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Narrator: A vast complex
built on grand ambitions.
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00:00:06,520 --> 00:00:08,560
This was going to be a place
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00:00:08,600 --> 00:00:11,240
that would represent
the highest aspirations
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00:00:11,280 --> 00:00:13,080
of the Soviet union.
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00:00:13,680 --> 00:00:17,840
A Liberian hotel haunted
by a tumultuous past.
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00:00:18,440 --> 00:00:24,000
At one point this former five-star
hotel housed thousands of squatters.
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Indigenous ruins in Arizona given
new life by an explosive event.
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00:00:31,120 --> 00:00:35,040
It must have been a truly
awe-inspiring thing to witness.
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00:00:37,160 --> 00:00:40,400
And a creepy clifftop
castle in the Czech Republic
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concealing a gateway to hell.
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To the locals,
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00:00:44,080 --> 00:00:47,880
it could only mean that the
ss were practising a cult magic.
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(Suspenseful music)
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Decaying relics,
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ruins of lost worlds.
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Sites haunted by the past,
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sites haunted by the past,
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00:01:02,680 --> 00:01:06,120
their secrets waiting
to be revealed.
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(Pacing music)
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In the disputed
region of abkhazia,
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is the wreckage of a site where a
nation's dream became a nightmare.
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(Tense music)
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We're on the coast of the black
sea and not far from the beach
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we come upon this
complex of concrete buildings
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that are crumbling into ruin.
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There's this Soviet
constructivist architecture,
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00:01:45,120 --> 00:01:49,280
very practical, very
heroic, very grand scale,
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00:01:49,320 --> 00:01:51,736
it's hard to say at first
glance what this thing is.
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(Tense music)
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There's something unmistakably
apocalyptic about this site.
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00:02:00,120 --> 00:02:04,120
But what was it for and
why is it now in ruins?
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00:02:07,000 --> 00:02:11,280
At one time this location
promised to deliver heroic victory
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over western rivals.
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When you go inside it, it very
much has the look of a dormitory,
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00:02:17,080 --> 00:02:18,880
a hotel, a barracks
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00:02:18,920 --> 00:02:21,056
because you've got
these long hallways
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with you know,
small rooms off each.
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00:02:25,040 --> 00:02:28,880
At one end the roof
is completely gone
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00:02:28,920 --> 00:02:33,720
and that exposes a
massive swimming pool,
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00:02:33,760 --> 00:02:38,720
certainly, no hotel would need
an olympic-size swimming pool
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00:02:38,760 --> 00:02:41,840
so this was clearly
something else.
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This was once a
centre of excellence
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but something
catastrophic destroyed it,
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the legacy of which
is still being felt today.
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(Suspenseful music)
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(Speaks Russian)
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Daur arshba is the
director of this site today.
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Spanning nearly 160 acres,
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four wheels is the
only way to get around.
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(Speaks Russian)
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00:03:54,360 --> 00:03:56,616
The first thing to say
about where we are
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is that the country
we're in abkhazia
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doesn't really exist
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00:04:00,001 --> 00:04:01,680
doesn't really exist
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but try telling that to the
240,000 people who live here,
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and you're not going to get
the warmest of welcomes.
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It's not recognised as
an independent nation
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but it sees itself as a distinct
people and a distinct land.
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During the days
of the Soviet union,
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this region was part of
the republic of Georgia
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which itself was
part of the ussr
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and that's where the story
of this complex really begins.
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00:04:35,240 --> 00:04:37,840
Initiated in the mid-1960s
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the project was part of a
grand and ambitious plan.
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If buildings can represent
dreams and aspirations,
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00:04:47,520 --> 00:04:49,600
then this one
certainly did that.
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This was going to be a centre
that would bring together the best
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00:04:54,320 --> 00:04:57,360
and the brightest from
all across the Soviet union
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00:04:57,400 --> 00:04:59,999
and train them for a very
distinct type of world domination.
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00:05:00,000 --> 00:05:02,761
And train them for a very
distinct type of world domination.
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00:05:04,000 --> 00:05:07,640
This is the eshera
sports complex,
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the central olympic
base of the ussr.
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00:05:13,880 --> 00:05:17,000
This place was chosen because
it sat along a stretch of coastline
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00:05:17,040 --> 00:05:19,880
that was favoured by the Soviet
elite because of the weather.
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00:05:20,520 --> 00:05:22,976
Athletes could get away
from the darkness and cold
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of the endless winters
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and train and
focus on their sports
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in this beautiful temperate
warm environment.
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(Speaks Russian)
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Well, the place
was, was a marvel
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because it had you
know, four football pitches,
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it had an olympic
size swimming pool,
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it had basketball courts, it
had a couple of running tracks,
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00:06:00,000 --> 00:06:00,760
it had basketball courts, it
had a couple of running tracks,
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it had you know, facilities
for 40 different sports.
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At one point the pool
would have been kitted out
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with all the latest technology
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and packed full of hopeful athletes
training to be the best they could.
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Daur had the privilege
of seeing first-hand
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what it took to be the best.
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(Eerie music)
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(Speaks Russian)
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To house all the athletes
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there was a nine-storey
accommodation block
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which also had a huge canteen
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serving the very best food,
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you know there was no expense
spared in this pursuit for victory.
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You know there was no expense
spared in this pursuit for victory.
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It was the perfect place to
psych up the athletes to do well
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for, you know, mother Russia.
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There was also another factor
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driving the relentless
pursuit of sporting excellence.
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00:07:14,480 --> 00:07:17,840
At this time the
cold war is raging
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and more often than not we
associate that with the nuclear arms race
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or the space race.
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But sport was the other great
arena that this conflict played out, in.
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It's impossible to overstate
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00:07:32,800 --> 00:07:38,000
how important global competition
in sports was to the Soviet union.
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The cold war was about a lot
more than just a military build-up,
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it was an ideological war,
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the Soviet union wanted to
prove they had a superior system
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to that of the west
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00:07:50,400 --> 00:07:54,200
if they could show that their people
were the fastest and the strongest
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that would be a
kind of confirmation
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that the Soviet system
was the superior way
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to organise a society.
