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Voykit pocket guide · Russia
Kadykchan
Кадыкчан
Skip unless you are an experienced urban explorer with a 4WD vehicle and a full day to spare: Kadykchan is a decaying ghost town with no services, no shops and no accommodation.
Kadykchan was a coal-mining town of 15,000 people that was abandoned in 1994–95 after the mine closed and the hot-water system failed. Today it is a derelict Soviet ghost town on the Kolyma Highway, 700 km from Magadan and 100 km from Susuman. There are no shops, no restaurants, no hotels and no mobile signal. Visiting means walking through collapsing apartment blocks, a semi-collapsed cinema and a decaying Lenin statue, then camping or sleeping in a ruined flat. This is for hardcore urban explorers only.
- Country
- Russia
- Local name
- Кадыкчан
- Best months
- June–August (snow-free, fewer mosquitoes than July)
- Avoid
- October–May (deep snow, impassable roads)
- Stay
- 0 nights
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- RUB
- Money
- Foreign-issued cards, ATMs and most transfers do not work: see Insurance & payments above.
- Daily spend
- Budget check (no services; bring all supplies) · Mid check · High check (estimate; check)
- Emergency
- General emergency 112
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Bring all food and water | check |
| Fuel from Susuman to Kadykchan (round trip, ~200 km (124 mi))Fuel from Susuman to Kadykchan (round trip, ~124 mi (200 km)) | check |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- GDX · Sokol Airport, Magadan
- Nearest airport with scheduled service; about 700 km (435 mi) east on the Kolyma Highway (R504), roughly 8–9 h by road. No airport at Kadykchan.Nearest airport with scheduled service; about 435 mi (700 km) east on the Kolyma Highway (R504), roughly 8–9 h by road. No airport at Kadykchan.
- check · Susuman area airstrip
- Check locally; Susuman, about 100 km (62 mi) west, is the nearest town with fuel and supplies.Check locally; Susuman, about 62 mi (100 km) west, is the nearest town with fuel and supplies.
Show 7 more sections and the pocket cardHideGet around, See and do, Sleep, Phrase card, Etiquette, safety and scams, One and two days, Sources, Pocket card
Get around
Roads inside the town are blocked by debris and trees. Park your vehicle at the edge and walk.
See and do
Known for
- Abandoned Soviet ghost town
- Decaying Lenin statue
- Collapsed cinema and schools
- Kolyma Highway access
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Susuman | Drive west on the Kolyma Highway (R504), about 100 km (62 mi)Drive west on the Kolyma Highway (R504), about 62 mi (100 km) | About 1.5 h |
| Magadan | Drive east on the Kolyma Highway (R504), about 700 km (435 mi)Drive east on the Kolyma Highway (R504), about 435 mi (700 km) | About 8–9 h |
| Yagodnoye | Drive west on the Kolyma Highway (R504), about 130 km (81 mi)Drive west on the Kolyma Highway (R504), about 81 mi (130 km) | About 2 h |
Sleep
- No accommodation
- Sleep in a tent or a less destroyed flat. Nearest proper lodging is in Susuman, about 100 km (62 mi) west.Sleep in a tent or a less destroyed flat. Nearest proper lodging is in Susuman, about 62 mi (100 km) west.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Hello | ЗдравствуйтеZDRAH-stvooy-te |
| Thank you | Спасибоspa-SEE-ba |
| Where is the hospital? | Где больница?gdye bal'-NEE-tsa? |
| I need help | Мне нужна помощьmnye noozh-NA PO-mashch |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Scams and watch-outs
- Collapsing buildings: freeze-thaw cycles have weakened concrete; many structures are unstable.
- Broken glass, rusty nails and other hazards on the ground.
- Nearest medical facility is in Myaundzha, 20 km away — cannot treat serious injuries.
- Ticks and mosquitoes can be bothersome; bears are rare but possible.
- Small population of vagrants may be present; be discreet with valuables.
The greatest danger is from derelict buildings: many are collapsing, floors are rotten, and debris hides rusty nails and broken glass. Nearest medical help is 20 km (12 mi) away in Myaundzha and cannot handle serious trauma. Ticks and mosquitoes are a nuisance; bears are uncommon but possible.The greatest danger is from derelict buildings: many are collapsing, floors are rotten, and debris hides rusty nails and broken glass. Nearest medical help is 12 mi (20 km) away in Myaundzha and cannot handle serious trauma. Ticks and mosquitoes are a nuisance; bears are uncommon but possible.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Kadykchan yet. Suggested stay: 0 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Abandoned Soviet ghost town
- Decaying Lenin statue
- Collapsed cinema and schools
- Kolyma Highway access
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Wikivoyage: Kadykchan, revision 4731291 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=4731291
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
KadykchanКадыкчан
По этому адресу, пожалуйста
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
- General emergency112
Nearest consular services are in Magadan (check). Most embassies are in Moscow.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/kadykchan). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.