the jupiter factory
Officially, the Jupiter Factory on the outskirts of Pripyat manufactured tape recorders and other household electronics. Secretly, the factory produced semiconductor components for the military, military computers, black boxes, ammunition, and other 'defence'-related equipment. I was told that it also developed rocket technology for both the aerospace and nuclear weapon sectors. It employed around 2000 workers, making it Pripyat's second largest source of local employment behind the reactor.
Irrespective of what the factory's early purposes were, after the accident it became a radiological laboratory for testing of various decontamination techniques and developing dosimetric instruments. It operated for a another decade after the disaster, ceasing operations in 1996.
The Jupiter factory is a vast location, with rusty, dark industrial interiors that seem to spread to infinity. We entered at dusk, with very little light to work with in shooting images. It was one of the more memorable locations in the zone due to it's endless eery space.
Read MoreIrrespective of what the factory's early purposes were, after the accident it became a radiological laboratory for testing of various decontamination techniques and developing dosimetric instruments. It operated for a another decade after the disaster, ceasing operations in 1996.
The Jupiter factory is a vast location, with rusty, dark industrial interiors that seem to spread to infinity. We entered at dusk, with very little light to work with in shooting images. It was one of the more memorable locations in the zone due to it's endless eery space.
