Chernobyl
Yes, you read that right ... I went to Chernobyl.
When I planned the entire trip I made sure I would have time to go to Chernobyl. The trips are not cheap and due to the distance to Kiev they eat up almost an entire vacation day.
After a night out and some preparation I boarded a bus with a total of 12 visitors at Kiev Independence Square shortly before 9AM. We were accompanied by an English speaking guide, an official from the Ukranian Department of the Interior and a female worker who seemed to be living in Chernobyl. The official is supposed to check our passports, get us through security checkpoints and most important of all to keep us all safe from radiation. All he did beside the passport and security checkpoint part was sleeping and radiating off a smell of booze.
Our tour started with a two hour drive through the Kiev traffic continuing on the main roads towards Chernobyl north-west of Kiev. The Mercedes-Benz Sprinter van was equipped with a TV and a BBC-style documentary about the history of Chernobyl was shown. 30 km away from the plant we reached the first checkpoint. We had to get out of the bus and have our passport numbers and names verified against a list of registered visitors. No problem in our case. I somehow expected to see somebody bribe somebody to get us in but bribes might just already be included in the money streams.
Inside the 30km zone we continued to drive towards the town of Chernobyl. Chernobyl is still populated and among other things houses the base for all tours. We were briefed about procedures, Do's and Don'ts and how to avoid radioactive pollution. Alpha rays seem to be the worst enemy. Luckily it is easy to shield against alpha rays. We all signed the paperwork and were offered to buy a picturebook or russian textbook - now that's how the guards make some money on the side ;) For some reason our schedule was moved around a bit and we would have some lunch right after seeing Chernobyl itself. After lunch we would do the highlights: the reactor #4 and the ghost town of Pripyat.
The Chernobyl part of the tour included a visit to the old stadium where a few of the old vehicles used by the liquidators were parked. The huge carpark with vehicles and helicopers used in the first weeks of cleanup is off-limits since early 2008 due to high radiation levels. Instead a few tanks and trucks were decontaminated and moved to the stadium. Hidden in a small forest there were also a few monuments remembering the victims.
First stop: harbourfront (Google Maps link). Roughly a dozen ships were abanonded here after being contaminted during the cleanup.
We continued along one of main roads with a stop in front of the fire department and a small supermarket.
95% of the people walking around the town wore military uniforms. The few other people were walking to or from their temporary hostel-style homes. But then most people would be at work at that time of day anyway - or hopefully far away.
Lunch was served in a separate room in the main barracks. The amount and quality of food was OK but it was kinda awkward to sit there with strangers and not have any real topic to talk about. We've hardly seen anything yet and the only guy with a story to tell was a British PhD. student who has already been on the tour two times and plans on going weekly for five months next year. His PhD. topic: Tourism in Chernobyl.
Finally: the trip to the reactor and Pripyat was about to begin. We stopped on the only road and were shown a few signs indicating that an entire village has been burried here. Radiation levels started to peak ever here and there. A few turns later we had our first look at reactor #4 (Google Maps).
We stopped close to the main entrance of the reactor building where a memorial was built. Photography was not allowed in direction of the reactor as the terrorist treat exists here as well. After all the reactor still draws power and depends support systems. Oh, and we just passed one of the terminal storage spaces for nuclear waste in the Ukraine - a miserably small building next to the road. We walked onto a railway bridge to check out a freak of nature: giant catfish. With no natural enemies nor fishers in the area the fish are growing quite large. We had some bread to lure the catfish to the bridge. A 2 meter catfish looks kinda scary when chugging away a huge chunk of bread.
The next stop would be a short one - right in front of reactor #4 a mere 150-200 meters away from where the accident happend 23 years ago.
It was quite spooky to stand there able to see every intimate detail of the reactor building. The old concrete and steel coffin with all its marks, work on the new casket just began. After a few minutes we were rushed back into the bus and driven off to a junction between the plant and the town of Pripyat. From here a road leads straight through the red forest - an area with increased radiation levels. The geiger counter jumped up to 20mSv. At 3mSv the buzzing noise of incoming rays generated by the counter is replaced with a constant warning sound. That was the only moment the relaxed (and somewhat drunk) official looked at the counter and instructed the driver to turn around and leave the area. The driver pulling up his side window (to protect from the radiation) was another sign that the radiation levels indeed were high.
Once we crossed the so called bridge of death leading into Pripyat we were taken on a tour through some of the streets. We continued on foot
and saw all the major sights: the indoor swimming pool, the school and the huge fairground for the May day celebrations. Radiation levels changed a lot but the area was considered safe to walk around.
The highlight was the towns hotel. We had enough time to walk up to the roof from where one could see the reactor. The higher I got inside the hotel the more stuff was laying around. Furniture, beds, newspapers from 1986 and lots of broken glass and tiles.
Last stop was a school where not so many people have been before compared to other places. More stuff was laying around and the atmosphere was different from some of the more open and public spaces.
Unfortunately every tour has to come to an end and we headed back to the barracks. We cleared the first radiation checks without too much hassle. Our official did not even care about the readings of the old soviet style machine. I guess people have a natural desire to be safe. At inner 10km border the car was checked for signs of increased radiation but we were through there within the minute of getting there. At the 30km border we had to go through another more thorough check. On the drive back I finally got some sleep before being picked up by a friend at a gas station on the way. We headed towards their weekend house outside Kiev for some delicious home made food.
When I planned the entire trip I made sure I would have time to go to Chernobyl. The trips are not cheap and due to the distance to Kiev they eat up almost an entire vacation day.
