Ukraine is the second-largest country in Europe. It sits between Poland to the west and Russia to the east. On April 26, 1986, an accident at a power plant changed the landscape forever. The area around the plant became unsafe. The government created a 1,000-square-mile zone where no one could live. This is called the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone. The abandoned city of Pripyat is now one of the most unusual places on Earth. Apartment buildings stand empty. A Ferris wheel in an amusement park that never opened rusts in silence. Trees have pushed through sidewalks and cracked the roads. Without people cutting grass or trimming trees, forests have reclaimed the streets. The Exclusion Zone has become an accidental wildlife reserve. Scientists have counted wolves, European bison, lynx, and over 200 species of birds living in the abandoned area. The Pripyat River still flows through the zone, providing water for fish, beavers, and otters. The zone shows how quickly nature can take over when humans step away.