On the 26h of April, 1986 the reactor 4 in the Chornobyl power plant exploded. During the cleanup, an exclusion zone was established around the city of Chornobyl. It is still active today. Humans may never be able to live there again.
Still, it was possible to visit the zone. At least when I went there in 2017.
Animals
The first thing you notice is that there are alot of dogs around. Here are som images I took close to the entrance to the city of Chornobyl. This one dog was constantly around the entrance mural because it knew it meant people came there.
Our guide recommended us not to pet the dogs. Why? They could be radioactive since they roam free. Some dogs may venture inside the melted down reactor itself.
The dogs, being dogs, naturally seek out human contact. I noticed some tourists petting the dogs and giving them food. I didn’t touch or give them any food.
There are alot of horses in the exclusion zone. These are Przewalski’s horses. I only saw them from the car, never when we were on foot. The first of the Przewalski’s horses arrived in 1998 (source: theconversation.com).
A wild fox hovered around us when we looked at the sign to the city of Prypiat. It was very tame because tourists give it food, but again: our guide told us not to touch it because of radioactivity.
Inside Prypiat
When we first entered Prypiat, I couldn’t see antyhing that resembeled a city. It was all forrest and shrubberies. Suddenly I saw a metal pole, and realised it was a street light and we were actually driving on what was a two or three lane road.
Then we suddenly came to a large apartmentbulding. It was impossible to notice it until you were right next to it. The leaves and trees were so thick.
Our guide took us to the hospital where the firemen was brought in with acute radioactive poisoning. The nature had almost taken over, and we had to search to be able to find the entrance.
In what was the front desk, a piece of lining from one of the firemen’s helmes still lies. It is very radioactive. In the cellar, the firemen’s clothes got dumped. They are still there, but the authorities has filled the cellar entrance with sand to stop people from going down there and taking highly radioactive pieces of clothing with them as memoribilia.
After seeing the hospital, we went around Prypiat. The guide brought with him pictures of how it looked before the city was evacuated and nature ran its course.
The Duga 1 over the horizon radar
It was known as the «russian woodpecker» because at a certain frequency, you could hear the radar operating. It was meant to detect nuclear missiles launched at the Soviet union from the west.
Standing next to the exploded Reactor 4
It was pretty weird to drive towards where Reactor 4 is, and seeing the massive sarcophagus that shielded us from radiation.
The other reactors were in full use until the start of 2000s, but are now being dismanteled. The water you see in the foreground, is a part of the cooling mechanism.
This was the closest we could get to the old reactor. A monument to the accident in 1986 was erected some time after.
Prypiat rooftops
It was not allowed, but the guide took us up on the roof of one apartment complex. You can really get the sense of how large the city was. On the ground, all you see are trees and shrubberies.
I really liked the tour, and I would like to go back some day. When the russians invaded Ukraine in 2022, they occupied Chornobyl and the power plant. Rumours has it that they started digging trenches in the very radioactive soil. The radioactivity in the area also went up because of the military vehicles churning up the soil and dust.
Selfie taken in the beautiful toilet of the very spartan Chornobyl hotel we stayed at
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