Pripyat

This article is about the city. For the river, seePripyat (river).For other uses, seePripyat (disambiguation).

Pripyat(/ˈpriːpjət,ˈprɪp-/PREE-pyət,PRIP-yət;Russian:Припять,IPA:[ˈprʲipʲɪtʲ]), also known asPrypiat(Ukrainian:Припʼять,IPA:[ˈprɪpjɐtʲ]), is a mostlyabandoned cityin northernUkraine,located near the border withBelarus.Named after the nearby river,Pripyat,it was founded on 4 February 1970 as the ninthatomgrad(a type ofclosed cityin theSoviet Union) to serve the nearbyChernobyl Nuclear Power Plant,which is located in the adjacent abandonedChernobyl.Pripyat was officially proclaimed a city in 1979 and had grown to a population of 49,360by the time it was evacuated on the afternoon of 27 April 1986, one day after theChernobyl disaster.

Pripyat Прип'ять
Ghost city
Clockwise from top-left: Pripyat central square apartment buildings with theChernobyl New Safe Confinementin the distance the infamous Ferris wheel of thePripyat amusement park anabandoned sport hall natural overgrowth at an apartment block the Pripyat welcome sign
Coat of arms
Pripyat Pripyat
Coordinates:51°24′17″N30°03′25″E
Country	Ukraine
Oblast	Kyiv Oblast
Raion	Chernobyl Raion(1923–1988) Ivankiv Raion(1988–2020) Vyshhorod Raion(2020–present) Chernobyl Exclusion Zone(de facto)(1986–present)
Founded	4 February 1970
City rights	1979
Government
• Administration	State Agency of Ukraine on the Exclusion Zone Management
Area
• Total	8 km2(3 sq mi)
Elevation	111 m (364 ft)
Population (2023)
• Total	0
	(c. 49,000in1986)
Time zone	UTC+02:00(EET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+03:00(EEST)
Postal code	None(formerly 01196)
Area code	+380 4499

Although it was located within the administrative district ofIvankiv Raion(nowVyshhorod Raionsince the2020 raion reform), the abandoned municipality now has the status ofcity of regional significancewithin the largerKyiv Oblast,and is administered directly from the capital ofKyiv.Pripyat is supervised by theState Emergency Service of Ukrainewhich manages activities for the entireChernobyl exclusion zone.Following the 1986 Chernobyl nuclear disaster, the entire population of Pripyat was moved to thepurpose-built cityofSlavutych.

History

Early years

See also:Chernobyl disaster

Panoramic view of Pripyat in May 2009

View of the Chernobyl power plant including 2003radioactive levelof 0.763milliroentgensper hour

Access to Pripyat, unlikecities of military importance,was not restricted before the disaster as the Soviet Union deemednuclear power stationssafer 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" (Russian:мирный атом,romanized:mirnyy atom) was popular during those times. The original plan had been to build the plant only 25 km (16 mi) fromKyiv,but theUkrainian Academy of Sciences,among other bodies, expressed concern that would be too close to the city. As a result, the power station and Pripyatwere built at their current locations, about 100 km (62 mi) from Kyiv.

A panorama of Pripyat during summer. The Chernobyl power plant, currently undergoing decommissioning, is visible in the distance, at top center.

Post-Chernobyl disaster

Pripyat amusement park,as seen from the City Center Gymnasium

Aerial view of Pripyat

TheAzure Swimming Poolwas still in use byliquidatorsin 1996, a decade after the Chernobyl incident.

In 2009, over two decades after the Chernobyl incident, the Azure Swimming Pool shows decay after years of disuse.

In 1986, the city ofSlavutychwas constructed to replace Pripyat. AfterChernobyl,this was the second-largest city for accommodating power plant workers and scientists in theCommonwealth of Independent States.

One notable landmark often featured in photographs in the city and visible from aerial-imaging websites is the long-abandonedFerris wheellocated in thePripyat amusement park,which had been scheduled to have its official opening five days after the disaster, in time forMay Daycelebrations.TheAzure Swimming PoolandAvanhard Stadiumare two other popular tourist sites.

