Story highlights Ponichala is a settlement for the blind that was established by the Soviets in the 1930s

Photographer Marcel Maffei chronicled the plight of this community and its residents

(CNN) Tucked away in a neglected suburb on the outskirts of Tbilisi, Georgia, stands a block of decaying buildings unknown to even many of the city's residents.

Called Ponichala, the dilapidated complex is a remnant of the Soviet era, established by the government in the 1930s to accommodate people who were blind or visually impaired.

During World War II, the Soviets built factories in the settlement, turning it into a labor camp. People who were blind or visually impaired were brought to Ponichala to produce goods, tools and supplies. Though Ponichala was effectively a working ghetto, it also housed community facilities like a library and cultural center by the '60s and '70s, thanks to the efforts of Georgia's Union of the Blind.

After the collapse of the Soviet Union, factories were disbanded and apartments were sold. The infrastructure of Ponichala began to crumble, and many of its residents lost their jobs. The settlement was expanded to include other inhabitants, who now occupy Upper Ponichala. Lower Ponichala is still relegated to the visually impaired community: those who have lived there since the Soviet era, and their descendants.

Photographer Marcel Maffei

Photographer Marcel Maffei chronicles the plight of this community in his photo series, "Blind Ponichala." Maffei's photos paint a bleak portrait of Ponichala, capturing a sense of resignation and hopelessness felt by many of the residents.

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