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.

Long shadows are cast by players as Mitch Wallis of the Bulldogs passes the ball during the 2016 AFL Round 08 match between the Melbourne Demons and the Western Bulldogs at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, Melbourne on May 15, 2016. (Photo by Scott Barbour/AFL Media/Getty Images)

Italian singer Elodie performs on stage at the Ariston theatre during the 71st Sanremo Italian Song Festival, in Sanremo, Italy, 03 March 2021. The festival runs from 02 to 06 March. (Photo by Ettore Ferrari/EPA/EFE)

Kerry Katona carries Peter McDonagh's flag before he faces Peter Krame during their Super welterweight bout at the Bolton Whites Hotel, Bolton, United Kingdom on May 12, 2018. (Photo by Lee Smith/Action Images via Reuters)

A man wears a protective face mask as he walks along the main market in downtown after the government eased the restrictions on movement aimed at containing the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), in Amman, Jordan on April 29, 2020. (Photo by Muhammad Hamed/Reuters)

Police detain a woman during a protest against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his government's handling of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) crisis, near Netanyahu's residence in Jerusalem on July 24, 2020. (Photo by Ammar Awad/Reuters)

An American white pelican takes flight on the island of Petatan in the municipality of Cojumatlan de Regules, Michoacan state, Mexico on February 23, 2024. The island becomes home to the pelicans during the winter, when they travel from the north of the United States and the south of Canada to the warmer waters of Lake Chapala in Mexico. The birds are a tourist attraction and people gather on the island's boardwalk to feed them and watch them fly. (Photo by Enrique Castro/AFP Photo)

Sportsnet's Hazel Mae runs away as George Springer #4 of the Toronto Blue Jays is doused with water by Vladimir Guerrero Jr. #27 following a 7-2 over the Boston Red Sox at Rogers Centre on June 27, 2022 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. (Photo by John E Sokolowski/USA Today via Reuters)