At the turn of history: abandoned houses

2024 Author: Henry Conors | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-02-12 02:40

Abandoned houses are bits of history that contain memories of their former owners. Like lost sheep waiting for their shepherd, they dream of the day when the spark of life will be rekindled in them. When children's laughter will sound in dilapidated rooms, and a seasoned dog will bark in the yard. Alas, this rarely happens. But first things first, because every story has its beginning and its end.

Time is a merciless reaper

When you look at an abandoned old house, the question involuntarily arises: “And who was its owner?” And this is a completely justified interest, because each such courtyard is fraught with many fascinating stories. Some of them are sad, others, on the contrary, full of joy. But one thing unites them - they are all in the past.

Abandoned houses are monuments, inanimate witnesses of the past years, meekly awaiting their verdict. And time does not spare them, as soon as the owners leave their hearth, traces of destruction immediately appear on the walls of the house. At first they are barely noticeable, but afteryear, the second they are easy to see even from afar.

The Age of Megacities

Before, life in the villages boiled like a stream. No wonder, because there were all the conditions for this: work, fertile land and true friends. In addition, during the Soviet Union, each village had its own tractor brigade, which worked for the benefit of the Fatherland. In addition, poultry farms, combines and small factories were built that could feed those who were far from mechanization. Yes, and there were no problems with leisure, because the houses of culture worked regularly, and festivals of folk art were regularly held in the clubs. Unfortunately, that time has passed.

With the collapse of the USSR, life in the village began to decline, tractor brigades were closed, factories were demolished, and combines became private property. Those who were smarter immediately moved to the city, while the rest died, cherishing the hope that everything would change in the future. But over the years it got worse. It seemed that the more intensively the metropolis develops, the worse it becomes to live in the countryside.

And now abandoned houses in the villages have become the norm, because young people do not want to stay here for a long time. As for the elderly, every year there are fewer and fewer of them. The Russian village is dying with them.

Ghost villages

But this kind of trouble occurs not only in Russia. Abandoned houses can be found all over the world. Moreover, sometimes you can even stumble upon abandoned cities with hundreds, and eventhousands of empty apartments and houses. And each place has its own story behind it.

So, I want to talk about Kennicott, a small mining village in Alaska. At the beginning of the 20th century, it was a settlement where people earned money by mining rare minerals. Many dreamed of settling here and meeting old age in a nice wooden house. But closer to the 1950s, the ore supply was exhausted, and with it the financial support from outside. Ten years later, Kennicott has become a ghost town, forgotten and no one needs. At the end of the last century, it was turned into a museum, giving the place a second chance at life.

Another example is the infamous Chernobyl. After the explosion at a nuclear reactor, the city of Pripyat lost all its inhabitants. Thousands of dwellings have become uninhabitable, and only the wind and rare animals now visit the streets of the once bustling city. In 2011, 40 years after the accident, Pripyat was opened to tourists. This revived her a little, but still the atmosphere of hopelessness never left Chernobyl.

Who owns abandoned houses?

An abandoned house can be a bargain, because if the owners do not take care of it, then they do not need it. Therefore, you can buy such a house quite cheaply. But how are these operations carried out?

Initially, you need to understand one important point: whether it is an abandoned house in the forest or in a metropolis, it always has an owner. Therefore, the first thing you need to find it and only then take further action. The relevant authorities involved in this matter can helpproperty registrations.

If there are living heirs, then the right to sell is in their hands, and all negotiations must be carried out with them. If there are none, then the house comes under the supervision of the local government, and all issues can be resolved through it.

Who cares about abandoned buildings?

Of course, in most cases, vacant properties are of interest to potential buyers or agencies. After all, this is an opportunity to purchase a land plot at a bargain price, and sometimes, if it is a ghost village, then the whole village is to be demolished.

But there is another category of people who are not looking for material benefits, but spiritual ones. Many fans of extreme tourism like to explore abandoned houses in order to get new sensations. So to speak, to look behind the curtain of mystery that the walls of an empty building keep.

Both the first and the second by their actions do not allow the forgotten houses to be completely empty. After all, a rare guest is much better than complete oblivion!