Thanks for watching. *NOTE: All footage was shot before the war in Ukraine, so obviously some information may now be inaccurate.* At least as far as we know, Pripyat is no longer a warzone (so my comments aren't totally off). This might be the most professional thing I've ever made, so I'd appreciate the support if you find it interesting.
Thank you so much for this, Kyle. Your work here is amazing! I enjoy your videos very much and this is a crowning achievement. Please keep up the good work!
Kyle, the fact that you can effectively advocate for nuclear energy while not ignoring the very real dangers is just so inspiring. Never stop being awesome! K, back to cleaning the evil lair
As I have told others, nuclear power is no different from fire or electricity in the ways that it can benefit humanity ... and in the ways that it must be respected. The problem is that many humans don't respect themselves, let alone anyone or anything else. And as we see throughout history, when humans like that rise to any level of authority or power, it leads to disaster.
@Necron681 and that's the fundamental flaw of utilising nuclear energy. You simply cannot bank lives and irreversible damage to the environment on the good will of people. Human error can never be totally wiped out and corporate greed even less so. Cutting corners is human nature, we cannot be trusted to safely harness such raw power
@Necron681 also using inferior designs. I wish he would talk about the CANDU reactor. Literally impossible to meltdown and doesn't use enriched uranium so it's way easier disposal.
@Necron681 Even THEN, the problems that have happened was because of designs that were decades old. For example, the reactors at Chernobyl were NEVER good enough for the US government. The reactors at Three Mile Island never actually released radiation, and the reactors at Japan were fine, but the tidal wall and generators were in the basement, something that likely wouldn't fly in the US. IT even took an earthquake powerful enough to move billions of tons of rock, AND trillions of gallons of water to destroy. Even then there were still management issues. And two other reactions of the same design survived the earthquake and tsunami.
As someone planning on going for nuclear engineering after community I ask: how can you not? It’s the most fundamental study of life. How energy moves is how the world goes round :p
It aged like fine milk. From the moment the quote was made. It's not a war zone anymore. BUT radiation has spiked ik recent events because the Russian army dug out trenches around the powerplant. And that needs to be fixed first before we can go and see what's left of pripyat and the amazing history. Like Kyle said. Of Russia didn't rush the testing and did outrageous experiments we would all be at nuclear power right now. Maybe 70% nuclear power. 30% renewables like solar panels on roofs. And we mostlikely would've been 2 generations ahead of where we are now.
@@RedRingOfDead Do you think the fossil fuel industry would give up that easily? They are known for using any means possible to 'prove' that fossil fuels are better, or at least a necessary evil. Arguments like 'so you want all these coal miners to lose jobs?', etc... are still - effectively - used to keep dirty power plants running. I don't think it would be that easy to solve the problem of corrupted politicians, which would - I think - be necessary to completely replace fossil fuels.
Its not. I volunteered in the it army of Ukraine from six hours after it was announced until day 57. Its basically totally secured now. Was a nasty dust up there but basically all it achieved was some radiated russians.
I had the pleasure of checking out Pripyat after the Russian invasion. It was even more eerie because there were no tourist or anyone other than a handful of workers and soldiers on security. It was insane to see the Russian positions dug out in the red forrest. Besides the radiation, the whole area was still mined so we observed from a safe distance. Definitely one of the coolest experiences of my life.
@@Sniperboy5551 my friend has some connections there that put us in touch with a tour guide. He hadn’t been back since the invasion so he was really excited to get back. We had to fill out paperwork with the military and even provide the serial numbers for all of our cameras. Hahaha
@@mr.k1611sorry but it's pronounced might "have" not might of or could of or should of all of these things should be pronounced "could have or could've or would have or would've or should have or should've, im not trying to be a smart arse grammar nazi just trying to help my fellow man, all the best 👍
As someone, who've been to Pripyat twice: There's something about that place, that words can't describe: a mix of fear, sadness, peace and hope. An invisible threat, a promice unkept, an empty birds nest, a still image of the long gone past and, once again, a place of the silent forest and home to the wild bests. A place like no other. If you'e been to Ptipyat once, sooner or later, you'll start feeling The Call. P. S. Mad respect to Kyle for such a respectfull approach to a place of great pain and sadness. Huge props!
@@LNVA3 The call to go back. I was lucky to tag along with some biologists and totally agree about the feel of the place. I noticed Kyle was speaking quietely and respectfully, and it kind of makes you do that. It's a very haunting place as the city's slowly reabsorbed by nature. I think that was one of the spooky elements, ie seeing wildlife wandering around the city streets. It's a fascinating and sobering experience, especially if you can tag along with some scientists who can explain what you're seeing, and what they're studying.
The whole thing was so sad. Pripyat was a beautiful city--that shows through even all the deterioration. Dyatlov running that test in the face of numerous protestations from workers that it went against all their training and experience was foolhardy and criminal (he was sentenced to several years hard labour, though I believe he was released in a general amnesty) and died in 1995. An excellent programme, available on TH-cam, is the "Zero Hour" episode on the Chernobyl disaster.
@@marleyjr00 Well, over immense stretches of time, symbols and conventions may get lost. And what had meant life-threatening once, may later on be an adventure, a mystery to solve. Just think of Egyptian tombs.
@@marleyjr00 if it does by any seismic activity, the whole world is fucked if it leaks into the ground water. Cause boom, instant planet wide radiation.
I did not want this to end. Kyle is such a compelling storyteller, especially on a story like this. Thank you for taking us on this journey with you. Truly such a haunted, but beautiful place.
The quiet tone of your voice and near poetic prose in these is absolutely perfect for the subject matter. It was indeed eerily beautiful. Fantastic filming and production!
This series has really been satiating my morbid curiosity, I'm always so amazed, shocked and terrified while watching; it's impossible to pause or look away. Kyle deserves way more attention than he's got, it's almost criminal that this content is free.
I’m so glad this video is back up. When this first came out months ago I was blown away by the stunning views of the landscape and blown away by the professionalism of this video. Well done Kyle.
What happened? I came down into the comments because I know I've seen this video already so how is it new.. did he take it down because of the war in Ukraine?
@@adfaklsdjf no if I remember correctly I tweeted @Kyle and he said it was a copyright strike against this video from a company in Ukraine. Tho I don’t see any differences between the original video vs this one
@@UmbraVolpes Oh I think I liked it so much I looked for it after watching the video... I remember because it was harder to find than the song that's still in the video, which I also liked and found.
I love all of Kyle's videos on Chernobyl, but especially this one, as it captured Pripyat just before another world-changing event (unfortunately) overtook it. Incredible storytelling and respect for the site. Glad to see another video that isn't just "OOOH DEADLY RADIATIOOOON~" Thank you for another wonderfully thoughtful video
Kyle, I love these nuclear power/radiation focused videos. It really brings a lot of truth about the subject. As a former Nuclear Power Plant and Health Physics technician it is nice to hear about stuff without the normal layman hype around radiation, radioactivity, and nuclear power.
