cosmopolitan scum

The Limits of Europe is a new series of special reports from the outer reaches of Europe. In these wastelands and the structures they contain: from space stations in the Arctic regions to modern ruins on the Mediterranean rim, we can see the ideological conflicts that will determine Europe’s future being fought out. First we look at a town on Lithuania’s border with Belarus built to service Chernobyl’s twin, a nuclear power station that was once the largest in the world. As one might expect for a new town, the town clock in Visiginas is digital. This highly informative clock gives the citizens of this small town in eastern Lithuania,  25 seconds of time, 25 seconds of date and then it also tells you how much radiation there is in the atmosphere.  At the civic heart of this Soviet built new town at the very edge of the European Union, close to the border with Belorus, is a geiger counter. Between the town administration block and the shopping centre a digital display announces how many microRoentgen per hour there are in the atmosphere. One minute it is 8, the next it is 11. Very safe.

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