The "after" is also fairly old - at least before the new safe confinement was built. Here's what it looked like around 6 years ago: (Apologies for the quality, on mobile and had to shrink it to get it to upload)
You can clearly see plants growing out of the concrete, based on the videos that exists of Pripyat from before the disaster that is not what it looked like.
Pripyat was a privileged town where people lived well.
If you are interested in this, you have to see a youtube video of an adventurous guy with a channel called Shiey, backpacking to the region and staying overnight. Such an incredible journey.
I remember reading a while ago that Chernobyl has become a flourishing nature preserve. While animals have a health risk from radiation, it's still a smaller health hazard than living near human settlements. It's sad that our civilization is more destructive than an open nuclear core.
!workersandresources@lemmy.world is just like that without the radiation (well, there are NPPs and radiation can affect public health, but it's not Tschernobyl: The Game and more Pripjat: 1960-1986)