After a night out and some preparation I boarded a bus with a total of 12 visitors at Kiev Independence Square shortly before 9AM. We were accompanied by an English speaking guide, an official from the Ukranian Department of the Interior and a female worker who seemed to be living in Chernobyl. The official is supposed to check our passports, get us through security checkpoints and most important of all to keep us all safe from radiation. All he did beside the passport and security checkpoint part was sleeping and radiating off a smell of booze.
Our tour started with a two hour drive through the Kiev traffic continuing on the main roads towards Chernobyl north-west of Kiev. The Mercedes-Benz Sprinter van was equipped with a TV and a BBC-style documentary about the history of Chernobyl was shown. 30 km away from the plant we reached the first checkpoint. We had to get out of the bus and have our passport numbers and names verified against a list of registered visitors. No problem in our case. I somehow expected to see somebody bribe somebody to get us in but bribes might just already be included in the money streams.
one of the warning signs at the 30km radius border
Inside the 30km zone we continued to drive towards the town of Chernobyl. Chernobyl is still populated and among other things houses the base for all tours. We were briefed about procedures, Do's and Don'ts and how to avoid radioactive pollution. Alpha rays seem to be the worst enemy. Luckily it is easy to shield against alpha rays. We all signed the paperwork and were offered to buy a picturebook or russian textbook - now that's how the guards make some money on the side ;) For some reason our schedule was moved around a bit and we would have some lunch right after seeing Chernobyl itself. After lunch we would do the highlights: the reactor #4 and the ghost town of Pripyat.
The Chernobyl part of the tour included a visit to the old stadium where a few of the old vehicles used by the liquidators were parked. The huge carpark with vehicles and helicopers used in the first weeks of cleanup is off-limits since early 2008 due to high radiation levels. Instead a few tanks and trucks were decontaminated and moved to the stadium. Hidden in a small forest there were also a few monuments remembering the victims.
First stop: harbourfront (Google Maps link). Roughly a dozen ships were abanonded here after being contaminted during the cleanup.
abandoned ships near the harbour
We continued along one of main roads with a stop in front of the fire department and a small supermarket.
Chernobyl supermarket
old-style Apple logo on a fridge inside the Chernobyl supermarket
95% of the people walking around the town wore military uniforms. The few other people were walking to or from their temporary hostel-style homes. But then most people would be at work at that time of day anyway - or hopefully far away.
Lunch was served in a separate room in the main barracks. The amount and quality of food was OK but it was kinda awkward to sit there with strangers and not have any real topic to talk about. We've hardly seen anything yet and the only guy with a story to tell was a British PhD. student who has already been on the tour two times and plans on going weekly for five months next year. His PhD. topic: Tourism in Chernobyl.
Finally: the trip to the reactor and Pripyat was about to begin. We stopped on the only road and were shown a few signs indicating that an entire village has been burried here. Radiation levels started to peak ever here and there. A few turns later we had our first look at reactor #4 (Google Maps).
overview of plant #4
closeup of the concrete sarcophagus
We stopped close to the main entrance of the reactor building where a memorial was built. Photography was not allowed in direction of the reactor as the terrorist treat exists here as well. After all the reactor still draws power and depends support systems. Oh, and we just passed one of the terminal storage spaces for nuclear waste in the Ukraine - a miserably small building next to the road. We walked onto a railway bridge to check out a freak of nature: giant catfish. With no natural enemies nor fishers in the area the fish are growing quite large. We had some bread to lure the catfish to the bridge. A 2 meter catfish looks kinda scary when chugging away a huge chunk of bread.
giant catfish - no mutations, just huge
The next stop would be a short one - right in front of reactor #4 a mere 150-200 meters away from where the accident happend 23 years ago.
ground zero
radiation levels increased to not so safe numbers
It was quite spooky to stand there able to see every intimate detail of the reactor building. The old concrete and steel coffin with all its marks, work on the new casket just began. After a few minutes we were rushed back into the bus and driven off to a junction between the plant and the town of Pripyat. From here a road leads straight through the red forest - an area with increased radiation levels. The geiger counter jumped up to 20mSv. At 3mSv the buzzing noise of incoming rays generated by the counter is replaced with a constant warning sound. That was the only moment the relaxed (and somewhat drunk) official looked at the counter and instructed the driver to turn around and leave the area. The driver pulling up his side window (to protect from the radiation) was another sign that the radiation levels indeed were high.
Pripyat - the ghost town
Once we crossed the so called bridge of death leading into Pripyat we were taken on a tour through some of the streets. We continued on foot
and saw all the major sights: the indoor swimming pool, the school and the huge fairground for the May day celebrations. Radiation levels changed a lot but the area was considered safe to walk around.
indoor swimming pool
fairground with ferris wheel
bumper cars
The highlight was the towns hotel. We had enough time to walk up to the roof from where one could see the reactor. The higher I got inside the hotel the more stuff was laying around. Furniture, beds, newspapers from 1986 and lots of broken glass and tiles.
tree growing in a hotel room
view from the hotel
Last stop was a school where not so many people have been before compared to other places. More stuff was laying around and the atmosphere was different from some of the more open and public spaces.
inside the school
classroom
another classroom
Unfortunately every tour has to come to an end and we headed back to the barracks. We cleared the first radiation checks without too much hassle. Our official did not even care about the readings of the old soviet style machine. I guess people have a natural desire to be safe. At inner 10km border the car was checked for signs of increased radiation but we were through there within the minute of getting there. At the 30km border we had to go through another more thorough check. On the drive back I finally got some sleep before being picked up by a friend at a gas station on the way. We headed towards their weekend house outside Kiev for some delicious home made food.
0 Trackbacks to Chernobyl
- No Trackbacks
0 Comments to Chernobyl
- No comments
