The impressive entrance hallway to a former Soviet sanatorium alongside the Russian Riviera. It was later reconverted into a hotel but was left abandoned since the Abkhaz-Georgian conflict. Gagra, Abkhazia.
Reginald Van de Velde Takes Us Inside Ex-Soviet Spa Resorts and Sanatoria
Belgian photographer Reginald Van de Velde is known for scouting the unknown and the unseen, and his zeal for capturing abandoned places around the world has earned him his well-deserved reputation as a “chronicler of forgotten magnificence”. His latest project, In Exile, uncovers the crumbling remains of luxurious Soviet spa resorts.
Located in Georgia and the de facto state of Abkhazia, these sanatoria were the most innovative structures of the 1920s. Here, hard-working state citizens were treated to “health holidays”, booked through a state-funded voucher system. Guests indulged in the thermal baths and spas, as well as treatments for circulatory, respiratory and pulmonary diseases, under the careful monitoring of health professionals. Today they are curious relics of the former USSR, their peeling paint and crumbling structures offering hints of its past grandeur.
The photographer notes that some of these buildings currently house over 9000 displaced refugees of the Abkhazian-Georgian war. Though stripped off its pomp and luxury, the sanatoria find themselves occupied once again, this time with a renewed purpose — as temporary homes for the homeless amongst the debris of its ruins.
Van de Velde’s work has been exhibited worldwide in solo and group exhibitions, and featured in publications including National Geographic, Esquire, BBC and Aesthetic Magazine, amongst others. Visit Van de Velde’s website, Suspicious Minds, for more of his captivating series, and follow him on Instagram.
Monumental arches adorn this open-air-treatment gallery inside a former sanatorium. Tskaltubo, Georgia.The view on the grand entrance hall inside a neglected sanatorium. This building will be redeveloped into a luxurious hotel. Tskaltubo, Georgia.Nature is taking over this beautiful corridor. This passage connected the main thermal spa facilities with the private rooms of patients and guests. Tskaltubo, Georgia.Roman columns and an ornate ceiling decorate this dining hall inside a former sanatorium. Salvageable objects like parquet floors, statues and metals have long been vanished. Tskaltubo, Georgia.A derelict bathhouse is seen inside the thermal spa town of Tskaltubo. The water still flows through and underneath these baths, causing the buildings to deteriorate even faster. Tskaltubo, Georgia.The remains of a thermal spa featuring a circular setup of individual tubs, a setup that would allow many people to bathe at once. Tskaltubo, Georgia.A crumbling spiraling staircase is seen inside this former Soviet sanatorium. Tskaltubo, Georgia.Concrete is starting to collapse inside this hallway connecting a theater with the main building. Tskaltubo, Georgia.The impressive entrance hallway to a former Soviet sanatorium alongside the Russian Riviera. It was later reconverted into a hotel but was left abandoned since the Abkhaz-Georgian conflict. Gagra, Abkhazia.A marble staircase is seen inside this impressive former Soviet sanatorium at the Russian Riviera. It was later reconverted into a hotel but left abandoned since the Abkhaz-Georgian conflict. Gagra, Abkhazia.The crumbling staircase inside a former sanatorium alongside the Russian Riviera. Benefiting from a sub-tropical climate, this region was immensely popular for the Soviet-elite during the USSR era. This particular sanatorium was built in the early 1900s and severed heavily by shelling and gunfire during the Abkhaz-Georgian conflict. Sokhum, Abkhazia.The exterior view on one of the many remaining spas. Men & women bathed separately, explaining a mirrored layout of the bathhouses. Tskaltubo, Georgia.
