Soviet remnants in the forest

Borjomi is Georgia's most famous mineral water. I drink it multiple times a day. The source is located in the mountains west of Tbilisi in beautiful scenery. In a gorge near Borjomi, in the middle of the greenery, the road suddenly passes through an unreal settlement: 11-story residential buildings in fading blue, in rather unpleasant condition. A trace of the time when Georgia was part of the Soviet Union.

A déjà vu occurred a few days later on the way to Nikortsminda (#Minor sights - but where!). Once again, we find ourselves in the middle of the most beautiful mountain landscape in front of Soviet architecture. This time it is even a whole town. Tkibuli has coal deposits that have been industrially exploited since the end of the 19th century, Wikipedia, which I consult on my mobile phone, tells me. In the Soviet era, coal production was expanded once again. Between 1945 and 1949, a camp for German prisoners of war was set up there, who had to work in the mining industry, among other things.

In 1970, the city had more than 23,000 inhabitants, today it has just over 9,000. Despite the beautiful landscape in lush green, everything appears gray and dreary. Some of the panel buildings are now in ruins, while others (unfortunately) are still inhabited. I'm not sure if the photos capture how bizarre these buildings look and how much they crumble.