I cannot express the feelings this video gives me. Wanderlust, nostalgia, loss for what I have never experienced... just wow. Edit: KYLE YOU MADE ME CRY
Yeah. Something about seeing ruins of a place people used to live in, just looks nostalgic, What if the World at some point looks like this where Humans for whatever reason disappear. Everything would become like Pripyat, Empty and falling apart. It looks kinda cool. I think Kirby and The Forgotten Land does this presentation good by having the Locations be of places abandoned by the people who once lived there.
“Misery is manifold. The wretchedness of the earth is multiform. Overreaching the wide horizon as the rainbow, its hues are as various as the hues of that arch-as distinct, too, yet as intimately blended. Overreaching the wide horizon as the rainbow! How is it that from beauty I have derived a type of unloveliness?-from the covenant of peace, a simile of sorrow? But, as in ethics, evil is a consequence of good, so, in fact, out of joy is sorrow born. Either the memory of past bliss is the anguish of to-day, or the agonies which are, have their origin in the ecstasies *which might have been.”* -Edgar Allen Poe
And when it comes that you are actually standing there you will know that your feelings are genuine and honest. Except I can realte to myself. I would add historical interest to that mixture of feelings.
Anyone who lived or was born in the 80's will get a weird nostalgia from this. I've never been there, never will go there but it just hits hard for some reason.
I find it incredible that you were able to complete this trip just shortly before the Russian invasion. We're all the better for it. Here's to hoping for a peaceful Ukraine in the near future.
Kyle, seriously man, I wait on bated breath for each episode in this series. Each episode is deeply poignant. Your narration is incredible, the research that you do is on-paar with huge production companies. I'm extremely grateful for your channel, I really do mean that. Your channel is tantamount to ale cart' TV.
Your Half Life series, and basically any video you do on nuclear energy or radiation are my absolute favorite videos on TH-cam. I look forward to every single of one of them. They're very well made, very informative. The information is delivered clearly and respectfully.
Yes all this.. and especially the word "respectfully". It's so important that these topics be treated respectfully especially when taking a pro-nuclear-energy stance.
I've had a bit of an obsession with Chornobyl and the disaster since I was a small child and I want to thank you for treating it with the respect it deserves in this series
So have I, its weird isn’t it? I have abit of an obsession with Eastern Europe in general… I find it Erie and freaky and I don’t know why, It might be the buildings and the history of the Soviet Union, I just don’t know what it is
@@GeneralRaam-0 for me it's because my family is from that area. My great grandfather was one of the "human robots" who tried to help save the rest of the world from the disaster. That whole part of the world has a sort of haunting beauty. You can feel the hardship and perseverance in the air as soon as you step off the plane.
This is a great video, I've wondered for a long time how Pripyat really looked these days. I've only really seen the ariel footage of the ferris wheel and the occasional image of inside abandoned homes. I have really enjoyed your videos over the past few months and have learnt so much. I'm no longer deadly terrified by nuclear power and have a better understanding of it. Thanks Kyle 👍I wish you'd been my science teacher (many moons ago!).
This series is one of my all time favorite docuseries I've watched. The footage, the voice over and information is absolutely amazing. And the respect of everyone and everything is obvious and unrivaled
I thought I'd seen this before, but then I remembered you saying that you'd re-upload it as circumstances in Ukraine changed. Sad to think how much devastation the rest of the country is now experiencing 💔
@@NaomiAlicia4242564 he explained it on one of his live streams. He used something that he got from what looked like a legit source. But that source stole it from the legit source. The actual legit source initiated the strike against Kyle. (Kyle, sorry if i got any of that wrong)
Kyle the videos you make handle the topics so respectfully and without sensationalization and that's why it touches our minds so much. Especially as a science student I aspire to be able to portray facts and events so clearly and precisely. Thanks for the video
There's a solemn beauty to these videos and their music that is quite moving. They are an experience as much as they are educational. Thank you, Kyle, for yet another wonderful film, and thank you too, to Meydan, for the score. I will never get tired of this series.
Watching this and knowing that this place has been forever changed by the war is actually heartbreaking. The video is wonderful and handles everything so tactfully it's amazing
I kind of feel bad for the Russian lower enlisted who were likely ordered to dig defensive trenches in the contaminated soil. Then there are those who grabbed souvenirs... There goes much of my pity.
I'm so glad you were able to visit the facility before it was defiled by war. The poor soldiers who were instructed to dig trenches in the yellow forrest have my utmost sympathy. The plant engineers were imprisoned in the plant also. All so a Russian general could use the plant as his HQ.
And he HE DIDN'T. After all that wasted effort. Not even to mention transporting sandbags, and stupid soldiers taking "souvenirs" from the plant. This was a bad idea, wrapped in stupid, with a nonsense bow.
Of course also easy entry in the country since it is mostly a wasteland and no fighting against the Russians because of the risks of fighting in the area.
I'm so happy that I was finally able to see this, after it was removed the first time you uploaded it. It's beautiful... and sad; Melancholic and uplifting at the same time. Thanks and can't wait to see the continuation.
Not me just watching this series remembering that time my school took us to the nuclear power plant, Waterford 3, for a field trip. Honestly back then I didn't have a great understanding of what or how it worked and I was TERRIFIED of the place especially since they took us just after learning about Chernobyl and Three Mile Island.
"Pripyat is not a warzone" is one of those sentences that hits hard because you notice that this footage may not have been shot that long ago, but in that relativly short time the circumstances for the people around there/in ukraine has changed so much.
just as fascinating and chilling the second time. my parents arent sold on nuclear power, and ive been wanting to use your vids to help convince them. cant wait for you to finish the series!
I’m not sold either, as I cannot trust future enemies of the US (and we’ll surely have them considering how the US acts on the world stage) to not target nuclear reactors to cause the most harm possible. My fears outweigh my optimism by quite some margin.
@@nickthompson1812 Nuclear reactors (at least modern ones) are a bunker inside a bunker. You could damage the rods, or something, they will be treated like nuclear waste/leak and corrected Most of Fukushima's deaths come from a hastmy evacuation, confirmed deaths from the nuclear radiation are in single digits
@@nickthompson1812 Plus. Look at France (yes not only the USA has nuclear power plants) 80% nuclear energy No problem Another example : During the war in ukraine, a reactor was targetted and hit. Nothing. There was a fire and no big problem.. because the reactor was off. People learned from Chernobyl/Three Miles Island
Two lines from this are absolutely chilling, considering recent events: "Pripyat is not a warzone." and "a lot changes in the exclusion zone even though people are technically gone."
The drone footage of the landscape at large is... eerily beautiful. The trees make me wish I could visit... but the abandoned buildings and the act of nature wrapping itself back around the artificial structures... there's this intense sense of "something truly terrible happened here" that chills me to the bone.