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At the 1980 summer
Olympics in Moscow,
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that ideological clash was supposed
to play out on the world stage.
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00:08:15,840 --> 00:08:17,120
In 1979,
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the ussr invaded Afghanistan to
prop up a communist government,
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00:08:22,560 --> 00:08:26,760
in response, the us decided
to boycott the 1980 Olympics
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00:08:26,800 --> 00:08:29,880
and ultimately 65 other
countries around the world
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00:08:29,920 --> 00:08:32,560
also refused to
attend those games.
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00:08:34,440 --> 00:08:37,840
Well, this was a very tough decision
for president Jimmy Carter to take
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00:08:37,880 --> 00:08:41,400
because all these American
olympians had been training for years.
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(Speaks Russian)
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(Laughs)
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In the absence of
the United States,
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00:09:04,520 --> 00:09:07,160
the Soviet team
dominated the games,
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00:09:07,200 --> 00:09:10,120
securing a record
80 gold medals.
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00:09:11,720 --> 00:09:14,120
Some of that
spectacular performance
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00:09:14,160 --> 00:09:18,400
was partly due to the training
that took place at this centre.
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(Speaks Russian)
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(Dramatic music)
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00:09:34,240 --> 00:09:39,360
But the boycott of the games was
not the only thing to raise eyebrows.
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It was the first and
only games since
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00:09:44,480 --> 00:09:47,240
not to disqualify
a single athlete
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00:09:47,280 --> 00:09:49,680
for using
performance-enhancing drugs.
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00:09:49,720 --> 00:09:52,080
Now, this was unheard of.
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00:09:53,160 --> 00:09:56,080
Clearly, when you look at their
medal haul in the 1980 Olympics
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00:09:56,120 --> 00:09:58,216
you have to question
whether this was all clean
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00:09:58,240 --> 00:09:59,999
and there was a lot of controversy
at the time of how clean were they.
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And there was a lot of controversy
at the time of how clean were they.
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Whatever the truth,
one thing is certain.
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00:10:06,800 --> 00:10:08,080
For the next decade,
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this facility continued to churn
out world-beating athletes.
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But it wouldn't be long before the
whole thing came crashing down,
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change was coming.
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By the early '90s,
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the eshera sports complex
was becoming an arena
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for a very different
kind of battle.
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As the Soviet union collapsed
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its control over the very
Soviet states collapsed as well
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and many of those states began
to dissolve into warring factions.
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Georgia emerged as
an independent state
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including this abkhazia province
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and so in 1992,
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the abkhazia population of Georgia
tried to separate from Georgia
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and form their own state.
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And of course, the
Georgians resisted
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and they used you know,
the most merciless tactics
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to put the abkhazia down.
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(Speaks Russian)
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For over a year there was
vicious fighting in the streets.
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The conflict claiming the
lives of over 15,000 people.
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(Tense music)
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The war got very ugly,
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people of Georgian
backgrounds were killed
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00:11:33,080 --> 00:11:37,000
and driven out of
abkhazia by the thousands.
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And it's suspected that
much of the violence
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between the abkhazia and
the Georgians in the civil war
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00:11:43,960 --> 00:11:45,880
was fostered by the Russians
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00:11:45,920 --> 00:11:49,400
who had a vested interest
in keeping Georgia unstable
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and sort of in the
de facto Soviet grasp.
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In the chaos of war,
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both sides were accused of
committing terrible atrocities.
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Both sides were accused of
committing terrible atrocities.
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This building was caught
in the deadly crossfire.
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This sports complex, unfortunately,
sat in the cockpit of the war
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00:12:13,760 --> 00:12:15,296
between the abkhazia
and the Georgians
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and it's in that
westernmost area
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and so it becomes yet
another front in the fighting.
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(Speaks Russian)
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These buildings were so damaged
that they were really beyond repair.
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00:13:02,320 --> 00:13:04,280
(Suspenseful music)
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All around abkhazia
are the scars of conflict,
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00:13:09,360 --> 00:13:12,800
none more so than
at this prestigious site.
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But daur is confident the
days of glory will return.
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(Speaks Russian)
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Whether that happens
or not nobody knows
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00:13:41,040 --> 00:13:43,920
and until then well, it's empty
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and it remains isolated
much like abkhazia.
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(Pacing music)
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In a dense forest 30 miles
north of the Czech capital Prague,
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00:14:00,000 --> 00:14:00,760
in a dense forest 30 miles
north of the Czech capital Prague,
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00:14:00,800 --> 00:14:04,120
stands a castle with a
supernatural attraction.
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(Eerie music) (Birds chirp)
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00:14:08,880 --> 00:14:12,640
A deep orange forest
stretches out in every direction.
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Then through a
clearing in the trees,
200
00:14:17,040 --> 00:14:19,800
you see this
monumental structure.
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It feels still, eerie.
202
00:14:25,640 --> 00:14:30,520
Inside the unnerving atmosphere
becomes ever more acute.
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00:14:31,720 --> 00:14:34,360
As your eyes become
accustomed to the darkness,
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you start to see horrible
metal instruments.
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00:14:38,600 --> 00:14:40,560
And symbols of the occult.
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00:14:41,760 --> 00:14:45,840
These thrones are adorned
with satanic symbolism
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00:14:45,880 --> 00:14:50,800
and there are these grotesque
faces carved into the structures.
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00:14:51,440 --> 00:14:54,080
For centuries this
isolated stronghold
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00:14:54,120 --> 00:14:57,840
has been a magnet for those
obsessed with its dark power.
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00:14:57,880 --> 00:14:59,999
(Foreboding music)
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00:15:00,000 --> 00:15:00,200
(Foreboding music)
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00:15:00,240 --> 00:15:02,360
Evil men have come to this place
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00:15:02,400 --> 00:15:05,360
and they have committed
unspeakable acts.
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00:15:06,680 --> 00:15:08,040
(Tense music)
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00:15:14,520 --> 00:15:17,480
For zuzana pavlikova simonkova,
216
00:15:17,520 --> 00:15:21,200
houska castle is more
than a historical bastion,
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00:15:21,240 --> 00:15:23,240
it's a family heirloom.
