Kamensk-Shakhtinskiy, Russia

Capital City

With a population of just 82,425, Kamensk-Shakhtinsky is a sleepy coal town that offers little to entice foreign residents. Once a major mining hub, it now focuses on artificial fibers and machinery - hardly the cosmopolitan experience many expats crave. And the bureaucracy is a persistent headache, as the town maintains an "administrative unit" status akin to a district. While the Seversky Donets River provides some natural scenery, the climate is decidedly harsh, with long, frigid winters. This is a place for the rugged, not the faint of heart.