Site Records

Site Name: Chernobyl

Sub Brit site visit 1.6.2006 & 12.4.2007

Entering Pripyat - Photo by Robin Ware

Not far from the power station perimeter is the town sign for Pripyat, dated 1970, beyond which is another small checkpoint. The road leads over the railway bridge; although the contamination level here is now relatively low, it is reported that some people were fatally irradiated here in 1986. Some of the buildings still have hammer and sickle decorations on their roofs and an abandoned restaurant has a good view of the

Most roads in Pripyat seem to lead to the Cultural Centre, which is still impressive despite the decay. The foyer has been stripped of its glass curtain frontage and many of the walls are down to bare concrete, but the odd remaining piece of marble cladding gives an idea of how it would have looked. The staircase from the entrance has a mural on one wall depicting farming scenes as well as views representing the electricity from the power station; this is not protected from the weather and is deteriorating but for now is still in good condition. Most of the buildings have been emptied of furniture to discourage looting and in recent years the buildings have been cannibalized of glass and useful metal under official permission, for other building projects elsewhere

The theatre complex still has many of its lights and fittings, with some scenery flats still on the stage.
Climbing up to the roof gives a view of the main square, the surrounding empty streets, and a good view of the distant power station.

Across the way is the amusement park in what was once an open space, now encroached by young trees. There are decorative stands with historical Soviet scenes and pictures of Lenin. A cinema nearby has a distinctive, colourful bas-relief frontage.

The former port, a little way along, has a long building which apparently housed a café as well as being used for other purposes. It has the remains of a very impressive coloured glass mural in one window. There are abandoned tables and chairs outside, a cold-store and old drinks machines. Steps lead down to the old jetty. Our visit also took us to one of the main schools and the hospital. In the school classrooms, books with children’s work and teachers’ comments are still sitting on the

Found in the school - Photo by Nick Catford (click)

Pripyat Hospital, our last port of call, is a large building and has been fairly comprehensively stripped of its equipment. Old registers and what appears to be a duty rota are still in the reception area, and there are cots in the maternity ward and little glass ampoules on some of the floors. At the time of the Chernobyl accident, the casualties initially came here, but the hospital was evacuated along with the rest of Pripyat soon afterwards. Most of those with severe radiation sickness were sent to Moscow’s Hospital No. 6 for specialist treatment. Only one casualty from the accident died in Pripyat hospital, Vladimir Shashenok, an engineer who was badly burned in the initial explosion and died a few hours later.

THE FUTURE OF THE SITE

At time of writing, approval had just been given for the new shelter to be constructed over the fourth unit. (see above and left) Current plans are for a hangar-like arched construction which will cover the building and its distinctive chimney, and will finally eliminate the danger of falling material ejecting radioactive dust to atmosphere. Once this new roof is in place, final dismantling can begin of the remains of the reactor.

Pripyat is becoming a tourist attraction in its own way, but because of the contamination it is unlikely to be developed. It is returning to nature and has become a haven for wildlife and seems likely to be left as it is for the foreseeable future. A visit to Pripyat is a fascinating glimpse into a Soviet-era town and walking along the empty streets is an unusual and strange experience. Those with an interest in the Cold War especially will find it a unique place; both the Soviet symbols and architecture, and also it is the nearest thing possible to visiting a site after a nuclear strike.

VISITING CHERNOBYL
Organised trips are the only practical way to visit; the organisers will obtain the necessary documents. Photography is permitted everywhere except certain parts of the power station (photography of the Fourth Unit is allowed) and at the checkpoints. Visitors are required to stay with the tour guide at all times and groups are given dosimeters.

Radiation check on leaving the exclusion zone. Photo Nick Catford (click to enlarge)

Although the background radiation in the area is obviously higher than normal, the levels are not dangerous in the context of a day visit. There are ‘hot spot’ in Pripyat but these are known to the guides and dosimeters are set to alarm at deliberately low levels to protect visitors; at one spot where ours went into alarm, the dose rate in one hour would have equated to half of a standard X-ray. Our visit gave us the equivalent amount of radiation to that which you would receive on a long-haul flight. Upon leaving the exclusion zone all persons are required to pass through a scanner which checks for excessive contamination and vehicles are also checked. The visit described here was on 12 April 2007 and the party consisted of Alex and Suzanne Gould, Jane MacGregor and Robin Ware. We would all like to thank our guides, Yuri and Maxim and also Sub Brit member Julian Nowill who organised the trip for us.

Jane MacGregor - E-mail: janeATgkmacDOTcoDOTuk

Sources:

• Ablaze: The Story of Chernobyl by Piers Paul Read, Published by Secker & Warburg 1993. ISBN-10: 0679408193
• Information Office, Chornobyl
• Yuri, our guide

Other web sites: Pripyat.com and Wikipedia

Click here for further pictures of Chernobyl

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