On 4 February 2020, former residents of Pripyat gathered in the abandoned city to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Pripyat's establishment. This was the first time former residents returned to the city since its abandonment in 1986.The2020 Chernobyl Exclusion Zone wildfiresreached the outskirts of the town, but they did not reach the plant.

During the 2022Russian invasion of Ukraine,the city was occupied by Russian forces during theBattle of Chernobylafter several hours of heavy fighting.On 31 March Russian troops withdrew from the plant and other parts ofKyiv Oblast.On 3 April Ukrainian troops took control of Pripyat again.

Infrastructure and statistics

The following statistics are from 1 January 1986.

• The population was 49,400. 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 orde factocouples.
• Education: 15 kindergartens and elementary schools for 4,980 children, and five secondary schools for 6,786 students.
• Healthcare: one hospital could accommodate up to 410 patients, and three clinics.
• Trade: 25 stores and malls; 27 cafes, cafeterias, and restaurants collectively could serve up to 5,535 customers simultaneously. 10 warehouses could hold 4,430 tons of goods.
• Culture: thePalace of Culture Energetik;a cinema; and a school of arts, with eight different societies.
• Sports: 10 gyms, 10 shooting galleries, three indoor swimming-pools, two stadiums.
• Recreation: one park, 35 playgrounds, 18,136 trees, 33,000 rose plants, 249,247 shrubs.
• Industry: four factories with annual turnover of 477,000,000 rubles. Onenuclear power plantwith four reactors (plus two more planned).
• Transportation: Yanov railway station, 167 urban buses, plus the nuclear power plant car park with 400 spaces.
• Telecommunication: 2,926 local phones managed by the Pripyat Phone Company, plus 1,950 phones owned by Chernobyl power station's administration,Jupiter plant,and Department of Architecture and Urban Development.

Safety

Theexternal relative gamma dosefor a person in the open near the Chernobyl disaster site. The intermediate livedfission productslike Cs-137 contribute nearly all of the gamma dose now after a number of decades have passed, see opposite.

The impact of the different isotopes on theradioactive contaminationof the air soon after the accident. Drawn using data from the OECD report[1]and the second edition of 'The radiochemical manual'.

Pripyat 2007

A concern is whether it is safe to visit Pripyat and its surroundings. The Zone of Alienation is considered relatively safe to visit, and several Ukrainian companies offer guided tours around the area. In most places within the city, the level of radiation does not exceed anequivalent doseof 1 μSv (onemicrosievert) per hour.

Climate

The climate of Pripyat is designated as Dfb (Warm-summerhumid continental climate) on theKöppen Climate Classification System.

Climate data for Pripyat
Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Year
Mean daily maximum °C (°F)	−3 (27)	−1.4 (29.5)	3.7 (38.7)	13.2 (55.8)	20.3 (68.5)	23.5 (74.3)	24.6 (76.3)	23.9 (75.0)	18.8 (65.8)	11.8 (53.2)	4.3 (39.7)	−0.1 (31.8)	11.6 (53.0)
Daily mean °C (°F)	−6.1 (21.0)	−4.7 (23.5)	0.1 (32.2)	8.4 (47.1)	14.8 (58.6)	18.0 (64.4)	19.1 (66.4)	18.4 (65.1)	13.7 (56.7)	7.8 (46.0)	1.8 (35.2)	−2.6 (27.3)	7.4 (45.3)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F)	−9.1 (15.6)	−9 (16)	−3.5 (25.7)	3.7 (38.7)	9.3 (48.7)	12.6 (54.7)	13.7 (56.7)	12.9 (55.2)	8.6 (47.5)	3.8 (38.8)	−0.7 (30.7)	−5.1 (22.8)	3.1 (37.6)
Source:

In popular culture

Films

(Alphabetical by title)

