Continuous depressing news coming out of Ukraine. Not that Russia is making much progress (that’s the good news), but more along the lines of more and more people getting hurt, killed and displaced. So needless.
Here are a few photos from the Jupiter Factory in the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone.
Here are a few photos (pre-war) of the community swimming pool in downtown Pripyat. This spot within the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone is very close to the iconic Chernobyl Ferris Wheel.
I’m sure that all visitors to Chernobyl visit both the Ferris Wheel and this swimming pool.
My heart continues to break for the people of Ukraine…. I’m going to run out of Ukraine photos soon that I haven’t posted already. I realize that by posting my Ukraine photos, that it doesn’t help the people of Ukraine. But I hope in some small way, it keeps them and their situation in our thoughts.
Here are a few more photos I took (pre-war) in Kyiv Ukraine back in 2018.
Ukraine National Sports Stadium
Unique door in a building near Kyiv’s main square
Golden Gate - part of the original medieval city wall
Here are some more of my favorite Chernobyl Exclusion Zone spots (pre-war). By the way, I’m still sad about what’s happening there.
Pripyat riverside Cafe
Office
Hospital utility room
Elementary School stairs case
I visited several different religious churches and temples during our visit to Ukraine (pre-war). Some of them abandoned inside the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone, some in small villages and a some in Kyiv.
Here are a few photos from those locations with more in the photo gallery.
Slavutych Ukraine
Church ceiling inside the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone
St. Sophia's Cathedral in Sophia’s Square (Kyiv)
I’m shocked and happy that the Ukrainian people (civilians and military) are holding the Russian military back. Surprisingly, the Russian military doesn’t seem very competent, despite their advantage in equipment, size and training.
Here are some photos I took inside to abandoned basketball courts within the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone.
There are a bunch of abandoned vehicles within the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone. Even though the rules prohibit removing anything from the Zone due to radioactivity, everything has been picked over including the vehicles. It’s hard to find any vehicle that hasn’t had numerous parts salvaged by scrappers. Note…these photos are pre-war.
I’ll keep the Ukraine photo theme going. I don’t know about you, but I keep watching and reading everything I can find about the war in Ukraine. I’m so sad about what’s happening and mad at the Russian government for doing it.
I took these photos (pre-war) inside the abandoned hospital in the city of Pripyat, Ukraine. This city is inside the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone and a few miles from the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant.
Surgical Room
Hospital supply room
Optical Exam Room
I don’t know what this hospital bed was for
Baby nursery
Another nursery room in the OB department
I don’t know what to say about the war in Ukraine. It is so frustrating to know people, historical sites, houses, etc.. are getting injured, damaged or worse because of one person’s greed and evil intent.
These are photos from Chernobyl (pre-war).
Chernobyl Reactor #4 with the containment dome over the nuclear disaster
Chernobyl Reactor #5 which was under construction when #4 melted down
Engineering office at the Jupiter Factory
Inside the Jupiter Factory
Here are a few more photos from my Ukraine trip (pre-war). All of these were taken near the Chernobyl Nuclear Reactor and within the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone.
I hope the Ukraine military and people can keep on giving the Russian military a good fight and that they stay safe.
Abandoned Pripyat Apartment building with the Soviet logo on top
Abandoned buildings in Pripyat
DUGA - abandoned Russia military radar station to detect NATO Nuclear missile launches
Soviet Propaganda
It’s great to see and hear about the Ukraine people fighting back and not letting the Russian military run right over them. But I can only imagine the toll they are paying in blood to make that happen. I stand with Ukraine!!
Here are some photos I took (pre-war) of abandoned ships in the Chernobyl River (technically this is near Pripyat which is the city next to the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plants.
Abandoned ship
Abandoned boat leaning to port
Same boat as the 2nd photo above.
Lifeguard station at a kids summer camp on the river
Another day, more sad news out of Ukraine.
Here are some photos from the center of Pripyat, which is the abandoned city next to the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant.
Ferris Wheel in downtown Pripyat
Cultural Center in Pripyat
Bumper Car in Pripyat
I am very sad for the citizens of Ukraine. The Russian attack is unnecessary, unprovoked, and dangerous to Ukrainians and Russians. Unfortunately, Russian’s leader is just another evil dictator who doesn’t care.
Here are a few photos from my trip to Ukraine a few years ago. I’ll post more from this trip over the next few days.
World War II Memorial park with Kyiv in the background
World War II monument
Church in Kyiv
Did you have a great week? I’m glad we’re going into the weekend, and I can get some things done around the house.
Today’s photo is from the abandoned Jupiter Factory in Pripyat Ukraine, which sits a few miles from Chernobyl and is within the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone. The Russians claimed the factory made cassette recorders, but in reality it made semiconductor components for their military. We spent a couple hours exploring this site during our 2018 Chernobyl trip.
During our 2018 Chernobyl trip, we explored the city of Pripyat, Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plants and the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone. In the Exclusion Zone, we came upon this waterfront crane which was used to load and unload ships. The entire crane is cool, but I focused my time capturing smaller sections of it to highlight the details.
This is the Pripyat Hospital lobby inside the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone. This hospital received and cared for the firefighters who responded to the nuclear reactor disaster when the Chernobyl accident occurred. All of the firefighters died of radiation exposure.
I’ve posted a few photos from this spot in the past.
This abandoned Russian early warning missile radar station is a pretty cool spot to visit. This one sits inside the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone.
When the world returns to normal, Blair wants to go back to Ukraine to visit Chernobyl again…and I’m ready as well. This is the St. Michael’s Golden-Domed Monastery in Kiev. It has a Cathedral, bell tower, refectory and gates, which are all built in the Ukrainian Baroque Style.
Blair and I visited this spot while completing a huge photo walk around a number of historic locations in the city near the Dnieper River.
On this Sunday, I have a photo for you that I took inside one of the many abandoned schools within the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone. This specific school was in the city of Pripyat (the town right next to the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant). We explored this school and took a ton of photos of it and frankly everything else we explored during our 4 days within the Zone.
I took this photo these Soviet Statues under the People’s Friendship Arch in Kiev back in 2018. The Arch, you can see a portion of it on the right side, and these Hero’s Statues were constructed in 1982. They are supposed to depict friendship between Russian and Ukrainian peoples (soldiers - left statue and workers - right statue).
After the fall of the Soviet Union, the Ukrainian government announced plans to dismantle the arch as part of their 2016 decommunization laws.