218
00:15:25,240 --> 00:15:27,200
(Speaks Russian)
219
00:16:02,720 --> 00:16:06,680
Houska castle has been confiscated
from its owners at least three times
220
00:16:06,720 --> 00:16:08,360
in its history.
221
00:16:08,400 --> 00:16:11,240
The reasons why
aren't immediately clear.
222
00:16:14,680 --> 00:16:18,800
There is never really been
any strategic value to this castle,
223
00:16:18,840 --> 00:16:20,960
it's not near any borders
224
00:16:21,000 --> 00:16:24,680
and it's not near any routes
that an army would take.
225
00:16:25,440 --> 00:16:28,080
There aren't even any
important trading routes nearby.
226
00:16:28,600 --> 00:16:30,920
So why build it at all?
227
00:16:35,160 --> 00:16:36,840
As the castle keeper,
228
00:16:36,880 --> 00:16:41,920
miroslav konopasek knows at
houska the devil is in the detail.
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00:16:46,480 --> 00:16:49,000
(Speaks Russian)
230
00:17:03,240 --> 00:17:06,240
He's long been associated
with good overcoming evil,
231
00:17:06,280 --> 00:17:08,240
the battle between
heaven and hell.
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00:17:09,440 --> 00:17:12,960
There's a very good reason
why he's painted on these walls.
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00:17:17,240 --> 00:17:20,760
It's a story that dates
back to the ninth century
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00:17:21,560 --> 00:17:24,400
before the castle
or chapel existed.
235
00:17:24,440 --> 00:17:25,920
(Foreboding music)
236
00:17:26,720 --> 00:17:28,000
(Speaks Russian)
237
00:17:42,360 --> 00:17:46,600
Determined to explore what
lay in the depths of this pit,
238
00:17:46,640 --> 00:17:51,320
a powerful local lord turned to
those desperate enough to find out.
239
00:17:53,800 --> 00:17:57,160
Prisoners sentenced to
death could earn a pardon
240
00:17:57,200 --> 00:17:59,999
if they agreed to be lowered
into this allegedly bottomless pit
241
00:18:00,000 --> 00:18:01,456
if they agreed to be lowered
into this allegedly bottomless pit
242
00:18:01,480 --> 00:18:04,200
and then come back
and report what they saw.
243
00:18:05,040 --> 00:18:08,000
When the first man
was lowered into the pit
244
00:18:08,040 --> 00:18:12,280
he began screaming in
horror after just a few seconds
245
00:18:12,320 --> 00:18:15,200
and he begged to
be pulled back up.
246
00:18:16,560 --> 00:18:18,120
When he was hauled out
247
00:18:18,160 --> 00:18:23,040
it was reported that his
hair had turned shock white,
248
00:18:23,080 --> 00:18:26,560
that he appeared to
have aged 30 years
249
00:18:26,600 --> 00:18:29,360
and he was extremely
wrinkled all over.
250
00:18:30,280 --> 00:18:32,160
(Speaks Russian)
251
00:18:37,080 --> 00:18:39,040
Real or imagined,
252
00:18:39,080 --> 00:18:43,200
the local's terror was genuine
enough for them to seal over the pit,
253
00:18:43,240 --> 00:18:46,400
building the chapel
and castle on top.
254
00:18:46,440 --> 00:18:49,240
What better to cover
an entrance to hell
255
00:18:49,280 --> 00:18:51,680
than a chapel dedicated
to the archangel
256
00:18:51,720 --> 00:18:54,320
who does battle
with Satan himself.
257
00:18:54,960 --> 00:18:56,880
Although the pit was sealed,
258
00:18:56,920 --> 00:18:59,999
the malevolent spirit of houska
continued to attract attention.
259
00:19:00,000 --> 00:19:02,840
The malevolent spirit of houska
continued to attract attention.
260
00:19:03,760 --> 00:19:06,720
During the 30 years
war in the 1600s,
261
00:19:06,760 --> 00:19:10,440
houska castle fell under the
control of a Swedish army.
262
00:19:10,480 --> 00:19:14,720
Their commander, oronto,
remained after the war
263
00:19:14,760 --> 00:19:19,000
and sought to harness the
power of hell for his own gain.
264
00:19:20,000 --> 00:19:23,640
He was obsessed with
legends surrounding the castle
265
00:19:23,680 --> 00:19:27,560
and it is rumoured that he even
performed black magic rituals
266
00:19:27,600 --> 00:19:29,800
to try to achieve immortality.
267
00:19:31,320 --> 00:19:35,680
His looting of the local area
soon riled up the villagers,
268
00:19:36,640 --> 00:19:39,920
putting his claims of
immortality to the test.
269
00:19:41,720 --> 00:19:43,400
(Speaks Russian)
270
00:19:50,040 --> 00:19:52,320
With a sizable
bounty on his head,
271
00:19:52,360 --> 00:19:56,280
he was shot to death by two
opportunistic local huntsmen.
272
00:19:56,320 --> 00:19:58,000
(Gunshot)
273
00:20:01,040 --> 00:20:06,040
Oronto wouldn't be the castle's
last occupant with sinister ambitions.
274
00:20:06,640 --> 00:20:08,480
In the late 1930s,
275
00:20:08,520 --> 00:20:12,080
it attracted the attention of
some notorious occultists.
276
00:20:13,800 --> 00:20:16,160
(Tense music)
277
00:20:17,760 --> 00:20:20,880
There was another evil
force coming to houska
278
00:20:20,920 --> 00:20:24,240
one that would do anything
to achieve total domination.
279
00:20:25,320 --> 00:20:27,160
(Suspenseful music)
280
00:20:28,000 --> 00:20:30,840
When the second world
war broke out in 1939
281
00:20:30,880 --> 00:20:33,880
the wharton ss took the
castle for themselves.
282
00:20:35,840 --> 00:20:37,920
Their leader Heinrich himmler
283
00:20:37,960 --> 00:20:41,000
is said to have been
fascinated by the supernatural.
