Some people associate the concept of “tourism” with sand and sea, others immediately think about sightseeing... But there is a special subtype of tourism - industrial. Fans of this type of recreation are interested in exploring various industrial and military facilities, as well as abandoned buildings. They find a special aesthetic in this. If you also decide to become interested in this type of vacation, find out everything about industrial tourism in Russia - the best places to travel in 2019 will attract you.
History of development
This type of recreation began to develop relatively recently - in the 60s of the last century. In general, back in the 19th century, some factories allowed tourists on excursions a couple of times, but at that time people were not yet interested in them. But half a century ago, a special committee was created in Great Britain, whose members sought to preserve industrial sites as cultural heritage.
At the end of the millennium, in the 80s, Europeans were drawn to old plants, mines and factories, seeing them as “monuments of the industrial era.” Well, after 2000 this type of recreation became very popular. The Internet has spread, and it contains information about objects, which attracted many people tired of the usual beaches.
In Russia, industrial tourism began to emerge in the 18th century. Schoolchildren were taken to mines and factories on excursions. This practice continued in the USSR. In addition, after the release of the film "Stalker", young people and adults became interested in visiting abandoned buildings and forbidden areas, and later the name of the film became a synonym for such lovers. Well, with the beginning of the new millennium everything has only increased in a similar way to the Western direction. In 2007, the computer game S.T.A.L.K.E.R. was released, and young people became even more interested in industrial tourism sites.
Now industrial tourism, although less popular than traditional tourism, still interests millions of people around the world.
Kinds
This type of rest can be divided into several types:
- Stalking. This is precisely the visit to abandoned, old, unused objects that was formed after the release of the film of the same name. Stalkers are attracted to residential buildings, entire cities (), and factories. They not only enjoy exploring them, but also take photographs - just as traditional tourists take pictures of attractions.
- Digging. Diggers are those who are passionate about the "underworld". No, we are not talking about some esotericism here - just about various bunkers or ghost subway stations.
- Roofing. From the English word “roof”, translated as “roof”. Roofers love to visit the rooftops of city buildings and look at the views. There are those who prefer to simply contemplate, those who enjoy the extreme process of “climbing” some ladders or pipes, and finally, someone even holds or attends all sorts of cultural events on the roofs.
- Passive tourism. Not everyone likes to enter forbidden places; such tourists are akin to the first among industrial tourists - they prefer to go on excursions to various operating industries.
- Urbanism. Tourists-urbanists get aesthetic pleasure from exploring the city's beauties. Some people “collect” buildings in a certain architectural style, others like abandoned areas.
- Post-pilgrimage. It is a type of stalking and means visiting abandoned places of worship.
What is the price?
It must be said that in Russia there are not very many similar offers from tour operators yet. The West is still more interested in this type of recreation. However, there are special travel agencies that specialize in this. Vacationers are offered excursions to plants, factories, film studios and even nuclear power plants.
In the last five-year period, the direction has become more promising; many experts argue that in Russia it can be developed quite well, since a large number of abandoned objects have been preserved in the country since the Soviet era.
The cost of the offer depends on the payment to the owners of the object, guides, and travel expenses. For example, in Sevastopol, a five-hour jeep tour of abandoned sites will cost around 6 thousand rubles for a group of 4 people. A visit to the factory where Belevskaya marshmallow is made will cost around 2 thousand rubles - this amount already includes round-trip travel from, guide services, and tea. But, for example, you can get to the Moscow Brewing Company and see the process of making a foamy drink for free - the production itself organizes such visits on weekends.
If a person wants to organize a trip on his own, then its cost will directly depend on the costs of transport, accommodation and the cost of a ticket to the site. It is clear that visiting some places will be completely free, because abandoned objects are abandoned for that reason.
Safety
By the way, about abandoned objects - there is a lot to understand here so that your pleasant vacation is not overshadowed by anything. If an industrial tourist visits an operating facility or books a tour, then, of course, this will include certain permits and guarantees, as well as safety instructions.