In the overhead shot it’s very clear to see the oil and contamination in the water and I’m curious if there’s any wildlife in those lakes and if so what it looks like
This was a mesmerizing piece of work that speaks very deeply to me, as a Ukrainian. Not to mention, highly educational in the way I haven't seen Prypiat being covered yet. Looking forward to more content.
It makes me wonder, what implications could it have for the world if this disaster was averted. I love watching this series and I look forward to seeing the next chapter.
People would be less afraid of nuclear energy, I believe anyways. This disaster is the looming threat everyone thinks about when they talk about nuclear energy and it's dangers. It happened so early in the field and with such consequences. Humans are just weird on what we think is dangerous and what's not. Our risk-reward is broken sometimes.
I've often wondered whether we would be facing a climate crisis now if the Chernobyl nuclear disaster never happened. It gave an irrational anti-nuclear inclination to the environmental movement and doomed us to continue using fossil fuels.
@@DebTheDevastator I'm inclined to agree. The 3 Mile Island disaster predates it, and came right on the heels of the "China Syndrome" movie, which effectively directed how the public was viewing nuclear power and scrutinizing it, however as a disaster it ultimately had a pretty low impact and nobody was permanently evacuated. So for anti-nuclear activists, there was only so much you could say about it. But Chernobyl had it all: full meltdown, giant explosion, permanent evacuation, worldwide coverage, a haunting abandoned city... what more could you ask for?
Your video about the Elephant's Foot was my introduction to your work, and I've rewatched it dozens of times. Just watched the HBO miniseries again yesterday. Love all of your work, but I especially enjoy these "short film" style pieces.
This was even better the second time. Since I already watched it when it was first released, I was able to really focus in on the professional quality of this documentary. The transitions, narration, videography etc. are very high caliber, and is easily on par with documentaries on mainstream networks. I hope that you continue to make more incredible documentaries in the future. *10/10*
Seeing all these places after playing Chernobylite gives me the chills...in a weird undescribable way...after watching the video it started feeling strange and unnatural that people used to live there...
I love your videos. Your SL-1 video got me interested in the field. I wrote a paper about the SL-1 and it helped get a job in field. Thank you, I appreate your videos.
I love the work put into this, this feels (and this is meant to be the greatest of compliments) not like a TH-cam video but more like a television documentary
Honestly the best channel if you want things you are interested in but don't understand that well explained so you can understand them. Love these videos.
What a beautiful and important series. Your narration, and the gorgeous music, evoke a haunting sense of wonder at what was lost, what is, and what could have been. It's really content like this, reaching far and wide, that changes minds, and could push the world towards more respect and acceptance of nuclear fuel in the fight against climate change, perpetual and critical as it is. Kyle Hill, keep on keeping on, and I'm so excited to see the next part of this amazing series.
The pool and city were also in COD4 sniper mission with Soap or Calt Price (don’t remember which). 😎 I just love seeing life frozen in time. Eerie beauty.
I studied biomedical science for four years in university and I must say that you are a really great science communicator :) Keep up the amazing work, I love these videos and your Half-Life Histories series
I'm legitimately curious if you've ever heard the song "Ghost Town" by Huns and Dr. Beeker, which is about the Pripyat disaster and the people affected by it. If so, I'd love to know your thoughts on it.
I love how this captures the ominous serenity and beauty of the place instead of sensationalizing it. There's a documentary about the wolves living in the Chernobyl area which had a similar feel. It's not the exaggerated panic about being in a deadly radioactive zone that leaves an impact, but the fading snapshot of what could have been.
I read/heard somewhere that the ground surrounding the zone / Pripyat might be sooner inhabitable then the city of Pripyat itself. Due to the concrete. But still it would take up to several decades. Pripyat was first used for CoD: in part 4 - Modern Warfare. And o'course the STALKER games.
7:27 I thought Kyle would be an OG and reference the COD4 (2007) missions ‘All Ghillied Up’ and ‘One Shot, One Kill’ where the developers have you traverse through the city with several iconic landmarks recreated and not just 1 pool. 😑
Thank you for doing this Kyle, I've always wanted to visit Chernobyl and the surrounding areas but after this war I understand it won't ever be the same. So I appreciate seeing it in a moment of time right before the invasion.
I’ve watched quite a few Chernobyl related videos which tend to show the same scenes. Thank you for showing us different places and things. Fascinating video.
Thank you for dispelling myths and advancing a more positive and accurate view on nuclear power. We need this. We need cheap and abundant energy and we need to export it to poorer regions of the world
Yet another banger from Kyle and his team. I get giddy every time I see Kyle put up a new video like this. I may not be an educated man, but learning is fun to me and Kyle makes videos about horrific disasters so engaging and compelling. To me he's like that professor in school you listen to not because you need to in order to pass the class, but because you want to, like that person who's so passionate about something that their passion rubs off onto you for that brief period of time you're listening to them. I wonder if Kyle has ever seen that old History Channel docuseries as I call it(not sure what it's actually referred to as) called something like "Life After People". They talked/showed a lot of what Kyle touched on in this video in terms of the planet flourishing in a world devoid of humanity. And Kyle if for some chance you read this I had a question regarding Chernobyl. If it's unsafe for humans to populate the region again for another 24,000 years, then do neighboring countries or towns ever have to worry about say like hurricane type winds coming in and blowing any of the fallout their directions, or is it not so much what's in the air as it is just everything is saturated in radiation at this point? If you've already discussed this in a podcast episode then my bad.
One can't help but wonder. What if the reactor didn't blow up? What if there was no accident? What if nuclear powers good name was never tarnished by the catastrophy? Would the world we are living in today be diffrent? Watching this video and your channel in general made me realise one thing. That the price we pay for disrespecting nuclear power reaches far deeper than any radiation ever could. We pay it in fear, that stops us from embracing a solution to our energy crisis. As always great video :)
Kyle I just want to say that your videos are a beacon of light in my life, whenever you upload a video, my day is made 10000x better, so thank you Kyle for being one of the best people on TH-cam.
I found your channel due to the elephant's foot video and the other videos in the Chernobyl videos and felt a sense of warmth from it. Seeing videos like this feels so surreal and weirdly calming at times. Thanks for the content!
Going into the military for this kind of thing, you really deepen my ever lasting thirst for knowledge about this topic. I thank you for these videos, they help shape my future as a Nuclear engineer.
I absolutely love the contrast in your presentation style between your serious videos like these, and your usual videos. Honestly the direct comparison makes your serious videos just that more impactful. When Kyle "Discount Walmart Thor" Hill becomes the Kyle Hill, the Scientist and Educator, you listen.
Abandoned and returned to nature for decades before the war, that almost feels like the land itself should have been a warning sign to the soldiers who entered.