• The horror filmChernobyl Diaries(2012) was inspired by the Chernobyl disaster in 1986 and takes place in Pripyat.
• The majority of the filmLand of Oblivion(2011) was shot on location in Pripyat.
• Pripyat is featured in theHistory ChanneldocumentaryLife After People.
• The drone manufacturerDJIproducedLost City of Chernobyl(May 2015), a documentary film about the work of photographer and cinematographer Philip Grossman and his five-year project in Pripyat and the Zone of Exclusion.
• Filmmaker Danny Cooke used a drone to capture shots of the abandoned amusement park, some residential shots of decaying walls, children's toys, and gas masks, and collected them in a 3-minute short filmPostcards From Chernobyl(released in November 2014), while making footage for theCBS News60 Minutesepisode "Chernobyl: The Catastrophe That Never Ended" (early 2014).
• With the help of drones, aerial views of Pripyat were shot and later edited to appear as a desertedLondonin the filmThe Girl with All the Gifts(2016).
• The documentaryWhite Horse(2008) was filmed in Pripyat.

Literature

(Alphabetical by artist)

• Markiyan Kamysh's novel,Stalking the Atomic City: Life Among the Decadent and the Depraved of Chornobyl,is about illegal trips to the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone.
• The Chernobyl Poems of Lyubov Sirotaby the professor of Washington UniversityPaul Brians
• Lyubov Sirota’s novel"The Pripyat Syndrome";Language: English, Publisher: Independently published (February 18, 2021), Paperback: 202 pages,ISBN979-8710522875– Lyubov Sirota (Author), Birgitta Ingemanson (Editor), Paul Brians (Editor), A. Yukhimenko (Illustrator), Natalia Ryumina (Translator)
• Much of theJames Rollins' novelThe Last Oracletakes place in Pripyat and around Chernobyl. The story revolves around a team ofAmerican"Killer Scientist" special agents who must stop a terrorist plot to unleash on the world the radiation ofLake Karachay,during the installation of the newsarcophagusover the Chernobyl nuclear power plant.
• The exclusion zone is the setting forKarl Schroeder's science fiction short story "The Dragon of Pripyat".

Music

(Alphabetical by artist)

• The Ukrainian singerAlyosharecorded most of the video for herEurovision 2010entry, "Sweet People",in Pripyat.
• Ash,the rock band from Northern Ireland, has a song titled "Pripyat" included in their albumA–Z Vol.1.
• The song "Dead City" (Ukrainian:Мертве Місто) by the Ukrainian symphonic metal band DELIA is about Pripyat, and scenes from the music video were shot in the city. DELIA's vocalist, Anastasia Sverkunova, was born in Pripyat just before the Chernobyl disaster.
• In 2006, musicianExamplefeatured Pripyat in his 18-minute documentary of the ghost town and in his promotional video for his track, "What We Made".
• The Scottish post-rock bandMogwaiincluded a song titled "Pripyat" on their albumAtomic(2016), which is a soundtrack toMark Cousins' documentaryAtomic, Living in Dread and Promise.
• The Irish folk-rock singerChristy Mooreincluded a song called "Farewell to Pripyat" on his albumVoyage(1989), the song credited toTim Dennehy.
• MarillionguitaristSteve Rothery's first solo album is titledThe Ghosts of Pripyat(2014).
• The Australian rapperSeth Sentryincluded the two-part song "Pripyat" in his albumStrange New Past(2015).
• The English rock bandSuedeused the city to shoot their music video clipLife Is Golden,including takes of theAzure Swimming Pool,Pripyat amusement park,andPolissya hotel.
• The Italian RapperCaparezzahas a song titled "Come Pripyat" on his albumExuvia,released in 2021.
• The Belarusian post-punk bandMolchat Domareleased a music video for their song titled, "Waves" (Russian:Волны) as part of their albumEtazhi.The music video was filmed in Pripyat through a series of varying drone shots; displaying famous landmarks of the abandoned city.