But as for other options, here you have to act yourself. The fact is that some old buildings can be places where people without a fixed abode, as well as marginalized people, live. Therefore, before becoming a stalker, it is best to meet experienced fans of this trend, learn everything about interesting objects, and perhaps visit them together with experts. In addition, when walking through abandoned buildings or areas, you should wear certain, closed clothing - after all, there may be fragments, construction debris and other things that are unsafe for direct contact.
There are objects that are even guarded and are not intended for outsiders to enter. This is the most extreme direction of industrial tourism, since it may even involve breaking the law. Some people are attracted by precisely this unattainability, but here everyone acts at their own peril and risk.
As for digging and roofing, you need to do this only with full confidence in your physical fitness, as well as if you have the equipment. After all, getting onto the roof is quite difficult - if we are talking about entering through fire escapes, and not about going to the “open roof”. As for underground objects, for example, ghost subway stations, there may be dangers in the form of collapse of structures. It is better for beginners to join this type of tourism in an experienced company. In addition, digging as such is also often associated with breaking the law, since official areas are prohibited for outsiders.
Be that as it may, as a rule, an industrial tourist is quite a risky person. We can only urge you to carefully plan all the details of visiting the site.
Places and objects in Russia
It would take a long time to list all the objects of attention of industrial tourists, but some popular spots are worth talking about.
Stalking
On websites of fans of this type of tourism there are articles about many interesting places. Among them are such different ones as:
- An abandoned naval training base on Russky Island. Previously, this place was the largest for training Soviet sailors, and is currently popular among stalkers. In addition to the base itself, you can examine the remains of the military’s “interiors” and equipment.
- Olgovo estate in the Dmitrovsky district of the Moscow region. Built at the turn of the 18th-19th centuries, it was a holiday home and pioneer camp in the USSR. Currently, you can view the main house and outbuildings, the school building, utility rooms, and the garden.
- Kola superdeep well in the Murmansk region. Drilling the deepest hole in the earth made by human hands began in the 70s. However, in the 90s the project was abandoned. By that time, the hole had reached 12 thousand meters.
- Hotel "Northern Crown" in . Construction was frozen in 1995; they had been trying to build the hotel for 7 years by that time. Currently, it is a protected object, however, especially daring stalkers get inside.
- Konigsberg Castle in the Kaliningrad region. It was built back in the 13th century and survived glorious times as the residence of the head of the Teutonic Order. Unfortunately, during the Second World War the building was damaged. The Soviet authorities tried to build the House of Soviets here. Discussions are currently underway regarding the restoration of the building, but for now the place is a ruin that attracts stalkers.
Digging
Abandoned or under construction metro stations are popular among representatives of this trend. This direction is most developed, of course, in and. However, due to the fact that entry into such objects is illegal, extreme sportsmen carefully hide the details of their “tourist” forays.
Other places that diggers like to visit are abandoned bunkers. For example, one of these was found in Chelyabinsk, “tourists” found in it everything they needed in the event of a nuclear war. Such places are also found right in the center - this is how the KGB bunker was discovered.
Roofing
The favorite city of roofers in Russia is . Again, this hobby is by no means welcomed by the authorities, however, sometimes the residents of the house themselves are not against entering the roof for the completely calm purpose of inspecting the panorama. There are even special communities that organize excursions to open roofs for those interested. As their managers say, they have an agreement with the residents and ensure the safety of tourists.
Video about the roofs and courtyards of the Northern capital:
In , according to roofers, it is more difficult to get onto the roofs - due to the fact that it is not easy to get into the entrance itself. However, sometimes they find such options: a house on Entuziastov Highway, the roof of the Tea House on Myasnitskaya, the Oruzheiny business center - these are just a few popular places.
Passive tourism
This is the simplest type of industrial tourism, since everything is completely legal, safe and easy. So, the following are open to tourists:
- Brewery "Baltika" in the Tula region;
- Lipetsk Machine Tool Enterprise;
- “Khokhloma painting” in the Nizhny Novgorod region;
- Hydroelectric power station KamHPP in the Perm region;
- "Art glass studio" in Sochi and other objects.
