In the late 1980s, the disaster the world had always feared finally befell the city of Pripyat, Ukraine. Homes, hospitals, schools, cars, clothing and personal belongings were simply left behind and remain where they are today. The Chernobyl nuclear power plant disaster occurred on April 26, 1986 and forever changed a city, a nation and a society. (en.wikipedia.org) Nuclear power in Russia was booming in the 1970s with the start of construction of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant. It was the third nuclear power plant installed on Russian soil and the first in Ukraine. The first reactor was completed in 1977, the second in 1978, the third in 1981, and the fourth in 1983. The fifth and sixth reactors were both under construction but were never completed. Each of these reactors was capable of producing 1,000 megawatts of electrical power, but were primarily built by the Soviet Union as a source of plutonium for nuclear weapons. (en.wikipedia.org) During the construction of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant, construction of the city of Pripyat also began. The city was built primarily to house power plant workers and their families, but it was also intended to become a major rail and river freight port. The town was prosperous, with approximately 50,000 residents at the time of the accident, and the population was expected to reach 78,000 in the very near future (en.wikipedia.org). Residents of Pripyat had access to a hospital, 15 primary schools, 5 secondary schools, a theater, shopping centers, shops, restaurants and a playground. It was also connected by Yanov station (pripyat.com). On April 25, 1986, the fourth and newest reactor was nearing the end of its fuel cycle. An experiment was in the middle of paper... finished. In an area that remains restricted to humans, nature is beginning to flourish with the return of rare species such as lynx, wild boar, wolf and Eurasian brown bear. The still-regulated area is so rich in wildlife that the Ukrainian government even declared it a wildlife sanctuary in 2007 (en.wikipedia.org). The Chernobyl disaster affected much of the world when reactor four exploded early on April 26. 1986. Some died, thousands were evacuated, and entire nations were affected by nuclear fallout. Twenty-four years after the explosions, Pripyat still remains a silent city, untouched by the human population. As animals roam the streets and buildings of a once-thriving city, society reflects on the effects such disasters can have and the price we are willing to pay for energy development..