Prip'Yat: The Beast of Chernobyl

Introduction

On April 26, 1986, at approximately 1:23 AM Moscow time, reactor number four of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant exploded. The explosion was devastating enough that it utterly destroyed the reactor casing and caused chains of explosions throughout the building, decimating all hopes of containment. When compared with the radioactive material released by the bombing of Hiroshima, Japan, the explosion at Chernobyl released four hundred times more radioactive material into the atmosphere.

Caused by a critical overload of the reactor core due in part to human error and design flaws, the Chernobyl accident was by far the largest nuclear power disaster in history. Direct death estimates from the explosion and short-term extreme radiation exposure range from thirty-one to sixty-four, with tens of thousands more expected to die from cancer caused by exposure to radiation. These individuals include workers at the plant at the time of the explosion and residents of the nearby city of Prip’Yat, located just a few kilometers from Chernobyl.

Designed and built as a home for the thousands of workers at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant, Prip’Yat stands as one of the foremost examples of a true ghost town on the planet. The initial evacuation did not start until the day after the disaster, after many residents were already experiencing symptoms of severe radiation exposure. Buses arrived and evacuated the fifty thousand residents over a period of just a few hours on April 27. The evacuation was only supposed to be temporary at first as the authorities tried to downplay the severity of the explosion. It quickly became apparent that the situation was more serious, though, and the evacuation became permanent.

Because the evacuation was originally only supposed to last for a few days, most residents left all of their personal belongings in their homes. Traces of these belongings still exist throughout the city to this day. A great deal of the area has been torn apart and stolen away by thieves and vandals, but most of it still stands as a contaminated monument to the scale of the disaster.

Prip’Yat has also stood as a source of fear, inspiring stories that tell of mutants, ghosts, and the undead that still walk its streets. A combination of radiation, animal mutations, nearby deaths, and the restlessness of the human imagination all fuel these rumors. Overnight journeys into the city are prohibited and daytime tours are limited in duration to protect visitors. Officially, the reasons for these prohibitions are to prevent tourists from being exposed to radiation and the danger of collapsing buildings.

Unofficially, rumors are still spoken about the monsters of Prip’Yat that supposedly roam the streets at night, preying on the few unfortunates who dare trespass on their domain. Of the few vagabonds and miscreants who have entered the city under the cover of darkness to steal what valuables still remain, few ever make a second trip. Their stories are not easily extracted, and they spend the rest of their days living in mortal fear of the darkness. Whether they are better off or worse off than the ones who never return from the city, though, is up for debate.