Pripyat River – Water through a disaster zone
The Pripyat River is 473 miles long. Its source is on Volyn Hill, between the villages of Budnik and Horn Smolars in Ukraine. Much of its course is through Belarus before entering the Dnieper and the Kyiv Reservoir a short distance from the Chornobyl Exclusion Zone. The city of Pripyat is named after the river whose banks it was built on.
Things have changed in Chornobyl since this was written. Hopefully, one-day peace will return and visiting this special region of Ukraine will be possible.
Pripyat River
The Pripyat River is 473 miles long and starts in Ukraine before passing through Belarus. It then returns to Ukraine before emptying into the Dnieper at the Kyiv Reservoir. A large section of the river flows through the Chornobyl Exclusion Zone and contamination from the disaster continues to be found in the water and muddy shores downriver from Pripyat.
The area was known for its boat maintenance and repair as well as for being used by the people of Pripyat for leisure. The boats that were in the area at the time of the disaster remain, rusting and decaying as they are too contaminated to be used.
Pripyat River through the Chornobyl Exclusion Zone
As the road rumbles through the exclusion zone, the land is flat. A slow meandering river flows across the wide meadows, passing through the woodlands with sand and pebble banks.
The Emerald Children’s Camp, hidden in the woodland has paths and tracks leading down to the river, a small jetty made to allow the young children from Pripyat City to make their first steps into fun on the water. Their laughter and excitement can still be felt in the decaying wooden chalets and abandoned play parks.
Closer to the Nuclear Power Plant on the outskirts of Chornobyl town the river is wide. Spanned by rusting bridges now used by fishermen the original bustle of the area is hidden and long forgotten. The ships that were docked for repair are left to rust. Their metal was contaminated by the radiation from the disaster that unfolded nearby in April 1986. The only feasible option was to leave them where they were to slip away slowly over time.
Even in the city of Pripyat on the lake, the pier is abandoned and quiet. Once used by the young workers of the city, the ferry is moored away from the Pripyat Cafe. Ready for the May Day celebrations that were supposed to happen shortly after the accident it never moved from its mooring again.
The river can be seen meandering through the outskirts of the city and through the forest from the top of the tower blocks, calm and ‘normal’, the radioactive contamination in the past and even today hidden from view.
Photography notes
As with anywhere in the Chornobyl Exclusion Zone, the river is a quick snap-and-go location. It is fantastic for rusty boats and smaller details and some tours will take you close to the abandoned ships. If the wreckage is your ‘thing’ then definitely ask.
There are a number of locations where the river can be seen. Just outside Chornobyl is a small footbridge that crosses over to a small spur into the river. From here the abandoned wrecks can be seen along with a friendly dog called Beard!
At Pripyat Cafe, the bollards remain along with the old slipway or jetty. Using a shallow depth of field these can be shown with the far bank or the city of Pripyat behind. From the cafe pier, the abandoned ferry can be seen on the bend in the lake.
The river is also seen from the city but this is not currently possible as entry to buildings is forbidden.
Wandering through the woods at Emerald Children’s Camp will eventually take you down to the river although this is a difficult location to photograph the river.
Getting to the Pripyat River
The Pripyat River flows through the Chornobyl Exclusion Zone and is about 2 hours by road from Kyiv.
Entry to the area is only possible as part of a guided tour of the Chornobyl Exclusion Zone. These tours can be booked in advance and all depart from Kyiv.
The river can be seen in various places on most tours.