World in ruins

What better to tell about the disappeared communities, if not the preserved ruins of the places in which they were located? Ghost towns exist all over the world, their inhabitants abandoned due to natural disasters, lack of resources, or for other reasons (moreover, not always explained).

(Total 16 photos)

1. In Grytviken, on the island of South Georgia, giant whale skeletons and abandoned tankers tell the tale of a civilization of whalers.

2. Whalers lived here until the 1960s, when the whaling station was closed due to lack of resources.

3. Now all that's left is a ghost town.

4. The South American city of Chaiten in Chile almost died out after a volcanic eruption in 2008, and then the flooding of the Blanco River.

5. Upside down houses and tangled phone lines are all that's left of the signs of life.

6. In the city of Berlin in the US state of Nevada, there are still such "skeletons" of cars from the early 20th century and wooden sheds.

7. Romagnano al Monte, Italy

8. Oradour-sur-Glane, France This world-famous village was destroyed on June 10, 1944, when 642 residents of the town, including women and children, were killed by the Germans.

9. Now only a shadow of its former greatness remains from the town.

10 Chinguetti, Mauritania For centuries, this city has been a gathering place for pilgrims on their way to Mecca.

11. Kayakoy, Türkiye This city was destroyed first by a major earthquake in 1856, and then by a fire in 1885.

12. Body, California. It was once a thriving mining town.

13. There were a lot of saloons in this city - exactly the same as you can see in modern westerns.

14. Bar fights, raids and shootouts were commonplace.

15. Calico, California An abandoned mining town in the harsh Mojave Desert.

16. Until the mid-1890s, silver production in the city flourished thanks to 500 mines, but then the price of silver plummeted, and the city's economy fell into decline.