CHERNOBYL

On April 26, 1986, at 1:23 a.m., one of the worst nuclear disasters in history occurred at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant in Ukraine, then part of the Soviet Union. During a safety test, reactor number 4 exploded, causing a fire and releasing enormous quantities of radioactive substances into the atmosphere, contaminating vast areas of Ukraine, Belarus and other European countries. Just a few kilometres from the power plant stood Pripyat, a modern city with approximately 50,000 inhabitants, built to house the plant's workers and their families. Life went on as usual: children went to school, adults went to work, and families visited shops, parks and public meeting places. However, in the hours following the explosion, residents were not immediately informed of the seriousness of the accident. Many continued their daily activities without knowing that they were being exposed to radiation. Only on April 27, approximately 36 hours after the disaster, did the authorities order the evacuation of the city. Through loudspeakers, residents were told that the relocation was temporary and was expected to last just three days. Around 50,000 people boarded buses, leaving behind their clothes, photographs, toys and personal belongings in their homes. No one imagined that they would never return. Life in Pripyat came to an abrupt halt. Schools were left empty, shops were abandoned and homes stood deserted. Over the years, vegetation gradually reclaimed the streets and buildings, transforming the city into a silent, haunting place. For its inhabitants, the tragedy did not end with the evacuation: it meant losing their homes forever, their community ties and a fundamental part of their identity. Many were forced to start their lives over in unfamiliar places, carrying with them the fear of long-term health consequences and the pain of knowing that they could never return. Today, Pripyat stands as a symbol of both human and environmental tragedy, but above all, as a reminder of the thousands of people who were forced to abandon their entire lives within just a few hours.