Lights Get Turned On In Pripyat For The First Time In 30 Years (32 pics)

Maybe I'm not getting this, but for me the point seems to be that russian lightbulbs, wiring and Fluorescent lamps don't just brake due to age when not being used for that time?

Pripyat is Ukraine. An infected area, there are no people. Poles have shown that many lamps are in working order.

It's cool, but they've shown SOME lights are in working order. I'm going to guess that in any western city if you abandoned it for 30 years you could ALSO find SOME lights that work.

That said, I'd probably agree that sturdy, simple, overbuilt Soviet tech is generally more durable than others.

What I think they're missing is that the biggest piece of Soviet machinery in the area (The Chernobyl reactor) broke down in a very spectacular fashion long before its expiration date. I think that kinda counters any argon/mercury left in some old neon bulbs.

there is neon in those. thats why its called a neon lamp. There is mercury in the arc lamps but not in the neon signs. They will all continue to work as long as the envelopes are not broken. I have an arc lamp from the turn of the century(1900) that still works fine.