Chernobyl disaster 25th anniversary (pics)

Duke · 26 Apr 2011 at 19:32

Some great photos again on Boston.com. Surprised the country hasn't cleared away a lot of the buildings and military vehicles within the safety zone.

On April 26, 1986, reactor number four at the Chernobyl nuclear power facility in what is now Ukraine exploded. The largest civil nuclear disaster in history led to mass evacuations, and long-term health, agricultural, and economic distress. The nearby city of Pripyat has been abandoned, and a 19-mile radius "exclusion zone" established where radiation contamination makes continued habitation dangerous. Collected here are archival pictures of the catastrophe, as well as more recent images of the area. In addition, two photographers who've made extensive studies of the aftermath have been gracious enough to share their work with us here. Diana Markosian documented the lives of pensioners Lida and Mikhail Masanovitz, who continue to live in the abandoned ghost town of Redkovka, Ukraine. Her work is found here in photographs 13 through 16. Michael Forster Rothbart has produced one of the most extensive records available of life near Chernobyl. His work is found here in photographs 23 through 29.

http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2011/04/chernobyl_disaster_25th_annive.html

or http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/ if link doesn't work.

Greenlizard0 · 26 Apr 2011 at 19:33

They had to evacuate the area after the fire, without a real reason people aren't going to move back.

.Griff. · 26 Apr 2011 at 19:34

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Emphacy · 26 Apr 2011 at 19:35

I always feel mourn for the people who lived in the danger zone of this accident. It really is a lesson learnt for all future and current nuclear developments.

I would still however love to go and see it.
You do know only specific people can go to the area, the radiation levels are 1000 times that of normal a few miles away from the actual meltdown zone. Strangely though animals and plants seem to have somewhat adapted to the environment.

Duke · 26 Apr 2011 at 19:36

Link fixed.

Greenlizard0 said:
They had to evacuate the area after the fire, without a real reason people aren't going to move back.

Yeah I understand they won't be able to go back for decades, but thought the authorities would have maybe cleared the sites any way.

edit: Going by the link below in the Guardian, it looks they did flatten a few areas after all.

scrlk · 26 Apr 2011 at 19:37

The Guardian has some Chernobyl pictures up.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/gallery/2011/apr/26/chernobyl-nuclear-disaster-in-pictures

Vonhelmet · 26 Apr 2011 at 19:38

Emphacy said:
Strangely though animals and plants seem to have somewhat adapted to the environment.

They get by, but plenty suffer mutations or are sterile.

Glaucus · 26 Apr 2011 at 19:39

Are they doing anything to clear the site up?

I can't remember which test site, but for one of the islands used as a test bed for nukes, they are planting some fast growing plant which absorbs radioactive elements, the plants can then be harvested and disposed of, clearing the site up slowley.

Would also love to visit the place.

scrlk · 26 Apr 2011 at 19:40

Did I see a diagram of an AK style weapon on the wall in the last picture?

Twentyone · 26 Apr 2011 at 19:41

It's so weird looking at the pictures. Time just stopped.

Would love to visit the place.

Alan! · 26 Apr 2011 at 19:42

Looked at some Chernobyl stuff a few years ago after playing stalker.

The footage of the soviets landing 'bio robots' on the reactor roof was crazy. The bloke that filmed it all died soon after.

Scania · 26 Apr 2011 at 19:43

Sorry, the page you have requested does not exist at this address.

Vonhelmet · 26 Apr 2011 at 19:43

Vinni3 @H|H said:
Did I see a diagram of an AK style weapon on the wall in the last picture?

Looks like it. It is one of the greatest achievements of Soviet engineering, in fairness.

grudas · 26 Apr 2011 at 19:45

say w/e you like but this is CREEPY!

ToxicTBag · 26 Apr 2011 at 19:49

Vinni3 @H|H said:
Did I see a diagram of an AK style weapon on the wall in the last picture?

Yes you did, strange in a classroom :confused:

Glaucus · 26 Apr 2011 at 19:50

ToxicTBag said:
Yes you did, strange in a classroom

Really, communist state in the 80s and cold war.

RockLobster · 26 Apr 2011 at 19:56

AcidHell2 said:
Are they doing anything to clear the site up?

I don't know about clearing the site up but they want to build a new sarcophagus because the current one is in a right state. Apparently there are problems securing the funds to build it.

physichull · 26 Apr 2011 at 20:05

Puts Fukushima into a bit of perspective.

w3bbo · 26 Apr 2011 at 20:05

It's certainly an eerie place. Not scary but haunting I would imagine. I too would love to visit, despite the risks but I would imagine getting anywhere near the place requires special clearance.

Gerard · 26 Apr 2011 at 20:08

vonhelmet said:
Looks like it. It is one of the greatest achievements of Soviet engineering, in fairness.

Depends how you look at it, in 2009 Klashnikov finally did admit that he was helped by Hugo Schmeisser who designed the stg44 (among other weapons). Before that admission it was always seen as a 100% Russian invention despite the external similarities.