City in the middle of the sea

Built in 1947 as an exercise of Soviet and Azeri ambition and known as "Oil Rocks" (a.k.a. 'Oil Stones'), this secret Russian city rises up out of the Caspian Sea, 28–31 miles (45–50 km) from the nearest shore.

After WWII, Russia needed more oil, so a whole city was built on the surface of the Caspian Sea and oil was pumped from the shallow water portion of the Absheron geological trend.

All together, the streets of this one-of-a-kind town exceeded 350 km (200 miles). There were nine shops, schools, industry complexes, a library and working fountains. There were even lawns with green grass and children playing ball.

Now decaying, with many of it's streets and roads under water, 'Oil Rocks' still produces over half of the total crude oil output of Azerbaijan.

Coordinates: 40°19′N 50°35′E

Read more here and here.


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