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.

Actress Ella Balinska attends a Charlie's Angels VIP Screening Hosted by Elizabeth Banks and Natalie Zfat, in Partnership with Harry & David at AMC Empire 25 on November 05, 2019 in New York City. (Photo by Ben Gabbe/Getty Images for Sony Pictures)

“Sergey Mikhaylovich Prokudin-Gorsky (August 30 1863 Russian Empire – September 27, 1944 Paris, France) was a Russian chemist and photographer. He is best known for his pioneering work in color photography of early 20th-century Russia”. – Wikipedia

Photo: Dinner during haying. Russian Empire, Novgorod province, county Cherepovets, 1909. (Photos by Sergey Prokudin-Gorsky via US Library of Congress and Prokudin-Gorsky.org)

P.S. All pictures are presented in high resolution. To see Hi-Res images – just TWICE click on any picture. In other words, click small picture – opens the BIG picture. Click BIG picture – opens VERY BIG picture (if available; this principle works anywhere on the site AvaxNews). Enjoy.

American model and television personality Chrissy Teigen lights up the Empire State Building with her style and smile in the last decade of May 2024. (Photo by chrissy teigen/Instagram)

Cast member Yara Sophia of “RuPaul's Drag Race” visits the Empire State Building in New York City on June 24, 2021. (Photo by Stephen Lovekin/Rex Features/Shutterstock)

Festivalgoers are seen running to the gates during the the first weekend of the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival at the Empire Polo Club on Friday, April 12, 2024, in Indio, Calif. (Photo by Amy Harris/Invision/AP Photo)

Performers dressed like Stormtroopers dance during “The Empire Strips Back: A Star Wars Burlesque Parody” in Los Angeles, California, U.S., June 1, 2018. (Photo by Mario Anzuoni/Reuters)

(L-R) American singers Gwen Stefani of No Doubt and Olivia Rodrigo perform at the Coachella Stage during the 2024 Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival at Empire Polo Club on April 13, 2024 in Indio, California. (Photo by John Shearer/Getty Images for No Doubt)