GHOST TOWN

Before the Chernobyl's accident, town of Pripyat was considered as the "glory" of former Soviet union. More than 48 000 inhabitants were living here - less than 3 kilometers from Chernobyl nuclear power plant, a lot of them were employed directly in the powerplant. Today Pripyat is like a ghost town. Toys in kindergarten lay the same way as they were put away by children after the catastrophe. A child's gas-mask lay next to a doll is only another cruel paradox: A week before nuclear accident children were trained to use safety equipment against nuclear danger. But no single gas mask was used in the day of accident because of an order from the party leadership, 26th April 1986. Photo by Václav Vaškù, 28th July 2005.