The Chernobyl contamination was divided into four exclusion zones based on radiation amounts. The Chernobyl Exclusion Zone with highest contamination is officially uninhabited. In truth, over 2,000 elderly villagers illegally resettled their homes and farms inside the Zone. Today nearly 400 remain. More than 3,000 workers manage the Zone, living in Chernobyl town during 4-day and 15-day shifts. Another 3,800 personnel commute daily to work at the Chernobyl plant from their new home in Slavutych.
After the accident in 1986, over 160 towns and villages nearby were evacuated. Many were demolished, some were simply abandoned. This village that is beyond the main zone of exclusion where radiation fell but evacuation was not mandatory. In Ukraine, this included over two thousand villages. The accident and indirect consequences continue to affect these residents physically, economically, socially and psychologically.
The questions remain - Why do people stay? No alternatives or a sense of duty or because this is their home?
A 35 man (plus guides) trip to the Ukraine exploring Chernobyl, the village, Duga 3, Pripyat and Kiev including Maidan (Independence Square) and observing the peaceful protests underway.
Some new faces, some old, made new friends and generally we were in our elements.
Rhetorical question but did we have a blast? You bet!
Amazing group, top guys. Till the next time!
My blog:
timster1973.wordpress.com
Also on Facebook
www.Facebook.com/TimKniftonPhotography
online store: www.artfinder.com/tim-knifton
Tags: Village Chernobyl Village Exclusion Zone Ukraine Chernobyl Pripyat Prypyat Derelict Decay Urbex UE Urban exploration Urban wandering Tim Knifton Timster1973 Tim Knifton Canon Europe European exploration Explore Exploration Nuclear Disaster Nuclear Disaster Decaying Forgotten Forgot Tragedy HDR Photomatix High Dynamic Range Photo Photography Neglected Abandon Abandoned Abandonment Rot Rotten Rotting Beautiful Decay Beauty in Decay Decayed and Abandoned Chernobyl Nuclear Disaster Old Still Silent Empty Dereliction House Home Residence Cottage Clouds Dark
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Small kindergarten just outside Chernobyl.
Named for the nearby Pripyat River, Pripyat was founded on 4 February 1970, the ninth nuclear city in the Soviet Union, for the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant. It was officially proclaimed a city in 1979, and had grown to a population of 49,360 before being evacuated a few days after the 26 April 1986 Chernobyl disaster.
Though Pripyat is located within the administrative district of Ivankiv Raion, the abandoned city now has a special status within the larger Kiev Oblast (province), being administered directly from Kiev. Pripyat is also supervised by Ukraine's Ministry of Emergencies, which manages activities for the entire Chernobyl Exclusion Zone.
Access to Pripyat, unlike cities of military importance, was not restricted before the disaster as nuclear power stations were seen by the Soviet Union as safer than other types of power plants. Nuclear power stations were presented as being an achievement of Soviet engineering, where nuclear power was harnessed for peaceful projects. The slogan "peaceful atom" (Russian: ?????? ????, mirnyj atom) was popular during those times. The original plan had been to build the plant only 25 km (16 mi) from Kiev, but the Ukrainian Academy of Sciences, among other bodies, expressed concern about it being too close to the city. As a result, the power station and Pripyat were built at their current locations, about 100 km (62 mi) from Kiev. After the disaster the city of Pripyat was evacuated in two days.
A 35 man (plus guides) trip to the Ukraine exploring Chernobyl, the village, Duga 3, Pripyat and Kiev including Maidan (Independence Square) and observing the peaceful protests underway.
Some new faces, some old, made new friends and generally we were in our elements.
Rhetorical question but did we have a blast? You bet!
Amazing group, top guys. Till the next time!
My blog:
timster1973.wordpress.com
Also on Facebook
www.Facebook.com/TimKniftonPhotography
online store: www.artfinder.com/tim-knifton
Tags: Chernobyl Kindergarten Room School Decaying Ukraine Pripyat Prypyat Derelict Decay Urbex UE Urban exploration Urban wandering Tim Knifton Timster1973 Tim Knifton Canon Europe European exploration Explore Exploration Nuclear Disaster Nuclear Disaster Forgotten Forgot Tragedy HDR Photomatix High Dynamic Range Photo Photography Neglected Abandon Abandoned Abandonment Rot Rotten Rotting Beautiful Decay Beauty in Decay Decayed and Abandoned Chernobyl Nuclear Disaster Old Still Silent Empty Dereliction Classroom
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The Chernobyl contamination was divided into four exclusion zones based on radiation amounts. The Chernobyl Exclusion Zone with highest contamination is officially uninhabited. In truth, over 2,000 elderly villagers illegally resettled their homes and farms inside the Zone. Today nearly 400 remain. More than 3,000 workers manage the Zone, living in Chernobyl town during 4-day and 15-day shifts. Another 3,800 personnel commute daily to work at the Chernobyl plant from their new home in Slavutych.
After the accident in 1986, over 160 towns and villages nearby were evacuated. Many were demolished, some were simply abandoned. This village that is beyond the main zone of exclusion where radiation fell but evacuation was not mandatory. In Ukraine, this included over two thousand villages. The accident and indirect consequences continue to affect these residents physically, economically, socially and psychologically.
The questions remain - Why do people stay? No alternatives or a sense of duty or because this is their home?
