27. Pripyat Laboratory (former Kindergarten)
Rumour has it that there is a creepy laboratory in Pripyat down by the greenhouses, that’s enough motivation for me so off I went.
The greenhouses are HUGE! Pripyat wanted to be a self sustaining city, so built several acres worth of glass greenhouses to grow their own crops:
There is more broken glass than you can imagine. I’m not sure if this has been done by vandals, or liquidators breaking the glass to prevent the buildup of radioactive pockets. Or more likely, have broken on their own from years of heavy snow, and scorching summers expanding the metal framing
But this isn’t why I’m here. I urge the guide to take me to the lab:
We enter the building through what must have been an old potting shed
These have been stacked for nearly 30 years…
Well insulated pipes:
Following the disaster: scientists wanted to take soil samples from all over the city to test their radioactive content, and study how they deteriorated. The biggest building near to the greenhouses was the old abandoned kindergarten:
Signs of it’s former use were everywhere: Old Piano:
Radioactive soils samples are everywhere, there is no option but to walk across them as carefully as possible. Occasionally one would pop open underfoot, spewing its radioactive black contents onto the floor.
Flesh in formaldehyde :
Room upon room of samples:
Radioactive crop samples:
From 1996, a full decade after the disaster:
Machinery:
Interior panoramic, typical room:
Scientists handwritten notes still piled high on shelves:
And the obligatory empty vodka bottles.
Cheers for looking, the adventure continues….
****************************************************************************************
“As usual…brilliantly photographed and worded”
Janey68 - 24th June 2011
“Disturbing but compelling viewing…Great stuff!”
Klempner69 - 24th June 2011
“awesome pics ! , how does it work regarding how long you can stay in pripyat before you risk dangerous exposure to the radiation ? or have i got the wrong end of the stick? Lol”
Audi Adam - 24th June 2011
Urbanx posted the report http://www.urbanxphotography.co.uk/radiation
“Thanks for posting some actual pictures of of the radiation readings that you encountered on your trip I have often wondered what the readings were in the general area. I have been in Health Physics for the last 30 odd years and have never managed to get over there to see for myself. Did you notice a rise in the background radiation when you went through the room with all of the sample bottles? I don't think that the fact that the doserates are quite low now should put people off visiting, it's not as if you go just to build up your life time radiation dose. Just to put things into perspective these days a classified radiation worker is limited to a gamma dose of 200 microSieverts a day for normal operations. The Liquidators on the roof of the reactor building just after the accident got one or two thousand times that in about 90 seconds not to mention the active particles that they inhaled.
Thanks again for a superb set of reports and fantastic pictures.”
Gin grove - 25th June 2011
“Another superb report UrbanX! this place looks great and your radiation post above is very informative. Great stuff”
King Al - 25th June 2011
“Amazing photographs, great stuff”
Stavros
25th June 2011
“Absolutely superb report as always, Urb. Enjoyed reading your info about radiation, too...apart from the Devon bit!
Great images and documentation.”
Foxy lady - 25th June 2011
“Fantastic report”
Son of Bill - 25th June 2011
“You know I'd love to know the level where I work, all I know is it is checked before we are alowed to go in and if it is safe we carry on, only been warned of a hot spot a few time and told to stay clear. Great report.”
Night crawler - 25th June 2011
“Excellent stuff as usual mate”
MD - 25th June 2011
“Thanks for the lengthy reply fella, much appreciated! I kind of understand it now!”
Audi adam - 25th June 2011
“Very interesting stuff. Thanks for sharing”
Karltrowitz - 25th June 2011
“This is fantastic
You are not only an explorer you are a historian mate.
Another book?”
Nelly - 25th June 2011
“UrbanX you are without any doubt, nuts! But I have enjoyed all of your posts, if you survive I look forward to the next one. Thanks.
Smiler - 25th June 2011
“Again an excellent thread...many thanks for sharing mate.
I watched a programme on one of the discovery channels or something regarding the fauna and flora in the exclusion zone...amazing how the wildlife can cope with the high levels of radiation and yet migrating swifts who chose to nest in the many empty buildings after migrating from Africa suffer immensely ie: deformed wings and tails and also defective eggs and young.It seems if the creatures that are constantly within the area build up an immunity towards the high levels of radiation thus flourishing!!
There is a lone man who lives in a small rundown holding within the zone,he grows all his own vegetables and fruit from the contaminated soil,he is also employed to monitor the levels of radiation in the produce in a make do lab in one of the abandoned buildings.....two hours long it was but facinating stuff!!
Sorry I rambled on a bit there!!!”
Maximus - 26th June 2011
“dude the green house pics are wicked and the soil samples are even better, i take it they where not labled like the rest of the stuff just put in shelves that had dates, just wondered how they managed the soil samples compared to lables ont the bags and stuff
as for the radiation, its a shame people have to defend them selves all the time when ever going or coming back from the zone, its simple in my eyes.......u either go or u dont if its not your thing then move on, as u say u did some extreme climbing and dodgy areas that can kill u in an instant if u fell or tripped on something and fell on glass let alone cancer in years to come, there are places all overthe UK that u can get higher radiation from than just sleeping near the city, and as u said its all about time u spent around the higer levels, people are to clinical now a days
cheers for clearing stuff up for some though its interesting to see what others class as normal i need to get a geiger counter at some point but having just installed a house electric usage monitor and going around turning all the lights and electrical devices because i can see how much electric i am using having a geiger counter would be a nightmare lol”
Tommo - 26th June 2011
“”Urban X you are without any doubt Nuts , but I have enjoyed all your posts, if you survive I look forward to the next one. Thanks”
I hope he does he's my exploring partner!!
Excellent report UrbanX.
Love the sillouette.
Well done explaining the radiation. It sounds complicated!”
