Far away nearby

The reactor block No. 4 Chernobyl nuclear power plant (exact name of the Chernobyl power plant Nuclear power plant them. W.I. Lenin – Chornobilska Atomic Elektrostantsіya, CAES) erupted less than 26 years ago, 26 April 1986 r. Today the area around the power plant is a restricted zone, This does not mean, that there is absolutely no access to it. He works here still around 3 thousand people, and, until recently grew timidly tourism here, However, recently closed for wife pregnant “ordinary zwiedzaczy” – left only the opportunity to visit it by the scientific expeditions. In this way,, with a team of Ground Zero I also am going to the power plant and its surroundings.

We live in Sławutyczu, town created specifically for the plant's workers after crash. Residents do not like tourists like us, visiting area – rather oschli. Although not all – lady of the kiosk, where we buy Ukrainian beer sim card (so – Here you can buy beer at a kiosk!) is przesympatyczna, and when he lacks the sim card leads us to the shop next door. At first we wonder, what in general is, I go with her to a basement into a block with no sign or any sign, but then it turns out to be an ordinary shop :)

Until we reach extraterritorial zone queue employee, whose route runs in part by Belarus. The same train for years, day by day, commute to work and back home to local residents.

In the zone – instruction given to us by Mr. Sergei. At the time of the explosion of the reactor which is at the plant site, and now is our guide. After the briefing – passport control and we can upload to the red bus, which we move around the area.

At the beginning of the pulls of the sarcophagus – concrete structure covering the, what was left of the block 4. after the outbreak. Here stands a monument to liquidators of consequences of failure. Weather is not the best, but at least it is not raining.

Dosimeters indicate about 3-4 μSv/h. For comparison,, in Zakopane, we expect the above 1 μSv/h, and in Warsaw in approximately 0,3 μSv/h. But quietly, aμSv/hng to the information our guides throughout your stay in the restricted zone (2 days) get a dose of radiation such, As in the two-hour airplane flight.

We move – this time to abandoned city Pripyat (Pripyaty). Hour and a half, what we get to explore, whets the appetite for the next day, which is almost entirely spend in this city. I look to the theater, house of culture, sports center and to amusement park. Weather still not credited. Cold and raining at the moment. And time rushes like the TGV…

After a visit to Pripyat Chernobyl go toward stopping for a moment under the block 5. i 6. power, and then in the village digger (Koпaчi). After the crash it was displaced, and all the buildings were demolished and buried. The only trace of the village are arrays of city names, information board and mounds of earth marked with radioactive. Here, slightly longer hungry, ate fresh apples straight from the tree. The level of radiation is approximately Kopaczi 0,2 μSv/h.

When the plant was built, Pripyat was not yet on the map of Ukraine, power away from the nearest town called. Chernobyl Today (Chernobyl), Although expelled after the explosion, is not completely empty. Few people live here, who decided to return, despite bans on deportation, and power plant workers temporarily. In Chernobyl, we see the study of radioactivity of water samples…

… watch the colorful Orthodox, Lenin statue, placed in 25. anniversary of the disaster monument designed to commemorate her, river port, synagogue was transformed into a WKU, and then get some free, to ferret alone in their homes along the street of Lenin.

Weather improves. silently counting, the next day is already nicely. Before his departure from Chernobyl stop at yet another monument, posed in honor of the firefighters involved in extinguishing the fire of the reactor and turbine hall, and then we go to the employee cafeteria for lunch.

After lunch, pulls up the block 3. power, adjacent to the damaged block 4., where we feed bread enormous, eight-foot sum. It's not mutants – simply have the opportunity to grow so big, because no one here is not caught. In addition to the block 3. stands a statue of Prometheus. We continue – this time to the train station Johns. We watch one of the two abandoned train disaster. Wagon – I must admit – looks worse than after crossing kiboli special train station on their beloved team match.

The last stop of the day is a monument of Pripyat 1970. This year the city was founded. It functioned only 16 years. Then back, pass through two gates dosimetric (Interestingly feeling – such waiting, or misses, or not…) and a trip to Slavutych.

On the second day the same train back to the restricted zone. Day begins with the visit in Burakiwce or storage of radioactive waste. To safely store copies of the materials irradiated pits here, filled with a layer of clay and sand, then in the trenches placed waste, cover with another layer of sand, clay and soil. In Burakiwce are not yet buried in tranches – operators of bulldozers lay waste in the bottom can work only 40 minutes in such conditions.

In Burakiwce, slightly to the side, There is also a kind of cemetery equipment used to remove the effects of the outbreak. The remains of helicopter, Truck, fire engines are on the air and deteriorate from year to year. The highest indication meter with little gripper on the site is over 230 μSv/h.

The next stop is already again Pripyat. This time we have here a few hours to explore on your own. I begin with one of the co, Michael, from the pool, we look to several homes, we study with the famous Tom gripper (professional boom pole allows you to place the dosimeter in the center of the gripper – in the middle of the ground to indicate some 213 μSv/h). Then comes the time for sifting through the building the fire brigade and police station, Jupiter site, and finally climb onto the roof of a residential block szesnastopiętrowego Fujiyama Bis to consummate “dinner with a view of the sarcophagus” (we give up a meal in the cafeteria workers, to have a little more time to walk around Pripyat).

The last two places on our plan to visit a primary school and hospital. Returning from the hospital, hooked up yet at the last moment of Pripyat Cafe. It starts raining again. We return to the Slavutych.

In the morning the next day, before leaving the vicinity of power plants, even stop at the main square at the monument of Slavutych, who died in the crash or immediately thereafter. Wreath is made, and Mr. Sergei tells us briefly about what happened.

Expedition does not stop, because of Slavutych still going to Kiev. But that's another story.

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