Nature’s Rebirth in Chernobyl

This is the abandoned city of Pripyat, Ukraine. There are very few people, who have not heard of this place. Pripyat once housed the families of thousands. Mostly, they were Chernobyl Nuclear Plant workers, who were forced to abandon their homes after the 1986 disaster. There are numerous photos of the ghost town circulating around the Internet: crumbling houses, rusty machinery. S.T.A.L.K.E.R. video game fans are secretly dreaming to get into the Zone and live to wander through the place reflected in the virtual world filled with monsters. But there is also the other side of Pripyat city. Pripyat has been overtaken by lush green plants and tress. In less than 30 years, it is becoming a forest, full of roaming animals, tweeting birds and green plants.

Today, Pripyat is open for tours. The official guide claims that “the Zone in its central part still has places with elevated radiation – but if you follow the suggested route and the guides’ directions, your visit to the Chernobyl zone and Pripyat town will be absolutely radiation-safe.”

Photo: Igor Lishilenko (IROG).