Chernobyl reclaimed by nature: Lush greenery blankets former Soviet town

Lush greenery inside the Chernobyl exclusion zone has been revealed as plants gradually creep into a rusting bus, forgotten fairground and hastily abandoned tower block inside the city that once housed 50,000 people. 

Radioactive clothing thrown onto a hospital floor by clean-up teams after they scrubbed the reactor’s roof, an abandoned operating theatre and discarded dolls were also found by Dutch urban explorer Roel van Wanrooy, 43, when he visited Pripyat inside the nuclear wasteland.

He also met an 86-year-old mechanic living inside the restricted area, after returning to the home he once lived in with his parents and sleeping in their old car.

After reactor four exploded at the nuclear power plant during a delayed test in April 1986, Soviet authorities took 36 hours before launching a full-scale evacuation of the area.

At least 31 people, including firefighters and emergency workers, lost their lives in the disaster after they were exposed to a lethal amount of radiation from the burning reactor. 

 

Lush greenery has been pictured reclaiming the abandoned city of Pripyat inside the Chernobyl exclusion zone. Above is a rusting school bus gradually being colonised by plants

A rotting ferris wheel was also pictured inside Pripyat's iconic abandoned amusement park when Dutch urban explorer Roel van Wanrooy, 43, visited the area

A rotting ferris wheel was also pictured inside Pripyat’s iconic abandoned amusement park when Dutch urban explorer Roel van Wanrooy, 43, visited the area

Lush greenery was also shown reclaiming this abandoned building in Pripyat, which was built for workers at the power plant

Lush greenery was also shown reclaiming this abandoned building in Pripyat, which was built for workers at the power plant

A broken stained glass window display shows the advance of trees. Authorities took hours to establish that the reactor had exploded, and 36 hours to evacuate the city, during the disaster in April 1986

A broken stained glass window display shows the advance of trees. Authorities took hours to establish that the reactor had exploded, and 36 hours to evacuate the city, during the disaster in April 1986

An empty swimming pool, with trees advancing through its windows, was also pictured in Pripyat - which once housed 50,000 people

An empty swimming pool, with trees advancing through its windows, was also pictured in Pripyat – which once housed 50,000 people

‘It was a very exciting place to be,’ said Mr van Wanrooy after his trip. ‘It has been left to rot for 35 years now and parts of area will be uninhabitable for thousands of years. Only a few people which were evacuated returned because they could not get used to living anywhere else.’

‘The hospital was probably the most interesting place to investigate because the brave men and women who dealt with the reactor were treated there. Inside the cellar were all of their clothes which were very dangerous because of their radioactivity.

‘(I also saw) anti radiation boots in the Pripyat hospital where the liquidators (cleaners of the reactor) were treated (and maybe died) after they cleaned up the damaged roof of reactor building four. 

‘The meter is showing the radiation from the boots which the guide said was dangerously high! 881,4 uS. Normal radiation is about 0.2 – 0.4 uS.’

Mr van Wanrooy said his favourite photo was the 86-year-old man with his car living inside the exclusion zone.

‘He went back to his old house where he grew up with his parents,’ he said. ‘He was very proud of his old car which he enjoys tinkering with and he has some cattle and some land where he grows vegetables.  ‘I was not expecting to meet anyone living there when I visited.’

While visiting the reactor Mr van Wanrooy also found clothing abandoned by workers after they had cleaned the reactor roof. Left in Pripyat's hospital, it was emitting radiation of 881.4uS. Normal levels are 0.2 - 0.4 uS

While visiting the reactor Mr van Wanrooy also found clothing abandoned by workers after they had cleaned the reactor roof. Left in Pripyat’s hospital, it was emitting radiation of 881.4uS. Normal levels are 0.2 – 0.4 uS

The radioactive clothing had been left inside the hospital by the workers when they left the exclusion zone

The radioactive clothing had been left inside the hospital by the workers when they left the exclusion zone

The urban explorer also pictured what appeared to be an abandoned operating theatre in Pripyat, inside the 1,600-mile Chernobyl exclusion zone

The urban explorer also pictured what appeared to be an abandoned operating theatre in Pripyat, inside the 1,600-mile Chernobyl exclusion zone

Battered dolls left by residents were also pictured on beds. When they left, people were told they would be returning in three days time. Only an estimated 150 to 300 people have since returned

Battered dolls left by residents were also pictured on beds. When they left, people were told they would be returning in three days time. Only an estimated 150 to 300 people have since returned

Two abandoned dolls with some sheets of paper were photographed on a shelf inside the abandoned city of Pripyat

Two abandoned dolls with some sheets of paper were photographed on a shelf inside the abandoned city of Pripyat

A tower block that once housed workers at the nuclear power plant was also shown. It is gradually being reclaimed by nature

A tower block that once housed workers at the nuclear power plant was also shown. It is gradually being reclaimed by nature

A £2billion silver shield was installed over the reactor in 2016 to stop radiation leaking out. Workers were only allowed to be on site for two hours every week due to fears of lethal radiation doses

A £2billion silver shield was installed over the reactor in 2016 to stop radiation leaking out. Workers were only allowed to be on site for two hours every week due to fears of lethal radiation doses

Previous expeditions inside the 1,600-mile exclusion zone have also shown nature recolonising the area, with wild horses taking up residence in abandoned houses while packs of wolves roam the surrounding areas.

Pripyat, which was built nearby for the plants workers, and the surrounding areas were not initially evacuated as local authorities waited for orders from Moscow before establishing whether the reactor had exploded.

The lost hours meant that weddings went forward, children played in the street and babies were pushed around in prams in the shadow of the smouldering reactor as it shot radioactive waste into the sky.

When the evacuation was eventually carried out, residents were told that they would be returning to the city in three days.

Firefighters who rushed to the reactor to extinguish the blaze, despite having no training in how to handle a nuclear fire, were exposed to a lethal dose of radiation. The worst affected were flown to hospital in Moscow, where many died later.

Those near the reactor complained of feeling sick, vomiting, exhaustion and swelling – all symptoms of radiation poisoning. 

The urban explorer also met an 86-year-old who returned to the area following the explosion during his visit. The mechanic lives in his car at the home he once shared with his parents

The urban explorer also met an 86-year-old who returned to the area following the explosion during his visit. The mechanic lives in his car at the home he once shared with his parents

A new protective shield was installed over the nuclear reactor in 2016 at a cost of £2billion to the Russian authorities.

Workers at the time were only allowed into the zone for two hours a week, due to fears of them receiving a lethal dose of radiation.

The exclusion zone is expected to be in place for at least the next 20,000 years – as the uranium gradually degrades. Despite this, however, an estimated 150 to 300 people have returned to their family homes in the area. 

The Chernobyl Exclusion Zone is a 1,600 square mile zone, that was abandoned in 1986 after the explosion at reactor number four in the Chernobyl nuclear power plant

The Chernobyl Exclusion Zone is a 1,600 square mile zone, that was abandoned in 1986 after the explosion at reactor number four in the Chernobyl nuclear power plant

 

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