"What Pripyat could have been, in a future that never was...." If Nuclear power had been more respected and less used as a means to cause fear, it could have been a future realized. Imagining that possibility makes me feel really depressed. Thank you Kyle
The moment Kyle said "if you're a COD fan" I got chills. I RECOGNIZE THAT POOL. That's the pool we cross as Captain Price on our way to the extraction point near the ferris wheel. After we're done sniping Zahkaev. Holy Hell! And yes it was also in Warzone but it was in Modern Warfare first
Love the Half-Life Histories so much. Even though some of them have literally made me cry. This was a beautiful look at Pripyat and I can't wait for more. Glad this video is back up.
Years ago, back when I very first read your article on The Elephant's Foot, I was captivated by a clear fascination and passion not just for nuclear science, but for story telling, that came through in the words I was reading. Now, watching this, it's clear that passion continues to burn just as brightly as ever. Your ability to frame these stories in ways everyone can understand, and to give them context, is simply... Awesome. Thank you!
Who woulda thunked it. Mocking of their stupidity aside, I really would want to know which dimwit thought that was a brilliant idea. It goes to show just how bad their command chain really is. The only even half-reasonable logic I could come up with is that they want to use it as a deterrent, but that's still far from a bright idea as they would suffer too if it got shelled.
@@Rafael_Fuchs From what I've heard, it was a general who made a HQ there so that he'd be protected from counterattacks. However, either someone had a really bad idea, or didn't know where they were, and started digging trenches. (And again from what I've heard, most of the soldiers didn't know it was Chernobyl or what was Chernobyl even)
@@jamiehughes5573 The average age of soldiers in Russia is well below the age that they would remember the reactor explosion happening, and the Russian govt suppressed any and all information and discussion of the event. Most people who were at Pripyat recently would have not known what happened there, or that there was any sort of hazard. The people are kept in the dark regarding what the Russian govt considers an embarrassment to the former soviet union.
Some of the people from the surrounding areas and collectives where interviewed for the book Chernobyl Prayer by Svetlana Alexievitch. It was a great if hard read. Well worth a look for anyone interested in the area and its people.
i just found a film about The Babushkas of Chernobyl (or Pripyat), grandmothers who went back home and stayed, keeping their chickens, growing their gardens. they just couldn't stand being moved away from their homes, in cities full of people and noise. i found the film on TH-cam. it was beautiful
Belarussian side of the Zone was "safe" and many people went back. Funny how both Ukraine and belarussia were both part of the USSR, only Belarussian government (or what ever) said it is safe.
Hey Kyle, new subscriber here, really appreciating your work. I have spent the past 11 years researching the Chernobyl disaster, and these videos are among the best I've seen on the subject. Keep up the great work, and I look forward to whatever happens next! All the best from Australia.
Thanks for watching. *NOTE: All footage was shot before the war in Ukraine, so obviously some information may now be inaccurate.* At least as far as we know, Pripyat is no longer a warzone (so my comments aren't totally off). This might be the most professional thing I've ever made, so I'd appreciate the support if you find it interesting.
Didn't you upload this before? I've already seen this..
@@MaxArceus There was a Chapter 1, this is Chapter 2.
@@MaxArceus Same- maybe-? i felt like i've had Déjà vu
Thank you so much for this, Kyle. Your work here is amazing! I enjoy your videos very much and this is a crowning achievement. Please keep up the good work!
I almost started clapping at the end of this video 😅 bravo, Kyle and team!
Kyle, the fact that you can effectively advocate for nuclear energy while not ignoring the very real dangers is just so inspiring. Never stop being awesome! K, back to cleaning the evil lair
Nuanced thought is really hard for humans. Nuanced thought must be celebrated with everyone and shared by everyone.
As I have told others, nuclear power is no different from fire or electricity in the ways that it can benefit humanity ... and in the ways that it must be respected.
The problem is that many humans don't respect themselves, let alone anyone or anything else.
And as we see throughout history, when humans like that rise to any level of authority or power, it leads to disaster.
@Necron681 and that's the fundamental flaw of utilising nuclear energy. You simply cannot bank lives and irreversible damage to the environment on the good will of people. Human error can never be totally wiped out and corporate greed even less so. Cutting corners is human nature, we cannot be trusted to safely harness such raw power
@Necron681 also using inferior designs. I wish he would talk about the CANDU reactor. Literally impossible to meltdown and doesn't use enriched uranium so it's way easier disposal.
@Necron681 Even THEN, the problems that have happened was because of designs that were decades old. For example, the reactors at Chernobyl were NEVER good enough for the US government. The reactors at Three Mile Island never actually released radiation, and the reactors at Japan were fine, but the tidal wall and generators were in the basement, something that likely wouldn't fly in the US. IT even took an earthquake powerful enough to move billions of tons of rock, AND trillions of gallons of water to destroy. Even then there were still management issues. And two other reactions of the same design survived the earthquake and tsunami.
Kyle has become the cool nuclear/radiation guy, seeing his videos on such topics is so entertaining because you can tell it fascinates him
you can tell he’s passionate about it!
One might even say, he is quite RAD...
That is exactly what passion is supposed to look like!
His storytelling and atmospheric ambient music choice is flawless
As someone planning on going for nuclear engineering after community I ask: how can you not? It’s the most fundamental study of life. How energy moves is how the world goes round :p
“Pripyat is not a war zone”
That’s quite ominous to hear in light of recent events.
It isn’t anymore though
It aged like fine milk. From the moment the quote was made.
It's not a war zone anymore. BUT radiation has spiked ik recent events because the Russian army dug out trenches around the powerplant. And that needs to be fixed first before we can go and see what's left of pripyat and the amazing history.
Like Kyle said. Of Russia didn't rush the testing and did outrageous experiments we would all be at nuclear power right now. Maybe 70% nuclear power. 30% renewables like solar panels on roofs.
And we mostlikely would've been 2 generations ahead of where we are now.
This wasn't filmed during the tragic events.
@@RedRingOfDead Do you think the fossil fuel industry would give up that easily? They are known for using any means possible to 'prove' that fossil fuels are better, or at least a necessary evil. Arguments like 'so you want all these coal miners to lose jobs?', etc... are still - effectively - used to keep dirty power plants running. I don't think it would be that easy to solve the problem of corrupted politicians, which would - I think - be necessary to completely replace fossil fuels.
Its not. I volunteered in the it army of Ukraine from six hours after it was announced until day 57. Its basically totally secured now. Was a nasty dust up there but basically all it achieved was some radiated russians.
I had the pleasure of checking out Pripyat after the Russian invasion. It was even more eerie because there were no tourist or anyone other than a handful of workers and soldiers on security. It was insane to see the Russian positions dug out in the red forrest. Besides the radiation, the whole area was still mined so we observed from a safe distance. Definitely one of the coolest experiences of my life.
That’s awesome, how did you get the chance to see it? I’ve been super curious about what’s going on there now, this comment made my day.
