Ukraine 2018 - Day 2: Chernobyl Exclusion Zone

Today I would be joining a 2-Day tour of Chernobyl. I left my suitcase at the hostel as I would checking back in again in 36 hours. I had to use Google's translate app to communicate with the Ukrainian lady but it wasn't a problem. You can download language packs for offline use for any language before you travel this can be really handy. With just a backpack and 1 change of clothes i walked around the corner to the pickup point for the tour near the station.

Remains of a house with a rusted car

We would be using a minibus and there was around 15 of us in total including the guide. We started the drive north of Kiev to Chernobyl which would take the better part of 2 hours with a toilet break. Upon arriving we had a quick passport check at the checkpoint before we were allowed through. The Chernobyl exclusion zone approximately covers a 30km radius. We were first taken to see a theatre and the houses that surrounded it, to see the houses of the people that used to live here. Many of their possessions are still here with various books and clothes on the floor. We then moved on to a photo stop at the Chernobyl sign and saw the only church(St. Elijah) that remains open inside the exclusion zone. We then took a break for lunch.

Memorial to the firefighters

In the afternoon we passed a Lenin statue before checking out an old port. Next was a memorial to the firefighters who lost their lives preventing the situation from worsening and we were shown other vehicles that were used to prevent further spreading of radiation. In the late afternoon we visited Duga radar, which was an old Soviet era antiballistic missile warning system. It is so big that many of us struggled to get the whole thing in 1 photo. Just next to this was a control room where many old servers and computers lay in piles of rubble.

Duga radar

Early evening saw us visit a kindergarten, this is where the Geiger counter we had been provided started to beep for the first time at the base of a tree. Entering the building there were children's dolls and other toys scattered all over the floor. Upon leaving the exclusion zone at the end of the day we got a long distance view of the new sarcophagus that has now been put over reactor 4 to prevent further leaking of radiation. A 40 minute train journey took us to our overnight hotel in Chernihiv and we even temporarily crossed the border into Belarus. 

Kindergarten

 Video of this day can be found here:

In the next post I would further exploring the Chernobyl exclusion zone by visiting Pripyat so please check it out.