13 April 2015 - Chernobyl, Ukraine - Part 4

Today is the big day! I am heading for The Zone. The Ukrainian government has permitted entry into the surrounding areas of Chernobyl, but with strict conditions. To enter the 30km exclusion zone, you need a day pass to enter- which can be obtained from several tour operators that have been established. I applied for my permit months in advance. I found the instructions provided easy to follow including the passport requirement and dress code.

I met my tour company (Solo East) guide close to Independence Square. Igor, our driver/trip manager got us to the exclusion zone safely (2hr drive on rough roads).

Our Zone representative, Helen, met us at the 30k checkpoint and provided history and commentary throughout our time there. There were a number of monuments and abandoned buildings.

I rented a dosimeter for 10$ ... It was added a whole new dynamic to the trip. Any measurement over 2.5 mSv would cause the device to alarm. Radiation occurs naturally everywhere. Annually, 100mSv is the limit to avoid cancer. A CT Scan, for example, is 12-15mSv. An airline flight at 30,000ft gives you a 4.5mSv dose. It was fascinating to take measurements throughout the tour. Plants, water, and moss seemed to have the highest readings.

The trip included a stop at the Druga2 radar array aka "woodpecker". It was quite a large structure and provided a humbling experience walking around it.

There was also good photo stops in some of the towns, including a really creepy schoolhouse. The power plant and Pripyat visits completely exceeded my expectations. I got some amazing photos and memories that have made my day, month, and year. I am really happy I did this trip.

The structure that encloses the reactor is called the Sarcophagus. A new one was being built to cover the whole thing so robots could be used to remove the remaining radioactive parts (yes nearly 30 years later it is still burning). This new superstructure is built on rails and will be slid over the old building soon.

Next, we headed to the nearby town of Pripyat. I was very excited to observe this location. It was built by the Soviets as a utopian home for the powerplant workers and their families. The disaster emptied the town. Now, nearly 3 decades later, it has been taken back by mother nature. Here are some of my favorite photos, including the fairgrounds and pool. Remember, it was not my first time here...the STALKER game had based many of its locations off of this place. I was geeking out hard!

As the day ended we made our way back out of the zone. Before we could leave, we had to stop and get scanned for radiation at 2 checkpoints. The armed guards really made the point at how serious this place was. I'll treasure this experience for the rest of my life.