Silent City

In the late 1980's the disaster that the world had always feared finally came upon the town of Pripyat, Ukraine. Houses, hospitals, schools, cars, clothes and personal possessions were simply left behind, and still remain in their place to this day. The Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant disaster occurred April 26th, 1986 and changed one city, one nation and one society forever. (en.wikipedia.org)

Nuclear power in Russia was on the rise in the 1970's with the construction beginning on the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant. It was the third nuclear power plant on Russian soil and the first in the Ukraine. The first reactor was completed in 1977, with the second following in 1978, the third in 1981 and the forth in 1983. The fifth and sixth reactors were both under construction but were never completed. Each of these reactors was capable of producing 1000 megawatts of electrical power, but were primarily build by the Soviet Union as a source of plutonium for nuclear weapons. (en.wikipedia.org)

While the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant was being built, construction also began on the city of Pripyat. The city was build primarily to house the workers at the power plant and their families, but was also destined to be a major railroad and river cargo port. The city thrived, with around 50 000 people living in it at the time of the accident, and population was projected to reach 78 000 in the very near future (en.wikipedia.org). Residents of Pripyat had access to a hospital, 15 primary schools, 5 secondary schools, a theatre, malls, shops, restaurants and playground. It was also connected by the Yanov railway station (pripyat.com)

On April 25th, 1986, the forth and newest reactor was nearing the end of it’s fuel cycle. An experiment was sc...

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...over. In an area that remains restricted for humans, nature is beginning to thrive as rare species such as the lynx, wild boar, wolves, and the Eurasian brown bear return to the area to live. The zone that is still restricted is so alive with wildlife that the Ukranian government even declared it a wild life sanctuary in 2007 (en.wikipedia.org).

The Chernobyl disaster affected a large portion of the world when reactor four exploded early April 26th, 1986. Some died, thousands were evacuated, and whole nations were affected by the nuclear fallout. Twenty four years after the explosions, Pripyat still remains a silent city untouched by the human population. While animals roam through the streets and buildings of a once thriving city, society reflects upon the effects such disasters can have, and the price we have to be willing to pay in the face of developing energy.