jenny norton reports for our world.nce the pride of the soviet union, hundreds of towns which helped to power russia's industrialisation are under threat of extinction. failing industries, a falling population and the sheer vastness of this country mean many places have been abandoned. often leaving remaining residents in squalid conditions. nearly one in ten russians now live in places whose long—term future is at risk. the situation is so serious that the government has come up with a plan to try to save at least some of russia's dying towns. to explore kadykchan is to step back in time to the glory days of the ussr. a time when life was good for industrial workers and their families. like many towns in the russian far east, kadykchan was a mono town, a settlement built around a single industry. kadykchan was one of thousands of coal mines that howard the ussr towards its goal of becoming the greatest nation on earth. —— howard. in its payday kadykchan was a good place to live, its schools, cafes, shops and a cinema.