Society has stockpiled equipment meant to help people survive such a disaster. But what if it turns out to be useless—or no one gets to it in time? While this sounds like something out of a sci-fi movie and doesn’t seem likely to happen anytime soon, you can already glimpse a possible outcome on the outskirts of Riga, Latvia: thousands of decaying gas masks scattered across a gloomy industrial area. What’s the story behind this strange and haunting sight?
Originally, these Soviet-era gas masks were brought here to be recycled. But for unknown reasons, nothing has happened for over ten years. Now, the site looks more like a small landfill. The gas masks, dumped in a chaotic heap, have been left to rot. Rubber, glass, and wooden storage boxes have all broken down and fused into a single decaying mass. It doesn’t look like any recycling will happen soon. Then again—who would bother now? Nature is slowly taking care of it on its own.
Hi,
I visited the site in september 2025 and no gasmask was there anymore !
Hi, sorry to hear that! It was amazing place.