Exploring the deserted city of Pripyat: A haunting visit to Chernobyl nearly four decades after the nuclear disaster

Pripyat, located ten minutes from the Chernobyl nuclear plant in northern Ukraine, was heavily impacted by the 1986 radioactive accident. Almost 40 years later, the city remains uninhabitable due to high radiation levels, but its eerie buildings and abandoned children’s games have inspired books and video games. To reach Pripyat from Kyiv, the capital of Ukraine, it takes a two-hour drive. Visitors are required to discard their clothing, avoid entering abandoned buildings, stay away from mossy areas containing radiation, and use sunscreen due to the presence of mosquitoes.

El Comercio visited Pripyat on May 31 after exploring the Chernobyl nuclear power plant and seeing the sarcophagus covering reactor number 4, which caused the nuclear disaster. The city once housed 60,000 inhabitants, mainly workers and their families from the nuclear plant. Pripyat was designed to provide services to the plant and was popular among young people seeking their own apartments.

Residents like Olga Tarmovska and Volodymyr Verbitsky recall the events of the catastrophe in 1986. They were evacuated from Pripyat and never returned. Today, they are unable to live in the area due to the lasting effects of radiation. The abandoned amusement park with bumper cars and a mechanical wheel, both with high radiation levels, have become iconic symbols of the ghost city. Pripyat’s eerie scenery has inspired books like “Voices from Chernobyl” and video games like STALKER: Shadow of Chernobyl.

Despite the radiation, wildlife has thrived in the area, with various animals making their home in and around Pripyat. The region has a diverse fauna, including horses, birds, bears, bison, wolves, and more. In recent news, Russian forces caused damage amounting to $40 million at the Chernobyl plant during their occupation in early 2022. Despite the theft and destruction of equipment, officials assure that there is no current danger to the plant’s security.