Every few months, Alina makes the long journey from the regional capital, Syktyvkar, back to her home village of Kerchomya to visit her family. Each time, she says, the streets feel a little emptier.
Kerchomya, a remote settlement of just more than 700 people in Russia’s Komi Republic in the country’s north-west, was never a bustling place. Wooden houses line its unpaved roads and in winter the single route in and out can become nearly impassable.
