Abandoned Children's Camp (Orenburg)

The "Vostok-6" children's summer camp is abandoned and no longer in operation, located on the outskirts of Orenburg next to other children's camps that are still active. Abandoned "Vostok-6" belongs to a group of Orenburg children's camps known as "Dubki". All of these camps lie in a forested area near the Ural River. Most of the camps are still running: every year from June onward they host large numbers of children from Orenburg and the wider region.

The "Dubki" group currently includes the following camps:

• "Romashka" recreation centre
• "Fakel" children's camp
• "Iskra" children's camp
• "Chaika" children's camp
• "Zarya" children's camp
• "Beryozka" children's camp
• "Zarnitsa" children's camp
• "Energetik" children's camp
• "Svyazist" children's camp
• "Kosmos" children's camp

History of the abandoned camp "Vostok-6"

Construction of the "Dubki" children's camps began back in the Soviet Union. Hard times for the pioneer camps began during perestroika, and unfortunately not all of them survived the turbulent 1990s. "Vostok-6" was one of those that did not. Like the other camps nearby, it had several residential buildings for children, a dining hall, an administrative building and a number of utility structures. Today the abandoned camp's grounds are heavily overgrown with trees and shrubs. Most of the buildings are destroyed or in a dangerous state of disrepair. Some asphalt surfaces remain, along with the occasional frame of sports equipment, swings and gazebos.

Legends and scary stories

Several legends and tales are associated with the abandoned "Vostok-6" camp. Scary stories about it used to be told at children's camps and passed on by word of mouth; with the arrival of the internet, many of these stories moved online. Most of them link the camp's closure to mystery and secrets rather than to economic problems — ghost stories about the abandoned camp have been used to scare children for several generations now.

One legend concerns the camp's director (names are not given), who worked there in the 1980s. He kept a piano in his office, which he liked to play in his free time. According to the legend, his son, who was staying at the same camp, disappeared one night. All the camp counsellors searched for him, but he was found only in the morning — he had drowned in the Ural River. The director could not bear the death of his only child and hanged himself in his office. The legend says that at night a sad melody can sometimes still be heard coming from the direction of the administrative building, as if someone were playing the piano.

In recent times the abandoned camp has mostly attracted young people looking for adventure who enjoy exploring derelict buildings. The grounds are heavily overgrown and littered with construction debris. Because of the nearby Ural River there are many mosquitoes, and ticks in early summer.

Photo credit: BIKE STRANGE PLACES