A very popular company offering excursions is Promtour. An operating nuclear power plant, Star City, the Babaevsky Confectionery Concern, Moscow City Federation Tower, Mosfilm - this is not a complete list of exciting objects.
The Petrotour company offers excursions to the Imperial Porcelain Factory, the Baltika Brewery, the Uzor tapestry factory, the dam, the stained glass workshop and other places.
Urbanism
As for this direction, everything is simple. If you are a fan of a certain style of architecture, you should just look for where there are many objects or entire areas of such development. In Russia there are many buildings in the Stalinist Empire style, Constructivism, as well as industrial buildings from the 19th century.
Post-pilgrimage
Among the interesting objects in Russia are such as:
- Abandoned temple of the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God in the Moscow region. Built at the end of the 18th century opposite the Chernyshev estate. During Soviet times, a museum was not organized here, and therefore both the estate and the temple fell into disrepair. Nowadays it is quite easy to get into it.
- Tikhvin Church in Glukhovo. It was built in the 18th century and restored in the 19th century. The Soviet government destroyed the bell tower and installed a mill in the church; the temple was soon abandoned.
- Church of the Nativity of Christ in Ilkodino. Built in the 19th century in the Empire and Classicism styles. During the years of Soviet power, the temple was closed.
- Annenkirche (St. Petersburg). The Lutheran Church, unlike many objects of attention of industrial tourists, is very accessible to visit; in addition, it hosts cultural events - fundraising is underway for restoration.
- Novotorzhsky Boris and Gleb Monastery. It was founded in the 18th century. The monumental temple, as well as adjacent buildings, constitute a fairly well-preserved complex.
It would take quite a long time to list interesting places in Russia within the framework of industrial tourism. Of course, in certain of its branches the “points” are not advertised due to contradictions with the law, but other sites can be accessed legally and easily - if only you had the money for an excursion. If you are interested in trying to visit such places, find communities of people who are passionate about this in your latitudes or major cities - and you will definitely find something that will attract you.
Today, humanity lives in an amazing time, when the achievements of the technical revolution have turned the large iron units of the last century into something unnecessary and impractical. Cars made in the Soviet era are becoming a real rarity, and “communist” plants and factories, workers’ settlements, empty marinas, and so on have also sunk into oblivion. In such places, as a rule, silence and tranquility prevail, which is why they are so attractive to aesthetes. The fact is that nowadays people are trying to diversify their leisure time to the maximum and experience thrills by planning their vacation not only in the lap of nature, but also in exotic places: abandoned enterprises, mines, settlements, residential buildings, etc. That is why in our country the development of industrial tourism needs detailed study. But for our country this is a relatively new area of activity and not everyone fully understands its meaning.
Industrial tourism is a stay on the territory of abandoned enterprises, buildings for special or industrial purposes and other structures left without human supervision in order to satisfy research interest or gain aesthetic pleasure. In other words, people going to the above sites want to get positive emotions from simply contemplating rare buildings.
Of course, industrial tourism is one of the promising areas for representatives of domestic business, but how to properly organize the business and what difficulties will have to be faced in this case is a big question. Let's take a closer look at it.
Historical reference
Of course, the development of industrial tourism is one of the important tasks for the state. This area of business activity could replenish the state treasury. And in fairness, it should be noted that in some regions of our country the development of industrial tourism is in full swing. The fashion for exploring abandoned places and finding interesting objects in them came to us from the West.
