Pripyat amusement park
 The Ferris Wheel, August 2016 | |
| Location | Pripyat, Ukraine |
|---|---|
| Opened | 1986 |
| Closed | 1986 |
| Attractions | |
| Total | 5 |
The Pripyat amusement park is an abandoned amusement park located in Pripyat, Ukraine. It was to be opened for the first time on 1 May 1986, in time for the May Day celebrations,[1][2] but these plans were cancelled on 26 April, when the Chernobyl disaster occurred a few kilometers away. Several sources report that the park was opened for a short time on 27 April before the announcement to evacuate the city was made,[3][4][5] and one site shows photos of the amusement park in operation.[6] Theories that the park was hurriedly opened in the aftermath of the accident to distract Pripyat residents from the unfolding disaster nearby seem to be substantiated by the fact that some of the rides were never fully completed (the Paratrooper was not fitted with canopies and the Ferris wheel's cladding was incomplete[7]). In any case, the park—and its Ferris wheel in particular—have become a symbol of the Chernobyl disaster.[8]
Attractions
Constructed under the USSR as a "Парк культуры и отдыха" (Park of Culture and Rest) typical of many large cities in the then Soviet Union, the amusement park's attractions were manufactured by the Yeysk-based firm "Аттракцион" (Attraction), who were responsible for the construction of many of the amusement parks which remain to be seen around the former USSR today in various states of repair.[9][better source needed]
Located north-west to the Palace of Culture in the center of Pripyat, the park had five attractions:
- The iconic 26m Ferris wheel "Круговой обзор" ('Circular Overview')
- Bumper cars "Автодром" ('Autodrome')
- Paratrooper ride "Ромашка" ('Chamomile')
- Swing boats "Русские качели" ('Russian Swing')
- The park also contains a carnival shooting game[citation needed]
The successor to the original company are still manufacturing the Ferris wheel, paratrooper and bumper cars to largely unaltered designs as of 2017.[10]
Radiation
Radiation levels around the park vary. The liquidators washed radiation into the soil after the helicopters carrying radioactive materials used the grounds as a landing strip, so concreted areas are relatively safe. However, areas where moss has built can emit up to 25000 µSv/h, among the highest level of radiation in the whole of Pripyat.[11]
Films, games, media and literature
The park plays significant roles in the video games S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow of Chernobyl and Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare, and the film Chernobyl Diaries.
The park plays significant roles too in the Markiyan Kamysh novel about Chernobyl illegal trips, A Stroll to the Zone.
The Ferris wheel made news in September 2017 when Polish tourists turned it mechanically for the first time since 1986, later returning it to its original position.[12]
The park was appeared on Suede's music video clip, Life Is Golden.
References
- ^ "Pillaged and peeling, radiation-ravaged Pripyat welcomes 'extreme' tourists". USA Today.
- ^ Pacific Standard. "Chernobyl in Spring — Pacific Standard". Psmag.com. Retrieved 16 June 2016.
- ^ Bioterrorism with CD-ROM: Psychological and Public Health Interventions. Cambridge University Press. 17 June 2004. p. 175.
{{cite book}}:|access-date=requires|url=(help); Cite uses deprecated parameter|authors=(help) - ^ International Atomic Energy (1991). The International Chernobyl Project: an overview : assessment of radiological consequences and evaluation of protective measures. IAEA. p. 49.
- ^ "Chernobyl disaster zone top pick for 'extreme tourists' 30 years on". Retrieved 16 June 2016.
- ^ Article on Chernobyl by Graham Gilmore showing photos of the amusement park in operation
- ^ YouTube video taken shortly after evacuation in 1986. Retrieved 1 November 2017.
- ^ Fox, Michael H. (2014). Why We Need Nuclear Power: The Environmental Case. OUP USA. p. 226.
- ^ "Аттракцион (завод)". Retrieved 31 October 2017.
- ^ "Аттракцион - Инвест: аттракционы". Retrieved 31 October 2017.
- ^ Article on Chernobyl by Graham Gilmore. Retrieved 31 October 2017.
- ^ "В покинутій Прип'яті біля Чорнобиля запустили колесо огляду". TCH. 14 September 2017. Retrieved 31 October 2017.
External links
- Graham Gilmore Photography | Chernobyl Exclusion Zone
- Abseiling The ferris Wheel In Pripyat
- Satellite photo of Pripyat ferris wheel, Google Maps
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51°24′29.28″N 30°3′25.65″E / 51.4081333°N 30.0571250°E
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