284
00:20:43,200 --> 00:20:46,200
It's theorised that
himmler genuinely believed
285
00:20:46,240 --> 00:20:48,576
that the power of
the old occult masters
286
00:20:48,600 --> 00:20:50,800
would help the
Nazis rule the world.
287
00:20:51,720 --> 00:20:54,920
Himmler is said to
have used his power
288
00:20:54,960 --> 00:20:59,960
to collect as many books
about witchcraft, the supernatural
289
00:21:00,000 --> 00:21:02,680
and the occult as possible,
290
00:21:02,720 --> 00:21:06,800
his collection totalled
approximately 13,000 books
291
00:21:06,840 --> 00:21:08,560
and manuscripts.
292
00:21:10,240 --> 00:21:14,160
The castle was soon used
in service of his obsession.
293
00:21:15,960 --> 00:21:17,960
(Ominous music)
294
00:21:18,000 --> 00:21:19,360
(Speaks Russian)
295
00:21:33,120 --> 00:21:39,000
But stories persist that the ss used
houska as more than just a library.
296
00:21:40,600 --> 00:21:44,480
Locals claimed to have heard
moans, screams and cries
297
00:21:44,520 --> 00:21:48,080
in many different languages
coming from the castle at night.
298
00:21:49,400 --> 00:21:50,720
And the rumour went around
299
00:21:50,760 --> 00:21:54,440
that it was being used for
some fringe scientific experiments
300
00:21:54,480 --> 00:21:56,200
on human subjects.
301
00:21:57,560 --> 00:21:59,999
Some claim that the ss were
attempting to create super soldiers
302
00:22:00,000 --> 00:22:01,936
some claim that the ss were
attempting to create super soldiers
303
00:22:01,960 --> 00:22:04,560
by performing
black magic rituals.
304
00:22:06,920 --> 00:22:08,480
(Speaks Russian)
305
00:22:24,520 --> 00:22:25,960
Once the war had ended,
306
00:22:26,000 --> 00:22:28,560
the castle was used
as a children's home,
307
00:22:30,000 --> 00:22:35,200
one of its former residents
told miroslav an unsettling story.
308
00:22:36,080 --> 00:22:37,760
(Speaks Russian)
309
00:23:01,680 --> 00:23:03,240
(Tense musical sting)
310
00:23:03,280 --> 00:23:07,360
The truth of what happened
here may never be known.
311
00:23:07,400 --> 00:23:08,560
But there is no doubt
312
00:23:08,600 --> 00:23:12,280
that a very real evil
did stalk these halls.
313
00:23:13,160 --> 00:23:15,280
(Foreboding music)
314
00:23:15,320 --> 00:23:18,600
It's clear that himmler and
some of his crackpot henchmen
315
00:23:18,640 --> 00:23:21,400
in the ss were
profoundly into the occult
316
00:23:21,440 --> 00:23:23,416
but there's also a
lot of exaggeration
317
00:23:23,440 --> 00:23:26,240
around how widespread that was.
318
00:23:26,280 --> 00:23:30,480
Sometimes it's difficult
for us to understand
319
00:23:30,520 --> 00:23:32,080
how people could be so evil
320
00:23:32,120 --> 00:23:36,240
so we conjure these
wild conspiracy theories
321
00:23:36,280 --> 00:23:42,880
to try to explain human psychology
that we can't comprehend.
322
00:23:44,000 --> 00:23:46,480
(Ominous music)
323
00:23:52,520 --> 00:23:53,680
After the war,
324
00:23:53,720 --> 00:23:57,360
houska was seized
by the communist state,
325
00:23:57,400 --> 00:23:59,999
it was finally returned to
zuzana's family in the 1990s.
326
00:24:00,000 --> 00:24:02,720
It was finally returned to
zuzana's family in the 1990s.
327
00:24:03,640 --> 00:24:06,760
Today she is working
to preserve the castle
328
00:24:06,800 --> 00:24:09,880
and all its legends
for future generations.
329
00:24:13,000 --> 00:24:14,760
(Speaks Russian)
330
00:24:36,480 --> 00:24:38,160
(Pacing music)
331
00:24:38,720 --> 00:24:40,840
On the coast of west Africa
332
00:24:40,880 --> 00:24:45,760
is a scarred structure that
embodies a country's devastating past.
333
00:24:48,760 --> 00:24:50,760
(Suspenseful music)
334
00:24:51,800 --> 00:24:56,200
Liberia is one of the oldest
nations on the continent of Africa
335
00:24:56,240 --> 00:24:59,680
and its capital is a
city called Monrovia.
336
00:25:00,520 --> 00:25:05,720
Monrovia is a vibrant city
with mainly low-rise buildings
337
00:25:05,760 --> 00:25:09,600
so this abandoned structure
really stands out from the crowd.
338
00:25:11,280 --> 00:25:14,920
It's nine storeys
tall, 300 rooms,
339
00:25:14,960 --> 00:25:17,840
judging by its size
and organisation
340
00:25:17,880 --> 00:25:20,880
it might have been a
hospital at one point
341
00:25:20,920 --> 00:25:23,000
or maybe a
high-end office block.
342
00:25:24,200 --> 00:25:28,040
It looks like the place had
been looted from top to bottom.
343
00:25:30,320 --> 00:25:32,256
This picture of the
building is complicated
344
00:25:32,280 --> 00:25:34,080
by the structure
that's next to it
345
00:25:34,120 --> 00:25:36,720
which is in this
strange circular shape,
346
00:25:36,760 --> 00:25:39,280
it almost looks like a
spaceship of some sort.
347
00:25:40,560 --> 00:25:44,280
One feature reveals
what this place used to be.
348
00:25:45,720 --> 00:25:46,960
An empty swimming pool
349
00:25:47,000 --> 00:25:50,000
tells us that this building
must have been a hotel.
350
00:25:50,960 --> 00:25:55,400
What ripped apart this once
luxurious holiday hotspot?
351
00:25:56,600 --> 00:25:59,999
This hotel bears the scars
of a catastrophic event.
352
00:26:00,000 --> 00:26:02,600
This hotel bears the scars
of a catastrophic event.
