17 eerie photos of abandoned Soviet spaces

When Nikon approached photographer David de Rueda with the opportunity to help make his ultimate dream project come true, de Rueda knew he wanted to create something "post-apocalyptic and sci-fi."

De Rueda pitched the idea of a six-week road trip through nine European countries to document Cold War-era abandoned towns and spaces for his Nikon Project Spotlight work.

"The goal was simple and challenging at the same time: explore the most amazing places in order to create a unique set of photographs," he told Business Insider. "This experience pushed my work beyond my wildest expectations."

Restricted areas and difficult-to-find spaces were no match for de Rueda and his camera. Through Ukraine, Estonia, Russia, and more, de Rueda trekked, mostly during the night, to capture powerful images of abandoned radar stations, power plants, factories, and even two rarely seen relics of the Soviet space race.

For de Rueda, "to be able to take photographs of [the relics] was the ultimate reward."

He shared the results of his explorations deep into these creepy, apocalyptic-like areas.

Follow de Rueda on Twitter, or keep up with him on his professional Facebook.