New Urban Relics
februari 13, 2026
Read more
Due to its inland location, the Chernobyl nuclear power plant relied on local rivers and a 22-square-kilometer artificial lake for its cooling needs. The lake borders the Pripyat River and the Kyiv Reservoir and is connected to them. It is 18 meters deep and, because of its original purpose, warmer than any natural lake in the region. Obviously, such a resource could not be wasted, so a commercial fish farm was established.
As a result of the nuclear disaster, radioactive fallout spread across large parts of Europe. The lake, located just 1.5 km from the reactor complex, was also flooded with radionuclides. The Soviet authorities closed the fish farm... but it was not abandoned.
Almost immediately after the initial cleanup following the disaster, a long-term radiological study of the local environment, focusing on the fish and other organisms in the cooling pond, began. The study continued until 1996, outlasted the Soviet Union itself, and provided valuable information about how vertebrates are affected by radiation in their environment over time. Remains of the laboratory can still be seen today.
You can not copy the content of this page.