353
00:26:03,000 --> 00:26:04,920
(Soft music)
354
00:26:06,720 --> 00:26:09,600
Liberia is one of the
poorest countries in the world
355
00:26:09,640 --> 00:26:10,800
so it's easy to forget
356
00:26:10,840 --> 00:26:13,560
that it was once one of
Africa's richest nations.
357
00:26:16,320 --> 00:26:18,880
In the 1950s and '60s,
358
00:26:18,920 --> 00:26:23,640
Liberia's economy was thriving
due to its rich natural resources
359
00:26:23,680 --> 00:26:27,000
such as rubber, iron
ore and diamonds.
360
00:26:28,280 --> 00:26:32,480
With that came an appetite
to tap into another industry.
361
00:26:33,080 --> 00:26:36,560
Liberia wanted to open the
country up to more foreign tourists
362
00:26:36,600 --> 00:26:39,680
and this was the hotel
to realise that ambition.
363
00:26:39,720 --> 00:26:41,120
(Dramatic music)
364
00:26:42,680 --> 00:26:45,760
This was the ducor palace hotel.
365
00:26:54,840 --> 00:26:58,400
Henry buckle used to
work here as a bartender.
366
00:26:58,440 --> 00:26:59,999
(Pacing music)
367
00:27:00,000 --> 00:27:01,000
(Pacing music)
368
00:27:14,760 --> 00:27:16,680
Built-in 1960
369
00:27:16,720 --> 00:27:21,040
the ducor palace was operated
by a well-known hotel empire.
370
00:27:22,000 --> 00:27:25,080
The intercontinental
hotel chain took over
371
00:27:25,120 --> 00:27:27,120
and it became one of Africa's
372
00:27:27,160 --> 00:27:31,160
and even the world's
most luxurious hotels.
373
00:27:33,840 --> 00:27:36,560
Africa's first five-star hotel
374
00:27:36,600 --> 00:27:39,240
changed the face
of Liberia's capital.
375
00:27:40,920 --> 00:27:44,160
The hotel illuminated
Monrovia's skies
376
00:27:44,200 --> 00:27:47,080
and it was the heart
and soul of the city.
377
00:27:48,600 --> 00:27:52,520
And it was a stomping ground
for many of the rich and famous.
378
00:27:52,560 --> 00:27:55,680
And hosted important
African leaders.
379
00:27:56,760 --> 00:27:59,999
One caretaker claimed he even
saw idi armin the Ugandan dictator
380
00:28:00,000 --> 00:28:01,256
one caretaker claimed he even
saw idi armin the Ugandan dictator
381
00:28:01,280 --> 00:28:05,000
swimming in the pool
while still wearing his gun.
382
00:28:24,560 --> 00:28:27,680
It offered its guests
whether from home or abroad
383
00:28:27,720 --> 00:28:30,400
the very best from the
moment they arrived.
384
00:28:31,400 --> 00:28:33,480
(Soft music)
385
00:28:33,520 --> 00:28:36,840
The architecture was
big, bold and modern,
386
00:28:36,880 --> 00:28:40,760
it had a covered circular driveway
with these beautiful blue tiles
387
00:28:40,800 --> 00:28:43,640
so the guests really
got dropped off in style.
388
00:29:00,480 --> 00:29:04,400
From the lobby, you could
ascend the grand circular stairway
389
00:29:04,440 --> 00:29:06,240
to the main restaurant.
390
00:29:07,120 --> 00:29:11,680
And the creme de la creme,
a 360-degree rooftop bar
391
00:29:11,720 --> 00:29:13,600
from which to enjoy the vista.
392
00:29:15,240 --> 00:29:17,320
Henry's career in
the hotel evolved
393
00:29:17,360 --> 00:29:19,480
from bartender to chef.
394
00:29:34,960 --> 00:29:37,040
In the 1960s and 1970s,
395
00:29:37,080 --> 00:29:40,360
it was a place of prosperity
and extreme privilege.
396
00:29:41,920 --> 00:29:44,160
However, by the 1980s
397
00:29:44,200 --> 00:29:47,080
a radical change
was on the horizon.
398
00:29:47,120 --> 00:29:51,080
Intercontinental ceased
management of ducor palace.
399
00:29:51,120 --> 00:29:54,360
It was only the start
of the hotel's troubles.
400
00:29:55,920 --> 00:29:57,440
In 1989,
401
00:29:57,480 --> 00:29:59,999
a civil war was about
to break out in Liberia
402
00:30:00,000 --> 00:30:00,200
a civil war was about
to break out in Liberia
403
00:30:00,240 --> 00:30:03,560
and the hotel reacted by
closing its doors to visitors.
404
00:30:06,160 --> 00:30:09,440
Trained rebels invaded Liberia
from the neighbouring country
405
00:30:09,480 --> 00:30:13,160
the Ivory Coast, they
were led by Charles Taylor
406
00:30:13,200 --> 00:30:16,320
who wanted to overthrow
Liberian government and take over.
407
00:30:17,600 --> 00:30:22,040
Taylor a sacked government
worker had fled to the us
408
00:30:22,080 --> 00:30:23,600
where he was imprisoned,
409
00:30:23,640 --> 00:30:28,000
only to escape and return
home as head of a rebel militia.
410
00:30:29,440 --> 00:30:34,040
But they weren't the only insurgents
determined to topple the regime.
411
00:30:34,080 --> 00:30:35,920
(Gunshots)
412
00:30:35,960 --> 00:30:37,240
In 1990
413
00:30:37,280 --> 00:30:40,040
a rival guerrilla
force beat them to it,
414
00:30:40,080 --> 00:30:43,000
torturing and
murdering the president.
415
00:30:44,800 --> 00:30:46,120
Once that was done,
416
00:30:46,160 --> 00:30:48,016
both groups turned
against each other
417
00:30:48,040 --> 00:30:50,360
and plunged Liberia
into a civil war.
418
00:30:51,720 --> 00:30:56,720
By 1992 fighting had
intensified in Monrovia.
419
00:30:56,760 --> 00:30:59,999
The hotel now housing
an interim government
420
00:31:00,000 --> 00:31:00,120
the hotel now housing
an interim government
421
00:31:00,160 --> 00:31:03,000
offered some protection
from the bloodshed.
