Soviet Legacy
Gulag towns, closed cities, and the scarred landscapes the USSR left behind across Russia and Siberia.
2 articlesLatest Soviet Legacy
Hidden Places61.52 N, 105.32 E
Russia Has Dozens of Cities It Doesn't Want You to See
Discover Russia's 38 ZATO closed cities—secret settlements hidden since Soviet times that house nuclear weapons programs, submarine fleets, space launch facilities, and military operations most Russians can't access.
Simon WhistlerJune 17, 2026
Cities56.84 N, 60.61 E
The Endless Ills of Yekaterinburg.
From imperial fortress to Soviet industrial powerhouse to cosmopolitan hub, Yekaterinburg embodied Russia's contradictions. Now Putin's war is dragging this once-vibrant city back into darkness.
Simon WhistlerJune 17, 2026