Debris After the Chernobyl Explosion

Firefighters were not aware just how deadly and dangerous the radiation was when they rushed in to contain the fire from the intial explosion. At least one would die days later from acute radiation poisoning.
Chernobyl in 1986 vs. 2018
Wreckage in Chernobyl
Preparing for the Opening of the New Power Plant in 2018

According to Getty Images, "the new plant has about 3,800 photovoltaic panels installed across an area of 1.6 hectares just a hundred metres from a giant metal dome, sealing the remains of the 1986 Chernobyl accident."
Before & After of Pool in Pripyat
Abandoned Hospital in Pripyat
View of the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant After the Explosion on April 26, 1986
Stray Dogs Near Chernobyl

Surprisingly, wild animals--including dogs, deer, and others--have thrived around Chernobyl after the disaster. Many of the dogs are descendants of the pets citizens had to leave behind as they fled the town.
Dismembered Dolls Left Behind
A Dosimeter Showing Raditation Levels Near Abandoned Reactor 4 Statue
An Inside Look at the Deterioration of a Car in Chernobyl
Liquidators Measuring Radiation Levels in the Chernobyl Aftermath

Fun fact: These "anti-chemical warfare suits" offer zero protection from radioactivity.
Inside the Kopachi Kindergarten
A Memento Left Behind
Abandoned Piano
A Stop in the Pripyat Tour

Tours of the abandoned town of Pripyat are becoming increasingly common as the threat from radiation slowly but surely begins to decrease.
Abandoned Building
Chernobyl Tour

Chernobyl tours are up by 30% in 2019 compared to the previous year, thanks to HBO's show about the 1986 nuclear disaster.
Abandoned Shoe
Duga Radar in Chernobyl

The Duga radar was a missle defense radar near Chernobyl. It has been subject to conspiracy theories ranging from mind control to weather control.
Collapsing Building in Chernobyl
A Statue Placed Over Reactor 4

This monument sits in front of the Chernobyl New Safe Confinement--a structure meant to house the remains of the exploded reactor. It commemorates the workers who built the original containment shelter in the aftermath of the explosion.
Nighttime in Pripyat, Ukraine

Pripyat has become such a tourist destination that a rave has even been thrown here.
Chernobyl's New Safe Confinement Dome

The New Safe Confinement (NSC) was built in November 2016 to contain radiation for the next 100 years.
Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant a Few Weeks After the Explosion

More radiation was released at Chernobyl than by the atomic bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
A Woman Pays Her Respects to the Chernobyl Victims in Slavutych

April 26, 2019 marked the 33rd anniversary of the Chernobyl disaster.
Visitors Take a Tour of Chernobyl

Although Chernobyl tours are generally safe, visitors are encouraged to wear plenty of clothing (no shorts or open-toed shoes) and avoid sitting or touching anything.
An Abandoned Building on the Chernobyl Tour
Chernobyl Alley of Names

This alley is a memorial to villages and towns that had to be evacuated after the Chernobyl disaster.
Pripyat is Getting a Bit...Overgrown

With no one to attend to the foliage, plants have managed to overtake what was once a town of almost 50,000.
Chernobyl Town Sign
Bank in Chernobyl