@@Sniperboy5551 my friend has some connections there that put us in touch with a tour guide. He hadn’t been back since the invasion so he was really excited to get back. We had to fill out paperwork with the military and even provide the serial numbers for all of our cameras. Hahaha
I got to see it twice in 2019. Digging positions in that forest. Mental.
I might of saw you...soldier who fled to the east.
@@mr.k1611sorry but it's pronounced might "have" not might of or could of or should of all of these things should be pronounced "could have or could've or would have or would've or should have or should've, im not trying to be a smart arse grammar nazi just trying to help my fellow man, all the best 👍
As someone, who've been to Pripyat twice:
There's something about that place, that words can't describe: a mix of fear, sadness, peace and hope.
An invisible threat, a promice unkept, an empty birds nest, a still image of the long gone past and, once again, a place of the silent forest and home to the wild bests.
A place like no other.
If you'e been to Ptipyat once, sooner or later, you'll start feeling The Call.
P. S. Mad respect to Kyle for such a respectfull approach to a place of great pain and sadness. Huge props!
What is the call? Call of the void?
like the Game series S T A L K E R
@@LNVA3 The call to go back. I was lucky to tag along with some biologists and totally agree about the feel of the place. I noticed Kyle was speaking quietely and respectfully, and it kind of makes you do that. It's a very haunting place as the city's slowly reabsorbed by nature. I think that was one of the spooky elements, ie seeing wildlife wandering around the city streets. It's a fascinating and sobering experience, especially if you can tag along with some scientists who can explain what you're seeing, and what they're studying.
The whole thing was so sad. Pripyat was a beautiful city--that shows through even all the deterioration. Dyatlov running that test in the face of numerous protestations from workers that it went against all their training and experience was foolhardy and criminal (he was sentenced to several years hard labour, though I believe he was released in a general amnesty) and died in 1995. An excellent programme, available on TH-cam, is the "Zero Hour" episode on the Chernobyl disaster.
Such is life in the zone
That sarcophagus looming in the distance truly is chilling. A constant visible reminder of a devastating invisible killer.
"Nuclear power is a hell of a way to boil water."
Dangerous anomalies
I hope that that deep basement with the elephant foot never gets cracked open
@@marleyjr00 Well, over immense stretches of time, symbols and conventions may get lost. And what had meant life-threatening once, may later on be an adventure, a mystery to solve. Just think of Egyptian tombs.
@@marleyjr00 if it does by any seismic activity, the whole world is fucked if it leaks into the ground water. Cause boom, instant planet wide radiation.
I did not want this to end. Kyle is such a compelling storyteller, especially on a story like this. Thank you for taking us on this journey with you. Truly such a haunted, but beautiful place.
Me too, so beautiful work. And so respectful too. Shows the spirit of the creator.
The quiet tone of your voice and near poetic prose in these is absolutely perfect for the subject matter. It was indeed eerily beautiful. Fantastic filming and production!
Ikr?? I went to sleep listening to these guys videos cause I like documentaries but I just couldn't miss out on this one
This series has really been satiating my morbid curiosity, I'm always so amazed, shocked and terrified while watching; it's impossible to pause or look away. Kyle deserves way more attention than he's got, it's almost criminal that this content is free.
I’m so glad this video is back up. When this first came out months ago I was blown away by the stunning views of the landscape and blown away by the professionalism of this video. Well done Kyle.
What happened? I came down into the comments because I know I've seen this video already so how is it new.. did he take it down because of the war in Ukraine?
@@adfaklsdjf no if I remember correctly I tweeted @Kyle and he said it was a copyright strike against this video from a company in Ukraine. Tho I don’t see any differences between the original video vs this one
There was a music byte that was not supposed to be freely available,on a site of copyright free content in the original video iirc
@@UmbraVolpes oh that makes sense. I was looking for a specific scene, not music.
@@UmbraVolpes Oh I think I liked it so much I looked for it after watching the video... I remember because it was harder to find than the song that's still in the video, which I also liked and found.
As someone who vaguely remembers the first version of this video, this feels somehow better? You've clearly putdone yourself, Kyle.
Ahhhh thats why i had the feeling i already saw this video; he remade it apparently
@@RogerOver9000 first one was struck down for some weird vopyright reasons. There's an episode of office hours where he finds that out live.
Ditto. Was thinking I'd gone senile
@@teradul2480 i thought he said he'd change it if the situation in the Ukraine changed?
@@teradul2480 Ahhh gotcha; thanks for the info!
I love all of Kyle's videos on Chernobyl, but especially this one, as it captured Pripyat just before another world-changing event (unfortunately) overtook it.
Incredible storytelling and respect for the site. Glad to see another video that isn't just "OOOH DEADLY RADIATIOOOON~"
Thank you for another wonderfully thoughtful video
Kyle, I love these nuclear power/radiation focused videos. It really brings a lot of truth about the subject. As a former Nuclear Power Plant and Health Physics technician it is nice to hear about stuff without the normal layman hype around radiation, radioactivity, and nuclear power.
I couldn’t agree more as an advocate of nuclear power. This channel is awesome!
I cannot express the feelings this video gives me. Wanderlust, nostalgia, loss for what I have never experienced... just wow.
Edit: KYLE YOU MADE ME CRY
Yeah. Something about seeing ruins of a place people used to live in, just looks nostalgic, What if the World at some point looks like this where Humans for whatever reason disappear. Everything would become like Pripyat, Empty and falling apart. It looks kinda cool. I think Kirby and The Forgotten Land does this presentation good by having the Locations be of places abandoned by the people who once lived there.
Couldn’t have possibly said it better myself
“Misery is manifold. The wretchedness of the earth is multiform. Overreaching the wide horizon as the rainbow, its hues are as various as the hues of that arch-as distinct, too, yet as intimately blended. Overreaching the wide horizon as the rainbow! How is it that from beauty I have derived a type of unloveliness?-from the covenant of peace, a simile of sorrow? But, as in ethics, evil is a consequence of good, so, in fact, out of joy is sorrow born. Either the memory of past bliss is the anguish of to-day, or the agonies which are, have their origin in the ecstasies *which might have been.”* -Edgar Allen Poe
And when it comes that you are actually standing there you will know that your feelings are genuine and honest. Except I can realte to myself. I would add historical interest to that mixture of feelings.
Anyone who lived or was born in the 80's will get a weird nostalgia from this. I've never been there, never will go there but it just hits hard for some reason.
I find it incredible that you were able to complete this trip just shortly before the Russian invasion. We're all the better for it. Here's to hoping for a peaceful Ukraine in the near future.
Sorry buddy but not going to happen simply because what's coming upon this earth is going to wipe out most of humanity.
