Božićno drvce je prvi puta od 1986. i černobilske katastrofe postavljeno na središnjem trgu obližnjeg grada Pripjata koji je danas "grad duhova", prenijela je ukrajinska ZIK TV. Nekoć grad u kojem je živjelo 47 tisuća stanovnika, Pripjat smješten oko tri kilometra od bivše nuklearne elektrane Černobil i danas je napušten zbog radijacije.
Former residents of the Pripyat decorate a Christmas tree which was installed at the central square of the ghost city Pripyat, near the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant with family photos. The last time a Christmas tree was installed in Pripyat in December 1985. 18 former residents of Pripyat, some who have not seen their town for more 33 years, came to the abandoned city to decorate a Christmas tree with their family photos which were taken in Pripyat before the city was evacuated. The aim of the action is preserving, the museuming and protection of the objects of the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone, including the listing of objects of the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone in the UNESCO World Heritage List, according to the organizers. The Chernobyl nuclear accident on April 26, 1986 is regarded as the largest of its kind in the history of nuclear energy.//SOPAIMAGES_sopa011836/1912260923/Credit:Pavlo Gonchar / SOPA Imag/SIPA/1912260927, Image: 489825928, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: , Model Release: no, Credit line: Pavlo Gonchar / SOPA Imag / Sipa Press / Profimedia
Bivši stanovnici došli su u napušteni grad kako bi okitili drvce s obiteljskim fotografijama u sklopu kampanje koju je organizirala Udruga černobilskih turoperatora. Neki od njih rekli su da su donijeli ukrasni sat kao "simbol protoka vremena i činjenice da protokom vremena grad ne umire, već oživi".
'Grad mora biti spašen'
Katerina Aslamova iz agencije Černobil Tour rekla je kako su se bivši stanovnici prvi put vratili u Pripjat od njihove prisilne evakuacije nakon najveće nuklearne nesreće u povijesti. "Grad mora živjeti, a da se to dogodi, mora biti spašen", rekla je. Ona i njezino društvo voljeli bi da se Pripjat i zabranjena zona oko nuklearke uvrste na popis svjetske baštine UNESCO-a.
Photos of the former residents of Pripyat hang on a Christmas tree, which was installed at the main square of the ghost city Pripyat, near the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant in Kiev. The last time a Christmas tree was installed in Pripyat in December 1985. 18 former residents of Pripyat, some who have not seen their town for more 33 years, came to the abandoned city to decorate a Christmas tree with their family photos which were taken in Pripyat before the city was evacuated. The aim of the action is preserving, the museuming and protection of the objects of the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone, including the listing of objects of the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone in the UNESCO World Heritage List, according to the organizers. The Chernobyl nuclear accident on April 26, 1986 is regarded as the largest of its kind in the history of nuclear energy.//SOPAIMAGES_sopa011833/1912260923/Credit:Pavlo Gonchar / SOPA Imag/SIPA/1912260927, Image: 489825925, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: , Model Release: no, Credit line: Pavlo Gonchar / SOPA Imag / Sipa Press / Profimedia
"Život se vraća u Pripjat", rekao je Jaroslav Jemelijanenko, osnivač Černobil Huba. "To je neuobičajeno, periodično i turistički. Svakoga dana, nekoć napušteni grad napune turisti iz cijeloga svijeta. Dolaze kako bi naučili našu povijest, koja je promijenila tijek događaja u cijelom svijetu", dodao je.
Trideset jedna osoba umrla je odmah nakon eksplozije 1986., dok su deseci tisuća ljudi umrli kasnije od bolesti uzrokovanih radijacijom.
