Chernobyl Part 1: Outside The City

Loaded in the van in the morning we set out, Out first stop along the way will be for the entry checkpoint, no photos here, but they take your passports and check you in. this is where you receive your first radiation meter to monitor you. We never did get the results from this meter. But maybe we never want to know.

: People do posing here

Our first stop will be the village of Zalissya, now long abandoned. I had heard there were Babushkas here you could bring gifts to, IE flower and staples, but they have since passed or moved due to old age. The town has a not so eerie feel to it as it has grown in and looks like a standard village that people just left. There are some artifacts still around, but a lot of photographers have come and placed items to look like a interesting scene instead of capturing the place as it was.

We cross the road and continue in the town, hitting up the town hall, which still boasts mottos from the soviet union above the stage. A car in front of a house lays being slowly taken back by the earth.

: The town hall

Driving a little closer towards Pripyat we get out near the red forest to test the area for radiation, we also get our first site of the sarcophagus. nothing to crazy where we stop radiation wise, but in the car the we are getting readings higher than outside while moving at 60kmh and through the vehicle itself. The ground is literal poison. We also see a waste transport truck and I am quickly scolded for taking photos outside of safe areas. Oops. Here is the photo anyways…

: Do not go past this sign

: Giving the ground a good test

: Welcome to town!

Outside of town is what is called Chernobyl 2, or the Duga radar station, which was a cold war era radar station for detecting ballistic missiles that may come from the us, It was so powerful it blocked radio frequencies in Portugal and was heard all over by amateur radio operators who dubbed it the “wood pecker”. We have heard the reason for being so close to the power plant is that is required the same amount of power as the town to operate. Which when you see the size makes sense. Its huge!! 700M long and 175m high with the smaller section being 500×140. The place is massive. Although Wikipedia says it is only 150m tall for the main section my drone stated exactly 175 as per the details given onsite.

: From my drone

: Getting close and personal

Here is the WIKI link for more info: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duga_radar

Inside the tunnel we walk the length, below is where the cables used to go, I visit the cooling room which was for the server rooms which are now empty. Included in the area is the training room for ballistic missile attacks, they have art work of what they think the missiles look like from the US and even China. With inf to back them up.

: A long long walk back

: Blower room to keep the electrical cool

: empty server room

: The training room

We then head into Chernobyl the town. Where we will spend the night. The hotel is called Desiatka, almost a 5 star rating. Here is the location of one of the very Stalin statues left in Ukraine. The hotel is quite nice and the meals are good. The local shop provides us with beer and snacks!