Here's hoping for the unity of the Russian people
Kyle, seriously man, I wait on bated breath for each episode in this series. Each episode is deeply poignant. Your narration is incredible, the research that you do is on-paar with huge production companies. I'm extremely grateful for your channel, I really do mean that. Your channel is tantamount to ale cart' TV.
Your Half Life series, and basically any video you do on nuclear energy or radiation are my absolute favorite videos on TH-cam. I look forward to every single of one of them.
They're very well made, very informative. The information is delivered clearly and respectfully.
Yes all this.. and especially the word "respectfully". It's so important that these topics be treated respectfully especially when taking a pro-nuclear-energy stance.
I've had a bit of an obsession with Chornobyl and the disaster since I was a small child and I want to thank you for treating it with the respect it deserves in this series
So have I, its weird isn’t it? I have abit of an obsession with Eastern Europe in general… I find it Erie and freaky and I don’t know why, It might be the buildings and the history of the Soviet Union, I just don’t know what it is
@@GeneralRaam-0 for me it's because my family is from that area. My great grandfather was one of the "human robots" who tried to help save the rest of the world from the disaster.
That whole part of the world has a sort of haunting beauty. You can feel the hardship and perseverance in the air as soon as you step off the plane.
This is a great video, I've wondered for a long time how Pripyat really looked these days. I've only really seen the ariel footage of the ferris wheel and the occasional image of inside abandoned homes.
I have really enjoyed your videos over the past few months and have learnt so much. I'm no longer deadly terrified by nuclear power and have a better understanding of it. Thanks Kyle 👍I wish you'd been my science teacher (many moons ago!).
This series is one of my all time favorite docuseries I've watched. The footage, the voice over and information is absolutely amazing. And the respect of everyone and everything is obvious and unrivaled
I thought I'd seen this before, but then I remembered you saying that you'd re-upload it as circumstances in Ukraine changed. Sad to think how much devastation the rest of the country is now experiencing 💔
The original video was taken down by YT over a copyright issue.
Ah, I was thinking the same thing.
@@crazyeyez1502 what??? Like, how, why? Kyle is the most careful man in regard of his content in the atomic series... what the hell TH-cam. ..
Ahh that explains it.
@@NaomiAlicia4242564 he explained it on one of his live streams. He used something that he got from what looked like a legit source. But that source stole it from the legit source. The actual legit source initiated the strike against Kyle. (Kyle, sorry if i got any of that wrong)
Cod4 all ghillied up and the mission after made me really want to know more about Chernobyl. Glad that this series is finally coming out!
i knew i wasn’t the only one that instantly remembered this
50,000 people used to live here....
@@nvr2late666 now its a ghost town
@@jakubrossa7794 So upset he stated "Warzone" as the place people would remember the pool from and not COD4
@@Dkgow probably because Warzone is more recent. All Gillied Up is arguable much more iconic though
Kyle the videos you make handle the topics so respectfully and without sensationalization and that's why it touches our minds so much.
Especially as a science student I aspire to be able to portray facts and events so clearly and precisely.
Thanks for the video
There's a solemn beauty to these videos and their music that is quite moving. They are an experience as much as they are educational.
Thank you, Kyle, for yet another wonderful film, and thank you too, to Meydan, for the score. I will never get tired of this series.
Watching this and knowing that this place has been forever changed by the war is actually heartbreaking. The video is wonderful and handles everything so tactfully it's amazing
I kind of feel bad for the Russian lower enlisted who were likely ordered to dig defensive trenches in the contaminated soil.
Then there are those who grabbed souvenirs... There goes much of my pity.
@@MonkeyJedi99 or more... They forgot something there. Years of their life
@@MonkeyJedi99 they wanted Ukrainian soil so bad so it gave them what they deserved
@@MonkeyJedi99 people have been grabbing souvenirs from pripyat since the 80s.
@@infernaldaedra That doesn't change how dumb a move it is.
I'm so glad you were able to visit the facility before it was defiled by war. The poor soldiers who were instructed to dig trenches in the yellow forrest have my utmost sympathy. The plant engineers were imprisoned in the plant also. All so a Russian general could use the plant as his HQ.
And he HE DIDN'T.
After all that wasted effort.
Not even to mention transporting sandbags, and stupid soldiers taking "souvenirs" from the plant.
This was a bad idea, wrapped in stupid, with a nonsense bow.
im very sorry for what is still happening to ukraine and what has been done
*Red forest.
Of course also easy entry in the country since it is mostly a wasteland and no fighting against the Russians because of the risks of fighting in the area.
I'm so happy that I was finally able to see this, after it was removed the first time you uploaded it. It's beautiful... and sad; Melancholic and uplifting at the same time. Thanks and can't wait to see the continuation.
Do we know why it was removed? I was watching this just now and thinking it must be a reupload but I wasn't sure why.
@@CSpottsGaming Same. I was confused since I thought it was the sequel I had been waiting for.
Not me just watching this series remembering that time my school took us to the nuclear power plant, Waterford 3, for a field trip. Honestly back then I didn't have a great understanding of what or how it worked and I was TERRIFIED of the place especially since they took us just after learning about Chernobyl and Three Mile Island.
"Pripyat is not a warzone" is one of those sentences that hits hard because you notice that this footage may not have been shot that long ago, but in that relativly short time the circumstances for the people around there/in ukraine has changed so much.
just as fascinating and chilling the second time. my parents arent sold on nuclear power, and ive been wanting to use your vids to help convince them. cant wait for you to finish the series!
I’m not sold either, as I cannot trust future enemies of the US (and we’ll surely have them considering how the US acts on the world stage) to not target nuclear reactors to cause the most harm possible. My fears outweigh my optimism by quite some margin.
@@nickthompson1812 Nuclear reactors (at least modern ones) are a bunker inside a bunker. You could damage the rods, or something, they will be treated like nuclear waste/leak and corrected
Most of Fukushima's deaths come from a hastmy evacuation, confirmed deaths from the nuclear radiation are in single digits
@@nickthompson1812 Plus. Look at France (yes not only the USA has nuclear power plants)
80% nuclear energy
No problem
Another example :
During the war in ukraine, a reactor was targetted and hit. Nothing. There was a fire and no big problem.. because the reactor was off.
People learned from Chernobyl/Three Miles Island
Most incidents are caused by cost cutting and corporate negligence. The same is true of fossil fuel related accidents.
Two lines from this are absolutely chilling, considering recent events: "Pripyat is not a warzone." and "a lot changes in the exclusion zone even though people are technically gone."
Yea it really is horrible, hearing about the crimes these soldiers have committed on top of that is the worse.
I was looking for this comment. I was thinking exactly the same thing. Eerily ominous foreshadowing
The drone footage of the landscape at large is... eerily beautiful. The trees make me wish I could visit... but the abandoned buildings and the act of nature wrapping itself back around the artificial structures... there's this intense sense of "something truly terrible happened here" that chills me to the bone.
