Чорнобиль | Chernobyl & Pripyat
 

Hello, i had the opportunity to visit Ukraine and the infamous Chernobyl powerplant and the ghosttown of Pripyat. Keep in mind that this are large pictures, so downloading could take some time. I want to apologize for my English (in case of silly mistakes) and the size of the pictures, but nevertheless, enjoy the trip! :)

For more information about the the nuclear disaster: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chernobyl_disaster


01) The (in)famous nuclear powerplant in Chernobyl, Ukraine.

http://img297.imageshack.us/img297/8...5borderui3.jpg


02) The left side of the building, reactor number four, is the place where the explosion occured on the 26th of April 1986. Reactor no. 4 was completely destroyed and has since been enclosed in a concrete sarcophagus to prevent further escape of radiation. There are plans to construct of new, very large sarcophagus.

http://img527.imageshack.us/img527/9...dborderci4.jpg


03) On the left we can see reactors numbers 3 and 4, and on the right side of the picture we can see the older reactors 1 and 2.

http://img527.imageshack.us/img527/4...dborderqr2.jpg


04) Two more reactors were under construction at the time of the accident, and were never finished. Reactor no. 5 was almost complete and was scheduled to start operating in the fall of 1986.

http://img526.imageshack.us/img526/5...dbordervf1.jpg


05)

http://img365.imageshack.us/img365/8...dborderpu4.jpg


06) Reactor number four and a monument in front of it. The levels of radation in this area weren't a high as some other parts in the region.

http://img377.imageshack.us/img377/8...dbordernh5.jpg


07)

http://img295.imageshack.us/img295/2...dborderck5.jpg


08) The most notorious chimney in the history of mankind.

http://img365.imageshack.us/img365/5...dborderwt6.jpg


09) The skyline of Pripyat. This town had a population of almost 50,000 and was a Soviet Utopia. The city was young and growing. According to Wikipedia, 'Initially the plant was intended to be built only 25 km from Kiev, but the Ukrainian Academy of Sciences, among other bodies, expressed concern about the station being too close to the city, and so the station, together with Prypiat[1] , were built in their current location — about 100 km from Kiev.'

http://img365.imageshack.us/img365/7...dborderhh5.jpg


10)

http://img377.imageshack.us/img377/7...dbordersz3.jpg


11) Soviet symbolism.

http://img295.imageshack.us/img295/9...dborderpx9.jpg


12) This was once the entrance of the cultural center.

http://img295.imageshack.us/img295/7...dborderni7.jpg


13) Our guide (on the right side) told us a lot of interesting stories.

http://img295.imageshack.us/img295/1...dborderty9.jpg


14)

http://img377.imageshack.us/img377/8...dborderbn7.jpg


15) Old Greek paintings. ;)

http://img156.imageshack.us/img156/1...dborderdr0.jpg


16)

http://img365.imageshack.us/img365/1...dborderdh8.jpg


17) This is the only trafficlight in town, and it's always green!

http://img156.imageshack.us/img156/2...dborderuk1.jpg


18)

http://img523.imageshack.us/img523/9...dbordermv0.jpg


19)

http://img156.imageshack.us/img156/2...dborderqn5.jpg


20)

http://img156.imageshack.us/img156/1...dbordervx9.jpg


21) The complete themepark was never used, except for the bumper cars. It was scheduled to open on the day of the disaster.

http://img156.imageshack.us/img156/8...dborderei9.jpg


22)

http://img117.imageshack.us/img117/5...dbordergg2.jpg


23) These bumper cars were used only once at the day of the evacuation. Parents could drop their kids here so they were able to pick up some stuff from their homes, convinced that the evacuation whould be temporary.

http://img117.imageshack.us/img117/9...dborderip2.jpg


24) The Geiger counter is measuring high levels of radiation in the moss, more than 1,3 rontgen. A dose of 500 rontgen is deadly in five hours.

http://img117.imageshack.us/img117/8...dborderou5.jpg


25)

http://img117.imageshack.us/img117/9...dbordermh7.jpg


26)

http://img523.imageshack.us/img523/8...7borderpq7.jpg


27)

http://img523.imageshack.us/img523/3...dborderdn1.jpg


28)

http://img527.imageshack.us/img527/8...dborderby8.jpg


29) This is a part of the so-called Red Forest, refering to the colour of the trees which was a result of the radioactive contamination. The levels of radiation were so high that most of the trees simply burned down. What was left of the forest has been destroyed and buried, and the area stills remains one of the most radioactive in the world. Notice the tree in the middle, which shows clearly signes of radation: the tree is burned.

http://img527.imageshack.us/img527/8...6borderpo4.jpg


30) A view toward the north, we can see the nuclear power plant.

http://img401.imageshack.us/img401/7...dborderwc0.jpg


31) The Dnieper River, which also flows through Kiev and other import cities in Ukraine like Dniperpetrovsk and Zaporizhzhya.

http://img401.imageshack.us/img401/7...dborderhb9.jpg


32) A rusty old shipyard, these are contaminated.

http://img117.imageshack.us/img117/4...dborderfz2.jpg


33)

http://img527.imageshack.us/img527/1...dborderfa0.jpg


34) Some vehicles used by the 'liquidators', the people who had the stop the disaster. These vehicles are still radioactive and can not be used anymore. It's interesting to notice that there was once a great graveyard of machines like cars, tanks and helicopters but those were stripped and sold as 'old metal'. Only the very contaminated parts were destroyed.

