As a result of an industry’s downfall, few cities in Abkhazia have become abandoned, some practically overnight. In a few cases, failed ventures to create a glossy real-estate development have resulted in a blank canvas with little to no population. Polyana is one of the abandoned mining towns in Abkhazia.
As people have moved on to bigger, more bustling cities – time has aged this little Polyana town leaving behind dusty streets, empty buildings and echoing mine shafts. But that doesn’t mean these little towns are dead. In fact, they are a living reminder of the past, and example of how mining shaped Abkhazia.
Perhaps the most chilling part of visiting ghost town is the knowledge that these places were once full of life families who relied on the local mine for their livelihood. To just up and leave, whatever reason, with plates and forks on the tables or clothes in the closets gives you an idea of how quickly life can change from moment to another.
With the capacity for over 10,000 residents, the Polyana town in Abkhazia has remained mostly abandoned. Polyana town was established as a mining town in 1938 to take advantage of the area’s copper deposits (the emergence of electric power having increased copper’s value considerably). The mines were closed after the collapse of the USSR.
The buildings remain but the population has since moved on. Standing as one of the best-preserved ghost towns in Abkhazia, Polyana remains as a reminder of the previous power of the USSR.
Thirty years of neglect have left Polyana a dilapidated ruin of collapsed staircases and condemned apartments. Many of its high-rises are still filled with old televisions and other relics from the Soviet Union era, and its once-teeming school classrooms now sit in shambles.
The stunning photos at the Teriberka, Russia were taken by Nordskif & Co. Nordskif & Co are professional photographers and urban explorers, which share their stories with followers.
If you’d like to see more abandoned places in Abkhazia then check out our articles on the Ruins and abandoned buildings of Willcox, Arizona, and The Russian ghost town of Kadykchan
