Pripyat Culture Center’s Swimming Pool

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.

Pripyat Ukraine Hot Spots

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

Ukraine Temples

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)

Jupiter

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. 

Chernobyl Crane Assembly

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. 

Hospital Lobby

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.

Russian DUGA

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. 

Chernobyl School

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.

Chernobyl Bumper Car

I’m not sure why I didn’t share this photo in the past.  Regardless, here it is!!  I captured this in Pripyat, Ukraine a few miles from Chernobyl nuclear reactor number 4.  The entire region is abandoned and will be for decades to come.  There was a carnival setup for a village celebration, which of course never happened, with the nuclear reactor meltdown.  The carnival rides are some of the most popular tourist attractions within the Exclusion Zone.

To view a larger version, click HERE

Jupiter Factory Again

Here is another photo from the Jupiter Factory inside the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone.  See my last post for a few more details on this factory.  I took this photo on an upper floor within the factory complex. I think this was a mechanical space or maybe support space.  It didn’t look like factory production space to me.  I liked the columns and other support beams in this room. 

To view a larger version, click HERE

Jupiter Factory

This is the abandoned Jupiter Factory located on the edge of Pripyat within the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone.  The Russian’s officially claimed this factory manufactured cassette recorders and components for home appliances, but it secretly produced semiconductor components for the Soviet military and had a test workshop for robotic systems.

To view a larger version, click HERE

Pripyat Cultural Center

This iconic Chernobyl building is the Cultural Center in the main square of downtown Pripyat.  It has a couple swimming pools, boxing ring, gymnastic equipment, auditorium, exercise rooms, and a bunch of other things.  Right behind this building is where the carnival was setup to start a festival that never happened.  By the way, this structure was a great building to explore.

To view a larger version, click HERE

Pripyat Restaurant

I loved the stained-glass windows in this abandoned restaurant along the river in Pripyat, Ukraine.  Before the Chernobyl nuclear disaster, this must have been a great place to enjoy a meal.

To view a larger version, click HERE

Jupiter Factory

Blair and I found this cool spot upstairs in the Jupiter Factory.  This is one of hundreds of abandoned buildings within Pripyat, Ukraine, which is part of the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone.

To view a larger version, click HERE

Pripyat Kids Camp

During our trip to Chernobyl, we got a chance to visit this children’s summer camp outside of Pripyat in the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone.  Like everything in the Zone, mother nature is taking over.  There is something beautiful about this scene, in a sad way.

To view a larger version, click HERE

My Chernobyl Article

My article got published again on a French website called PixFan.com . You can see it by using this LINK.

NikonRumors.com Chernobyl Article

Yesterday, NikonRumors.com published an article I wrote about my Chernobyl experience.  I’m honored NikonRumors.com was willing to work with me.  This is the third article of mine they’ve published over the years.  The other two were on shark photography and Detroit abandoned buildings.  You can see the new article HERE.  Of course, you can also see a bunch of my Chernobyl photos in the photo gallery on this website.  I have a special section just for Chernobyl.  Have a great week.

Below is a screen shot of NikonRumors.com’s website with my article.

Russian Woodpecker

During our time inside the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone, we got to explore this DUGA site.  DUGA was a Soviet over-the-horizon radar system used as an Soviet Union missile defense warning radar network.  They used this to watch for and track potential NATO missiles.  They had two of these in Ukraine (Chernobyl & Chernihiv) and one in eastern Siberia.

It earned the nickname of Russian Woodpecker because it would make sharp, repetitive tapping noises across shortwaves.  So amateur radio operators would have to deal with the tapping noise.

This thing is huge.  I couldn’t find a size via the Internet but trust me with I say it is very big….  It has two sections.  I think the taller section was maybe 200 ft tall and the entire thing was maybe half a mile long…..  give or take a little.  If anyone knows the actual size, please let me know. 

Anyway, as you can tell, we finished our day here and I captured it at sunset. 

To view a larger version, click HERE

Somewhere Chernobyl

I honestly can’t remember where within the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone I took this photo.  I think it was inside a factory building, but I’m not sure.  Regardless, after I finished processing this a couple of days ago, I knew I had to post it.  I loved how simple and powerful this scene is within the photo.  I liked the shadows, the single push cart in the room, etc…. 

To view a larger version, click HERE

Chernobyl Cultural Center Pool

Short post tonight…..  I took this photo of the pool inside the Pripyat Cultural Center.  Pripyat was a large city next to the Chernobyl Power Plant built to support the employees and their families.  All of this is now within the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone.  As I was exploring the Cultural Center, I happened upon it at the back of the building.  I loved the reflections.

To view a larger version, click HERE