422
00:31:03,040 --> 00:31:08,360
Four years later, a seize fire
bought some respite from the violence
423
00:31:08,400 --> 00:31:12,400
and a surprising winner emerged
from elections that followed.
424
00:31:12,440 --> 00:31:15,040
In 1997 Charles
Taylor won an election
425
00:31:15,080 --> 00:31:16,920
and became president of Liberia
426
00:31:16,960 --> 00:31:20,200
but there were many who
were not happy with this.
427
00:31:22,880 --> 00:31:25,120
Under a tyrannical regime,
428
00:31:25,160 --> 00:31:29,400
the hotel would soon find itself
once again caught in the crossfire.
429
00:31:31,800 --> 00:31:35,360
This hotel which had a
strategic view of the city
430
00:31:35,400 --> 00:31:39,920
became a firing position
for Taylor's rag-tag army.
431
00:31:42,800 --> 00:31:47,920
Liberia's second civil war was
finally bought to an end in 2003
432
00:31:48,800 --> 00:31:52,280
after George w bush
called for Taylor to step down
433
00:31:52,920 --> 00:31:57,160
and he was indicted by a
UN-sponsored war crimes tribunal.
434
00:31:59,400 --> 00:32:00,000
This prompted Charles
Taylor's resignation
435
00:32:00,001 --> 00:32:02,016
this prompted Charles
Taylor's resignation
436
00:32:02,040 --> 00:32:06,000
from his office of president
and he was exiled to Nigeria.
437
00:32:08,000 --> 00:32:09,720
Taylor was gone
438
00:32:09,760 --> 00:32:13,560
but Liberia's economy and
infrastructure was shattered.
439
00:32:14,520 --> 00:32:18,880
It was one of Africa's bloodiest
and most brutal conflicts,
440
00:32:18,920 --> 00:32:22,520
it resulted in the fatalities
of a quarter million residents
441
00:32:22,560 --> 00:32:25,016
and this is in a country
where the entire population
442
00:32:25,040 --> 00:32:26,720
is just over 2 million.
443
00:32:29,000 --> 00:32:31,680
The hotel found another purpose
444
00:32:31,720 --> 00:32:36,440
as a home to thousands of displaced
residents from the slums of Monrovia.
445
00:32:37,520 --> 00:32:39,600
They were moved in 2007
446
00:32:39,640 --> 00:32:41,936
when the Liberian
government leased the hotel
447
00:32:41,960 --> 00:32:45,600
to none other than the
Libyan despot colonel gaddafi
448
00:32:45,640 --> 00:32:48,640
who was a keen purchaser
of African prime real estate.
449
00:33:00,400 --> 00:33:03,880
Gaddafi was now in charge
of a multi-million dollar refit
450
00:33:03,920 --> 00:33:07,240
of the hotel ducor
but not for long.
451
00:33:09,040 --> 00:33:10,040
In 2010,
452
00:33:10,080 --> 00:33:12,480
a clean-up of the
war-torn building began
453
00:33:13,040 --> 00:33:16,720
but relations were turning sour
between the Liberian government
454
00:33:16,760 --> 00:33:18,080
and gaddafi
455
00:33:18,120 --> 00:33:20,440
and so the project
kept being delayed.
456
00:33:20,840 --> 00:33:23,120
Gaddafi was killed
by his own people
457
00:33:23,160 --> 00:33:26,040
and with his demise came
the collapse of his projects
458
00:33:26,080 --> 00:33:29,840
including the rehabilitation
of the ducor palace hotel.
459
00:33:33,600 --> 00:33:35,400
(Suspenseful music)
460
00:33:38,640 --> 00:33:43,080
Liberia is in the midst of a
slow painful process of rebuilding
461
00:33:43,120 --> 00:33:44,800
following its civil war,
462
00:33:44,840 --> 00:33:49,160
hotels are once again starting
to open for business for tourists.
463
00:33:51,680 --> 00:33:54,480
Although there are
still no plans to revive
464
00:33:54,520 --> 00:33:56,800
what was once
the pride of Liberia,
465
00:33:58,600 --> 00:33:59,999
it remains a special place
for Monrovia's residents.
466
00:34:00,000 --> 00:34:02,600
It remains a special place
for Monrovia's residents.
467
00:34:04,000 --> 00:34:05,640
Locals still like to visit,
468
00:34:06,360 --> 00:34:08,080
they spend special
occasions here
469
00:34:08,120 --> 00:34:11,080
such as Christmas
and independence day
470
00:34:11,120 --> 00:34:13,520
so they can admire
its spectacular views.
471
00:34:18,080 --> 00:34:21,000
In north central Arizona, usa,
472
00:34:21,040 --> 00:34:23,560
concealed within
this barren land
473
00:34:23,600 --> 00:34:27,000
is the story of a way
of life forever lost.
474
00:34:30,679 --> 00:34:33,199
They call it the painted
desert for a reason,
475
00:34:33,240 --> 00:34:38,199
the rocks and stones and spaces
just have so many different colours,
476
00:34:38,240 --> 00:34:41,080
nature has created this space
477
00:34:41,120 --> 00:34:44,920
that it looks like an
artist has taken to it.
478
00:34:44,960 --> 00:34:46,840
It's just so beautiful.
479
00:34:50,120 --> 00:34:52,056
Almost blending in
with the landscape
480
00:34:52,080 --> 00:34:54,560
you start to pick
out these structures.
481
00:34:55,199 --> 00:34:56,880
As you get a little bit closer
482
00:34:56,920 --> 00:34:59,416
you can see that these
are definitely manmade,
483
00:34:59,440 --> 00:35:00,000
they have stacked stones and
were once very carefully built.
484
00:35:00,001 --> 00:35:04,840
They have stacked stones and
were once very carefully built.
485
00:35:05,560 --> 00:35:07,520
As you go from room to room
486
00:35:07,560 --> 00:35:11,880
it becomes clear that this was
part of a really large settlement.
487
00:35:14,120 --> 00:35:17,800
Distinctive dark features
in the surrounding terrain
488
00:35:17,840 --> 00:35:21,000
are a tell-tale reminder
of a violent past.
