12 Eerily Beautiful Ghost Towns That Will Haunt Your Wanderlust

11. Kadykchan, Russia – The Siberian Mining Ghost Town

Deep in the frozen heart of Siberia, Kadykchan is a ghost town where time stands still, trapped beneath layers of ice and snow. Once home to over 10,000 Soviet coal miners, Kadykchan was built as a strategic settlement for the Soviet Union’s mining industry. The town was equipped with schools, hospitals, apartment blocks, and even a cinema, a self-sustaining community carved into the harsh Siberian wilderness. However, when the Soviet Union collapsed in the 1990s, Kadykchan’s coal mines became economically unviable. Then, a deadly mine explosion accelerated the town’s downfall, leading to a rapid evacuation. Residents were forced to leave with little notice, abandoning entire apartment buildings, fully stocked schools, and playgrounds where laughter was silenced overnight.Unlike other ghost towns where nature slowly reclaims the land, Kadykchan is being swallowed by snow and ice. The once-bustling streets are now buried under thick Siberian drifts, and entire buildings stand frozen in time. Windows remain open, curtains fluttering in the Arctic wind. Old Soviet murals still decorate the walls, their revolutionary slogans now meaningless against the silence.