A photographer captured photos in sub-zero temperatures of Russia's ghost towns, and the gloomy images show there's beauty in sadness

Monica HumphriesApr 15, 2021, 04:23 IST

Many of the flats are frozen in time, with furniture and belongings still filling the rooms.Maria Passer/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images

Photographer Maria Passer spent three weeks in ghost towns outside of Vorkuta, Russia.
The once-bustling coal towns were deserted, and abandoned apartments coated in ice were left behind.
Passer told Insider her goal was to capture both the beauty and sadness of these empty villages.

Photographer Maria Passer traveled to the icy regions of Vorkuta, Russia, to capture images of the once-bustling, now-abandoned towns.

An aerial view of abandoned buildings outside of Vorkuta, Russia. Maria Passer

She told Insider that Vorkuta's beauty and sad history ignited her curiosity, and she aimed to capture those conflicting emotions in her photographs.

These apartment complexes previously housed coal miners and their families. Maria Passer/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images

When Passer arrived, she learned more about the city's coal-mining past. The abandoned towns were once teeming with high-paying jobs.

Many of the abandoned apartments still have belongings left behind by former residents. Maria Passer/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images

When the Soviet Union collapsed, the mines closed. With few job prospects nearby, people left - leaving deserted buildings behind.

The buildings, which are largely abandoned, are covered in snow and ice. Maria Passer/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images

But Passer said the villages aren't completely empty. Today, there is still a handful of people who live in the towns' apartment complexes.

The photographer said there are still a handful of people living in these abandoned buildings outside of Vorkuta, Russia. Maria Passer

Passer said many people want to leave, but their homes are unsellable, and they don't have money to relocate. So they end up staying.

In some buildings, snow covers the stairs and icicles hang from the banisters. Maria Passer/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images

For others, this is the only place they've lived, and they don't want to move.

Icicles hang from the railing of a stairwell outside of Vorkuta. Maria Passer

Many of the families and people who abandoned the villages left behind belongings and furniture.

Many of the flats are frozen in time, with furniture and belongings still filling the rooms. Maria Passer/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images

Over the years, ice crystals have coated every inch of the abandoned rooms.

Snow covers old newspapers left behind on a table. Maria Passer

In some buildings, the water pipes burst, which created walls, floors, and stairwells full of ice.

In some rooms, pipes burst, which created mountains of ice. Maria Passer/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images

Passer said photographing in freezing temperatures was a challenge. At points, her hands were too cold to press the shutter, and batteries quickly died.

An aerial view of an abandoned village outside of Vorkuta, Russia. Maria Passer/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images

Walking through the abandoned buildings, Passer said she felt stunned by the location's beauty and sadness.

Instead of mail, ice fills abandoned mailboxes. Maria Passer

She made it her goal to capture and share the location's gloomy beauty.

The freezing weather created unusual scenery inside apartments for Maria Passer to capture images of. Maria Passer/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images

Since publishing the photographs, the images have resonated with viewers both in and outside of Russia.

The entrance to a now-deserted apartment building. Maria Passer/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images

Passer said she hopes viewers learn to find beauty in everything - even things that might seem sad.

Using a drone, Passer photographed these abandoned villages. Maria Passer

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