Bus station

 

Pripyat’s bus station is situated just off the main road at the entrance to the city. 150 kilometres from Kiev the bus station was a major transport hub for the growing population of the city and local towns and villages. 1982 was its busiest year with 21 May the busiest day when a record 52 buses passed through the station on 14 different routes. The city itself was served by 167 urban buses.

My photo mojo clearly wasn’t with me at this point so I apologise for the lack of photos. On entering the building, there is a large wall mounted route map, a locker room and ticket counters at the far end. To the rear, a children’s waiting area features a number of small colourful murals. Telephone booths and rubbish bins sit outside and on the aerial view the large outline of the coach park can still be made out.

The perimeter fence that surrounds Pripyat, a closely strung set of rusting barbed wire now full of gaps, runs alongside the station and the building has retained its cast iron radiators which I suspect could be due to its proximity to a permanently manned checkpoint.

 

Pripyat bus station

The bus station in happier times (pripyat-city.ru)

 

A functioning bus station in autumn

A functioning bus station in autumn – From the archives of Oleg Pavlov (pripyat-city.ru)

 

 
 

A functioning Pripyat bus station prior to the Chernobyl disaster

Drinks on sale at the rear (Pripyat.com)

 

Pripyat Bus Station on a cold winters night (pripyat-city.ru)

Pripyat Bus Station on a cold winters night

 

 

Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons License.