents. They come there for the weekend. It should also be said that the number of people who would like to work and live in Ordos increases every year. It follows from this that apartments in houses, even those built 20 km from the center, are constantly becoming more expensive.

A spoon of tar

Almost no major undertaking can do without it, even in a country like China. Any large-scale construction is based on government subsidies. Responsible officials are appointed to control the movement of funds. However, not all of them are pure. From time to time someone gets caught committing major thefts and fraud. So, for example, the construction of a fairly large settlement of Qingshuihe began back in 1998. However, over the next ten years it was never completed. By the way, an average city for 500 thousand people is built in China in about 6-7 years. The money allocated for Qingshuihe magically disappeared. The culprits, of course, were found and brought to justice, but the village was never completed. For a long time it stands abandoned and absolutely uninhabitable. However, the story with this village is more an exception than a rule.

Finally

Most experts are still inclined to the version associated with competent economic planning. In China, the population is constantly increasing, houses are being built. People go to work on construction sites and receive a decent salary. At the same time, of course, they all pay taxes. Having savings, people invest them in real estate. They often buy the same apartments that they once built themselves. Thus, there is a uniform settlement of empty areas. According to statistics, every year a huge number of people move from villages to larger settlements. And the former Chinese megacities will soon not be able to accommodate everyone. For those who do not want to live in the village, the government provides the opportunity to purchase an apartment in a new area.

Chinese ghost towns: Why doesn’t anyone live in them?

Ghost towns are a category of settlements that are sparsely populated or abandoned by residents for various reasons. Be it a decline in economic activity, war, natural and man-made disasters, or other factors that make living in a given territory uncomfortable or impossible. Unlike disappeared cities, they sometimes retain their architectural appearance and infrastructure. Here are three examples of such ghosts.

Large-scale development of residential real estate in China began about 17 years ago, after the introduction of a bill that allowed citizens to buy houses and apartments as their own. The population density in China is 139 people per square kilometer. For comparison, in Russia this figure is 8, and in the United States of America 33. It is not surprising that commercial and government developers, in pursuit of the “easy yuan”, began to build gigantic residential areas and entire cities, with pre-planned infrastructure, cultural facilities, and public institutions and shopping centers. As a result, supply has significantly exceeded demand, and now there are a huge number of ghost towns throughout the country that can hardly be called alive.

Chenggong

Chenggong is a city in Yunan Province, the construction of which began in 2003. The population of the province exceeds 46 million people, and next to the “ghost” there is a city of 7 million. On the territory of Chenggong there are buildings containing more than 100 thousand apartments. One of the city's districts has a developed infrastructure: a school, hospitals, campuses of two universities, a large stadium and a cluster of shops. However, no one lives in the city to this day except security guards and workers.

New Hebi

East of Chenggong, in Henan province, is the coal-mining city of Hebi, which received a ghost younger brother more than twenty years ago. IN ancient times four ruled in his district last emperor of the Yin dynasty, and once the capital of the vassal kingdom of Wei was located next to it. For unknown reasons, Russian tour companies even organize trips to the industrial city of Hebi, during which you can stay in one of the three-star hotels in the city. Unlike its older brother, New Hebi, which is located only forty kilometers from the historical part of the “old” one, is not needed by absolutely anyone. The city's territory covers several hundred square kilometers.

Kangbashi

The city of Kangbashi in Ordos district is a populated area with a population of 1 million people. More than $200 billion have been invested in construction over the past 12 years. At the moment, the city is not even a quarter populated, but government offices have been moved to it from a neighboring settlement. The city is completely landscaped and filled with interesting architectural solutions. Genghis Khan Square in front of the administration, a convenient street layout, a city museum that looks like a giant metal potato, a national theater, shopping centers and a library that simulates a collapsing bookshelf. I just want to remind you: almost no one lives in the city.

In fact, these cities are not as abandoned as they might seem at first glance. Almost every apartment, building and house has its own owner, who lives in a nearby, overpopulated city. Moving problem consists of a lack of jobs, loss of communication with family and loved ones. The development is used by Chinese citizens as an investment object. So sooner or later ghost towns will be useful both for the state (in financially), and for ordinary Chinese residents who want to move from a buzzing city to a new, not particularly populated territory.

The example of Kangbashi’s “profitability”, compared to other Chinese “ghosts”, is the most transparent. The city was built near large deposits natural resources, and the faster they begin to be developed, the faster the city will be populated to capacity. The Pudong area of ​​Shanghai, twenty years ago, also looked more like scenery that was erected on the site of rice fields. Now the city's population is more than 3 million people, and it has become the financial and business center of the country.

Empty Chinese cities are a kind of plan for the future, which has nothing in common with the deserted Pripyat after the Chernobyl accident, Detroit, which is emptying due to the closure of factories, Kadychan, which “disappeared” after the collapse of the USSR, and the destroyed city on Hashima Island. They are just waiting for their residents.

P.S: Finally, we suggest you take a walk around Hashima Island and understand that the “ghosts” are completely different everywhere. It’s good that thanks to the “good corporation” you don’t have to go there.