Pripyat was always a secret city, 3km from Chernobyl. It was built to house the workers at the nuclear power stations. Its existence was not publicised though it had a population of 50,000. It was a beautiful city, as is evident from the abandoned remains after twenty years. I have obtained the following illustration as a snapshot of Pripyat pre-evacation 1986. Thirty six hours after the explosion 1,200 buses removed the entire population. The people could take nothing but themselves. An entire life was left behind, everything was left behind, that is everything except the everlasting effect of radiation…
Today no one lives there and the embedded radiation is such that people are strictly restricted to visits of no more than two weeks.
…could thou and I with fate conspire
To grasp this sorry scheme of things entire
Would not we shatter it to bits—and then
Re-mould it nearer to the heart's desire!