For reasons that I cannot fully explain, my mind has been taken by the city of Pripyat, Ukraine, or better known as the city which housed the Chernobyl reactor. For those of you who are unaware, about 24 years ago, there was a terrible accident at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant which led to death of 52 people. (Later, the explosion accounted for the deaths of 4000 people.) While I was aware of the nuclear disaster, I had never stopped to ponder the city around the nuclear reactor.

I found out that this city of 50,000 was evacuated about three days after the accident, completely emptying the town. The Soviet government was not entirely truthful about the scale of this nuclear disaster, and led many to believe that the evacuation was temporary and that everyone would soon be able to re-enter the city. Due to their belief of a quick return, many left their most prized possessions within the town.

The city was never opened again. I suppose this is the fact which intrigued me the most, the entire city became a ghost town over night. It is the best example of a post-apocalyptic city that I have ever seen, and because of the way the city was emptied. There are still chairs within classrooms, cups upon coffee tables, and cars within parking lots. It's as if a piece of the citizens of the town never left the city, as evidence of their presence is strewn throughout the town. In the past twenty years, buildings throughout the city have begun to deteriorate as vegetation has begun to claim the city.

I think I would one day love to visit this place, to feel the traces of human souls which still move throughout Pripyat. I am unsure, but lost cities are something which have always drawn my interest.











This picture has kind of an interesting story of its own, This ferris wheel was going to open about three days before the disaster, however, it would never be used due to the explosion.