Soviet Friendship Monument, Bulgaria(01 of14)
Open Image ModalInaugurated on 9 September 1974, to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the nation’s Socialist Revolution. Inside the monument there once burned an eternal flame, to light the bones of fallen partisan fighters. The flame has long since been extinguished though, and today the monument is locked up. (credit:Rebecca Litchfield)
Buzludzha, Bulgaria(02 of14)
Open Image ModalIt is located on the site where the Bulgarian Socialists first began their clandestine meetings in 1891 later, this mountain pass witnessed perhaps the bloodiest battle yet fought in the ongoing war against the Turks. At its heart stands a huge amphitheatre, where a mural adorning the walls celebrates themes from Bulgarian and Soviet history. The 70m tower meanwhile, once bore a huge star formed from red glass. It was made in the Soviet Union, although in a display of local one-upmanship, the architects had it constructed to be three times the size of the star adorning the tower of Moscow’s Kremlin. The monument was abandoned in 1989 and gifted to the state in 1991; since when it has been heavily looted for metal and other valuable materials. The copper that once covered the roof has been stripped away, so that the monument is now open to the elements. Once an opulent symbol of Communist rule, the Buzludzha monument today stands in a state of slow decay on top of the mountain; its thick glass windows smashed, while Bulgaria’s harsh winters bury the structure each year beneath a layer of ice and snow. (credit:Rebecca Lichfield)
Krampnitz, Germany(03 of14)
Open Image ModalThis military barracks was constructed in 1937, and used by the Germans as an elite riding & driving school. Soon after the cavalry school moved here from Hanover, and the estate would go on to produce some of Germany’s best post-war equine judges and riders. During the late 1930s the site would be commandeered by the military and extended to incorporate over 50 buildings, including military barracks. Then, following the end of World War II, the site was occupied by the Soviet 35th Guards Motor Rifle Division; they continued to use Krampnitz as a military base and training site up until their departure in 1992, and the site has remained unoccupied since that time. (credit:Rebecca Litchfield)
Soviet Steam Train, Hungary(04 of14)
Open Image ModalThe 424 053 Mávag 424-class locomotive was made in 1941 by Mávag, chassis number 5345, vehicle number 424.127. The locomotive was renumbered several times, to 424.189 In 1961 and to 424.053 In 1982. It was used during the Communist era with a red star in front of the train. The 424s were coal burner, in the 1960s some engines were converted to burn oil, but their performance did not increase enough to compete with the diesel equipment. (credit:Rebecca Litchfield)
Skrunda, Latvia(05 of14)
Open Image ModalSkrunda is a former secret town, where an important Soviet radar station was once located. The installation was of great importance to the Soviets as it covered the whole of Western Europe. Here they were able to listen to objects in space, as well as tracking incoming ICBMs. During the Cold War this secret location was closely guarded, and in time grew into a full, residential town. There were over 60 buildings in the complex, including a school, apartments, barracks, a shooting range, a gym and a theatre. Once Latvia had gained back its independence however, the Soviets were given four years to dismantle the radars. The entire town was sold at auction for just 17,000 Lats (around £20,000) but as of 2013 nothing has yet been done with the site. (credit:Rebecca Litchfield)
Technical College, Chernobyl, Ukraine(06 of14)
Open Image ModalWhen the Chernobyl Power Plant was built in 1970, many of the facility’s staff were housed in the nearby city of Pripyat. Around 50,000 people once lived here, spread across 160 buildings that had contained a total of 13,400 apartments. This forward-thinking urban development had featured 3 indoor swimming pools, 2 sports stadiums, 35 playgrounds, 15 primary schools, 5 secondary schools and a technical college; there was a hospital that could hold around 400 patients, while the green streets of Pripyat were lined with over 250,000 trees and shrubs. (credit:Rebecca Litchfield)
Chernobyl, Ukraine(07 of14)
Open Image ModalAfter the nuclear disaster in 1986 however, the whole city was forcibly evacuated for fear of radiation poisoning. Now those trees and shrubs are the only inhabitants left, in a sprawling city reduced to broken bricks. (credit:Rebecca Litchfield)
Soviet Submarine(08 of14)
Open Image ModalUsed during the cold war, the black widow u-45 was a patrol and attack submarine. Between 1957 and 1983, around 75 were made by the soviet navy. This example of the black widow was commissioned in 1967 and based in Latvia.Decommissioned in 1994, the submarine was sold and used as a museum in London. During its operational use it carried 22 nuclear-tipped warheads and 53 explosive mines. Its torpedoes are disarmed. Its owner is seeking investors to restore the submarine to its former glory as it is currently in a decaying state. (credit:Rebecca Litchfield)
Bulgarian Migs(09 of14)
Open Image ModalDesigned in the Soviet Union and widely deployed by its military in a variety of roles, this aircraft had a wingspan of 38m, measured 37m in length and could reach a maximum speed of 777km/h. (credit:Rebecca Litchfield)
Irbene, Latvia(10 of14)
Open Image ModalNot just the town itself, but this whole area was a forbidden place in Soviet times; anyone who wanted to visit people in the nearby towns would therefore need special permission to do so. Irbene was so secretive in fact, that the public only found out about it when the site was officially revealed in 1993; long after the Soviets had left.
Irbene, Latvia(11 of14)
Open Image ModalIn the forests of Latvia, two ex-Soviet radio telescopes and a spy centre lie abandoned. In 1967, the Soviets began a Cold War project intended to track and decode signals from US satellites. The larger of the two dishes is also the largest in northern Europe, as well as the 8th largest in the world. There were originally six in total, but others were dismantled by the Soviets. Of the two remaining, all cables were cut and acid poured over them to destroy the potential for future use. These satellites almost suffered the same fate as the nearby secret base at Skrunda, which was completely destroyed after use; however, the facilities were saved by Latvian scientists who wanted to preserve the objects for future study. There was a lot of secrecy surrounding the activities at the base, even though a small town would develop around the antenna to house the families of those that worked there.
Hospital, Germany(12 of14)
Open Image ModalA large hospital was constructed in 1898. With over 60 buildings, it was originally designed as a sanatorium, but later used as a military hospital throughout the world wars. Hitler himself was a patient here when he wounded his leg at the battle of the somme. After the war, it was part of the soviet zone of occupation, which would become the german democratic republic in 1949. It remained in use as a military hospital, occupied largest outside of the USSR.Former GDR leader Erich Honecker was treated here for liver cancer in 1990. Since the russians evacuated in 1994 after German reunification, it has fallen into disrepair, and attempts to save it have failed. Outside a large Soviet statue stands as a reminder of its dark history.
Auschwitz, Poland (13 of14)
Open Image ModalThe Auschwitz Concentration Camp was a network of concentration and extermination camps, operated by Nazi Germany during World War II. It was the largest of the German camps, made up of Auschwitz I, Auschwitz II–Birkenau, Auschwitz III–Monowitz, a labour camp and a further 45 satellite camps. Over a million Jews died at Auschwitz, though unconfirmed reports would place an estimate as high as 3 million or more. Another 75,000 non-Jewish poles, 18,000 gypsies and 15,000 Soviet prisoners of war were also murdered inside. On 27 January 1945, Auschwitz was liberated by the Soviet army; a day which is now commemorated around the world as International Holocaust Remembrance Day.
Soviet Ghosts(14 of14)
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