In the overhead shot it’s very clear to see the oil and contamination in the water and I’m curious if there’s any wildlife in those lakes and if so what it looks like
This was a mesmerizing piece of work that speaks very deeply to me, as a Ukrainian. Not to mention, highly educational in the way I haven't seen Prypiat being covered yet. Looking forward to more content.
It makes me wonder, what implications could it have for the world if this disaster was averted. I love watching this series and I look forward to seeing the next chapter.
People would be less afraid of nuclear energy, I believe anyways. This disaster is the looming threat everyone thinks about when they talk about nuclear energy and it's dangers. It happened so early in the field and with such consequences. Humans are just weird on what we think is dangerous and what's not. Our risk-reward is broken sometimes.
I think we needed the lesson ^ we would be looking at a very different soviet Russia
I've often wondered whether we would be facing a climate crisis now if the Chernobyl nuclear disaster never happened. It gave an irrational anti-nuclear inclination to the environmental movement and doomed us to continue using fossil fuels.
@@DebTheDevastator I'm inclined to agree. The 3 Mile Island disaster predates it, and came right on the heels of the "China Syndrome" movie, which effectively directed how the public was viewing nuclear power and scrutinizing it, however as a disaster it ultimately had a pretty low impact and nobody was permanently evacuated. So for anti-nuclear activists, there was only so much you could say about it. But Chernobyl had it all: full meltdown, giant explosion, permanent evacuation, worldwide coverage, a haunting abandoned city... what more could you ask for?
@@EnormousPurpleGarden what happened was the Fossil Fuel industry saw it’s chance to shoot down nuclear power and they took it.
Your video about the Elephant's Foot was my introduction to your work, and I've rewatched it dozens of times. Just watched the HBO miniseries again yesterday. Love all of your work, but I especially enjoy these "short film" style pieces.
This was even better the second time. Since I already watched it when it was first released, I was able to really focus in on the professional quality of this documentary. The transitions, narration, videography etc. are very high caliber, and is easily on par with documentaries on mainstream networks. I hope that you continue to make more incredible documentaries in the future.
*10/10*
I love how resilient plant life is towards radiation so the place still looks relatively normal from an outside view
Seeing all these places after playing Chernobylite gives me the chills...in a weird undescribable way...after watching the video it started feeling strange and unnatural that people used to live there...
"Fifty thousand people used to live here. Now it's a ghost town"
I love your videos. Your SL-1 video got me interested in the field. I wrote a paper about the SL-1 and it helped get a job in field.
Thank you, I appreate your videos.
As if Pripyat hadn't been through enough, now, it's a battlefield, too.
Слава моноліту
Well it's been a battlefield.
I'd assume the place has been trashed even more now.
Along with russians digging trenches in the yellow forest.....
I love the work put into this, this feels (and this is meant to be the greatest of compliments) not like a TH-cam video but more like a television documentary
I’m so glad you were able to be fascinated with this type of stuff. I indeed am and it’s cool you’ve made like 6 episodes of this!
Honestly the best channel if you want things you are interested in but don't understand that well explained so you can understand them. Love these videos.
That means the world to me, thank you
What a beautiful and important series. Your narration, and the gorgeous music, evoke a haunting sense of wonder at what was lost, what is, and what could have been.
It's really content like this, reaching far and wide, that changes minds, and could push the world towards more respect and acceptance of nuclear fuel in the fight against climate change, perpetual and critical as it is.
Kyle Hill, keep on keeping on, and I'm so excited to see the next part of this amazing series.
I'm so excited this got re-uploaded since I missed it when it first dropped 💙
14:32 this bar was actually flames
The pool and city were also in COD4 sniper mission with Soap or Calt Price (don’t remember which). 😎
I just love seeing life frozen in time. Eerie beauty.
I studied biomedical science for four years in university and I must say that you are a really great science communicator :) Keep up the amazing work, I love these videos and your Half-Life Histories series
I'm legitimately curious if you've ever heard the song "Ghost Town" by Huns and Dr. Beeker, which is about the Pripyat disaster and the people affected by it. If so, I'd love to know your thoughts on it.
I love how this captures the ominous serenity and beauty of the place instead of sensationalizing it. There's a documentary about the wolves living in the Chernobyl area which had a similar feel. It's not the exaggerated panic about being in a deadly radioactive zone that leaves an impact, but the fading snapshot of what could have been.
I like how he mentioned a similar area to the pool being in Warzone but not a mission in Call of Duty 4 literally taking place in and around Pripyat
I read/heard somewhere that the ground surrounding the zone / Pripyat might be sooner inhabitable then the city of Pripyat itself. Due to the concrete. But still it would take up to several decades.
Pripyat was first used for CoD: in part 4 - Modern Warfare. And o'course the STALKER games.
7:27 I thought Kyle would be an OG and reference the COD4 (2007) missions ‘All Ghillied Up’ and ‘One Shot, One Kill’ where the developers have you traverse through the city with several iconic landmarks recreated and not just 1 pool. 😑
idk why but this made me cry just a little, I absolutely love what you're trying to do with this and I am excited for more in the future. Thank you.
Thank you for doing this Kyle, I've always wanted to visit Chernobyl and the surrounding areas but after this war I understand it won't ever be the same. So I appreciate seeing it in a moment of time right before the invasion.
I’ve watched quite a few Chernobyl related videos which tend to show the same scenes. Thank you for showing us different places and things. Fascinating video.
Your video tour was so respectfully done, and showed me the beauty of the place. Well done!
Thank you for dispelling myths and advancing a more positive and accurate view on nuclear power. We need this. We need cheap and abundant energy and we need to export it to poorer regions of the world
i’ve been so excited to see chapter two, thank you for uploading it! :)
SAME! I watch his videos all the time. But I normally first check for the chapter 2 of the video he put out last year :D
It's a re-upload, I believe there was a copyright claim against it so it must have been sorted out.
Yet another banger from Kyle and his team. I get giddy every time I see Kyle put up a new video like this. I may not be an educated man, but learning is fun to me and Kyle makes videos about horrific disasters so engaging and compelling. To me he's like that professor in school you listen to not because you need to in order to pass the class, but because you want to, like that person who's so passionate about something that their passion rubs off onto you for that brief period of time you're listening to them. I wonder if Kyle has ever seen that old History Channel docuseries as I call it(not sure what it's actually referred to as) called something like "Life After People". They talked/showed a lot of what Kyle touched on in this video in terms of the planet flourishing in a world devoid of humanity.
And Kyle if for some chance you read this I had a question regarding Chernobyl. If it's unsafe for humans to populate the region again for another 24,000 years, then do neighboring countries or towns ever have to worry about say like hurricane type winds coming in and blowing any of the fallout their directions, or is it not so much what's in the air as it is just everything is saturated in radiation at this point? If you've already discussed this in a podcast episode then my bad.
Kyle, this is incredibly human, historic and humble
The accompanying soundtrack is perfect.