489
00:35:22,400 --> 00:35:25,880
Nearby the geology around the
trail starts to look a bit different,
490
00:35:25,920 --> 00:35:28,840
this rock looks
to be lava flows.
491
00:35:28,880 --> 00:35:32,880
In the distance, you can
see a distinctly shaped hill
492
00:35:32,920 --> 00:35:35,880
and as you get closer
you realise it's a volcano.
493
00:35:37,720 --> 00:35:41,240
Could this have something to
do with these ruins in the desert?
494
00:35:44,000 --> 00:35:46,040
(Suspenseful music)
495
00:35:47,400 --> 00:35:49,480
Working in this
beautiful landscape,
496
00:35:49,520 --> 00:35:52,760
this beautiful environment
is really enlightening,
497
00:35:52,800 --> 00:35:54,936
I take a lot of
personal gratification
498
00:35:54,960 --> 00:35:57,880
from being able to share
that with other people
499
00:35:57,920 --> 00:35:59,999
especially when so
much of our landscapes
500
00:36:00,000 --> 00:36:00,960
especially when so
much of our landscapes
501
00:36:01,000 --> 00:36:03,640
surrounding cities and
towns is being developed
502
00:36:03,680 --> 00:36:06,960
and being you know,
changed forever.
503
00:36:08,320 --> 00:36:10,560
Ian hough is an archaeologist
504
00:36:10,600 --> 00:36:12,680
fascinated by the
ancient communities
505
00:36:12,720 --> 00:36:15,760
that once inhabited
this unforgiving terrain.
506
00:36:17,480 --> 00:36:20,840
Decades of research have
helped uncover the mystery
507
00:36:20,880 --> 00:36:23,480
of what bought life
to this arid region.
508
00:36:25,000 --> 00:36:28,520
You look across that
landscape and it looks very harsh
509
00:36:28,560 --> 00:36:31,520
and inhospitable
and indeed it is.
510
00:36:32,240 --> 00:36:34,336
But people you
know, 900 years ago
511
00:36:34,360 --> 00:36:37,280
found a way to live
in that environment
512
00:36:37,320 --> 00:36:39,160
and thrive for
multiple generations
513
00:36:39,200 --> 00:36:41,880
so it's a testament
to their resiliency
514
00:36:41,920 --> 00:36:44,640
and their adaptability.
515
00:36:44,680 --> 00:36:47,200
Just looking at this
it is very obvious
516
00:36:47,240 --> 00:36:49,416
that these people
had a lot of skill,
517
00:36:49,440 --> 00:36:51,760
that this was a complex society
518
00:36:51,800 --> 00:36:56,000
that had a community that
was able to do something
519
00:36:56,040 --> 00:36:57,840
at this sophisticated level.
520
00:36:58,880 --> 00:36:59,999
This is the wupatki pueblo,
521
00:37:00,000 --> 00:37:01,880
this is the wupatki pueblo,
522
00:37:01,920 --> 00:37:04,600
an ancient indigenous
American settlement
523
00:37:04,640 --> 00:37:06,960
once home to hundreds of people.
524
00:37:08,280 --> 00:37:12,080
So right now I'm standing
at the base of the citadel
525
00:37:12,120 --> 00:37:14,456
and it's one of the larger
archaeological sites here
526
00:37:14,480 --> 00:37:16,280
at wupatki national monument.
527
00:37:16,320 --> 00:37:19,040
When this place was
built and occupied,
528
00:37:19,080 --> 00:37:22,240
the walls would have been a little
bit taller than what you see today.
529
00:37:22,840 --> 00:37:25,960
It was built up high for the,
you know, commanding view,
530
00:37:26,000 --> 00:37:29,840
360 degrees around
that you can see.
531
00:37:29,880 --> 00:37:33,560
It probably began its life as
the home of a single family
532
00:37:33,600 --> 00:37:35,600
and then just grew over time
533
00:37:35,640 --> 00:37:39,560
until it became this sprawling
hundred room pueblo.
534
00:37:40,800 --> 00:37:43,016
Within the middle may
have been an open area
535
00:37:43,040 --> 00:37:48,320
or a Plaza and people would have
been going about daily activities
536
00:37:48,360 --> 00:37:51,080
and that could be anything
from preparing food
537
00:37:51,120 --> 00:37:56,080
to you know, playing with children
to just going about daily chores.
538
00:37:57,760 --> 00:37:59,999
The people that called this home
539
00:38:00,000 --> 00:38:00,080
the people that called this home
540
00:38:00,120 --> 00:38:03,920
were some of the first
to roam this parched land
541
00:38:03,960 --> 00:38:06,160
and they came from far and wide.
542
00:38:07,440 --> 00:38:08,720
Through oral tradition,
543
00:38:08,760 --> 00:38:13,200
we're able to determine that
the builders of the wupatki pueblo
544
00:38:13,240 --> 00:38:18,760
are the ancestors of the hopi
people and likely of the zuni as well.
545
00:38:20,080 --> 00:38:23,520
There was a real melting pot
of different cultures and groups
546
00:38:23,560 --> 00:38:27,480
who were living here and in
Harmony in these buildings.
547
00:38:27,520 --> 00:38:29,280
And so the big question is,
548
00:38:29,320 --> 00:38:32,480
how were these people
able to sustain themselves?
549
00:38:32,520 --> 00:38:39,000
When the reality of the physical
space they're in is just so poor.
550
00:38:39,920 --> 00:38:43,560
You need to have good farming
land in order to grow crops,
551
00:38:43,600 --> 00:38:46,760
you cannot just live
on hunting alone.
552
00:38:47,360 --> 00:38:49,400
It seems the key to life here
553
00:38:49,440 --> 00:38:53,360
lies around 15 miles
southwest of the wupatki pueblo
554
00:38:54,920 --> 00:38:57,600
at the sunset crater volcano.
555
00:38:58,680 --> 00:38:59,999
Around 1085ad,
the volcano erupted
556
00:39:00,000 --> 00:39:02,256
around 1085ad,
the volcano erupted
557
00:39:02,280 --> 00:39:07,120
and it sent out a massive plume
of smoke and ash in this region.
