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Standing empty and alone

These spooky photos of Chernobyl’s abandoned fairground will haunt you

The world's worst nuclear power plant accident struck just a few miles away from the park which remains untouched

These are the haunting photos of an abandoned theme park in Pripyat, Ukraine, after the town was devastated by the world's worst nuclear power plant accident 30 years ago.

Photojournalist and tourist guide Anton Petrus, 29, took pictures of what remains of the amusement park after the catastrophic Chernobyl disaster struck just a few miles away in 1986.

Pripyat amusement park, in Ukraine, was due to be opened just a week after the disaster struck
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Pripyat amusement park, in Ukraine, was due to be opened just a week after the disaster struck

The devastating incident took place at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant then located in the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic of the Soviet Union (USSR).

An explosion and fire released large quantities of radioactive particles into the atmosphere, which spread over much of the western USSR and Europe.

It was the worst nuclear power plant accident in history in terms of cost and casualties.

 

 

Photographer Anton Petrus took these eerie pictures of the funfair
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Photographer Anton Petrus took these eerie pictures of the funfair
The amusement park in Pripyat, Ukraine, stands empty and alone
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The amusement park in Pripyat, Ukraine, stands empty and alone

 

The Ferris wheel is an iconic symbol of the Chernobyl disaster - which left 31 dead
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The Ferris wheel is an iconic symbol of the Chernobyl disaster - which left 31 dead
The rides have never been ridden and grow rustier day-by-day
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The rides have never been ridden and grow rustier day-by-day
The park's four main attractions - the iconic Ferris wheel, bumper cars, swing boats and a paratrooper ride
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The park's four main attractions - the iconic Ferris wheel, bumper cars, swing boats and a paratrooper ride

 

During the accident itself, 31 people died and long-term effects such as cancers are still being investigated.

Pripyat amusement park, located behind the Palace of Culture in the centre of the city, was due to be opened just a week after the disaster struck.

It was built to celebrate May Day in 1986 and was designed to entertain the 50,000 people who once lived in the town.

But it now lies in ruins as the rides that have never been ridden become rustier day-by-day.

Photographer Anton said: "None of the rides at the park have ever been ridden. For the past 30 years, the park has just been rusting in the rain.

Left untouched since the disaster, it remains a unique place for photographers
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Left untouched since the disaster, it remains a unique place for photographers
Overgrown trees and cracked concrete are what's left in the park
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Overgrown trees and cracked concrete are what's left in the park

"When I first visited five years ago the first thing I thought was, 'this looks like our plant after humanity disappears'.

"Everywhere I looked there were overgrown trees and cracked concrete, it was completely abandoned – it was a very strange spectacle.

"Pripyat is the worst place I've ever been – but it's a very unique place for photographers."

Its four attractions featured the iconic Ferris wheel, bumper cars, swing boats and a paratrooper ride.

Today, the funfair and in particular the Ferris wheel, are a symbol of the Chernobyl disaster.

The amusement park appears in video games such as Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfar and is referenced in the TV show Scorpion in the episode titled Chernobyl Intentions.

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