Chernobyl Today: A Creepy Story told in Pictures
By Village Mayor • Mar 27th, 2009 • Category: Amazing Places, Dangerous, Latest Post, The Best of Village of Joy, WeirdIn the zone of alienation in northern Ukraine, Kiev Oblast, near the border with Belarus. Its population had been around 50,000 prior to the accident. Today, the only residents are deer and wolves along with a solitary guard.
Prypiat used to be proud for being home to the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant workers. But something happened on 26 April 1986…
It took three days before all permanent residents of Chernobyl and the Zone of alienation were evacuated due to unsafe levels of radioactivity. People from around the Soviet Union were forced to come and work here in order to liquidate the danger and evacuate the residents. Many of the workers died or had serious illness from radiation. My father was also recruited for this operation, but he bribed corrupt local officers with some good sausages which were rare and a valuable item at those times, so he’s fine an alive today.
Let the story be told by these magical pictures taken ~20 years later after the accident.
All the texts put in the quotation-marks are mostly the quotations of comments made by the authors of the photos.
(Image credits:Pedro Moura Pinheiro via:villageofjoy.com)
“The sign on the road to Pripyat, the town where the workers of the nuclear plant lived.”
The bridge of death
(Image credits:Vivo (Ben) via:villageofjoy.com)
“After the explosion at Reactor 4 the people of Pripyat flocked on the railway bridge just outside the city to get a good view of the reactor and see what had happened.
Initially, everyone was told that radiation level was minimal and that they were safe. Little did they know that much of the radiation had been blown onto this bridge in a huge spike.”
They saw a beautiful rainbow coloured flames of the burning graphite nuclear core, whose flames were higher than the smoke stack itself. All of them are dead now – they were exposed to levels of over 500 roentgens, which is a fatal dose.
P.S.: note that the photo above is made from 2 different photos (top photo of the reactor and bottom photo of the bridge in Pripyat joined together)
Schools
(Image credits:misterbisson via:villageofjoy.com)
“Deserted secondary school near Chernobyl, Illinsty, Ukraine. Dec 1995 0.96.07.01.19”
(Image credits:left: Vivo (Ben) and right: Anosmia via:villageofjoy.com)
Left: “One of the five schools of Pripyat, each teaching about 1000 children. The schools have remained relatively intact considering the problems with looters eight years ago. I guess books don’t hold much value to the poor. “
Right:”At a 20th anniversary Chernobyl exhibit on Capitol Hill.”
(Image credits:zbruch via:villageofjoy.com)
“Children will never run here again.”
(Image credits:oinkylicious via:villageofjoy.com)
(Image credits:Vivo (Ben) via:villageofjoy.com)
“Gym class”
Kindergarten
(Image credits:Pedro Moura Pinheiro via:villageofjoy.com)
On the left: “Stairs on the creche/kindergarten near the center of Pripyat.”; on the right: “Broken doll on top of a corner cupboard in one of the rooms in the creche/kindergarten in the center of Pripyat.”
(Image credits:hanszinsli via:villageofjoy.com)
“Nursery in the creche/kindergarten”.
(Image credits:Pedro Moura Pinheiro via:villageofjoy.com)
”Child’s big toy car in one of the rooms of the creche/kindergarten”. Notice the number plate of the car – 1984. It must be manufactured 2 years before the accident.
(Image credits:Pedro Moura Pinheiro via:villageofjoy.com)
The note says “Rabbit”. I love those old-school soviet style drawings.
(Image credits:Pedro Moura Pinheiro via:villageofjoy.com)
“Hay stuffed toy”.
(Image credits:Vivo (Ben) via:villageofjoy.com)
Pripyat funfair
(Image credits:Vivo (Ben) via:villageofjoy.com)
“Pripyat funfair was due to be opened on May 1st. The Chernobyl disaster happened April 26th.
No one ever managed to ride the ferries wheel. It remains one of the most irradiated parts of Pripyat since the disaster, making it still dangerous today, 22 years on.”
(Image credits:hanszinsli via:villageofjoy.com)
“Bumper car ride in the amusement park in central Pripyat, it was to be opened on the May 1st celebrations of 1986, five days after the accident”
(Image credits:Pedro Moura Pinheiro via:villageofjoy.com)
(Image credits:Pedro Moura Pinheiro via:villageofjoy.com)
“Ferris wheel control or ticket booth in the amusement park .. I’m sure the plush teddy bear was placed there later by someone looking for an emotional photo, but it’s interesting also to document the later attempts of using the accident to achieve certain media goals.”