Thank you for sharing this reality with us.
24,000 years.
And I thought that waiting until the 36th century for the safe handling of Maria Skłodowska's notebooks was a long time.
This was so well done. Really high production value. Great voice over, and fantastic music, set a great mood.
One can't help but wonder.
What if the reactor didn't blow up?
What if there was no accident?
What if nuclear powers good name was never tarnished by the catastrophy?
Would the world we are living in today be diffrent?
Watching this video and your channel in general made me realise one thing.
That the price we pay for disrespecting nuclear power reaches far deeper than any radiation ever could.
We pay it in fear, that stops us from embracing a solution to our energy crisis.
As always great video :)
I also visited the Schoolhouse! Cool! There was a small hotspot left from the entrance next to a tree. Very radioactive.
Pripyat is beautiful. I roamed its street in winter while under thick snow cover. It was breathtaking.
YOU DESERVE A REWARD FOR THIS MASTERPIECE OF FILM AND INFORMATION!! I LOVE THIS SERIES!!!
How about the "Golden Flowing Locks" award. lol
If all of this (once he is done) turns into a Netflix Documentary or even a Documentary movie, that would be the best recognition ever
I've always had a fascination with Pripyat, loved this video, thanks Kyle!
"Just paid 35 years into a toll of 24,000"... Now that is a powerful quote.
This video series is too good. Thanks Kyle and team.
Beautifully shot & sensitively presented
Kyle I just want to say that your videos are a beacon of light in my life, whenever you upload a video, my day is made 10000x better, so thank you Kyle for being one of the best people on TH-cam.
second
Stop trying to monetise your comments off this guys channel and act like a leach for starters!.......
This is the exact kind of content I'm here for. Can't wait for the next installment. Keep doing your thing brother.
Glad to have this ep back
-"Aleksandr we need a phrase, not so deep, don't overdo it, it's just a building..."
the phrase 13:50
I found your channel due to the elephant's foot video and the other videos in the Chernobyl videos and felt a sense of warmth from it. Seeing videos like this feels so surreal and weirdly calming at times. Thanks for the content!
Going into the military for this kind of thing, you really deepen my ever lasting thirst for knowledge about this topic. I thank you for these videos, they help shape my future as a Nuclear engineer.
This series has been incredible so far. I can't wait to see the next installment.
Thanks for the content Kyle. I can see you put your heart into this video and it's something that means a lot to you.
I absolutely love the contrast in your presentation style between your serious videos like these, and your usual videos. Honestly the direct comparison makes your serious videos just that more impactful.
When Kyle "Discount Walmart Thor" Hill becomes the Kyle Hill, the Scientist and Educator, you listen.
7:38
“Pripyat is not a war zone”
Well this aged like fine milk
Russia:BET😈
I'm surprised no one else commented this.
Abandoned and returned to nature for decades before the war, that almost feels like the land itself should have been a warning sign to the soldiers who entered.
Bro real talk if I was just a basic soldier and got orders to go here I'd defect.
@@louisdrouard9211 Yeah, try to avoid eating food in a radioactive trench if you're ordered to guard a checkpoint.
@@louisdrouard9211 Well, you don't really know how those Russians lived there, so eh.
@@louisdrouard9211 Nah screw that, lets dig up trenches there.
@@marleyjr00 think that's also a risky option for soldiers
This is so professional done and I can see the effort you have put into this I hope that this video receives as much as it deserves
"What Pripyat could have been, in a future that never was...."
If Nuclear power had been more respected and less used as a means to cause fear, it could have been a future realized. Imagining that possibility makes me feel really depressed.
Thank you Kyle
The moment Kyle said "if you're a COD fan" I got chills. I RECOGNIZE THAT POOL. That's the pool we cross as Captain Price on our way to the extraction point near the ferris wheel. After we're done sniping Zahkaev. Holy Hell! And yes it was also in Warzone but it was in Modern Warfare first
Love the Half-Life Histories so much. Even though some of them have literally made me cry. This was a beautiful look at Pripyat and I can't wait for more. Glad this video is back up.
1:46 loved the subtle Ukrainian flag moment
Great to see this back up, Kyle and really appreciate your work. I might have downloaded it this time, "just in case".
Chernobyl was one of the scariest things to ever happen on earth; it was very close to a continent killer.
Years ago, back when I very first read your article on The Elephant's Foot, I was captivated by a clear fascination and passion not just for nuclear science, but for story telling, that came through in the words I was reading. Now, watching this, it's clear that passion continues to burn just as brightly as ever. Your ability to frame these stories in ways everyone can understand, and to give them context, is simply... Awesome. Thank you!
"Pripyat is not a war zone"
Yeah turns out digging trenches in a nuclear exclusion zone is bad.
Who woulda thunked it.
Mocking of their stupidity aside, I really would want to know which dimwit thought that was a brilliant idea. It goes to show just how bad their command chain really is. The only even half-reasonable logic I could come up with is that they want to use it as a deterrent, but that's still far from a bright idea as they would suffer too if it got shelled.
Not sure if they are brain damaged before or after they decided to dig up trenches in a area full of contaminants
@@Rafael_Fuchs From what I've heard, it was a general who made a HQ there so that he'd be protected from counterattacks. However, either someone had a really bad idea, or didn't know where they were, and started digging trenches. (And again from what I've heard, most of the soldiers didn't know it was Chernobyl or what was Chernobyl even)
@@jamiehughes5573 The average age of soldiers in Russia is well below the age that they would remember the reactor explosion happening, and the Russian govt suppressed any and all information and discussion of the event. Most people who were at Pripyat recently would have not known what happened there, or that there was any sort of hazard. The people are kept in the dark regarding what the Russian govt considers an embarrassment to the former soviet union.
Some of the people from the surrounding areas and collectives where interviewed for the book Chernobyl Prayer by Svetlana Alexievitch. It was a great if hard read. Well worth a look for anyone interested in the area and its people.
i just found a film about The Babushkas of Chernobyl (or Pripyat), grandmothers who went back home and stayed, keeping their chickens, growing their gardens. they just couldn't stand being moved away from their homes, in cities full of people and noise.
i found the film on TH-cam. it was beautiful
Belarussian side of the Zone was "safe" and many people went back.
Funny how both Ukraine and belarussia were both part of the USSR, only Belarussian government (or what ever) said it is safe.
This is amazing! Thank you for keeping us educated, and informed! I absolutely love Science! And now that I am a little older, History and Math, too!
Hey Kyle, new subscriber here, really appreciating your work. I have spent the past 11 years researching the Chernobyl disaster, and these videos are among the best I've seen on the subject.
Keep up the great work, and I look forward to whatever happens next! All the best from Australia.
I really hope these videos don't stop. Fantastic work man, kudos!
The thing I love the most about the Exclusion zone is that it is a museum of Soviet towns that were never westernized after the Cold War.