Television

(Alphabetical by series)

• The60 Minutesepisode "Chernobyl: The Catastrophe That Never Ended" (early 2014) aired onCBS.
• HBO's drama miniseriesChernobyl(2019) is based on the Chernobyl Nuclear Disaster. The scenes set in 1986 Pripyat were filmed inVilnius,Lithuania.
• in theChris Tarrant: Extreme RailwaysSeason 5 episode "Extreme Nuclear Railway: A Journey Too Far?" (episode 22),Chris Tarrantvisits Chernobyl on his journey through Ukraine.
• Discovery Science Channel'sMysteries of the Abandonedepisode "Chernobyl's Deadly Secrets",produced and hosted by Philip Grossman,was filmed over a four-day period in Pripyat and the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant, in 2017.
• TheAnimal Planetnature investigation seriesRiver Monstersconducted an extensive 2013 investigation within Pripyat, the exclusion zone, and the Chernobyl Power Plant in search of a radioactive mutatedwels catfish.
• A David Attenboroughdocumentary depictsnatural life in Pripyat.

Video games

Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare's (and itsremaster's) single-player campaign includes levels "All Ghillied Up"and" One Shot, One Kill ", which are set in Pripyat. The former is considered to be one of the greatest video game levels of all time.

TheS.T.A.L.K.E.Rfranchise is set around theChornobylexclusion zone,and prominently features Pripyat in the series, namely inS.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Call of Pripyat.

SCUM,developed by the Croatian studio Gamepires, features a radiation area than includes a fictional city of "Krsko," which is an accurate reproduction of Pripyat, including points of interest.

Transport

City diagram

Neighborhood I

Neighborhood II

Neighborhood III

Neighborhood IV

Neighborhood IVa

Neighborhood V

City Center

Medicare complex

Public buildings complex

Public buildings and educational buildings

The city was served byYaniv stationon theChernihiv–Ovruch railway.It was an important passenger hub of the line and was located between the southern suburb of Pripyat andYaniv.An electric train terminus of Semikhody, built in 1988 and located in front of the nuclear plant, is currently the only operating station near Pripyat connecting it toSlavutych.

Notable people

• Markiyan Kamysh(born 1988) writer, illegal Chernobyl explorer ( "stalker" )
• Vitali Klitschko(born 1971) politician,mayor of Kyivand formerprofessional boxer
• Wladimir Klitschko(born 1976) former professional boxer
• Alexander Sirota(born 1976) photographer, journalist and filmmaker
• Lyubov Sirota(born 1956) poet, writer, playwright, journalist and translator

Gallery

• 
  Pripyat in winter
• 
  Pripyat in winter
• 
  A gate in Pripyat city, 2000
• 
  Ferris wheel of thePripyat amusement park
• 
  Polissya hotel
• 
  Pripyat city limit sign with aradiation dosimeter
• 
  Palace of Culture Energetik— artistic, cultural, entertainment and recreational activities center
• 
  The former football stadium of Pripyat
• 
  Abandoned football ground
• 
  Forest area near the city
• 
  Pripyat pier
• 
  Abandoned school
• 
  Pripyat after the disaster
• 
  Pripyat skyline
• 
  Pripyatbumper carfloor

See also

• Cultural impact of the Chernobyl disaster
• FC Stroitel Pripyat

External links

• Pripyat-Info– Informational Portal: «PRIPYAT:: EXCLUSION ZONE»
• Pripyat– Site created by former residents
• 25 years of satellite imagery over ChernobylPripyat map
• pripyatpanoramaArchived14 August 2019 at theWayback Machine– Pripyat in Panoramas Project
• exploringthezoneArchived12 December 2020 at theWayback Machine– 5-year project documenting the Pripyat and Chernobyl Zone
• Pripyat-city.ruArchived17 December 2020 at theWayback Machine– Blog related to Pripyat
• ChernobylGallery– Photographs of Pripyat and Chernobyl
• Chernobyl Exclusion Zone, Pripyat 2018onYouTube– 2018 Footage of Pripyat and Chernobyl