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In 2022, photographer Dmitry Kokh captured viral images of polar bears "occupying" an abandoned weather station on in the Chukchi Sea, located off the far east coast of Russia. This "ghost town" became a symbol of wildlife adapting to human-abandoned spaces in the Arctic. The Story of Kolyuchin Island

The imagery from the series, published across major outlets like The Guardian and BBC News , depicts a surreal, post-apocalyptic scene where nature has reclaimed human structures. Broader Context: Polar Bears and Arctic Towns 2022---The-ghost-town-of-polar-bears

The site was originally a Soviet-era meteorological station built in 1932. It was abandoned in the early 1990s after the collapse of the Soviet Union. In 2022, photographer Dmitry Kokh captured viral images

The bears likely used the buildings as shelter from the harsh Arctic environment or predators. Experts suggest that as sea ice melts due to climate change, polar bears are increasingly forced onto land and into proximity with abandoned or active human settlements. Visual Documentation Broader Context: Polar Bears and Arctic Towns The

While Kolyuchin Island is a deserted "ghost town," other Arctic communities face active challenges with polar bear incursions: Polar bears move into abandoned Arctic weather station

Dmitry Kokh encountered the bears in September 2021 while on an expedition to Wrangel Island. His photos, which gained widespread fame in early 2022, show roughly 20 bears (mostly males) lounging on porches, peering through windows, and wandering through the dilapidated buildings.