Laboratory of Hydrobiology

The Abandoned Fish Farm and Laboratory at Chernobyl is a ghost of a once-busy scientific hub. This article explores how a simple village farm became a site for radioactive research after the 1986 disaster. You might be surprised to learn what actually happened to the giant catfish living in these waters.

Before the disaster, this site belonged to a small village called Nagortsy. About 248 people lived there and worked on the local fish farm. When the nuclear plant needed a way to cool its reactors, everything changed. Workers demolished the village to create a massive cooling pond. This artificial lake covered 26 square kilometers. The villagers had to leave their homes. Some moved to nearby towns, while others went to the new city of Pripyat. Only the farm buildings and a war memorial stayed behind.

The Secret Island
The farm sits on a small piece of land near the water. People often call it “the Island” because water almost completely surrounds it. It is located right by the channel where warm water left the reactors. Today, you can still see rusting metal pens where fish used to swim. The site has a main two-story building. Inside, scientists had a canteen and a laboratory. There was also a hatchery for breeding young fish and several smaller storage sheds.

Researching the Radioactive Fish
After the accident, the farm became a base for science. Experts used the site as a radiological lab. They wanted to see how radiation affected life in the water. They studied fish and small creatures like mollusks. Fish are very sensitive to radiation, so the cooling pond was a perfect place to learn. Later, international groups moved in to continue the work. They watched the ecosystem closely to see if the animals would change.

The End of the Laboratory
By the year 2000, a new center took over the buildings. However, the work slowly stopped as the years went by. The scientists finally walked away in 2008. They took their expensive tools with them. Soon after, looters arrived and took everything else. Interestingly, studies on the famous giant catfish showed they did not have as much damage as people expected. Even though the lab is empty now, the lessons learned here still help us understand the zone.

The rusting pens of the old fish farm remain a quiet reminder of a lost village.