Hospital
(Image credits:Vivo (Ben) via:villageofjoy.com)
“Hospital corridor”.
(Image credits:Vivo (Ben) via:villageofjoy.com)
“Found just outside the surgery in the hospital. This hospital received many of Reactor 4’s first victims for treatment immediately after the explosion. The hospital itself however was already exposed to huge amounts of radiation.
Every rescue worker who attended the initial explosion was killed by radiation poisoning.”
(Image credits:abandonia via:villageofjoy.com)
(Image credits:abandonia via:villageofjoy.com)
(Image credits:abandonia via:villageofjoy.com)
Swimming Pool
Olympic athletes must have been training here for the 70’s/80’s. The pool is really huge – this place must’ve been the best around.
(Image credits:oinkylicious via:villageofjoy.com)
(Image credits:oinkylicious via:villageofjoy.com)
Other buildings
(Image credits:rusocer via:villageofjoy.com)
“Pripyat, ghost city abandoned after chernobyl catastrophe, has grown to a forest. nature takes over and invades and collapses human creations the views remind some apocalipthic films like I am a Legend; Views from highst building in town, a former Hotel“.
(Image credits:Stuck in Customs via:villageofjoy.com)
“Radiated Apartment Building”.
(Image credits:Vivo (Ben) via:villageofjoy.com)
The Government have left us – “From what I saw inside, I’d presume this was the local government building. There was a political event scheduled for a few days after the explosion and there are many pamphlets and banners still inside. “
(Image credits:Vivo (Ben) via:villageofjoy.com)
“These extremely well preserved posters are the last evidence of what the city’s inhabitants were like. I’m unsure of the details but I believe these men were politicians”.
(Image credits:Stuck in Customs via:villageofjoy.com)
We can see hammer and sickle on the roof.
(Image credits:Carpetblogger via:villageofjoy.com)
(Image credits:Pedro Moura Pinheiro via:villageofjoy.com)
Left: “Dismantled sofa-bed in one of the apartments in the 16 story residential apartment”
Right: “Elevator call button in the 16 story residential apartment building facing the central square of Pripyat.”
(Image credits:Pedro Moura Pinheiro via:villageofjoy.com)
(Image credits:Pedro Moura Pinheiro via:villageofjoy.com)
“Electrical junction box in the 16 story residential apartment building”
(Image credits:Pedro Moura Pinheiro via:villageofjoy.com)
Left: “Sofa under an open back window in one of the apartments in the 16 story residential apartment building”
Right: “Broken ceiling light fixture in one of the apartments in the 16 story residential apartment”
(Image credits:Pedro Moura Pinheiro via:villageofjoy.com)
“Newspaper used as a backing to glue the wallpaper in one of the apartments in the 16 story residential apartment building facing the central square of Pripyat.”
Newspapers title: “Pravda” (Truth) – the official propaganda newspaper of the Soviet Union
Newspapers date: “Wednesday, 25th of May 1983”
Articles title on the left: “Africa fights and builds”
Other title at the bottom: “Land owners”
(Image credits:Pedro Moura Pinheiro via:villageofjoy.com)
Translations from the top to bottom:
“Store #1”
“Rainbow”
“Happy to provide service from 11 to 20 (?)
Lunch from 14 to 15”
“Saturday from 9 to 17
Lunch from 13 to 14”
(Image credits:rusocer via:villageofjoy.com)
“400m away from the reactor (max allowed)” “2.0 rt being off-scale of the reader-device. average radiation level of a non contaminated area: 0.010 rt/m2″
(Image credits:Stuck in Customs via:villageofjoy.com)
Two more reactors, no. 5 and 6, capable of producing 1 GW each, were under construction at the time of the disaster.
Living creatures
(Image credits:rusocer via:villageofjoy.com)
“These whikeers-fish survived and devolped countermeasures against the deadly radiation levels of the contaminated water in the rivers surrounding Chernobyl. we didnt there to have a splash with them but we fed them big chunks of bread that were guzzled in the blink of an eye !! “.
