North Ossetia. The ghosttown of Sadon // SAYA.UZ

North Ossetia. The ghosttown of Sadon

North Ossetia. The ghosttown of Sadon

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Took place on: 2024-09-18

The settlement had its roots in the XIX century, as it hosted polymetallic ores' mines. Those were rented by Belgian company back then. Now it's mainly abandoned

The gloomy and foggy weather really did fit into my Ossetian mini-tour, especially here.

After the Uastyrdzhi monument we pushed further onto Trans-Caucasian highway, until we reached a road to Upper Zgid (Verkhniy Zgid). Sadon greets us right on the turn.

The main square of the town, where we stopped. It's even functioning

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The main square of the town, where we stopped. It's even functioning

But what's behind the wall?

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But what's behind the wall?

These walls do look like if they were from the fortress. I might suggest it's industrial zone fence

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These walls do look like if they were from the fortress. I might suggest it's industrial zone fence

The town certainly had a rich heritage

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The town certainly had a rich heritage

Had.

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Had.

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The settlement is magnificent with Caucasus on the background. I even feel an adventurous spirit here

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The settlement is magnificent with Caucasus on the background. I even feel an adventurous spirit here

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To be straight -- Sadon is not abandoned. By the 2021 it still has a population of 115 people. But its core of residential and industrial buildings, with their pre-revolution architecture done with local stone, is all in ruins. The (yeah, barely, but still) functioning fountain has quite a contrast with it.

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The earliest census which included this town, 1939 one, reported of 4097 citizens living here. This population had only been shrinking; by the Perestroika (late 1980s) local mines were depleted, and the lack of financing killed any perspectives for the settlement. The final hit was done by the horrible mudflow of 2002, which severely destroyed the town.

Let's look at an example of a habitable house here

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Let's look at an example of a habitable house here

Well, there are cars with fresh plates at least

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Well, there are cars with fresh plates at least

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Seems like this house in particular is of interbellum architecture (I bet it's 1930s).

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Seems like this house in particular is of interbellum architecture (I bet it's 1930s).

It seems like typical stalinist style, but with original attributes like the wall material and double windows (which locals were gradually replacing with regular plastic triplet ones)

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It seems like typical stalinist style, but with original attributes like the wall material and double windows (which locals were gradually replacing with regular plastic triplet ones)

We can go up to the neighboring abandoned house

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We can go up to the neighboring abandoned house

Beautiful house. Charming nature.

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Beautiful house. Charming nature.