The people of Pripyat were never to return to their homes, and probably never will again. Here’s an aerial shot of Pripyat as it is today, reclaimed by nature:
The Russian government kept a lid on the events for as long as they could, which further deepened the populus’ distrust of them, and eventually helped pave the way for a more honest government. But that’s a pretty thin silver lining.
A radio news show first transmitted a 20 second announcement two days after the event but it massively played down the actual consequences of what had happened.
The international community was only alerted when alarms in a Swedish power plant started going off more than a thousand kilometres away. Any trust that anyone had for the communist party was crushed to death by their silence on such an urgent matter.
☛ Up Next: Photos Of Chernobyl Today