If you want to read real stories of Chernobyl survivors you should definitely check: Voices from Chernobyl: The Oral History of a Nuclear Disaster
“This book is a punch in the gut. There’s no nicer way to say it. It’s downright devastating. It’s something that every single person should read. Even if you only know Chernobyl vaguely, two things are made painfully apparent by this book: whatever you’ve read about Chernobyl in the past has probably grossly underestimated the magnitude of the disaster; and the death and injury toll from the accident hasn’t stopped yet. Not by a long shot.” – a review from Amazon.com.
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November 2nd, 2009 at 9:19 pm
wow- a picture paints a thousand words and yet I have so very few- that was a real tragedy.
November 1st, 2009 at 4:21 pm
Listening to “netsky – your way” in endless repeat and looking and reading this…
it’s like…
..
i can’t find the words for that.
October 30th, 2009 at 11:38 am
“All ghillied up”, is all I can say, best computer game level ever COD 4 MW, shame it was inspired by such tragedy
October 29th, 2009 at 2:54 pm
holy crud these pictures are really gut renching. i would love to go to pripyat at some point and get near the ferris wheel and the goverment building. i would also love to get some great photos of everything that is left.
Email me at Reillymcdermott@ymail.com if you have any more photos of this and anything relating to this.
thanks
October 28th, 2009 at 11:05 pm
Reminds me of Fallout.
October 27th, 2009 at 3:26 pm
Wow. Great pictures. Wish I’d taken ones this good when I was there.
October 24th, 2009 at 9:21 am
i cant beleave how i felt when i saw thoughs pics. : (
October 24th, 2009 at 9:18 am
i think the exploshing was hurrble it made me feel so dead its like it shut me down completly it just made me depressed
October 24th, 2009 at 9:09 am
Hummm…
Some ideas to RPG games, like World of Darkness, Vampire or Werewolf…
Great pictures!
October 23rd, 2009 at 7:23 pm
truly amazing pictures…
its unbeleiveable how this happened about twenty years ago, i think, and it is STILL radioactive… creeepy(:
October 23rd, 2009 at 10:37 am
its cazy and very scary but im in school bord and them are very cool pictures thanks for them
October 23rd, 2009 at 10:35 am
thats crazy and im doing a project about it
October 21st, 2009 at 2:10 pm
omg if any of you have left bad coments saying things like its nufin u go there and go through it half ur family dead no where to go everything contaminated and no belonging yess its all fine tho lol get a life cos the people there havnt got one
October 20th, 2009 at 4:16 pm
whoever took those photos has a real tallent, i felt like i was there absorbing everything wit a poisend heart…GJ
October 19th, 2009 at 11:20 am
How would one get into Chernobyl, I know you cant just walk in.
October 14th, 2009 at 6:15 pm
My fear that this would eventually occur is why I wrote and recorded Uranium-235, which was released in 1984 by Shadow Records. Although the lyrics reference radiating testicles, mongoloids, radiation reading soaring, thyroid glands abnormalized, metabolic rates minimized , and bands of mutants humanoids the words are meaningless noise contrasted with these images.
October 13th, 2009 at 11:20 pm
This is an extreme tradgedy. These pictures are so eery, but sad as-well.
It is like nothing ive ever seen, even the weather looks sad.
Just horrible to think an accident like this could completely run a whole town out, as-well as kill a lot of the residents ):
October 13th, 2009 at 11:03 pm
I’m sure you have seen her site before, but for those who haven’t check out Elena Filatova’s site. http://www.angelfire.com/extreme4/kiddofspeed/
She goes into Prypiat and the areas around in the Ukraine and Belorussia, giving a detailed record of what it’s like there. Her photos detail much of the same that has been shown here.
October 5th, 2009 at 2:33 am
I remember of the repercution in my country. I was a boy. God bless the city’s vitims.
October 1st, 2009 at 10:41 am
these are call of duty 4 map call bloc
October 1st, 2009 at 6:39 am
Uau!
Belíssimas fotos, gostei!
Gostei do site também.
abraço
September 30th, 2009 at 9:47 pm
I was 7 yrs old at the time of this accident. I remember having to practice the emergancy protocall in the event of something like this happening. The pictures of the severly deformed children born after is more disturbing than a contaminated ghost town. These were children that were not fortunate enough to die due to this horrific event. They live hidden from society to die alone. I like the question that was asked in a movie (that I can’t recall at this time) it was. Yes we can do it, but should we? This I imagine was an excellant reason to come up with a very resounding NO!!!!
September 30th, 2009 at 10:09 am
Hey there!