A 35 man (plus guides) trip to the Ukraine exploring Chernobyl, the village, Duga 3, Pripyat and Kiev including Maidan (Independence Square) and observing the peaceful protests underway.
Some new faces, some old, made new friends and generally we were in our elements.
Rhetorical question but did we have a blast? You bet!
Amazing group, top guys. Till the next time!
My blog:
timster1973.wordpress.com
Also on Facebook
www.Facebook.com/TimKniftonPhotography
online store: www.artfinder.com/tim-knifton
Tags: Village Chernobyl Village Exclusion Zone Ukraine Chernobyl Pripyat Prypyat Derelict Decay Urbex UE Urban exploration Urban wandering Tim Knifton Timster1973 Tim Knifton Canon Europe European exploration Explore Exploration Nuclear Disaster Nuclear Disaster Decaying Forgotten Forgot Tragedy HDR Photomatix High Dynamic Range Photo Photography Neglected Abandon Abandoned Abandonment Rot Rotten Rotting Beautiful Decay Beauty in Decay Decayed and Abandoned Chernobyl Nuclear Disaster Old Still Silent Empty Dereliction Light Shine Window
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Statue outside kindergarten on the outskirts of Chernobyl.
The Chernobyl contamination was divided into four exclusion zones based on radiation amounts. The Chernobyl Exclusion Zone with highest contamination is officially uninhabited. In truth, over 2,000 elderly villagers illegally resettled their homes and farms inside the Zone. Today nearly 400 remain. More than 3,000 workers manage the Zone, living in Chernobyl town during 4-day and 15-day shifts. Another 3,800 personnel commute daily to work at the Chernobyl plant from their new home in Slavutych.
After the accident in 1986, over 160 towns and villages nearby were evacuated. Many were demolished, some were simply abandoned. This village that is beyond the main zone of exclusion where radiation fell but evacuation was not mandatory. In Ukraine, this included over two thousand villages. The accident and indirect consequences continue to affect these residents physically, economically, socially and psychologically.
A 35 man (plus guides) trip to the Ukraine exploring Chernobyl, the village, Duga 3, Pripyat and Kiev including Maidan (Independence Square) and observing the peaceful protests underway.
Some new faces, some old, made new friends and generally we were in our elements.
Rhetorical question but did we have a blast? You bet!
Amazing group, top guys. Till the next time!
My blog:
timster1973.wordpress.com
Also on Facebook
www.Facebook.com/TimKniftonPhotography
online store: www.artfinder.com/tim-knifton
Tags: Statue B&W Black and White Mono Monochrome Kindergarten School Education Children Child Memorial Village Chernobyl Village Exclusion Zone Ukraine Chernobyl Pripyat Prypyat Derelict Decay Urbex UE Urban exploration Urban wandering Tim Knifton Timster1973 Tim Knifton Canon Europe European exploration Explore Exploration Nuclear Disaster Nuclear Disaster Decaying Forgotten Forgot Tragedy HDR Photomatix High Dynamic Range Photo Photography Neglected Abandon Abandoned Abandonment Rot Rotten Rotting Beautiful Decay Beauty in Decay Decayed and Abandoned Chernobyl Nuclear Disaster Old Still Silent Empty Dereliction Black & White
© All Rights Reserved
The Chernobyl contamination was divided into four exclusion zones based on radiation amounts. The Chernobyl Exclusion Zone with highest contamination is officially uninhabited. In truth, over 2,000 elderly villagers illegally resettled their homes and farms inside the Zone. Today nearly 400 remain. More than 3,000 workers manage the Zone, living in Chernobyl town during 4-day and 15-day shifts. Another 3,800 personnel commute daily to work at the Chernobyl plant from their new home in Slavutych.
After the accident in 1986, over 160 towns and villages nearby were evacuated. Many were demolished, some were simply abandoned. This village that is beyond the main zone of exclusion where radiation fell but evacuation was not mandatory. In Ukraine, this included over two thousand villages. The accident and indirect consequences continue to affect these residents physically, economically, socially and psychologically.
The questions remain - Why do people stay? No alternatives or a sense of duty or because this is their home?
A 35 man (plus guides) trip to the Ukraine exploring Chernobyl, the village, Duga 3, Pripyat and Kiev including Maidan (Independence Square) and observing the peaceful protests underway.
Some new faces, some old, made new friends and generally we were in our elements.
Rhetorical question but did we have a blast? You bet!
Amazing group, top guys. Till the next time!
My blog:
timster1973.wordpress.com
Also on Facebook
www.Facebook.com/TimKniftonPhotography
online store: www.artfinder.com/tim-knifton
Tags: Village Chernobyl Village Exclusion Zone Ukraine Chernobyl Pripyat Prypyat Derelict Decay Urbex UE Urban exploration Urban wandering Tim Knifton Timster1973 Tim Knifton Canon Europe European exploration Explore Exploration Nuclear Disaster Nuclear Disaster Decaying Forgotten Forgot Tragedy HDR Photomatix High Dynamic Range Photo Photography Neglected Abandon Abandoned Abandonment Rot Rotten Rotting Beautiful Decay Beauty in Decay Decayed and Abandoned Chernobyl Nuclear Disaster Old Still Silent Empty Dereliction Signs Signpost Bokeh
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