The Russian ghost town of Kadykchan

Russia has many abandoned places such as old factories, creepy warehouses, hotels, rusty rails, and amusement parks, some are famous worldwide, such as the Northern Crown Hotel and terminal building of the Khatanga airport. Thousands of abandoned villages are scattered across northern Russia. Many have become uninhabited due to a lack of infrastructure and jobs. Poor quality roads make some regions unreachable.

Kadykchan has become absolutely useless after the collapse of the USSR, like many other Soviet industrial settlements. Kadykchan mining town a few clicks below the Arctic Circle is completely unpopulated. As of the 2010 Census, it had no recorded population.

Kadykchan location

Kadykchan is a depopulated urban locality (a work settlement) in Susumansky District of Magadan Oblast, Russia, located in the basin of the Ayan-Yuryakh River, 65 kilometers (40 mi) northwest of Susuman, the administrative center of the district.

The History of Kadykchan

Kadykchan was built by gulag prisoners during World War II for the purposes of coal extraction. After the Gulag prisoners were released in 1960, many stayed in the Russian Far East to continue living in the cities. Later Kadykchan accommodated miners at two local coal mines, which supplied Arkagalinskaya electric power station. In 1986 it has a population of over 10,000.

After the dissolution of the Soviet Union, coal mining in the area became increasingly unprofitable. One mine was closed in 1992. After the second mine exhausted and 6 workers were killed by a methane blast in 1996, residents left to find better opportunities. Throughout the post-Soviet era, the population of Kadykchan dropped to 227 in 2007. Since many of the residents left very quickly, Kadykchan is now eerily filled with relics of its past.

The fate of Kadykchan may be particular to a Soviet-era since passed, but 319 single-industry towns have been designated as ‘at risk’, some of which already show the now-familiar signs of urban decay and depopulation. Unemployment and poor living conditions forced people out of the villages and led them to migrate toward the cities.

Things To Know Before Visiting the Kadykchan

Roads are not really passable to traffic due to debris, trees, and lack of maintenance. Park somewhere and walk. A bust of Lenin is also still visible in the town, although fairly decrepit at this point. Nearby is the semi-collapsed cinema, several schools, a sports hall, and numerous apartment blocks. The larger (and more distant) school still contains books, remnants of pianos, science labs, gym equipment, several sports halls, and so on. 

Know before you go. Before you come and spend time at the depopulated ghost town of Kadykchan there are tips and advice for exploring abandoned places. We want to ensure that you enjoy your time there.

Know the Dangers When visiting the depopulated ghost town of Kadykchan, the most obvious hazard is falling through rotten floorboards — but there are often much more sinister invisible dangers.
Wear proper clothing and equipment
If you’re going to be exploring, wear clothes that you wouldn’t mind ruining. Choose your footwear carefully too. Besides a camera and any photography props you might need, you’ll also want to bring a flashlight.
Don’t steal souvenirs from Kadykchan
The artifacts left near Kadykchan once belonged to somebody, even if they haven’t been there for years. At best, you’re diluting the experience for other urban explorers; at worst, you’re stealing and desecrating a historic site.

Gregory Hooqe

Expert on Urban Planning and Abandoned Places