Pripyat Swimming Pool Azure

Swimming Pool Azure, or “Lazurny,” is perhaps the most iconic sports facility in the ghost city of Pripyat. It is located on Sportivnaya Street right next to Middle School № 3. This pool is famous for its massive glass windows that let sunlight pour over its diving boards. While it looks like a ruin today, it was actually one of the last places in the city to turn off its lights.

When it opened in 1970, Lazurny was a dream for the young, active residents of Pripyat. The facility featured a large pool with five swimming lanes and two high diving boards. But it wasn’t just for swimmers. The building also housed a full basketball court and a sports hall for gymnastics and indoor games. Because the government wanted to encourage a healthy lifestyle, subscriptions to use the pool were very cheap, making it a popular after-school and after-work hangout.

The “Cleanest” Place in the Zone
You might be surprised to learn that the pool did not close when the city was evacuated in 1986. While the families were gone, thousands of liquidators and scientists moved in to clean up the disaster. These workers needed a place to relax and stay fit. For 12 years after the accident, the pool remained in operation. In fact, it was often called the “cleanest place in the Exclusion Zone” because it was strictly maintained and scrubbed to keep radiation away.

Twelve Years of Extra Life
While the rest of Pripyat was slowly falling apart, the Azure pool was still filled with water and echoing with the sounds of people swimming. It served as a vital escape for the workers who spent their days in the shadow of the damaged reactor. It wasn’t until 1998—over a decade after the explosion—that the pool was finally closed following a health inspection. Only then was the water drained and the building left to the forest.

A Tourist Hotspot
Today, the Azure Swimming Pool is a must-see for anyone visiting the Zone. The water is long gone, and the diving boards now overlook a deep, empty concrete pit. The floor of the basketball court is warped from the rain, and the huge glass windows are mostly shattered. It is a haunting sight that perfectly captures the “frozen in time” feeling of the city.

The empty lanes of the Azure Swimming Pool stand as a quiet tribute to the workers who kept the city alive long after the world thought it was dead.