What was Chernobyl before the accident?

Pripyat, the city founded in 1970 to house the workers for the nearby Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant, is also now described as a dead town. For the next 300 years, the area will be contaminated and largely desolate, but before April 1986, Chernobyl was inhabited by 14,000 residents.

How many people lived in Pripyat before the Chernobyl accident?

49,400
Population: 49,400 before the disaster. The average age was about 26 years old. Total living space was 658,700 m2 (7,090,000 sq ft): 13,414 apartments in 160 apartment blocks, 18 halls of residence accommodating up to 7,621 single males or females, and eight halls of residence for married or de facto couples.

How long before Pripyat is habitable?

Shrouded in secrecy, the incident was a watershed moment in both the Cold War and the history of nuclear power. More than 30 years on, scientists estimate the zone around the former plant will not be habitable for up to 20,000 years.

How far was Chernobyl from Pripyat?

about 2-3km
In the distance is the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant, about 2-3km away. Aerial view of Pripyat. In the distance is the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant, about 2-3km away.

What did people leave behind after the Pripyat disaster?

Many left behind personal belongings, family heirlooms, memories, and even pets. Unfortunately, the disaster left the survivors to be seen as animals waiting to be poked questioned by other people who want to know what happened after they were evacuated from the city.

How old was Pripyat before the Chernobyl accident?

Nobody could imagine that Pripyat is less than 10 years old before the accident, the largest in the history of peaceful atom. Now there are a lot of rumors and myths about what happened in the city of Pripyat before the disaster.

When did Pripyat open for the first time?

It was due to be opened for May Day celebrations on 1st May 1986, but those plans were disrupted by the accident at the power plant. In an attempt to keep residents calm before being instructed to evacuate the city, the amusement park was opened early on 27th April for a couple of hours, and has not been used since.

Is there a roundabout in Pripyat, Russia?

Now the roundabout is buried, and the structure itself almost entirely hidden by trees. Darmon Richter (left); Sergey Yakunin/PRIPYAT-CITY.RU (right) Built to house the workers of the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant, by 1986 Pripyat was a thriving atomgrad.