In Europe and the USA, the development of industrial tourism is no longer an “empty phrase”. Foreigners began spending their leisure time in such an unusual way in large numbers in the early 80s of the last century. In the Soviet Union, thanks to the Iron Curtain, only a few people knew that it was possible to climb on rooftops and visit abandoned churches for recreational purposes. However, an increased interest in leisure in abandoned industrial zones among Soviet citizens appeared even after the release of the famous novel by the Strugatsky brothers “Roadside Picnic” (1972). Well, the film “Stalker”, based on the work of the Strugatskys, warmed him up even more. It was directed by the well-known Andrei Tarkovsky in 1979. However, the strict isolation of the USSR from the outside world was “bearing fruit”, so a consolidated group of lovers of a non-standard type of recreation was not formed at that time.
But time passed, power and morals changed, and industrial tourism in Russia began to gain popularity after a computer game called “S.T.A.L.K.E.R.” appeared in 2007. Those who walk through abandoned factories and explore subway tunnels have come to be called stalkers.
The World Wide Web also played its part in increasing interest in such an unconventional pastime. Entire communities of people who like extreme sports have emerged. Unlike the United States and European countries, industrial tourism in Russia has its own specifics. Its adherents do not tell anyone about their hobbies, much less the location of the objects they like to visit.
Classification
There are several variations of industrial tourism. Let's list the main ones. We are talking, in particular, about digging, urbanism, roofing, post-pilgrimage.
Digging
This option for spending leisure time involves exploring abandoned objects located underground, namely: sewer tracks, subways (“ghost stations”), tunnels.
The exception is quarries and adits. As a rule, physically strong people become diggers, since this type of recreation requires a certain dexterity and dexterity. In addition, you cannot do without special equipment.
Ruffing
This type of industrial tourist is enjoyed by those who like to admire picturesque views from city rooftops. Many people are ready to sacrifice everything in order to look at the city from a bird's eye view. Extreme sports are especially popular in the city on the Neva, where the local architecture is optimal for roofing.
Passive tourism
There is also a variant of industrial tourism, which belongs to the “light” category.
His supporters also unite in groups and go to study ancient abandoned households or closed military bases.
Urbanism
It does not contain “hard” extreme sports and is a recreational destination. It involves taking city walks, but only in those settlements that are characterized by a high degree of urbanization, technological development or, on the contrary, devastation and decadence.
Post-pilgrimage
This type of pastime involves exploring other objects of religious heritage. Its adherents often manage to find the value of which is very, very high.
Passive version of industrial tourism with a commercial focus
Of course, the development of industrial tourism in Russia leaves much to be desired. And this is largely due to the lack of objective prerequisites for this. Most people are simply not mentally prepared for extreme leisure options and for not always legal entry into the territory where empty objects are located.
In addition, not everyone is an aesthete when it comes to assessing this or that industrial landscape: many have an absolutely indifferent attitude towards them. Therefore, the question of how industrial tourism is developing will remain on the agenda for many years to come. But companies specially organize tours for those who show interest in “non-working” industrial facilities that need modernization. And there really are investors for them. This is another variation of industrial tourism.
Is it possible to make money in this segment?
Naturally, monitoring how industrial tourism is developing in Russia, today it is impossible to say with one hundred percent certainty that it is highly profitable. Of course, it is fraught with business risks. But as you know: “He who does not take risks, he…” And yet, before entering into this field of activity, you should carefully weigh all the pros and cons.
First, you should write a rough business plan. Secondly, it is necessary to decide on a specific type of industrial tourism. Thirdly, answer the question: “Will you have a specialized area or do you intend to expand your business in the future?”
Fourthly, analyze which industrial tourism sites are located in your locality or its surroundings. Fifthly, you must advertise your services: for this, it would not be amiss to create an Internet resource, on the pages of which you will describe in detail a ghost town or an empty old manor located not far from the place where you live. You should also join the online community of those people who prefer an unconventional vacation. And these are just the initial steps on the path to a successful business.
Implementation of the idea in Russian regions
It should be noted that currently in some large cities on the periphery there is a gradual development of industrial tourism. In Russia, as already emphasized, this is a new direction of entrepreneurial activity. Objects located in Novosibirsk, Kazan, St. Petersburg, Chelyabinsk, Yekaterinburg, Samara have been attracting adherents of non-standard pastime for several years now.