You got a lot of great shots there! This is one of our most surreal Living Tragedyes. I am really impressed by this pics. Great job, great pictures, and at the same time… Creepy.
Congratulations!
September 30th, 2009 at 10:07 am
hahaha u r all geeks why would u post things on this
September 30th, 2009 at 10:01 am
These pictures are sooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo cool
September 29th, 2009 at 5:23 pm
Fallout 3.
Identico.
September 29th, 2009 at 4:37 pm
It looks like Silent Hill… Creepy…
September 28th, 2009 at 9:32 am
wow looks tragedic I was born in the same year as the accident happened.
September 27th, 2009 at 7:30 pm
i am so creeped out
September 27th, 2009 at 9:27 am
This why I hate nucular power plant, its not the technology I dont trust, its the pople
Cutting corners will have fatal consequences
September 13th, 2009 at 2:11 pm
Amazing pictures. Way to tell a tale through images. The feeling, seeing those pictures is the same as playing “Stalker”, a game who’s story centers Cernobyl.
September 12th, 2009 at 6:49 pm
I think I played that level in Call of Duty 4. Doesn’t it look identical?
September 8th, 2009 at 11:47 pm
On my 1000 places to go before I die list for sure.
September 5th, 2009 at 4:29 am
Sweet pictures
August 25th, 2009 at 6:14 am
pretty haunting stuff, great post.
August 20th, 2009 at 2:24 am
this is mad crazy
August 5th, 2009 at 4:36 pm
This is some really cool information you are providing on Chernobyl….Im buying the book
July 31st, 2009 at 11:26 am
cool and disturbing but amazing pictures.
July 16th, 2009 at 11:29 pm
@Matt: Cool, I forgot the name. Thanks again. Take care man.
July 16th, 2009 at 6:24 pm
@Ben,
Yes, that’s part of the “Bio-Mass” plant project (see links).
July 15th, 2009 at 8:03 pm
@Matt: Thanks man. BTW that was a good and valid point about fuel transportation. Also I read in Popular Science a while back about a method of power generation utilizing garbage which basically incinerated it at extreme heat and captured ALL the by-products released generating enough power to drive itself once running and a small amount extra to sell back. Also the by-products are commercially and industrially useful and can thus be recycled readily. I haven’t heard more from it but it was pretty cool. In case you were interested.
The main issue with switching to green power is the inherent instability of it. Wind patterns are usually consistent but not constant, same with solar. We really need to invest in adapting our system to switch. You convinced me electric cars are better in that regard but we can further improve them and all energy but changing our setup.
July 14th, 2009 at 3:29 pm
@Ben,
The estimated line-loss (Joule-heating) of electrical transmission lines is roughly 7% — small, but not insignificant. This loss will improve as older, less-efficient transformers, lines, and equipment are replaced. However, that 7% factored into the electric-vehicle equation still gives it an overall efficiency of approximately 79-88%. Relatedly, the transport of liquid fuel (gasoline) by truck or direct pipeline has its own inefficiencies, as well (and were not included in my original calculation).
Basically, there are numerous ways to produce electricity — many of which are ‘environmentally friendlier’ than fossil fuels — that can be implemented now or in the evolution of our expanding electrical grid. And, it’s much easier to transition to pure-electric vehicles, using our current or expanded infrastructure, as opposed to “starting from scratch” with (for example) hydrogen-powered vehicles.
There are also several new technological advances being investigated for “greener” generation of electricity. The CO2 Capture and Storage system and Zero-Emissions power plants. There is also the Bio-Mass power plant option — which would also reduce landfill volumes as a side benefit.
Below are sources for some of the information in my posts. Unfortunately, I don’t have readily-available several sources for my original post; however, most or all of it is available online.
SOURCES
line loss:
http://climatetechnology.gov/library/2003/tech-options/tech-options-1-3-2.pdf
engine efficiency:
http://www.fueleconomy.gov/FEG/atv.shtml
Joule heating:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joule_heating
CCS/Zero-Emissions Power Plants:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carbon_Capture_and_Storage
http://www.zero-emissionplatform.eu/website/library/
bio-mass plants:
http://www.powerscorecard.org/tech_detail.cfm?resource_id=1
coal power:
http://www.sierraclub.org/cleanair/factsheets/power.asp
electrical grid:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electric_power_transmission
electric cars:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electric_vehicle
http://www.electroauto.com/info/pollmyth.shtml
July 13th, 2009 at 4:33 pm
@Matt: Thank you for correcting that. Im still not entirely convinced that electirc cars can achieve that high a level of efficiency after line resistance is factored in but perhaps electric is not as bad as I thought. Where do you get your information from also, I am interested in compairing Hybrid as well and basing it off the same place you got your info from.
