Komi Republic is a Russian region famous for it's wide variety of mineral resources, woods and wild animals. Unfortunatelly, it's also famous for prisons, so called "zona", thanks the communistic leaders.

Apart different exiles who were sent to Komi, lots of people were coming there at the USSR times. Somebody was sent by the government, others came there by themselves to make their dreams come true and to help the country build communism. Lots of villages were founded all over the republic. People stored woods, others ran their housekeepings and grew children there...

Everything changed when the USSR collapsed. Villages began dying away, because the government stopped providing countryside with anything necessary and lots of wood factories were closed. The residents started leaving their houseepings and went to cities. Not so many people stayed there in some villages or collective farms.

It's not difficult to find a dying village nowadays. Lots of houses left can be found both along the roads and deep in the woods. Less than 10 people live in some settlements, in another there are from 12 to 30-40 residents.

The village of Kuliga. It's situated not far from the board of Komi Republic and Kirov region. It's said that only about 12 people live there. They don't leave that place for various reasons: some of them like living in countryside, some cannot leave their relatives, the others just don't have an opportunity to go away.

The village of Martity. It used to be a wood storing village before wood factory stopped. The most of residents moved to the nearest settlements and towns. Some of them were offered new flats. Those families who were not in the list, because of theire age or because of other reasons, had to stay in Martity. Every summer the village becomes unreachable, because the flow in the river grows and the pontoon bridge is removed. There's no shop in the village, and the Post office provide people with all necessary stuff. In winter food is brought to some families by their children.

The village of Shoshka. It's a pretty big village which is 150 km far away from Syktyvkar, the capital of the Komi Republic. There's a school, two shops and a boiler room, which heats some houses. Vova and Ura are two best friends: the were born and they grew up in Shoshka, they served in the army together, and now they live in the next houses. Lots of people are jobless. As they are in a list of jobless, they get a pension of 800 rubles per month (approx. $25 per month).

The village of Anusha. That's a small vilalge not far away from Shoshka. Only about 10 people live there in Anusha. Most of them are old and some of them are alone. Two families came there recently to run farms and to revive the village.

The village of Mandach. It used to be a big wood storing spot. After the factory was closed, lots o people left the settlement. Strangely enough, but there's still a school, a shop and a post office. Not only retired people live in Mandach, but there are some young boys and girls. There's a boilerroom which heats the school, the club and the administrative building. The shool is named after Dmitryy Novoselov, a young man, who used to attend the school. He was killed in Chechnya in 2001, when he was serving in the army. He's buried in the graveyard which is right in the center of the village.

The village of Onejie. A small village. There's a church being repaired. Lots of people in the village attend the church.

The village of Vesliana. It's a remoted village, in which we think only retired people live. There's still a church, but it's ruined. The residents say that it was ruined during the revolution of 1917. One part of the church is a store and another is nearly destroyed. Some communistic books can be still found inside. We found the book named "Morals of builders of communism".

The village of Gamlakost. It's situated along the road. Lots of houses are left. A woman left her diaries dated 1960s-1970s in one of empty houses.

On the way home.

© alexander aksakov