TBM's adventures in Chernobyl and Pripyat Part 1, June 2013
Visited with Landie Man and Zotez, the first in a series of expeditions to the holy grail. Forgive me as I'm not really s'posed to do this, but I think it's better to split it into sections as otherwise a single thread would get too clogged up. I could also go into detail about stuff like our Kyiv escapades/food/the drama blady blah, but I won't.
So finally it's happened. After so many near-cancellations and problems with getting people to go, it finally goes through... at a costly price. Still, after a string of fails in the North West (not giving up on any though, rest assured) karma plays to the book and allows us access to every building we want to go in (we didn't get in all, but what we didn't see wasn't epic for sure). But we were only there for 2 days; at absolute maximum we were allowed 30-40 minutes in each building so when you go inside you're really, really running the gauntlet with time and seeing everything. Not only that, given the ban on building access with many buildings at times you really have to be careful not to be spotted; police are supposed to patrol but we never saw any. What you've really got to worry about at times is if you're near a government building in an exposed area; as an example, the hospital (which will be covered in time) is situated near to the laundry building which the government use currently. Our guide told us that anyone who gets spotted or heard inside will have the police called on 'em! Same with rooftops, 'cause as overgrown as Pripyat may be, you can't take your chances when your guide's job and your stay in the zone are at stake. Given how nice this guide was to us, you wouldn't want him getting fired.
So first stop on our tour was the memorial garden. Being in Chernobyl itself was odd; so many derelict buildings like farm houses and huts, all dotted about amongst the live buildings. As for the garden itself, it's pretty spartan but it's sobering being there, seeing all the monuments dedicated to the abandoned villages. A new monument's been put up to those who lost their lives in the Fukushima disaster (not pictured).
Down the road, the firefighter's memorial
We also briefly stopped across the way to see the abandoned boats, now inaccessible due to what our guide blames as excessive bureaucracy and stupid legislation.
Now onto the main part of the report, the village Kindergarten. I've long forgotten the name of the village this served, all I know was that it was on the way to the power plant complex. Zotez didn't like this place because it's had the grubby hands of tourists all over it, but for me it's one of the most sobering parts of Pripyat. Aside from other connotations you could make from this place, it's sad seeing it because even though anything of value was long plundered by the government there are so many personal things left behind. A childhood lost overnight, y'know? On a side not, by god it was NOT pleasant being in there! We were mostly covered up, but oh man the MOSQUITOES were everywhere!
Oh yeah, did I also say that the radiation in the soil was pretty damn high?
Hope you've enjoyed so far, stay tuned for the next post! That said you may be waiting a while between reports; Flickr Uploadr is so, SO SLOW!
Re: TBM's adventures in Chernobyl and Pripyat Part 1, June 2013
So onwards we went, to the nuclear complex. A real plethora of buildings here; whilst the complex hasn't generated a single joule of energy since the last reactor was turned off in 2000, it's all very much buzzing with activity with the construction of a new sarcophagus for reactor 4 amongst other things. On the way we spotted the incomplete reactor and its cooling tower, which was due to start generation in 1988 but never came to be; the cranes still standing tall since 1986.
Landie and our guide, with the cooling tower in the distance.
The nuclear waste store, built after 1986 but abandoned due to failing the safety requirements.
A pano of the entire complex, view the full size on my Flickr.
Now for the people shots!
End of part 1!
Love as always,
TBM x
Re: TBM's adventures in Chernobyl and Pripyat Part 1, June 2013
Great stuff , would love to go there sometime
