This set of three large hand-painted Soviet posters rescued from the Lazurny Swimming Pool in Pripyat is a rare and deeply evocative collection of pre-disaster Soviet artwork. Each poster was individually hand painted to be displayed inside the pool complex prior to the 1986 Chernobyl nuclear disaster, reflecting the political symbolism and visual culture of the late Soviet era. Surviving examples of hand-painted public signage from Pripyat are exceptionally scarce, as most were destroyed, abandoned, or left to decay after the city’s evacuation. 

The set includes three iconic images: the badge of the October Revolution, a portrait of Vladimir Lenin, and the emblem of the USSR. Together, they represent the ideological imagery that permeated public spaces in Soviet life, even in places dedicated to recreation and community. Rescued from one of Pripyat’s most famous abandoned landmarks, these posters offer a powerful connection to a vanished city and a moment frozen just before history changed. Ideal for collectors of Chernobyl artifacts, Soviet history, or Cold War–era material culture, this trio stands as a rare testament to life, art, and ideology in Pripyat before April 26, 1986.

Each of the posters is individually framed for display.

AUCTION PRICE: $3,500

This small glass vial from the Jupiter Factory in Pripyat is an extraordinary and rare artifact from the city’s industrial nuclear operations. Originally used to store a cesium-based liquid, the vial still retains a detectable radioactive signature, confirming its authentic use in nuclear material handling. Items like this are exceptionally rare, offering a tangible connection to the specialized industrial work that took place in Pripyat before the 1986 Chernobyl disaster.

Due to its provenance, scientific significance, and unique connection to the city’s nuclear industry, this vial is ideal for collectors of Chernobyl artifacts, nuclear history enthusiasts, or educational institutions seeking authentic historical material. It provides a direct, physical link to the industrial and technological legacy of Pripyat.

AUCTION PRICE: $500

Authentic 1986 Soviet Energy Journal Rescued from Pripyat — Energetik No. 4

This is an original Soviet-era technical journal, Energetik (The Power Engineer), Issue No. 4, 1986, recovered directly from Pripyat, the abandoned city built to serve the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant.

Issue 4 (1986) is especially significant: it was published the same year as the Chernobyl disaster (April 26, 1986) and represents contemporary Soviet industrial and energy messaging immediately before and/or during the catastrophe.  This issue stands as a powerful historical artifact from the final months of Soviet nuclear optimism—printed at a moment when nuclear energy was still presented as a triumph of modern engineering, just before the world learned the true cost of that confidence.

The striking cover features a monumental Soviet power facility, symbolizing the scale, ambition, and authority of the USSR’s energy program. Inside, the magazine contains period articles, photographs, and technical discussions intended for power engineers and plant officials—material that reflects official Soviet narratives, priorities, and technical thinking on the eve of the worst nuclear accident in history.

AUCTION PRICE: $500

This is an authentic, used Soviet-era telegram recovered from the abandoned post office in Pripyat, Ukraine—written just one year before the Chernobyl nuclear disaster permanently evacuated the city.  The handwritten notation indicates April 29, 1985.

Issued by the USSR Ministry of Communications, this original paper telegram retains its official state emblem, formatting codes, handwritten date, and typed message. The document reflects the everyday administrative and personal communications of Soviet citizens living in one of the most historically significant cities of the 20th century.

Unlike many Chernobyl artifacts that originate after the 1986 accident, this piece captures life before the catastrophe, when Pripyat was a fully functioning city of engineers, families, and civil servants.

The faint typed message near the bottom reads (translated approximately):

“On Saturday we will not be there, no vehicle = mom.”

This kind of everyday, mundane communication is precisely what makes the artifact powerful—it captures ordinary Soviet life frozen in time, just one year before the Chernobyl disaster permanently erased that normality.

Pripyat was evacuated on April 27, 1986—only one year after this telegram was written. Items like this represent the final year of normal civilian operation in a city that would soon become uninhabitable.

Most surviving Chernobyl-related artifacts are post-accident (maps, reports, warning signs). This telegram is different:  It is pre-accident, showing Pripyat functioning as a normal Soviet city.

AUCTION PRICE: $750

This lot includes 9 original library cards from the Pripyat Library, offering a rare and personal glimpse into life in the city before the 1986 Chernobyl disaster. Some cards are blank, while others were filled out by Chernobyl workers, providing an authentic connection to the everyday lives of residents in one of the most infamous Soviet-era towns.

These cards are a unique collectible for historians, collectors of Chernobyl memorabilia, or anyone interested in the human side of nuclear history. They capture a moment frozen in time, preserving the ordinary routines of a community forever changed by the accident. Each card is an intimate piece of history, reflecting both the culture and the people of Pripyat before it was abandoned.

AUCTION PRICE: $150

These 1986 calendar sheets from Pripyat Hospital No. 126, are original artifacts from the city shortly before the Chernobyl disaster. Each sheet offers a rare and tangible connection to the daily life and operations of the hospital during the final months before the evacuation, providing a unique glimpse into a community frozen in time.

Priced at $25 per sheet or 5 sheets for $100, these items are ideal for collectors of Chernobyl history, Soviet-era memorabilia, or those seeking authentic, everyday artifacts from Pripyat. Each sheet carries its own story, preserving a moment of ordinary life in an extraordinary historical context.

AUCTION PRICE: $25 per sheet or 5 sheets for $100

These original Soviet-era postcards from the Pripyat post office date to before the Chernobyl nuclear disaster in 1986, offering a rare glimpse into everyday life in one of the USSR’s most famous cities. Each postcard reflects the culture, architecture, and visual style of Pripyat during its short-lived existence, capturing a moment frozen in time just before the catastrophic accident that would change the city forever.

These postcards are a unique collectible for historians, Chernobyl enthusiasts, or anyone interested in Soviet-era ephemera. They provide a tangible connection to the people and community of Pripyat, preserving the ordinary beauty and life of a city that no longer exists as it once did.

AUCTION PRICE: $20 per postcard or 5 postcards for $100