July 13th, 2009 at 1:03 pm
My sister lives in Pripyat. it’s nearest Chernobyl. There are live nobody….
July 13th, 2009 at 12:10 pm
@Ben:
On your ‘off topic’ statement: Your assertion that “electric cars pollute more than non-electric” couldn’t be farther from the truth. The average internal-combustion gasoline engine (ICE) is approximately 20-35% efficient — meaning that roughly 65% of the gasoline’s energy is wasted with the balance being converted into mechanical energy. Then, additional mechanical losses bring the balance of energy that reaches the drive wheels down to less than 15%. With electric cars, the efficiency is in the 80-95% range — with regenerative braking and a minimal “idling” loss adding to that balance. So, using mid-range examples, replacing 15%-efficient gasoline cars with 85%-efficient electric cars, it would be a huge savings in energy content, alone.
Also, the implication that electric cars simply divert the environmental impact is technically correct, however the impact is much, much smaller — even for coal-fired power plants. And, it’s much easier to clean up the emmissions of a few hundred power plants — with newer techniques, “scrubbers,” etc. — than it is to control the emmisions of millions of gasoline-powered vehicles.
July 13th, 2009 at 3:26 am
It’s pretty amazing to see the state of this city today. It almost seems like something out of a movie, very interesting and sad.
July 6th, 2009 at 4:54 pm
Ben- there is another benefit to Nuclear power that most other sources of power cannot match and that is that it can be quickly changed to match changes in consumption during the day, or season to season.
For example, while a coal-fired plant can produce a lot of power, it cannot be controlled over much of a range, nor can it be brought on line fast enough to meet peak needs.
Most of us cannot imagine how much power most large scale plants produce. To be anywhere near a truly large generator is almost terrifying due to the forces at work. We can more easily imagine a bank of solar cells or wind turbines and think that is what most of our power sources are like. Not so.
July 6th, 2009 at 4:12 pm
@Jared: True but renewable power sources often, although not always, are not “Always On.” For example a wind farm may not always have wind to drive their fans. Nuclear is a semi-clean, if properly disposed of and maintained, power source which can help in transitioning to less destructive forms. The problem with wind, for instance, is the windy areas dont have enough powerlines and infrastructure to properly distribute power. This also generally applies to the good solar panel areas and some, but not all, hydro areas. Unfortunately, until this infrastructure is in place, we need to rely on other sources.
It should also be taken into account that not all renewable sources are all that good either. They dramatically alter the environment as well. Wind is hard on the avian wildlife (birds), and hydro changes rivers significantly.
Solar power has its own set of problems. Solar has the problem of being prohibitively expensive, while it takes up huge amounts of space. The rule of thumb being 10% of the square-footage of a floorplan being needed in the square-footage of the panels. With the average square footage of the homes in the U.S. being 2300 square feet, that means we need 230 square feet of panels, per family. Individually this sounds small but it adds up fast. Satellites have potential in this area, they are considering mounting panels in space and then transmitting it back to earth. Again, very expensive, and this technology has problems still, like how can it be done.
A bit off topic here:
It should also be noted that electric cars pollute more than non-electric because ~75% of power is generated by polluting sources. The power generated, of course, doesnt all make it to the destination (of the generated power only part of it gets used because of resistance. I don’t know the percentages here, most of it does get used however.) The power plants have less pollution controls than cars. Basically, use more power, cause more to be generated to fill demand, cause more pollution, this new pollution has less controls than driving an efficient gas car.
July 4th, 2009 at 10:52 am
No need to flame man, if you back modern nuclear power, great, but consider these events and the fact that the technology isn’t widely understood. People will be against it until they better understand why more modern reactors are less likely to do this. And really, if one did go bang, the energy released is enormous,good luck containing it, you can’t. It is just a lot less likely to go critical in the first place.
July 4th, 2009 at 10:37 am
there are so many safer ways to get our power we don’t need to rely on nuclear plants for power use a wind mill or a solar panel or hydro power this is a whole lot safer than nuclear power.