How do you like to spend your vacation time? Maybe you want to explore the mountains, beaches or perhaps you’re the ultimate adventure goer like I? I love to go off the beaten path and take the dark tourism route. Back in 2017, I booked a trip to Ukraine to explore Kyiv and Lviv. Apart from exploring the Orthodox Churches of Kyiv, I visited, Chernobyl and Pripyat!
The abandoned and tragic history of this region of Ukraine has filled me with the wonder of all of these years. Luckily, I chose a time to visit before HBO documented their remarkable series. Which no doubt, has an abundance of tourists nowadays it’s still a reason to visit to understand the tragic history which has gone on.
This is a guest post by Alexandra, more info in the end
Brief History
During 1986 near the border to Belarus, a power plant erupted. The power plant was in Chernobyl and belonged to the Soviet Union, on April 26th 1986 workers were made to shut down the fourth nuclear reactor for maintenance. Due to persistent order, they disabled the reactor without following the appropriate safety requirements.
Two nuclear rods were placed into the cold water causing a large amount of steam to be generated. Because of its design flaws, a lot of activity occurred in the fourth reactor, which created a huge explosion releasing radioactive gases into the atmosphere.
Not long later, a more disastrous second explosion happened. Irradiated graphite spilt out of the reactor around the site causing many operators and firefighters to be killed instantly. After some time, there was a debate on what to do to stop it from spreading further afield. Likewise, what to do with the neighbouring residents in the town of Pripyat. Then on April 27th 1986, the Soviet authorities made all the residents evacuate for their safety.
Which is meant people were leaving behind mementoes, homes, belongings and lives to keep them alive. A lot of people died in this incident trying to put out and maintain the gas. Likewise, a lot of people had burns and died of after-effects of the radiation. It was a sorrowful moment in history for all of Ukraine. Considering the explosion was far worse than the atomic bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Today, reactor number four is sealed over with a sarcophagus to prevent any more radioactive elements leaking into the atmosphere.
The nearby town of Pripyat remains empty and untouched since its evacuation. However, in the past decade, tour operators have been taking people to visit the area. Growing up, I’d always have a great interest in travelling to these destinations and finally booked myself on a one day tour. As now in comparison to 1986, it’s incredibly safe to visit Chernobyl with many tourists flocking to visit there.
I flew from the U.K. to Ukraine’s capital Kyiv. Before my arrival, I’d paid online and filled in my contact details.
Getting to Chernobyl
On one cold and bleak autumn day in Kyiv, I got picked up in a minivan around 8 am from the centre. Here a bus driver and tour guide were awaiting the rest of my group and me. As I stepped on to the bus, my name was checked off, and I was offered to rent a Geiger counter ( a radiation measuring device). Of course, I opted for it, as it was part of the experience and wanted to see how radioactive areas I visited were.
Entering Chernobyl
Getting there took around 2 hours, and on the way, a short documentary was shown highlighting the journey. Finally, once arrived, we were introduced to another guide, who was a member of the army. He was a big bulky man, dressed in a camouflage uniform and would later accompany us throughout the whole journey.
We were given a briefing when we met him, then went on the bus to the first checkpoint. Here I had to step through a radioactive barrier before getting let through. I put my hands on either side and got let through. Later on, through the tour, I’d realise I’d come to cross several radiation checkpoints.
Firefighters Memorial
After entering, I’d got back onto the minibus, and we drove to the firefighters memorial. Several hundred firefighters and staff had lost their lives helping to preserve the blaze.
Pripyat
Depending on your tour package, you may see different parts of Pripyat than what I did. I was first taken to kindergarten. I remember stepping off the bus and seeing this old crooked building in the woods, like something off a horror film. The surroundings were quiet; all I could hear was the rustling of the wind in my ear. Slowly as I started walking towards the kindergarten, my Geiger counter began to click.
On the way into the kindergarten, I noticed radioactive signs in the ground. Similarly, a creepy doll was scattered on the floor, limbless. Now it fully felt like a horror movie. I was informed by my guide not to touch it as these areas can be highly radioactive.
Once inside the kindergarten, I’d witnessed many more of these hauntingly limbless dolls. There were a lot of untouched objects still left in place since the evacuation. As I walked through each room, the wooden boards creaked and noticed objects half hanging on walls. The toilet and lockers were falling off.
Fairground
I was taken to an abandoned fun park. There were a Ferris wheel, dodgems and a carousel. I later discovered this fun park never officially became open to the public, which made the experience even eerier. I was also taken to a supermarket nearby and seen some high rises.
Visit Chernobyl
Here I went back to the van, and we went to the exclusion zone. Once at the reactor, I was only allowed to be there for five minutes due to the high levels of radiation. I recall my Geiger counter being active the numbers rising and it beeping at a faster pace. Similarly, I’d seen so many workers entering. To stand there in the area where the incident happened, trying to imagine the sheer scale of the explosion, the lives lost to help and how long it took to put it out.
Dugar Radar
It was here on the final stop I was taken to this colossal structure, basically a two-part antenna system. However, there are also a lot of conspiracy theories surrounding this structure. Please choose what you want to believe when visiting, however, no doubt you’ll be amazed by its height!
Overall, I found my trip to the Chernobyl exclusion zone and Pripyat fascinating. While I only did a one day tour, you can choose to do a two day, week or even more extended trips. There are no doubt more areas to explore and learn. However, when booking a tour to visit Chernobyl, what I’d advise is to do your research prior, so you find the right tour operator. You must submit passport and visa details to the operators, as the army does not allow them to carry tours without full information of the guests. Chernobyl and Pripyat was undoubtedly an experience to remember, and I’d urge you as a reader to visit.
Author’s Bio
I’m a British travel blogger, who’s spent her teenage years and early twenties travelling across four continents. Currently on a pitstop in Nepal.
Follow Alexandra on her blog: Extracts of Alex