Abkhazian town Tkvarchal is pretty much similar to some decorations of “Silent Hill” horror movie. It’s a mysterious mining town under which coal has already been burning for many years. The town is famous for paranormal phenomena taking place there.

The town was built near coal pits and the main function of the local railway was coal transportation. Here they also had a regional power station that provided the most part of the regional consumers with electricity. Of course it was powered with local coal.

Tkvarchal railway station

Here used to be a ropeway connecting the parts of the town.

Words in Georgian were brought down

Inside

Platform

Coal is being mined today too and being transported by the railway. Clouds of coal dust are mixed with water.

Fuel is taken to the port Ochamchiri and then loaded on vessels to sail to Turkey.

It must be mentioned that it’s the Turkish company that mines coal. 90% of the district budget is formed by this business.

It seems the station does not have any drainage system here at all. The ties sag under human weight…

Power station

All this is calmly viewed by an already late president of the republic.

After the war the town population decreased several times. The town itself looks abandoned. But even this place cannot compare with another town – Akarmara, which is higher in the mountains and is also connected with the railway that was dissassembled for scrap.

About 200 people live in the town and the housing is enough for 2000…

The town was built by captive Germans and allegedly they liked the town so much that refused to leave for Germany.

This bridge is a unique architectural structure. Unfortunately trains do not go along it anymore.

Location: Tkvarchal

via railtrip