Palace of Culture Energetik

The Palace of Culture Energetik (Ukrainian: Палац культури «Енергетик», romanized: Palats kultury “Enerhetyk”; Russian: Дворец культуры Энергетик) is an abandoned palace of culture located in the town of Pripyat, at the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone in Ukraine.

Energetik
LocationLenin Square, Pripyat
Chernobyl Exclusion Zone, Ukraine
Coordinates51°24′24.3″N 30°03′24.0″E
TypeCinema, Theatre, Concert hall, Swimming pool, Gymnasium, Boxing Ring, Study Hall, Shooting range, Do it yourself[1][2]
Construction
Built1970s
Opened1970s
Closed1986
OSM locator map of the palace within the city of Pripyat

History

The Palace of Culture Energetik was built during the 1970s for the citizens of the town of Pripyat. The name “Energetik” is a play on words, as it means both “energetic” (lively) and “power plant worker”.

Palaces of Culture were large community centers established during the Soviet era with over 137,000 in the Soviet Union by 1988. These generally physically impressive buildings were designed as a focal point for people to enjoy a range of recreational and artistic activities all under the banner, quite literally in many cases, of political propaganda. Pripyat's Palace of Culture includes what's left of a cinema, theatre, library, gymnasium, swimming pool, boxing/wrestling ring, dancing and meeting halls and even has a shooting range in the basement.[3]

After the Chernobyl Disaster in 1986, the majority of the inhabitants of Pripyat were evacuated and the buildings were abandoned. The building was temporary utilized as a makeshift courtroom in July 1987, where 6 defendants who were accused as being responsible for the Chernobyl Nuclear Disaster stood trial.[4] Currently, the Palace of Culture is in a dilapidated condition.[5]

The Ukrainian writer Lyubov Sirota worked briefly in the Palace of Culture.

References
  1. "Palace of Culture "Energetik" - The Chernobyl Gallery". 26 December 2011.
  2. "Zone Of Alienation – Pripyat: The Palace Of Culture "Energetik"". 12 January 2011.
  3. "Palace of Culture". Archived from the original on 2013-10-19.
  4. "6 Go on Trial in Chernobyl Disaster : Former Chief of Nuclear Plant, 5 Aides Face Prison Terms -". LA Times, JULY 8, 1987.
  5. "Palace of Culture -".
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