Only the most intrepid urban explorers cross the tattered ruins of the old Iron Curtain to endure the excessive bureaucracy, military paranoia and freezing winds of the East to hunt for the ghosts of an empire. Rebecca Litchfield is one who couldn’t resist the haunting allure of the ruins of the Soviet Union.

Men cover their heads from the sun while riding on a motorcycle during a hot day in Cairo, Egypt, August 17, 2015. A heatwave killed at least 61 people across Egypt from Sunday to Tuesday and caused nearly 600 people to be admitted to hospital, Egypt's health ministry said on state news agency MENA on Wednesday. (Photo by Amr Abdallah Dalsh/Reuters)

A woman carries earthen pots to fill them with drinking water on a hot summer day, on the outskirts of Ajmer, Rajasthan, India April 25, 2017. (Photo by Himanshu Sharma/Reuters)

A participant dressed as a mermaid goes to swim in the beach after taking part in the Annual Mermaid Parade in Brooklyn, New York, June 18, 2016. The annual parade, founded in 1983, seeks to bring mythology to life for residents, create confidence in the district and to allow artistic self-expression in public, according to the parade's website. (Photo by Eduardo Munoz/Reuters)

Carnival revellers dressed as “Peliqueiros” run along a street in the village of Laza, Spain February 11, 2018. “Peliqueiros”, or ancient tax collectors, pursued villagers through the streets ringing their cowbells and hitting villagers with their sticks. (Photo by Miguel Vidal/Reuters)

A group of teachers and their student use makeshift raft as they cross the street during flood that hit Ranomeeto Barat village in Konawe Selatan, Sulawesi island, Indonesia, July 10, 2018. (Photo by Jojon/Reuters/Antara Foto)

Nina Bahinskaya, 73, poses for a photo holding an old Belarusian national flag at an entrance of her apartment building in Minsk, Belarus, Thursday, September 10, 2020. The 73-year-old former geologist has become one of the most recognizable faces of Belarus protests, fearlessly waving a huge opposition's red-and-white flag in front of riot police. (Photo by AP Photo/Stringer)

Vatican Swiss Guards stand attention at the St. Damaso courtyard on the occasion of the swearing-in ceremony at the Vatican, Sunday, October 4, 2020. The ceremony is held to commemorate the day in 1527 when 147 Swiss Guards died protecting Pope Clement VII during the Sack of Rome. (Photo by Gregorio Borgia/AP Photo)