Years ago, when I was 8, every major change in the weather merited a bizarre claim from my mother: “Must be Chernobyl.” Chernobyl, I eventually learnt at that naturally inquisitive age, was possibly the best illustration of a disaster we’ve had in recent times. The nuclear explosions that blew up the Chernobyl power station in 1986 caused devastation to Russia and its economy and widespread concern for the whole world. This pictorial visit to Chernobyl shows how, 18 years on, it’s still a bleak, desolate place. After you’ve got past the endearingly poor English, you’ll find some of the saddest pictures from the aftermath. (more info on the disaster here)
My favourite quote from the site:
“marauders in radiation poluted area are not just a regular marauders, they don’t steal stuff for themselves. There were cases of radiactive tv sets and other stuff being sold on city second hand markets and then police shot 7 or 8 of them and it helped”
I couldn’t agree with her more.