http://img527.imageshack.us/img527/2...dborderjm9.jpg


35)

http://img292.imageshack.us/img292/6...dborderxd7.jpg


36)

http://img98.imageshack.us/img98/575...dborderlh3.jpg


37) This is the 'Russian Woodpecker', which is almost 150 meters tall and (i believe) almost one kilometer long. According to some, this antenna would be twice as expansive as the nuclear powerplant at the time of construction.

http://img292.imageshack.us/img292/5...dborderen0.jpg


38)

http://img295.imageshack.us/img295/1...3bordersa1.jpg


39)

http://img292.imageshack.us/img292/9...2borderhb7.jpg


40)

http://img292.imageshack.us/img292/9...1borderre3.jpg


41)

http://img292.imageshack.us/img292/7...0bordertt0.jpg


42)

http://img98.imageshack.us/img98/5889/14borderch0.jpg


43)

http://img98.imageshack.us/img98/341/15borderqi8.jpg


44)

http://img179.imageshack.us/img179/4...8bordertr7.jpg


45)

http://img145.imageshack.us/img145/3...4borderbs1.jpg


46)

http://img145.imageshack.us/img145/5...6bordermj3.jpg


47)

http://img145.imageshack.us/img145/2...7borderlq2.jpg


48)

http://img145.imageshack.us/img145/2690/19bordersp6.jpg


49)

http://img179.imageshack.us/img179/3985/16borderac8.jpg


50) That's me! :D

http://img503.imageshack.us/img503/5...dborderqf8.jpg

Awesome

An amazing thread.
A rare opportunity to see the desolation/destruction up close.
Thank you for posting your photographs.


How safe it is in terms of radiation levels/ to walk about and take photographs?

incredibly fascinating!


Ok, how do I get over there? Is it legally accesible, is it easily accessible? How much does it cost to visit?

The total exposure to radioactive radiation during the whole trip is no more than the amount of radiation you will receive during an (intercontinental) flight. In other words: it's quite safe, although there are some areas like the Red Forest, were the contamination is higher. This is the area were our Geiger counter peaked, and showed a level of radiation of almost 2 rontgen. This is high and a exception, our guide showed us this place while driving through the Red Forest. But this amount lasted only a few seconds and a few meters and dropped very quickly (remember we were driving) so it should be without consequences during the short time we were there. To put these things in perspective: a dose of 500 rontgen received in five hours is lethal.
Most of the contamination can be found in the soil, but some dust and moss show also higher levels of radiation (see picture 24). Therefore it would be wise to avoid the moss, but it's difficult to avoid the dust but as you can see on pic 13, both guys wrapped their trousers so those wouldn't drag through the dust. It is not much, but it wouldn't hurt to take some precautions.
After the visit to to nuclear 30 km zone everybody is being checked. And in this zone, aprox. 3000 people still work. Many of them living in the area, and some working in shifts in which they work, eat and sleep in the place Chernobyl (10 km south of the power plant). The maximum they are allowed to stay in the area is (i believe) 16 days a month.

So, to answer your question: visiting the area is very safe. Go out camping in the Red Forest isn't... ;)

It is very easy accessible, for example (and do not regard this as spam) i booked my trip via these guys, do not mind the terrible cheap internetsite, this was one of the cheapest i could find and the one with a very quick response. You can find more agencies who can help you, just google around. It isn't cheap, the price depends on the number of people of your group.
Before you go, the agency must have some data like in your passport, and travel info, so the Ukrainian government can check your data and register you as a visitor. Before entering the so called 'zone of Aliennation', a 30 kilometer zone around the powerplant, you must pass a checkpoint. There is a second checkpoint 10 km before the powerplant, and a third one just before Pripyat.

The trip towards Chernobyl and back was taken care of by the travelagency, it's included in the price, and so is a complete (Ukrainian) meal. We were picked up and dropped by our hotel in Kiev.

So, as long as you are willing to pay and to provide the data, it is very easy to visit the area. It is just simple tourism! ;)

Wow. Extremely fascinating!! Thanks a lot for posting these great pics.

Intriguing photos, but unfortunate the extent of damage caused by the nuclear fallout.

Very interesting photos!

Fantastic pics man! What a fascinating place you've visited there.
And the photo's are realy awsome. Thanks for sharing them with us.

Pictures like that is uncommon! Thanks for posting them.

i never get tired of seeing photos of pripyat. i find it fascinating in its design and its decay. you're lucky to have seen it first hand!

Fascinating photos! I had no idea that you could visit that place.

i love playing Call of Duty 4 as it has a town modeled after this place.

Fantastic photos--very, very interesting! I'll echo previous sentiments, I didn't know this place was safe to visit.

yike....
 

how depressing..yet mystifying

Surreal. Great thread.

Dank u well ! :tup: Most interesting thread , nice pictures of what was once a mysterious place,mainly because of the Soviet era . Eventhough back then, the amount of information was controlled by local authorities and was hard to get,I remember as a kid the news of that disaster making world headlines for days .

And still as of today, nothing but a ghost town ...

Yeah, if you want to take a virtual tool of the place, buy Call Of Duty 4. I always figured they made up most of the town for the game but apparently they didn't. You can even walk by that pool with the neat diving board.

And of course, great pictures !

It is surreal...
The black and white pictures are simply awesome
thanks for the tour!