
New photos show a side of Russia that starkly contrast the grandeur of Moscow with its beautiful colors and well maintained architecture.

A photo series shows the grim reality of the people who live in Russia's abandoned villages in a forested area northeast of Moscow.

Photographers Liza Zhakova and Dima Zharov from St Petersburg chronicled their trip through 'Russia's desert'. They report it is not unusual for an entire village to be inhabited by just one person and published the photos on Zhakovazharov.ru.

Alexey Fedorovich and Zoya Timofeevna Chernovs's hayloft is surrounded by broken pieces of another home

Sasha tries to repair his home which is falling apart in nearly abandoned Elyakovo Village

Lecha is a miner in Spirdovo who fills his day with hunting and drinking in the empty village

Lecha (center) doesn't have electricity in his home in the desolate village of Spirdovo in the Kostroma region

The photographers said they were under the impression that the Russian government had abandoned these villages on purpose to get people to move.

The publication Roads and Kingdoms reports there are only 660,000 residents for its 23,000 throughout Russia's Kostroma region.

This area spans 23,000 square miles which close to the size of West Virginia.

Russia's wealth is primarily centralized in its major cities. This means villagers are subjected to lower wages and social services compared to those who live in urban areas.

Lecha smokes with his hunter friends in their deserted village of Spirdovo

Lecha's hunter friends (pictured above) spend time hunting and drinking to kill the hours in their gloomy town

Lecha's hunter friend holds a cigarette in the dark because the home does not have electricity

Lecha has fathered 10 children with three different women. He does not understand why people leave his village

One of the people left was a man named Lecha who lives in the village of Spirdovo. They spoke to the miner who gets by with a minimum pension payment. He doesn't have the need to pay an electricity bill which cuts down on his expenses.

Lecha said he as 10 children with three different women. He also detailed his relationship with alcohol saying: 'I’ve been on a binge for 10 days. Take 6-7 bottles and I’m already wasted.'

He continued: 'What’s the difference whether I die today or 10 years later – no difference at all.'

Another person the photographers spoke to was Sasha from Elyakovo Village. He also hunts for food and says he noticed a decline in wildlife.

But Sasha is not interested in moving. He said: 'I don’t like city at all, I can go for a trip there for 4 days, but I can’t stand more than that.'

Sasha lives in Elyakovo Village alone. He is not interested in leaving his town for the city like many of the other villagers

Sasha's home (pictured) is one of the few inhabited residences in Elyakovo Village

Sasha gets ready in the morning in his nearly abandoned town of Elyakovo Village

Alexey Fedorovich and Zoya Timofeevna Chernovs are the only two people who reside in Assorino Village. The husband and wife raised livestock but have stopped working. Like Lecha, they also talked about binge drinking.

He told the photographers: 'There were some binges, come to think of it. The problem is I have a screw loose. If there is some alcohol left, and I need to work – the hell I’m gonna work.'

'If you drink again, you need more. And how can you work when you are drunk.'

Alcoholism is a problem in rural Russia as well as urban parts. A study by The Lancet revealed 25% of Russian men die before they turn 55 primarily because of alcohol and tobacco consumption.

Zoya Timofeevna Chernovs does laundry in the deserted village of Assorino

The family of Alexey Fedorovich and Zoya Timofeevna Chernovs traveled in to their town to help with their home

Alexey Chernov drinks tea after a long day of farming in Assorino village

Alexey Chernov tends to the livestock in the village of Assorino where he and his wife live alone

Alexey Chernov naps in the only inhabited house in Assorino. He and his wife are the only two residents