Pripyat, Ukraine

Pripyat or Prypiat is a ghost city in northern Ukraine, near the Ukraine - Belarus border. Named after the nearby Pripyat River, the city was founded on February 4, 1970, as the ninth nuclear city (a type of closed city) in the Soviet Union, to serve the nearby Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant. It was officially proclaimed a city in 1979 and had grown to a population of 49,360 by the time it was evacuated on the afternoon of April 27, 1986, the day after the Chernobyl disaster.

On April 26, 1986, during a test to see how much power was needed to keep the No. 4 reactor operating in the event of a blackout, the No. 4 reactor of Chernobyl Nuclear Station exploded causing fire, which lead in next days to huge damage of the building, releasing extremely dangerous amounts of radioactive chemicals into the air, which over time contaminated millions of square miles in dozens of European nations. The IAEA estimates that approximately 30 people were killed by the explosion and related radiation exposure, with several thousand additional deaths due to higher cancer incidence possible over the long term. 

The town closest to the No. 4 reactor was Pripyat, a city of 49,000 founded in 1970 to house workers from Chernobyl. It had 15 primary schools, a large hospital complex, 25 stores, 10 gyms, along with parks, cinemas, factories, pool, amusement park, and other marks of a thriving community. Due to people, who lived there, it was one of the most beautiful and luxury city in the Soviet Union. Only about three kilometers from the explosion, the entire city was forced to complete evacuate on April 27, in just three hours. It was possible just because this scenario was part of the building plans of the plant.

Access to Pripyat, unlike cities of military importance, was not restricted before the disaster, as the Soviet Union deemed nuclear power stations safer than other types of power plants. Nuclear power stations were presented as achievements of Soviet engineering, harnessing nuclear power for peaceful projects. The slogan "peaceful 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 that would be 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.

To tour Pripyat, Chernobyl, and other surrounding villages, one must first obtain a day pass from the government. These passes can be obtained through the touring companies located in Kyiv, about 110 kilometers from the blast site. There are five well-known tour agencies that take visitors to Pripyat. However, due to the lack of repair, the buildings and other structures in the town are becoming increasingly dilapidated. Because of this, many tour companies will not allow visitors into the buildings.