Let's look at how industrial tourism develops using an example. We will talk about the Sverdlovsk region. One of the large industrial facilities is located here - the Old Nevyansk Plant. It was opened to tourists five years ago. Over the last year alone, the enterprise was viewed by over one hundred thousand people. The building needs renovation, and in the future the “Secrets of Metal” museum and the Astrological Center will function here. Not far from it, a congress and exhibition site of the Nevyansk Historical and Architectural Museum called “The Lord's Mansions” will be equipped. Infrastructure for tourists will also be developed: there will be places for accommodation, food and leisure activities. And this is just one of the many projects of the regional Ministry of Culture.
Business prospects
Of course, in our country, urbanism, roofing, digging, and post-pilgrimage are a “free” niche from the point of view of building a business. But what are the prospects for the development of industrial tourism in Russia? To make them clearly visible, it is necessary to do some analytical work. For example, remote, abandoned villages (they exist in almost every region) can be transformed into natural museums. This does not require much investment, and profits can be made all year round. Industrial tourism is also quite profitable today, within the framework of which a person can personally observe the production process. In particular, excursions to the Baltika brewery are already popular in the Northern capital. Moreover, Russians will be interested in enterprises of various types, be it confectionery factories, wineries, apiaries, etc. The prospects are truly terrible, especially since Russia is a storehouse of natural and recreational resources.
Problems
Of course, we should not forget that there are certain problems of industrial tourism. Firstly, the system itself for organizing excursions to abandoned factories is not properly built, and travel companies do not play a key role here. It is often very difficult to determine who is the owner of a particular abandoned object and with whom exactly to enter into an agreement. And here the help of local governments, which, unfortunately, are passive in this matter, would be very useful.
Secondly, the problems with the development of industrial tourism lie in the fact that this area of activity is not regulated at the legislative level in any way. In particular, the range of subjects and the procedure for providing services in urbanism, post-pilgrimage, and so on have not been defined. Thirdly, passion for certain types of industrial tourism can lead to serious health problems and even death. Before going to a particular site, it is necessary to analyze it from a safety point of view: this may require special equipment, and often ordinary tourists do not have it. Taking into account the above, for the development of industrial tourism, we need to study and adopt experience from Western European countries.
This hobby is suitable for all those who are bored with classic sights.
Required qualities
Healthy adventurism, the ability to soberly assess one’s abilities and the level of “aggressiveness of the environment.”
Time to study
First, you need to get an idea of basic safety precautions.
In our country, the situation of abandoned objects is often not defined by law, and if something happens to you, you cannot count on any compensation. Secondly, in addition to the interesting objects themselves, it is also desirable to find information about them, that is, work in libraries, the Internet, and archives. This will take time, exactly how much is up to you.
What is industrial tourism
This is the study of territories, buildings and engineering structures for industrial and other special purposes, abandoned and not used for one reason or another. The goal could be an unusual photograph, a shot of adrenaline, or just fresh impressions...
Industrial tourism has various branches, both quite harmless and very risky, such as the so-called stalking, when a group led by a “stalker” goes to explore, for example, the exclusion zone remaining after the explosion at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant. For individual fans of industrial tourism, cases when it is possible to penetrate a sensitive facility, say, the territory of a defense plant, are of particular value. Such entertainment teeters on the edge of the law. It is customary to single out the so-called post-pilgrimage as a separate direction - visiting abandoned and destroyed religious buildings. Ruins attract many people because they are a good and unusual backdrop for photo shoots.
A little history
In the West, the popularity of industrial tourism was probably facilitated by the industrial music style and computer games, where the setting is often a gloomy post-apocalyptic space. In the USSR, interest in this topic arose largely thanks to the film “Stalker” by A. Tarkovsky. Europe is now actively trying to formalize the semi-legal and dangerous entertainment that exists within the framework of industrial tourism. There it is more or less successful, but in our country industrial tourism is still a spontaneous phenomenon. Digging (searching for ghost stations, underground rivers, abandoned sewers, etc.) and roofing (walking on city rooftops) are especially popular among its activities. A special type is industrial archeology, that is, the historical study of objects related to industry. In most cases, all this is done illegally. The most “quiet” hobby is the so-called urbanism, which often comes down to admiring specific urban buildings. Foreign universities already have departments of industrial archeology: their services are used, for example, by businessmen when looking for a profitable investment.