Em_UX - 28th June 2011
The greenhouses are HUGE! Pripyat wanted to be a self sustaining city, so built several acres worth of glass greenhouses to grow their own crops:
There is more broken glass than you can imagine. I’m not sure if this has been done by vandals, or liquidators breaking the glass to prevent the buildup of radioactive pockets. Or more likely, have broken on their own from years of heavy snow, and scorching summers expanding the metal framing
But this isn’t why I’m here. I urge the guide to take me to the lab:
We enter the building through what must have been an old potting shed
These have been stacked for nearly 30 years…
Well insulated pipes:
Following the disaster: scientists wanted to take soil samples from all over the city to test their radioactive content, and study how they deteriorated. The biggest building near to the greenhouses was the old abandoned kindergarten:
Signs of it’s former use were everywhere: Old Piano:
Radioactive soils samples are everywhere, there is no option but to walk across them as carefully as possible. Occasionally one would pop open underfoot, spewing its radioactive black contents onto the floor.
Flesh in formaldehyde :
Room upon room of samples:
Radioactive crop samples:
From 1996, a full decade after the disaster:
Machinery:
Interior panoramic, typical room:
Scientists handwritten notes still piled high on shelves:
And the obligatory empty vodka bottles.
Cheers for looking, the adventure continues….
****************************************************************************************
“As usual…brilliantly photographed and worded”
Janey68 - 24th June 2011
“Disturbing but compelling viewing…Great stuff!”
Klempner69 - 24th June 2011
“awesome pics ! , how does it work regarding how long you can stay in pripyat before you risk dangerous exposure to the radiation ? or have i got the wrong end of the stick? Lol”
Audi Adam - 24th June 2011
Urbanx posted the report http://www.urbanxphotography.co.uk/radiation
“Thanks for posting some actual pictures of of the radiation readings that you encountered on your trip I have often wondered what the readings were in the general area. I have been in Health Physics for the last 30 odd years and have never managed to get over there to see for myself. Did you notice a rise in the background radiation when you went through the room with all of the sample bottles? I don't think that the fact that the doserates are quite low now should put people off visiting, it's not as if you go just to build up your life time radiation dose. Just to put things into perspective these days a classified radiation worker is limited to a gamma dose of 200 microSieverts a day for normal operations. The Liquidators on the roof of the reactor building just after the accident got one or two thousand times that in about 90 seconds not to mention the active particles that they inhaled.
Thanks again for a superb set of reports and fantastic pictures.”
Gin grove - 25th June 2011
“Another superb report UrbanX! this place looks great and your radiation post above is very informative. Great stuff”
King Al - 25th June 2011
“Amazing photographs, great stuff”
Stavros
25th June 2011
“Absolutely superb report as always, Urb. Enjoyed reading your info about radiation, too...apart from the Devon bit!
Great images and documentation.”
Foxy lady - 25th June 2011
“Fantastic report”
Son of Bill - 25th June 2011
“You know I'd love to know the level where I work, all I know is it is checked before we are alowed to go in and if it is safe we carry on, only been warned of a hot spot a few time and told to stay clear. Great report.”
Night crawler - 25th June 2011
“Excellent stuff as usual mate”
MD - 25th June 2011
“Thanks for the lengthy reply fella, much appreciated! I kind of understand it now!”
Audi adam - 25th June 2011
“Very interesting stuff. Thanks for sharing”
Karltrowitz - 25th June 2011
“This is fantastic
You are not only an explorer you are a historian mate.
Another book?”
Nelly - 25th June 2011
“UrbanX you are without any doubt, nuts! But I have enjoyed all of your posts, if you survive I look forward to the next one. Thanks.
Smiler - 25th June 2011
“Again an excellent thread...many thanks for sharing mate.
I watched a programme on one of the discovery channels or something regarding the fauna and flora in the exclusion zone...amazing how the wildlife can cope with the high levels of radiation and yet migrating swifts who chose to nest in the many empty buildings after migrating from Africa suffer immensely ie: deformed wings and tails and also defective eggs and young.It seems if the creatures that are constantly within the area build up an immunity towards the high levels of radiation thus flourishing!!
There is a lone man who lives in a small rundown holding within the zone,he grows all his own vegetables and fruit from the contaminated soil,he is also employed to monitor the levels of radiation in the produce in a make do lab in one of the abandoned buildings.....two hours long it was but facinating stuff!!
Sorry I rambled on a bit there!!!”
Maximus - 26th June 2011
“dude the green house pics are wicked and the soil samples are even better, i take it they where not labled like the rest of the stuff just put in shelves that had dates, just wondered how they managed the soil samples compared to lables ont the bags and stuff
as for the radiation, its a shame people have to defend them selves all the time when ever going or coming back from the zone, its simple in my eyes.......u either go or u dont if its not your thing then move on, as u say u did some extreme climbing and dodgy areas that can kill u in an instant if u fell or tripped on something and fell on glass let alone cancer in years to come, there are places all overthe UK that u can get higher radiation from than just sleeping near the city, and as u said its all about time u spent around the higer levels, people are to clinical now a days
cheers for clearing stuff up for some though its interesting to see what others class as normal i need to get a geiger counter at some point but having just installed a house electric usage monitor and going around turning all the lights and electrical devices because i can see how much electric i am using having a geiger counter would be a nightmare lol”
Tommo - 26th June 2011
“”Urban X you are without any doubt Nuts , but I have enjoyed all your posts, if you survive I look forward to the next one. Thanks”
I hope he does he's my exploring partner!!
Excellent report UrbanX.
Love the sillouette.
Well done explaining the radiation. It sounds complicated!”
Em_UX - 28th June 2011
No photos have been added to this portfolio yet or the previously uploaded photos have been removed.
To get in touch, please use the contact page.
To get in touch, please use the contact page.