The city as a palimpsest: the phenomenon of “empty places” in the urban environment

The article attempts to analyze, within phenomenological optics, the phenomenon of "empty places" in city, which, turn, is understood as a specifically organized space human life. In an interdisciplinary way, at intersection theoretical urban studies, memory studies and political philosophy, relationship between space, place emptiness environment, considered. Based on concepts Simmel, Heidegger, Bachelard others, author comes conclusion that city kind "palimpsest", which arises under influence not only those elements environment exist actual visual experience everyday life, but also remain format “ruins” or “spectres”, same time have significant symbolic content context landscape, including landscape post-socialist city.