Who is this hobby suitable for?
First of all - to young people who love risk and know how to look at things soberly. We will not consider options for entering prohibited objects; we will only talk about abandoned and destroyed ones.
Where to begin
Look at the map of your hometown, find abandoned, unfinished or simply old little-known architectural or purely industrial objects there.
You will need
- A camera or sketchbook - if you want to create unusual photos or get inspired for other creativity.
- Comfortable clothes and shoes.
- Common sense - many objects are in such a state that they can only be admired from a distance.
How much does it cost
You will have to spend money on the road. (And a fine if you enter the restricted area.)
Study space
The entire hometown, region, and sometimes the whole country.
Where to find like-minded people
The best thing is right at the site, where they also admire the ruins. And also on such resources as a-mega. com, where they offer unusual excursions, including on this topic.
Restrictions!
The limitation should be law-abiding and the desire to preserve life and health. Pay attention to prohibitory signs!
Industrial tourism (from the English “urban exploration” - urban exploration) is the study of a forgotten or forbidden part of human civilization. This is a modern direction of tourism, which consists of exploring industrial areas, engineering structures, buildings for industrial or special purposes, as well as other abandoned or abandoned structures for a long time.
The industrial objects under study can be classified as follows:
- a) production centers (workshops, metallurgical plants and factories, mines, etc.);
- b) warehouses and storage facilities (for storing raw materials, semi-finished products and finished products);
- c) energy (places where energy is generated, transmitted and used, including energy from falling water);
- d) transport (passenger and cargo vehicles and their infrastructure, consisting of railway tracks, ports, roads and air terminals);
- e) social environment (worker settlements, schools, churches, factories hospitals, etc.).
There is a classification of industrial objects according to chronology:
- 1) pre-industrial period - includes industrial facilities created before the period of industrialization;
- 2) the first industrial period - began in Western Europe and North America at the end of the 18th century. and was characterized by the systematic use of water power and coal, the creation of railways, the use of coal basins, as well as the large-scale production of cotton fabrics;
- 3) the second industrial period - began in the twentieth century. from the use of electricity and fuel, the production of motor vehicles, and then airplanes;
- 4) post-industrial period - created after the 1960s.
Fans of industrial tourism formulate the reasons for their hobby in different ways. Basically, this is a craving for new places and exploration, the beauty of desolation, the joy of unusual finds and discoveries. Some are attracted by the opportunity to see the city from a different perspective, from an unusual point of view, to learn the history of the area, to understand and imagine what was in this place decades ago. Another important component is that modern people get tired of city noise and need peace and quiet.
Urban exploration usually does not provide any material benefits, it is simply a hobby for photography, personal enjoyment and sometimes adrenaline. People explore industrial objects in order to obtain mental and aesthetic pleasure, acquire new extreme sensations and satisfy their research interest. The purpose of the research is to constantly strive to visit new areas and look at the city from an unusual point of view. For modern tourists, this type of tourism is very interesting; it gives them the opportunity to experience even their hometown from a different perspective.
Industrial tourism intersects with industrial archaeology. They, as an academic subject, explore the mutual influence of changes occurring in industry and technology, on the one hand, and society as a whole, on the other. Another task is the preservation of material evidence of industrial development. There are departments of industrial archeology at universities abroad. For example, at Michigan Technological University (USA) and at the University of Birmingham (UK). Similar studies are also being conducted in the Russian Federation. In particular, at the Institute of History and Archeology of the Ural Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences. It is clear that the field work of archaeologists is connected with expeditionary and tourist activities.