Photograph by Gerd Ludwig, Nat Geo Image CollectionLong-term impactsThe impact of the disaster on the surrounding forest and wildlife also remains an area of active research. In the immediate aftermath of the accident, an area of about four square miles became known as the “Red Forest” because so many trees turned reddish-brown and died after absorbing high levels of radiation.3:08Today, the exclusion zone is eerily quiet, yet full of life. Though many trees have regrown, scientists have found evidence of elevated levels of cataracts and albinism, and lower rates of beneficial bacteria, among some wildlife species in the area in recent years. Yet, due to the exclusion of human activity around the shuttered power plant, the numbers of some wildlife, from lynxes to elk, have increased. In 2015, scientists estimated there were seven times more wolves in the exclusion zone than in nearby comparable reserves, thanks to humans’ absence.The Chernobyl disaster had other fallout: The economic and political toll hastened the end of the USSR and fueled a global anti-nuclear movement. The disaster has been estimated to cost some $235 billion in damages. What is now Belarus, which saw 23 percent of its territory contaminated by the accident, lost about a fifth of its agricultural land. At the height of disaster response efforts, in 1991, Belarus spent 22 percent of its total budget dealing with Chernobyl.Today, Chernobyl beckons to tourists who are intrigued by its history and its danger. But though Chernobyl symbolizes the potential devastation of nuclear power, Russia never quite moved beyond its legacy—or its technology. As of 2019, there are still 11 operational RBMK reactors in Russia.Related TopicsNUCLEAR ENERGYTOXIC WASTERADIATIONMODERN HISTORYWILDLIFE REFUGESYou May Also LikeHISTORY & CULTURE3 ways Jimmy Carter changed the world for the betterENVIRONMENTThe world’s plastic pollution crisis, explainedSCIENCEThis pill could protect us from radiation after a nuclear meltdownENVIRONMENTJapan releases nuclear wastewater into the Pacific. How worried should we be?HISTORY & CULTUREThe sinister history of America's 'uranium gold rush'LegalTerms of UsePrivacy PolicyYour US State Privacy RightsChildren's Online Privacy PolicyInterest-Based AdsAbout Nielsen MeasurementDo Not Sell or Share My Personal InformationOur SitesNat Geo HomeAttend a Live EventBook a TripBuy MapsInspire Your KidsShop Nat GeoVisit the D.C. MuseumWatch TVLearn About Our ImpactSupport Our MissionMastheadPress RoomAdvertise With UsJoin UsSubscribeCustomer ServiceRenew SubscriptionManage Your SubscriptionWork at Nat GeoSign Up for Our NewslettersContribute to Protect the PlanetFollow usNational Geographic InstagramNational Geographic FacebookNational Geographic TwitterNational Geographic YoutubeNational Geographic LinkedinNational Geographic TiktokNational Geographic RedditUnited States (Change)Copyright © 1996-2015 National Geographic SocietyCopyright © 2015-2025 National Geographic Partners, LLC. All rights reserved, Черно́быль — город в зоне отчуждения Чернобыльской АЭС, Вышгородский район Киевской области Украины. Расположен на реке Припять, недалеко от её впадения в Киевское водохранилище , On 26 April 1986, the no. 4 reactor of the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant, located near Pripyat, Ukrainian SSR, Soviet Union (now Ukraine), exploded. [1] With dozens of direct casualties, it is one of only two nuclear energy accidents rated at the maximum severity on the International Nuclear Event Scale, the other being the 2011 Fukushima nuclear accident..