Prypiat (Ukrainian: При́п'ять, Pryp”jat’; Russian: При́пять, Pripjat’; or Pripyat) is an abandoned city in the Zone of alienation in northern Ukraine, Kiev Oblast, near the border with Belarus. It was home to the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant workers. The city was abandoned in 1986 following the Chernobyl disaster. Its population had been around 50,000 prior to the accident.

The Chernobyl disaster was a nuclear reactor accident in the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant in the Soviet Union (now Northern Ukraine). It was the worst nuclear power plant accident in history and the only instance of level 7 on the International Nuclear Event Scale, resulting in a severe release of radioactivity into the environment following a massive power excursion which destroyed the reactor.

The deserted city is just 18 km away from the power plant. Prypiat is probably the most famous nuclear ghost town. The overall cost of the disaster is estimated at $200 billion USD. This places the Chernobyl disaster as the costliest disaster in modern history. Check a previous article on the vehicles that were used during the disaster and now abandoned in a vehicle cemetery few km away from Prypiat.

Tens of ships were also abandoned due to radioactive contamination.

Abandoned in 1986 those cranes never moved since.

coordinates : 51°24'27.26"N 30°03'08.48E
google map

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  1. Anonymous // Friday, June 12, 2009 1:52:00 PM  

    Why were the cranes there? Were they trying to rebuild?