32 Abandoned Cities That Are Slowly Being Reclaimed by Nature

22. Kadykchan, Russia – The Siberian Time Capsule

Kadykchan, a town deep in Siberia, was once a bustling Soviet mining community, built to extract coal from the permafrost. It was home to thousands, with schools, playgrounds, hospitals, and Soviet-style apartment blocks. But when the coal mines shut down in the 1990s, the Russian government forced its residents to leave, turning Kadykchan into an instant ghost town.Now, nature is slowly dismantling what remains. Birch trees push through cracked pavement, golden leaves coat abandoned stairwells, and entire buildings stand empty except for the wind rustling through broken windows. The town is eerily preserved, its Soviet murals still intact, old books still resting on dusty desks. Few venture to Kadykchan, as its remote location and harsh winters make it difficult to reach. Yet, those who do witness a place where time has stopped, where nature and decay coexist in an almost poetic balance. A frozen relic of the Soviet era, slowly being reclaimed by the wild.