--- title: "Couple Gets Engaged at Site of Chernobyl Nuclear Meltdown" description: "What could possibly be more romantic than getting engaged to be wed at the site of a nuclear disaster?" date: "2021-12-22" modified: "2021-12-22" authors: - name: "Noor Al-Sibai" job_title: "Senior Staff Writer" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/nooralsibai" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/couple-gets-engaged-at-site-of-chernobyl-nuclear-meltdown" categories: - "Energy" - "Nuclear Fusion" - "Renewable Energy" - "Science & Energy" tags: - "chernobyl" - "love" - "nuclear" - "the digest" --- # Couple Gets Engaged at Site of Chernobyl Nuclear Meltdown ![What could possibly be more romantic than getting engaged to be wed at the site of a nuclear disaster?]() *\Image: contaminationzone via Instagram\* ## Nuclear Bond What could possibly be more romantic than getting engaged to be wed at the site of a nuclear disaster? It's bad enough that [Chernobyl tourism took off]() after after the seminal 2019 *HBO* miniseries [illustrated in dramatic splendor]() the worst nuclear disaster in history — but to seek out that particular backdrop for what's presumably is one of the happiest moments of one's life is... well, something else entirely. In an Instagram post by a company that runs "Contamination Zone" tours at the site of the nuclear meltdown in modern Ukraine, the person behind the tour purveyor's social media account showed off the happy couple. Bih sviatyi! ![]() ## Radioactive Lifestyle Redditors who [unearthed the post]() were quick to mock the betrothed couple. "I wish them both a wonderful half-life," wrote one. "I wonder if there was any fallout from this," quipped another. It's true that the urge to stare into the face of the macabre is undoubtedly human. From the two Museum of Death locations in the United States (in Los Angeles and New Orleans, two very gory cities) to the enduring and [problematic popularity of the true crime genre](), people simply love to learn about the kinds of terrible things that happen to other people, perhaps as a sort of mental balm against fears that terror and tragedy may befall them someday. But there's something uniquely eyebrow-raising about people who choose to celebrate in such a solemn place — and especially one that is [literally still radioactive](). Every relationship is different, but any couple who chooses to commit themselves to each other at such an infamously terrible place seems undoubtedly, well, toxic. **More Chernobyl fandom:** [*Authorities Seize “Atomik” Booze Made Near Chernobyl Disaster*]() **And more on the enduring danger of the contamination zone:** [*Scientists Fear New Disaster at Chernobyl Meltdown Site*]() ## Author At Futurism, I've often been drawn to unpacking the narratives that underlie technological, scientific and medical progress, with a special interest in areas of conflict and ambiguity that end up setting agendas and steering the fates of both elites and the hoi polloi. I'm a committed generalist, but I often find myself returning to work involving NASA and the private space sector, the effects of AI on media and society, and the mechanics of the pharmaceutical industry, with a specific focus on the spread of GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy. Prior to Futurism, I worked for publications ranging from Media Matters and Truthdig to Raw Story and Bustle. I'm also the author of "Myspace Scene Queens," a 2024 title in Instar Books' acclaimed "Remember the Internet" series. My work at Futurism has been cited by outlets including the New Yorker, Slate, Nieman Lab, the Verge, the MIT Technology Review, the Sunday Times, and the Daily Beast. I grew up in North Carolina, attended the University of North Carolina at Asheville, and now live in Brooklyn, New York. In my free time, I'm an avid reader and music fan; you can probably find me at a local poetry reading, concert, underground rave, or DJ set. I'm the proud parent of an ineffable orange cat named Mee-Mow. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()