558
00:39:09,520 --> 00:39:13,200
We have some evidence that shows
the sunset crater volcano erupted
559
00:39:13,240 --> 00:39:14,880
in the late 1080s
560
00:39:14,920 --> 00:39:18,320
and it could have been an
eruption that lasted for several years.
561
00:39:18,960 --> 00:39:24,920
Ash and cinder would have drifted
out across this entire landscape,
562
00:39:24,960 --> 00:39:28,080
mostly due to the prevailing
winds coming from the southwest
563
00:39:28,120 --> 00:39:31,720
and pushing that ash
plume out in this area.
564
00:39:32,440 --> 00:39:38,440
This eruption was most definitely
witnessed by the ancestors
565
00:39:38,480 --> 00:39:41,080
of today's pueblo Indians.
566
00:39:41,720 --> 00:39:44,840
They're going to have seen it,
they're going to have fled from it
567
00:39:44,880 --> 00:39:47,160
and we believe they survived it.
568
00:39:48,960 --> 00:39:51,800
It changed the lives
of the people living here
569
00:39:51,840 --> 00:39:54,480
but probably not in
the way you imagine it.
570
00:39:55,080 --> 00:39:57,280
Instead of destroying life here,
571
00:39:57,320 --> 00:39:59,999
it created the conditions
for a community to prosper.
572
00:40:00,000 --> 00:40:02,640
It created the conditions
for a community to prosper.
573
00:40:03,760 --> 00:40:05,576
At several points
during the explosion,
574
00:40:05,600 --> 00:40:09,280
cindery ash was thrown
up to 18 miles into the air,
575
00:40:09,320 --> 00:40:12,080
all of this volcanic material
settled on the landscape
576
00:40:12,120 --> 00:40:14,800
and acted as a kind of sponge.
577
00:40:14,840 --> 00:40:17,880
It helped the soil absorb water
578
00:40:17,920 --> 00:40:22,440
and it made it possible for this
new community to grow food
579
00:40:22,480 --> 00:40:23,880
and survive.
580
00:40:25,160 --> 00:40:29,520
But the life-giving force that spewed
forth from the volcano's bowels
581
00:40:29,560 --> 00:40:31,520
would soon be depleted.
582
00:40:33,200 --> 00:40:38,080
It looks like people stopped
building additional rooms
583
00:40:38,120 --> 00:40:42,600
and expanding the
pueblo in 1225 or 1250
584
00:40:42,640 --> 00:40:44,400
and certainly by 1250
585
00:40:44,440 --> 00:40:48,280
it appears people are
leaving that particular location
586
00:40:48,320 --> 00:40:52,760
to set up pueblos in nearby
areas not that far away.
587
00:40:54,720 --> 00:40:57,800
The theories today
about the wupatki pueblo
588
00:40:57,840 --> 00:40:59,999
is that after 100 years or so
589
00:41:00,000 --> 00:41:00,480
is that after 100 years or so
590
00:41:00,520 --> 00:41:03,200
the soil had lost its fertility,
591
00:41:03,240 --> 00:41:05,040
the ash had degraded enough
592
00:41:05,080 --> 00:41:07,880
that it wasn't able to
sustain the soil anymore
593
00:41:07,920 --> 00:41:10,040
and so the people moved on.
594
00:41:12,280 --> 00:41:13,520
But that wasn't the end,
595
00:41:13,560 --> 00:41:15,320
about 500 years later
596
00:41:15,360 --> 00:41:18,160
navajo people took up
residence in the region.
597
00:41:18,880 --> 00:41:22,480
In time a controversial
new government policy
598
00:41:22,520 --> 00:41:25,400
threatened the
navajo's very existence.
599
00:41:27,120 --> 00:41:29,040
In the 1860s,
600
00:41:29,080 --> 00:41:32,680
the navajo were one of those
people who were moved by force,
601
00:41:32,720 --> 00:41:36,240
they were made to
walk 500 miles away
602
00:41:36,280 --> 00:41:41,440
from the area where they had
been living to a reservation system.
603
00:41:42,080 --> 00:41:44,400
Peshlakai etsetti and his wives
604
00:41:44,440 --> 00:41:47,400
were amongst the people who
were forced to march to fort sumter
605
00:41:47,440 --> 00:41:48,720
and held there,
606
00:41:48,760 --> 00:41:51,016
they were eventually
released in 1868
607
00:41:51,040 --> 00:41:53,400
and they returned
to the wupakti area.
608
00:41:54,480 --> 00:41:57,720
But the peshlakai
family's life at wupakti
609
00:41:57,760 --> 00:41:59,999
ends with the death
of Stella peshlakai.
610
00:42:00,000 --> 00:42:02,400
Ends with the death
of Stella peshlakai.
611
00:42:02,600 --> 00:42:04,960
This bought an end
to the latest period
612
00:42:05,000 --> 00:42:07,680
of indigenous American
settlement here
613
00:42:07,720 --> 00:42:11,440
and the national park service
became caretakers of the land.
614
00:42:16,080 --> 00:42:20,880
Today the park service continues
its work to preserve the integrity
615
00:42:20,920 --> 00:42:25,400
of this ancient site and
its earliest occupants.
616
00:42:27,400 --> 00:42:31,000
It's important to recognise places
like wupakti as not being abandoned
617
00:42:31,040 --> 00:42:36,120
in the sense that the word suggests
nobody appears to be living there
618
00:42:36,160 --> 00:42:40,960
but through consultation with
our associated tribal communities,
619
00:42:41,000 --> 00:42:44,600
we've learned that they view
places like wupakti pueblo
620
00:42:44,640 --> 00:42:46,720
as still being inhabited.
621
00:42:48,280 --> 00:42:51,760
For the modern people who are
descended from the villages here
622
00:42:51,800 --> 00:42:53,800
at wupatki,
623
00:42:53,840 --> 00:42:57,200
it is still full of the
spirits of their ancestors.
624
00:42:57,240 --> 00:42:59,999
Captioned by
ai-media ai-media. TV
625
00:43:00,000 --> 00:43:01,320
captioned by
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51346
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