Chernobyl is located in far northern Ukraine on the border with Belarus. As everyone is aware, a nuclear reactor at Chernobyl suffered a catastrophic meltdown in the spring of 1986. Due to the weather patterns at the time, Ukraine was largely spared from the nuclear fallout. Instead, the prevailing winds pushed the clouds of fallout into Belarus and then as far west as the Scandinavian countries. The Kremlin remained silent and hoped that the West would not become aware of this horrific catastrophe. But when it became impossible to maintain and continue the cover-up, the Politburo finally admitted what had occurred.

Chernobyl was a very small town at the time. Most of those working at the large nuclear complex lived in the city of Pripyat. Due to high radiation levels, the Soviet Union declared an Exclusion Zone around Chernobyl that extended for thirty miles in all directions. Everyone was ordered to evacuate immediately. Everyone simply stopped what they were doing at the moment and left. Open books remained on school desks and prepared meals on kitchen tables. This is how it has remained to this very day. Pripyat is a ghost town and is slowly crumbling from the spring rains and winter snowfall. Most of the Chernobyl survivors and Pripyat evacuees and their decendents now live in the city of Slavutich which was specifically built for this purpose.


Explosion and meltdown in 1986


Guard at an entrance to the Exclusion Zone


The empty road leading to Chernobyl and Pripyat


City of Pripyat with the Chernobyl nuclear plant in the background


Pripyat today... totally empty