Greetings

When entering, you soon realise that during the Soviet period, not only some Kazakhs, but many more of the soldiers and others stationed here left their greetings or "Kilroy was here"-marks in this building. This is a common tradition among Soviet Army soldiers - to write their names on some structure before they are demobilized.

Entry forbidden

This is outside the one of the women's sanatorium buildings that has been heavily damaged since WWII. Already during the times as a Soviet military hospital, entry was forbidden (but technically not now, as there are no warning signs in German).
In black, it says "The building is heavily damaged - entry forbidden". In white, below, it says "Greetings to the countrymen from Kazakhstan - '76-'78".



Again, "Entry forbidden" in black, and in white, "Nurlan Kurlantai - Kaz. SSR"

Yurochka

Usually, they've written their names and their hometowns, maybe with a date or a year. Here is someone from Moscow, Marif from Andizhan and Yura from Nevinomysk.
(Hey, I know a guy from Nevinomysk - but does he know Yura, I wonder?)

Deck chair

In this building the weaker walls have mostly caved in, and have been reduced to rubble on the floors. Someone placed this deck chair in here next to a little table.

In the rubble

Vaulted ceilings

I'm curious what they'll do with this building. While being heavily damaged, most of the main frame is still intact, and it is utterly beautiful and well constructed. I hope they'll rebuild it.

Almost flowery

The peeling paint has formed its own patterns in this wall.

Vadim and Sergei were here 1977

Main entrance

Outside, there are concrete letters forming the words "GUTEN TAG".

The dining hall, I'm guessing.

The roof to that part caved in.

Second floor.

Interesting

Nice graffiti covering the Soviet greetings.

There seems to be more graffiti in this building than in the others.

"Depeche Karpaty" - Ukrainians?

More nice graffiti art

Colour

Trees

Third floor - there are trees growing here and there on the building. I feel a bit sorry for them when thinking of the future, when this will likely either be rebuilt or demolished.

Graffiti room

There is another staircase to a fourth floor.

Did I climb it? Sure I did.

But going into abandoned buildings is potentially very dangerous. There are serious risks of falling through floors, cutting yourself up on broken glass, having pieces of the roof fall on your head, stabbing yourself with rusty metal, etc. No one is keeping an eye on the state of the buildings and the things that are inside them, so you're entirely at your own risk. This particular building is very damaged, and when I looked at the roofs from the lower floors I wasn't sure if I wanted to go up there at all. But I was careful to stay close to the walls and tread very lightly.
So, do not attempt this. Let crazy (and lightweight) daredevils like myself bring you these views on photographs, and enjoy them safely at home.